Life On Our Side Of The Mountain

Who Packed Your Parachute?

2012-02-27T11:43:00.003-05:00

I shared a story today with a few of my friends & family via email and thought I'd share it here with you as well.
I read this story this morning from the book The Power of Kindness written by Mac Anderson. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

{Charles Plumb was a U.S. Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile.
Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent six years in a communist Vietnamese prison.
He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience!}

~One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"
"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb.
"I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, "I guess it worked!" Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, "I kept wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat; a bib in the back; and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said, 'Good morning, how are you?' or anything because you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor." Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't know.
Now, Plumb asks his audience, "Who's packing your parachute?" Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. He also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory - he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety.

~Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason. As you go through this week, this month, this year, don't forget to recognize the people who pack your parachutes.

{Photo from the 4-mile mountain hike we took this weekend. We had reached the top of the mountain and sat down on what is known as "Picture Rock" - this huge rock has stick figure people and horse pictures carved into it by what many think were Native Americans. I burned mega calories that day!}

Wholegrain Berry White Chocolate Chip Muffins

2012-02-23T12:01:00.001-05:00

I made a new batch of these yummylicious muffins this morning and thought I'd share the recipe with you. They taste so good and are loaded with fiber, so be sure to have plenty of water with them. Beware, it might be hard to eat just one!

I know this seems like a lot of ingredients to mix, but very much worth the effort.

The recipe calls for fresh or frozen berries, I've tried using both and then I decided to try dried fruit and decided the dried fruit is the best way to go. If you use other fruits, be sure to compare the calories of the blueberries with the calories of whatever fruit you are using and then add the difference. Make sense?

I have also used wheat germ in the place of oat bran and it worked well, however, I think the wheat germ was a little more higher in calories than oat bran.

This recipe makes 24 muffins. I'm not sure how long they last, because they disappear very quickly in my house. You could probably freeze them individually and set one out the night before for a quick breakfast on the run.

Can you smell them? Mmm! I wish you could! Here's the recipe to save and print:

Healthier Choices & 30 Days of Homeschool

2012-02-22T10:15:00.003-05:00

I'm about 55 days into my lifestyle change and I'm not going to kid you, some days, it is just difficult to face those sugar monsters that are always creeping around - waiting to sabatoge my progress. I have lost about 30 pounds now, but, I am not going to log the last 5 pounds until after I've weighed in next week.

What is so amazing to me is that after all the crash diets, pill diets, diet plan books, diet guru's, Atkins', South Beach, Low Carb, No Carb, Some Carbs, Grapefruit, Vinegar, Liquid Diet, Soup Diet, Cabbage Diet, Weight Watchers Diet and just about every other kind of diet you can think of and name...I have tried them, but finally - FINALLY- I am getting this. I'm getting the hang of this and learning how and why I am over weight.

I've had no shortage of healthy foods around. I rarely ever did buy straight out junk food. My problem was the fact that I had no sense of what portion control was or still is for that matter. I have to measure and weigh every bite that goes into my mouth or I will fail. When I eyeball a portion, I may think it's 1/4 cup, but when I end up measuring it, I am usually shocked to see that it's more like 3/4 cup or more and that adds up.

I have learned that to lose one single pound, you must burn 3,500 calories. After about 30 minutes on the treadmill going uphill as fast as my legs will take me...I start to think...geez, that {insert food here} was definitely not worth eating! I've learned that I can not eat 1800 calories a day with little to zero exercise and not get as fat as a bear. I have also learned that eating 1200-1300 calories a day with no exercise gets me absolutely no where at all.

How in the world could it have taken me 14 or more years to figure this out? I have fought the battle of my bulge for so long, trying the next new fad diet with little results, sometimes with lots of results, but never with a healthy result and the knowledge of how and why I got to into that shape in the first place. It was all just quick fixes to my underlying problems which were bound to fail without learning how to eat and exercise properly.

I am still learning and making small changes everyday. I've added lots of fiber and healthy grains to my diet.

I no longer bake very often, but when I do, I use whole wheat flour and load it with flaxseed, wheat germ or oat bran.

I always keep lots of fruits stocked up. And believe it or not, this many bananas don't last very long at our house. :)

Update on the homeschool front:

We have about one month left of this school year. Both of my kids have finished all of their Curricula for the year. Now that they've seemingly breezed through it, I am finding myself on the hunt for more work to fill this next month. We have started a unit study of The Civil War, which I am very much enjoying. When I was back in school, we were only taught snippets about American History. I really want my children to have more than bits and pieces, I'd like for them to see a more in depth look into our history and how we got here today.

We have also began a unit study of Narnia. We are reading along with the audiobook and I am currently looking for material that I can use along with the book. If anyone has some good (free) links for material to share, I'd appreciate it!

My 12 year old will be starting a new math program; Teaching Textbooks. He has struggled with math for the past two years and I am desperately hoping this is the answer.

We'll be using Bill Nye videos as a jumping off point and studying the materials he talks about in his videos for our last few days of Science.

We are continuing our study in Visual and Performing Arts. I find almost all the material I need for this study online for free.

Both kids still have their regular "PE" time and get plenty of exercise. I am looking to incorporate a Health class for my 12 year old next year, since it is required by state law. My daughter already had it when she was in public school and said it was quite embarassing with a lot of the kids making a big deal of everything (if you catch what I mean) I have always believed that this particular subject is private and should be taught at home. Call me old fashioned.

I think that's covered all the major subjects well enough to take us through the end of the school year. I think I will be searching for new curriculum for next year for my 12 year old. I'd love to hear what others use and has worked well for your homeschool.

Hope you all are having a great week! Good bye for now :)

Almost Strawberry Cheese Cake Bites

2012-02-06T16:07:00.003-05:00

You'll need:

* 1/2 sheet Nabisco Original Graham Crackers (red box)

* 1 tsp. Philadelphia 1/3 Less Fat Strawberry Spread

*1 tsp. Smucker's Low Sugar Strawberry Reduced Sugar Preserves

1/2 graham sheet cookie with 1 tsp. each cream cheese spread & preserves is 43 calories.

This is a nice sweet treat when you have a sweet tooth but don't want to consume too many calories.

Today's Hike

2012-01-31T19:02:00.001-05:00

I drove the two hour drive to Virginia today to meet up with my aunt to hike a (10 mile )trail system near her house. With my kiddos and mom in tote, we challenged ourselves to complete a 5k hike on the trail, but can you believe we hiked a 10k instead? My goal is to hike the entire 10 mile trail before the end of 2012.

I am very excited that I pushed myself to go a little farther and complete six miles. Granted, I may not be able to get out of bed tomorrow, I feel tired in a good way right now.

I packed a picnic which included lots of protein and water for our trip. I had a good eating day today. I came in at eating about 1200 calories (not subtracting my 734 calories burned from the hike). I will probably have a good snack, but I'm just not all that hungry, even after the 6 mile hike. I should see the scale move the next time I weigh in.
(fingers crossed)

Thank you all for the comments in yesterday's post - I appreciate them so much!

Monday Fitness Check-In

2012-01-30T21:10:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you've had a good one. I've had a few days of the 'blahs', but I sure can't complain today. It's been a great day! The sun has been shining bright today with 58 degree weather and tomorrow is supposed to be 68!

I've been thinking of using one day a week to check in with my fitness progress here on my blog. I'll be honest, it's a little intimidating for me, just for the fact that I'm putting this information out there and I feel a little vulnerable because of it, however, I also feel like it holds me so much more accountable by talking openly about it here. I'm still not ready to put my actual weight out, but maybe someday I will when I feel better about myself. I would also love to do a before and after photo someday.

I've had a great day today. I've stayed well in my calorie range, in fact, I actually have a lot of calories left, but those are my exercise calories and unless I am starving, I don't dare eat back my exercise calories I've burned. My total calories that I'm supposed to have for my weight/height/age/activity level is 1310 calories. I figured it would drop some after I lost 22 lbs but it hasn't, yet. :) I'm set to lose 1.8-2.0 lbs a week.

I burned "723 calories doing 70 minutes of cardio exercises, including Elliptical Trainer". And it felt wonderful!

I walked 2 miles (1 on the treadmill, 1 outside) and worked out on the elliptical for 30 minutes. I love how I can get twice the burn on the elliptical machine, but I am not crazy about going to the gym to use it. Someday, I'd like to be able to afford my own. That thing works you over, so I am sure you could lose some serious weight and tone up using it.

Today's food:

Breakfast

Calories

Yogi Tea - Detox Tea - Body Purifier, 1 teabag

Great Value (Walmart) - Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, 1 packet

130

TOTAL

130

Lunch

Marissa's Oatmeal Muffins - With Whole Grain Oats, Applesauce, Egg Whites, & Cinnamon, 1 muffin

118

Marissa's Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup - 8 oz. Soup, 1 cup

Homemade - Panko Oven Baked Chicken Thigh, 1 piece

165

TOTAL

338

Dinner

Daisy - Light Sour Cream* 50% Less Fat, 2 Tbsp

Wishbone Salad Spritzers - Ranch Vinaigrette Dressing - Spray Dressing, 20 sprays

Land O Lakes - Butter (Fresh Buttery Taste Spread), 0.5 tbsp.

Idaho Russet Potatoes - Baked Potato, 1 potato (148g/5.3oz)

110

Almost Strawberry Cheesecake Snack Bites - Homemade, 4 serving

180

Market Side Fresh Spinach - Spinach Leaves, 1 cups

Chicken - Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast , 2 ounces

Nature's Harvest - Pine Nuts 1/4c, 0.0500000007450581 cup

TOTAL

506

Evening Munchies

Sabra - Hummus Roasted Red Pepper, 2 tbsp	70
Kellog's - Special K Multi-Grain Baked Crackers, 24 CRACKERS	120
TOTAL	190

My Daily Vitamins


Natrol - Biotin 1000 Mcg Fast Dissolve, 1 tablet
Nature Made - Potassium Gluconate 550mg, 1 Tablet
Nature Made - Vitamin E 1000 I.U., 1 caplet
Spring Valley - Natural Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc Dietary Supplement, 3 Caplets
Vitafusion - Vitamin D3 2000iu Gummy Vitamins for Adults, 2 vitamins

Totals

1,164

Your Daily Goal

2,033

279

Remaining

869

190

Calories

Carbs

Fat

Protein

*You've earned 723 extra calories from exercise today

I've planned my first hike of the year since it's going to be so warm. We've worked hard today on tomorrow's lessons so we could take a few hours off. I'll be hiking a 5k and I'm really excited about it! It's neat how that last year, I was planning activities inside and near the air conditioner, activities that didn't include too much movement and now this year I'm planning a whole year of hiking!

Time to hit the shower then bed ...I'm wore out! Have a great Tuesday!

Italian Pasta Recipe

2012-01-25T21:17:00.000-05:00

Weight Loss Update & Some Blog Changes

2012-01-25T20:57:00.000-05:00

22 pounds lost so far! I have lots more to go, but most importantly, I am learning how to eat healthy and I've been so much more active over the last month. I have some energy now - can you believe that?!

It's been a while since I've updated around here. I lost my photo editing program around Thanksgiving. That alone discouraged me from even picking up my camera. I finally just sat down and decided to figure out what was going on, even if it took me all day and night (and it did) Finally, around 2:30 am this morning, I finally got it working! Yay! I took down my Christmas bulbs and put up a couple hearts for Valentine's Day on my banner. I'm looking forward to blogging again, as I've found a tiny bit of renewed spirit after fixing PSE last night.

I've been thinking lately about my healthy life change, as it has really become a part of me and my family now, I wanted to incorporate it somehow into my blog. I've been thinking about switching gears a little and going into a new direction with my blog. I'm such a creature of habit, that I find this terrifying. So, we'll see.

As for now, I am going to try to post more about my weight loss journey and my healthier lifestyle on here - I think this will help me be even more accountable - PLUS, I thought that if maybe even one person was inspired or ready to go on this journey along with me, it would be worth it.

Don't worry, when spring is sprung and I am able to get back out with my camera, there will be tons of birds and nature photos posts again, I will still be talking about homeschooling and cooking and life in general up here on the mountain.

I have lots of catching up to do with your blogs. I've been wondering how you all have been doing lately!

New Year: New Outlook, New Goals, New Body, New Life

2011-12-29T11:31:00.001-05:00

Did you survive the Christmas holiday season? I did, but only barely, I think. I cooked and ate my way through Thanksgiving and Christmas, gaining more weight than I care to admit to.

I've kept myself very busy for the past month, with hardly a minute to spare to actually think. Christmas eve went by quickly; I cooked dinner for my hunny, kids, mother and my mom and dad-in law. We had a very busy, but good day. I enjoyed cooking and watching everyone else enjoy the food and gifts. I love and appreciate my little family. They are the best. I guess most everyone feels that way though, right?

Christmas day, however, was different. After finishing up the cleanup, I finally got to lay down at 11pm. My mind started thinking about Dad and how Christmas was so lonely without him.
I was awake all night - thinking. I stayed in bed until 1pm Christmas day. That's something I DON'T do, but I just couldn't get up.

At 1pm, one of my close friends called to say that her cousin, who I am also aquainted with, was found dead by his wife in their bed. How can this happen? It's Christmas. He's only 36 years old.
My heart broke into pieces for them. They are a very special family to me. I tried to pray for them with all my heart. I know what pain and grief I've felt for the loss of my precious dad...and here they are on Christmas day with such a shocking, horrible, life-changing loss that they are now facing.   I don't know what the official cause of his death is, but I know that he had gained a lot of weight over the past couple years. A huge lot.

I haven't mentioned it on here, but I've been having some scary things going on with my heart - irregular beats and lots of fluttering. I already have hypertension and was diagnosed with that when I was 17 years old - and I was not carrying around all this extra weight back then.   I have generations of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins (on both sides of my family) who have died with massive heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and other heart problems, and they weren't too old either. So this thing is in my genetic make-up. My dad himself had an emergency 5-way heart bypass a few years ago, in his late 40's. And he was very active, skinny and ate well and had no idea he even had any heart problems.

I have had a wake up call in the past few days. I am going to try my best to do something about this. I might be pre-disposed to this stuff, but I'm not going to let it get me without a good fight.

I found a fitness group online and I'm telling you - I think it might be my lifesaver. I signed up, put in all my info and it showed me my stats...something that I can sit and actually see. I'm able to track every.single.bite. I put into my mouth. I just type in what I've eaten into my food diary and it does all the rest for me. There is also an exercise diary that keeps track of how many calories I've burned when I add the excercise to my diary. I have found tons (no pun intended) of inspiration, motivation and encouragement there. Everyone is so welcoming and everyone is there for the same purpose you are: to get healthy!

If you are struggling with weight and/or keeping track of food and exercise, I am inviting you to join me. We can do this - together!

MyFitnessPlan   It's a calorie counter, diet and exercise journal and it is free!   I THOUGHT I knew exactly what I was eating...but boy, was I wrong. I had no idea how much I was actually eating (calorie-wise) until I started journaling everything I was eating. What a shocker!!!
I have lost 10 lbs. so far and I have 50 more to go. I'm not trying to be skinny, I just want to be healthy and feel better, and more importantly, I want to live!

If you decide to join me, please let me know and I'll buddy up with you for support!!

Here's to a new year. A new me.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T10:40:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas dear friends! May God bless you with much love, happiness and peace in 2012.

Jesus is the reason for the season.

Don't Forget Jesus

Christmas is a special time

To reflect on Jesus Christ

The wonder of His lowly birth

Brings meaning to our lives

There really is no other reason

We celebrate this day

The birth of God’s precious son

And the life He willingly gave

But so much seems to distract us

In the busy-ness of our lives

We lose our focus in all the happenings

Not knowing, we leave out Christ

We lose sight of the true meaning

As we endlessly rush about

Trying to find that perfect gift

Seems to cloud our Saviour out

We need to stop and reflect awhile

Remembering our precious Lord

His birth, His life and sacrifice

And all that He stands for

For though the world may celebrate

It seems though for other reasons

Let’s keep in mind that Jesus Christ

Is the true meaning of the season.

Amazon: 25 Days of FREE Christmas Music Downloads

2011-12-21T21:56:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! Are you ready for Christmas? I'm still doing some last minute homemade gifts for some friends and I believe that will wrap it up for me. (I hope!)

I'll be back visiting blogs regularly soon :)

I found FREE Christmas music at Amazon.com and thought I'd share it with you all. Every day through Christmas, Amazon has a new song available to download for free for a limited time. 25 Days of Free Holiday Music at Amazon.

Merry Christmas!

Kitty's MAINE Squeeze

2011-12-19T14:09:00.000-05:00

Luna the Maine Coon hanging out with Jake.
He is so patient with her. :)

Not So Shabby Photo Frame Giveaway (2 Winners!) Closed

2011-12-12T11:37:00.006-05:00

*The winners of the frames via Random.org are: Cream- Dr. Momi & Pink - Donna. Please email me with shipping info ladies. Thank you all who entered. I wish I could send one to everyone.

Hi friends! In the spirit of Christmas giving, I'm having another drawing, this time for two very cute cottage-y/shabby chic frames. There will be 2 winners - one winner for each frame.

But before we get into the drawing, I'd like to take a moment to tell you all how thankful I am for the friendships I've made through blogging. I consider each of your comments, emails, snail mails and cards a gift.

Did you know the practice of giving gifts at Christmas has been traced back to the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that were given to the Christ child by the three Magi. The magi were kings from the East - wise men who traveled a great distance following a star, to find the baby Jesus and to bring him gifts. In a commercial world of buying, giving and receiving at Christmastime, it can be easy to forget the true meaning behind gift giving. Let's not forget that Jesus is truly the reason for the season! :)

Ok, now for the photo frames. 1 Vanilla Cream and 1 Pink Sugar frame. (Cream & Pink)

Due to shipping costs U.S. Residents Only
You do NOT have to be a follower to enter this drawing.

*Your comment telling me which frame you'd like is your entry!

For extra entries (Leave seperate comments for each entry telling me which frame you like best):

Follow me on Twitter.

Follow me on Pinterest.

"Like" Life On Our Side Of The Mountain on Facebook.

Follow my blog publicly, Life On Our Side Of The Mountain.

Spread the word via Facebook or Twitter! Let me know! (Seperate entry for each)

(Feel free to copy & paste this tweet - I’m hoping to win the Not So Shabby photo frames #giveaway at @MarissaSays_ ! http://www.lifeonourmountain.com/2011/12/not-so-shabby-photo-frame-giveaway-2.html)

Winner will be chosen by Random.org and announced on Monday, December 19th.

Cheezy Chicken Cheeseball Spread Recipe

2011-12-11T13:32:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! I thought I'd share a recipe today. My friend Sara gave me this recipe some time ago and I've been making it ever since. It is a huge hit with my family and friends. It is also great to serve at babyshowers, house warming parties or even take to church dinners. You can serve it with crackers on the side or as a veggie dip. It's so quick and easy to make - it will look and taste like you've put way more time into this than you actually did! :)

Here's the recipe. Feel free to save this to your files to print.

S'mores Anyone?

2011-12-10T09:39:00.001-05:00

I thought I'd share a recipe today. These are so delicious, but don't eat too many - you'll be sick!
Or...eat all you want if you don't mind a sugar rush! :)

This is my daughter's recipe and trust me when I say these S'mores Bars will make you say, "Mmm!".

We didn't have regular graham crackers, so she used the chocolate graham crackers instead and we ended up liking the chocolate grahams better. Another note to add, we had large marshmallows, so she cut them into two pieces. The mini marshmallows work best!

Click to save and print

Feel free to save and print for your own recipe files. Enjoy!

Motherly Advice

2011-12-09T10:39:00.001-05:00

A little free unsolicited advice.

Sometimes when you feel you've had your share of crying toddlers, mountains of poo diapers, 3 a.m. feedings or a fussy baby who wants to be held while you're standing at the stove top, stirring around a pot of pasta trying to remember if you bought spaghetti sauce or if this is going to be sauceless spaghetti dinner, while remembering you have wet clothes in the washing machine and dry clothes that are now wrinkled in the dryer and the phone is ringing because hey, it's dinner time, so it is telemarketers normal call time - it's so easy to drift away to a dreamland where the kids are older and you have some quiet down time all for yourself, where the house is quiet and there are no mountains of diapers or fussy babies...

But trust me on this, there will come a day when you look around and those babies are as tall or taller than you are and you feel the overwhelming black cloud of them growing up too fast hoovering right over your head and then you wish that you could have those babies back again, if only for a little while.

My advice to you tired and weary mothers out there is - try to enjoy every moment of motherhood while they last, even those moments when you feel like you aren't accomplishing much around the house and your chores have piled up to the sky and you wonder if you will ever get it all done. You will! I promise, you will.

First of all, steal away for a good hot shower. Clean yourself up and get dressed. This simple (although it may seem next to impossible to a mother with babies) act alone will make such a huge difference in the way you feel about yourself. Everything will look better after a good scrub in the shower. You might even feel like you can conquer the world after getting those legs shaved and your hair washed! :)

Everyone likes a tidy and cozy home, right?

During the baby and toddler years, set simple goals for just keeping the house tidy and cozy. Don't stress yourself out because you didn't get to clean windows or shampoo carpets during what you normally call 'spring cleaning' or whatever you call it at your house.
I stressed myself to the max after I had my first baby. I was a perfectionist who wanted every single thing in place in my very clean home. One piece of lint or fuzz on my burgandy (what was I thinking to have this color?) carpet would set me off in a tizzy because I felt I had to vaccum the entire living room again.

I sure got a rude awakening after having a baby and a house full of stuff that most of us think all babies require. I finally figured out (the hard way) that I, although it was difficult to admit, was not Super Woman. Things were going to be different in my house and I may never see the pristine home that I had been accustomed to living in for a good long while - at least until the baby was ready for Kindergarten. :)

Boy, those were the days. I've come a long way since then...almost 18 years now, to be exact. I've already made the mistakes, so let me help you a little if you are struggling right now. The chores will be there when you are able to do them, don't stress over not getting everything on your list crossed off. Take care of yourself. You will be a better mommy for it.

Enlist some help.

If you need a break, you are entitled to call grandma or auntie and ask for a little help. There's nothing wrong with that. Don't feel guilty or ashamed to ask for help. Grandma or auntie will be thrilled that she gets to spend a little time with the baby and best of all, you'll be fresh and ready to tackle another day!

Project 52: 52/52 The Final One

2011-12-09T09:47:00.015-05:00

My kids always enjoy making a gingerbread house before Christmas. This year, my daughter worked on the house solo. I think my son thought he was 'too old' to be making gingerbread houses.
They grow up way too fast, don't they?

Sharing with:

Kids Cookbook Giveaway! (Closed)

2011-12-07T19:49:00.006-05:00

*The winner via Random.org is DEB! Please email me to claim your kids cookbook!
Thank you all - I appreciate each one who took the time to comment and enter!

Do you have a little chef in your life? Maybe a daughter or son, grand-daughter or grandson? How about a niece or nephew who enjoys cooking? This kids cookbook is sure to be a hit with the kiddos.

*US residents only

Your comment is your #1 entry.

For extra entries (Leave seperate comments for each entry):

Follow me on Twitter.

Follow me on Pinterest.

"Like" Life On Our Side Of The Mountain on Facebook.

Follow my blog publicly, Life On Our Side Of The Mountain.

Spread the word via Facebook or Twitter! Let me know!

(Feel free to copy & paste this tweet - I’m hoping to win the kids cookbook #giveaway at @MarissaSays_ ! http://www.lifeonourmountain.com/2011/12/kids-cookbook-giveaway.html)

Winner will be chosen by Random.org Monday, December 12th and announced via Facebook/Twitter.

Freebie

2011-12-07T16:57:00.004-05:00

I have a freebie to give away to everyone to say thank you! This is background paper & page elements that you can personalize and customize for your own use.

Click To Download

This freebie includes 2 Quick Pages, and all of the papers and elements used in creating them. The elements and QuickPages are .png and the papers are .jpg format, so they will not only work in MyMemories Suite, but any software program you use. You can personalize them to suite your blog, scrapbook or photo album!

I plan on giving away a FREE digital scrapbook/photo album pack each week on Wednesdays, so be sure to check back to get yours for free!
Enjoy!

Code STMMMS142

Project 52: 41-51/52

2011-12-02T17:42:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone :)
I've fallen behind on my Project 52 photo project. Today's post will get me caught up and next week will be my 52nd week. To be honest, I am not sure if I will attempt another Project 52 this upcoming year, but who knows, I might change my mind.

I got a new to me Nikon camera today, so I thought I'd try it out. It's similiar to my Nikon D3100 in a lot of ways, but it'll take some getting use to. It seems to shoot a lot cooler than my other Nikon. These photos haven't been edited, with the exception of cropping, watermarked and resized for web . Since there are so many photos, I just threw them all together into a collage.

Beginning at the top left to right: Notice those two little sweet faces staring at me, a little wooden bowl, $20 bucks wasted on a camera lens thing that is suppose to attach to my lens for macro. Second row left to right: A tiny little purple wreath with an even smaller silver ball (I did use that macro lens for that shot), a mind-teaser peg game from Cracker Barrel, my newborn nephew's little feet. Third row left to right: A Willy Wonka gingerbread house, courtesy of my daughter, a apothecary jar filled with stones, a different angle of the gingerbread house. Last row left to right: A primitive snowman ornament and last but not least, a blurry Luna who at the time was taking a swing at the camera lens with her little paws.

Have a great weekend!

If you haven't already entered my MyMemories Suite software drawing, don't forget to enter!

My Memories Suite Giveaway! (Closed)

2011-11-30T15:41:00.008-05:00

The Random.org winner is #30 - Michaele. Congratulations, Michaele, please contact me to claim your software!

Thanks to all who entered this drawing. I do wish I could give each one of you this wonderful software, because it is truly something anyone could use.

You can purchase the software through this link using code STMMMS142 - you will receive $10 off the My Memories Suite v3.0 and get a $10 off coupon to use in the MyMemories.com store. Remember, if you "like" MyMemories Facebook, you get an additional $5 coupon code for the MyMemories store. That is a total $25 value!

* I will also be giving away a FREE set of paper & elements that not only work with MyMemories Suite, but work with any photo editing software that accepts .png file format. You can use these in many ways, such as scrapbooking, as backgrounds or in photo albums.

Once again, thank you all!

Hi friends!
I'd like to share a little about MyMemories Suite digital scrapbooking software. Don't be fooled by the word 'digital scrapbooking', because this software offers so much more! Here are a few things I was able to make in just a few minutes - and I only scratched the surface of what you can create using MyMemories Suite!

Greeting Cards

Blog Buttons

Calendars

Photo Collages

Scrapbook pages

You can create entire photo albums, calendars, beautiful professionally printed hardcover books, movies, interactive album discs (wouldn't these make wonderful Christmas gifts?) recipe cards, blog headers, blog buttons and so much more.

I found MyMemories Suite v.3.0 to be extremely user friendly. This software is very versatile, and most of it is click and drag. Easy, right? And with all the beautiful kits available on their site and the ability to import other scrap booking kits - the potential is unlimited.

MyMemories Suite is an affordable and easy to use digital scrap booking software program, at just $39.97. If you purchase it through this link and use the code STMMMS142 you will receive $10 off the My Memories Suite v3.0 and get a $10 off coupon to use in the MyMemories.com store. There are some very nice designer packs – all reasonably priced and a $10 coupon would go a long way.

If you'd like to enter for a chance to win a free copy of this software, a $40 value, simply visit http://www.mymemories.com/ and check it out! THEN, come back here to this post and leave a comment telling me which one of the digital paper packs or layouts is YOUR favorite! That’s it!

Your comment is your #1 entry.

How about more chances to win?

(Please leave a seperate comment for each entry):

2. "Like" MyMemories Facebook page. When you 'like' MyMemories Facebook, you will get a $5 coupon code to use in the MyMemories store!

3. Follow MyMemories on Twitter.

4. Follow me on Twitter.

5. Follow me on Pinterest.

6. "Like" Life On Our Side Of The Mountain on Facebook.

7. Follow my blog publicly, Life On Our Side Of The Mountain.

8. Spread the word via Facebook or Twitter! Let me know!

(Feel free to copy & paste this tweet - I’m hoping to win the @MyMemoriesSuite #giveaway at @MarissaSays_ ! http://www.lifeonourmountain.com/2011/11/my-memories-suite-giveaway.html)

That is a total of EIGHT entries that each person could have to win! Eight chances!
This giveaway will remain open until Wednesday, December 7th. The winner will be announced via Facebook/Twitter.

Good luck!

If you purchase through this link and use the code STMMMS142 you will receive $10 off the My Memories Suite v3.0 and get a $10 off coupon to use in the MyMemories.com store. Remember, if you "like" MyMemories Facebook, you get an additional $5 coupon code for the MyMemories store. That is a total $25 value!

*Disclosure: I received a free download of My Memories Suite to provide an unpaid review, all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Fighting Like Cats and Dogs

2011-11-29T15:34:00.000-05:00

Well, the title is a bit misleading because my dog and kitten do not fight, but they sure don't appreciate each other too much.
Maybe some of you who have both dogs and cats can give us some suggestions. We've had the kitten for a few weeks now and neither her or my dog will even acknowledge one another. Now, don't get me wrong - I'm so glad they aren't fighting (or rather, I should say, that she isn't attacking him because he is scared of EVERYTHING that moves) but it would be nice if they'd at least be friends. Am I asking too much? Will they eventually become at least 'friendly' to each other? We've tried to introduce them but they both run as hard and as fast as they can in the opposite direction.

Here is a video where we've placed them together. They sat for a minute or so but eventually ran away. You can see my poor little chi's defense mechanism has always been to start pretend yawning. He makes a cute little kitty like 'meow' noise when he yawns, and we just go crazy over it - ooohing and ahhhing...so he uses that to get our attention many times daily. He can yawn on demand if we ask him to. haha
What you can't see in this video is him trembling all over, scared because she is near him. I suppose they could live like this forever but it would be nice if I knew what to do to help them overcome their shyness towards one another.

Any ideas?

My Memories

2011-11-27T17:00:00.002-05:00

Hi friends!
I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! We enjoyed two big Thanksgiving dinners this year - the dinner that I cooked on Thursday and another delicious dinner on Saturday with my husband's parents.
My dinner was a traditional Thanksgiving meal with turkey, dressing, a baked spiral ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, baked beans, creamed corn, yeast rolls, apple dumplings, lemon cupcakes, ginger bread cookies and my yummy punch. My mother-in-law's dinner included chicken & dumplings, baked chicken & dressing, greenbeans and corn from their garden, pecan pie and homemade brownies - YUM!
All I can say is - I can see some nice crunchy salads in my future this week!

How about you guys? Do you feel as stuffed as I do? Do you have traditional Thanksgiving meals or do you venture outside the box?

Ready for a fun and creative giveaway?

I have an exciting giveaway happening this week on my blog that I'd like to tell you about! I will be giving away My Memories Suite Scrapbooking Software courtesy of Liz at My Memories.

My Memories Suite is an award-winning digital scrapbook software that is rated #1 by both Amazon and TopTen Reviews.

With this software you can make scrapbook layouts, photo books, cards, videos, you name it, you can create it with My Memories Suite! There will be several ways for you to have extra entries in the contest, so be sure to check back!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T09:58:00.000-05:00

Kittens: Fluffy, Soft, Sweetness

2011-11-18T11:32:00.003-05:00

Who doesn't love these adorable little fluffballs? I couldn't imagine anyone saying they don't think kittens are the sweetest little things.

I brought my glass birdbath inside the house so it wouldn't freeze and crack. I placed it down by the door and guess who decided to claim it? You guessed it, Luna.

We gave her a blanket and she claimed it as her 'spot' for a couple days before I decided someone was going to step on it and break it. (The glass birdbath, not the kitten) Note the window in the background. I know you noticed how dirty it is. :) I sprayed it with the hose while attempting to water my mums. The view would be so much better looking out that window if I'd Windex it. Today could quite possibly be the day for that. Or maybe not.

We've learned a few things about her since she's been with us. All of them quite endearing.
She poses so nicely for me for about 2 seconds. That is her attention span before she moves on to something else more exciting.
She keeps us laughing all the time with her nutty antics.
We've learned that she could probably climb a 30 foot tree in lickity split, judging by her quick couch climbing ability.
She could possibly fly if she set her mind to it. We have seen her in action. She has taken flight a few times and we were quite amazed at how high and how far she can leap.
She likes to be in the room with us, no matter which room we are in, she is sure to find a spot near us - more than likely right beside someone's feet.
She likes Christmas trees and especially the ornaments (yep, I put my tree us this early) but she does not like the tree skirt; she removes it for me a few times everyday.
She is a social eater and drinker. Everytime one of us has coffee, tea, or water; she hops onto our lap, tries to sniff the cup and then runs to her water dish. When we sit down at the table to eat, we can hear her crunching her food in the utility room.
She doesn't mind going into her crate at bedtime. She sleeps throughout the night right near me and wakes me at 6 a.m. ready for breakfast.
But most of all, we've learned that she adores being loved and cuddled...but only on her terms, of course. Because that's how cats roll. :)

You can probably see my reflection in her eyes. I'm laying on my tummy trying to talk her into a few more shots. I loved how the sun reflected through the glass birdbath. This was the last photo I was able to get before she hopped out of the bowl. When I loaded it to my computer, I was disappointed with how it looked. I was going to delete it but decided to edit it and I ended up loving how it turned out.

Here is the before photo:

I'm sharing this post with The Creative Exchange.

I Have Your Name...On My Link Up Page

2011-11-17T12:09:00.001-05:00

I have been meaning to update my link up page for a very long time now. I have good intentions but never get around to it. Last night, while waiting up late for my hubby to get home from work, I decided to try to tackle it. I think I've listed all the blogs whom I follow and enjoy and of course, who communicates back with me. If I've left someone out, it was by accident and I'm sorry. (You can email me or something and I'll correct it) Please click on the Link Up tab at the top of my page to view this list of wonderful bloggers. Each one is unique, yet they all have something in common, which is - they write about things I'm interested in reading and a lot of them, I feel I've connected with and made real friendships with.

There are only a few who have buttons to share, but the rest I've provided a link to. If you have a button and I've missed you, please let me know! I'd love to include it on this page. :)

Happy Thursday everyone,
God bless!

Things I Could Not Live Without In My Kitchen

2011-11-16T17:53:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! I hope you all are doing well on this rainy November day.

Do you have favorite things in your kitchen you feel you just can't live without? I definitely do. Here are a couple of my "must have" things.

Some of you may remember way back when (last year) that I decided to buy a red utensil crock and store my most used utensils on the countertop. I had a very hard time getting used to having it sitting there. I just didn't like how cluttered it looked. Well, since then, I actually grew to like it so much that I bought another one just like the first one! I tell you, if you can get past how cluttered your counter looks with these things sitting on them, you will be a happy cooker. They are super handy!
Another item that I could not live without is my cutting board. I use it everyday for many purposes. I only wish I could find one that would cover that entire counter in the picture.
The next things that I must have are my knives. How could I ever chop anything without my big chopper knife? I chop a lot of stuff, everyday. :)

My little Lazy Susan is not only very handy, but because my grandfather gave it to me, it is very special. It always holds my olive oil, salt, pepper and my dad's honey. I reach for these things everytime I cook.
The last thing is my cast iron skillets. They are heavy and kind of hard to hold, but everything just tastes better when cooked in these things.
Can you tell how much I use these things? I have them all nested right around my stove, which I spend a lot of my life (seems that way, anyways) standing in front of.

What are some of your must have, wouldn't want to live without, or just couldn't live without kitchen things?

P.S. I Haven't Forgotten You

2011-11-08T15:08:00.000-05:00

Another real quick note...I haven't forgotten any of you! We have gotten a little behind schedule in our lessons, so we are working very hard to get caught up. I'll be back to visit you soon!
xoxo

Little Bitty Kitty

2011-11-08T14:47:00.001-05:00

We couldn't reach the people who had Miss Kitty for whatever reason, they didn't answer. Hopefully, she went to a good home. I always think that if something doesn't happen for you - then it's worked out that way for a purpose.

We found another kitten for adoption at an animal shelter four counties over from us. We decided that she would be perfect, so I hopped in my car and drove an hour or so to get there just before closing time yesterday.

Before I share about the new kitten, I'd just like to tell a story real quick. I stopped at another shelter before heading to where I found our kitten, just to take a look. I pulled up and I immediately smelled the smell of a dead animal - before I ever got out of my car! I walked inside the door, where I had to cover my mouth and nose. It was that bad, people. The man at the desk asked if he could help me and I just told him I wanted to see cats. He told me where to go to see the cats and kittens. I walked back there and I almost lost it. I could not believe what I was seeing, let alone smelling. I got pukey sick and I had to get out of there. I'm going out on a limb here when I say this, so please don't send me hate comments...but honest to goodness, every animal I saw in there would be better off euthanized and out of misery than to live another day in that place. It broke my heart. The cats and kittens were all sick, sneezing and coughing. Eyes all closed and nasty. There was a dead dog in one of the cages. I can't even believe that people would bring an animal to that place. I can't believe an animal shelter is allowed to be opened in that condition. Our state is in serious need of some better laws concerning animals. And I don't know who the guy is that is running that place but I am furious with him. I would like to know who to call to get help for these poor animals.

Now for a complete turn around, the animal shelter where I adopted our new kitty from was tiny but it was immaculately clean. All the animals were sitting on clean newspaper, with clean, FULL food and water bowls and there was no smell, except for the faint hint of bleach, which I consider a good thing. The ladies who were working there were dressed in muck boots up to their knees and were working hard to take care of the animals there and I appreciate them for that.

Ok, without further ado, meet our new 10 week old kitty.

She reminds me of a baby panda. Everyone has put their two cents in about her name. Wylla was the name they had on her crate, but when I adopted her, they left it blank for us to give her a new name. Willow, Panda and Luna were our favorites. And it seems like everyone is leaning towards Luna, which is the Moon Goddess of Roman mythology.

She is very timid and skiddish. I guess that is from living her whole life, all 10 weeks of it, in a cage high above the floor surrounded by other cats and no cuddling and loving? I hope she comes around soon. Right now, she is hiding under everything. Last night I spent 30 minutes trying to sweet talk her out from underneath my bed. Today, it was out from behind the washer and dryer. Right now, she is under the couch. We have just been letting her explore the living room and laundry room on her own. She has been coming out to grab a sip of water and one piece of kitty food before retreating back under the sofa. haha

Look at that sweet face. I hope she'll feel safe and at home soon. I can't wait to hear her purrr.

Cats & Kittens

2011-11-07T11:28:00.000-05:00

My husband adores cats. I would venture to say that he likes cats even more than dogs. Ever since I've known him (25 years), he's always liked kittens and cats. He said he'd always had a cat as a pet growing up. So, he's talked me into considering adopting a kitty. We've been looking for a couple months now, with no luck in finding one. And ever since we saw Lynn's Russian Blues, we just thought that was the breed we'd like to start researching. So we did. We've read and watched everything we could get our hands on about Russian Blue's and think it would be a nice fit for our family, however, this doesn't exclude thoughts of adopting any other cat breeds. We are open to any cat and color, with the exception of a few things on my list of *must be's*, which include : must be female, must be young, she doesn't have to be a baby (a couple years old is fine) and last but not least, she has to not want to kill my little 3lb. shy and timid sweetheart 6 year old chihuahua who believes he is a human baby and is scared of his own shadow.

This morning we sent an email to an animal shelter in Bristol TN, which is a long ways away from us, but it would be worth the drive, we think. We inquired about a Maine Coon that we thought was gorgeous and regal looking and the listing said her owner had taken ill and Miss Kitty was the princess of the house. There was no info about how old she is or how much she weighs, although she looks like a big girl.

Isn't she so beautiful? She's already been spayed and vet checked, tested negative to everything and is ready to go. We are waiting for an email reply to decide whether we should make the drive there or not.

What do you guys think about bringing a pet home? Cat or kitten? We've never brought home any animal that wasn't a sweet little baby, so this would be new and different for us.

It's Definitely A Hot Cocoa Kind Of Day

2011-11-04T16:59:00.002-04:00

Mmm! Cocoa perfection.

Today has been crazy around here. I wonder sometimes if I can ever get caught up with the things that I need to actually get finished. There's always tomorrow, though. Right?

Have a great weekend everyone!

Sharing My Holiday

2011-11-01T15:27:00.004-04:00

Hi friends!
I'm posting a quickie today inviting you all to come over to The Creative Exchange, where Lisa is hosting a Sharing My Holiday photo exchange. This reminded me of how fun it was to participate in Jill's mail exchange, so I signed up. :)
I'm really excited, can you tell? Won't you come too? Come on! It'll be fun!

Happy November, y'all!
Hugs xoxo

Pretty Red Things

2011-10-31T20:17:00.000-04:00

I do not like clutter and lots of trinkets sitting around everywhere in my house. But it is no secret - I do like pretty things. I especially like things that smell good. I don't know what I did before there were tart warmers.

Wait. I do know. Before tart warmers, I had oil warmers. Before oil warmers, I had candle warmers that melted the candle instead of burning the wick. Before candle warmers, I had potpourri crocks. Before potpourri crocks, I burned candles and before candles I burned incense. There are other things somewhere in the middle of all those burners - like Glade Plug-Ins and Febreeze sprays, scented oil rings for light bulbs and way back in the day the powdery stuff I sprinkled around on carpet. I wonder how much money I've wasted on stuff like that? Probably way too much, but there is one thing for certain. My house always smells good. The current smell circulating throughout the house is baked apple pie. Those tarts make me hungry!

Purple has always been my absolute favorite color since as long as I can remember. I always hated red. But for some odd reason, my taste in colors has changed over the last couple years. When we started building our house three years ago, I knew I wanted neutral colors but I was also drawn to the color red. I didn't want a red room or anything like that. I just wanted some red punches of color here and there.

Lamp with red crystals

Red retro kitchen clock

Red fruit bowl

Candlesticks with red flameless candles

Candlesticks with red candles on the fireplace mantle

My kiddos gave me this red bird after my Dad passed away. It is one of my favorite things.

So there you have it - my pretty red things. What's your favorite colors to decorate and accessorize your homes with?

I'd like to thank everyone for the condolences you left in the comments and emails for my uncle. I haven't had time to thank each person individually, I'm sorry. Each and every one touched my heart.

*I'm linking this post up with Lisa over at The Creative Exchange. Won't you go over and see the new home of The Creative Exchange? You'll be glad you did! :-)

In Loving Memory Of My Uncle Bobby

2011-10-24T20:50:00.001-04:00

Always pleasant, always smiling - sadly missed.

Last night a special person in our family tragically passed away. It is hard to believe that six months after my Dad passed away, our family would lose another family member. Wednesday is the 2nd anniversary of my Mamaw's passing - it will now also be the anniversary of my uncle's funeral.

Although he was my uncle by marriage to my aunt Deb, he was my uncle before I had any memory of life.
All throughout my childhood and adult life, I remember my uncle being a hard-working family man. He was always kind to me and he was always smiling and laughing. I have only fond memories of him. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Life is just but a passing moment it seems. It is so hard to even fathom that someone could be walking around talking and then, in a blink of an eye, gone without any warning.

How does one cope with such a loss? How do you pick up the pieces of your broken heart and go on? I have an answer. It is through our love of Christ with hope in an eternal life and faith that you will someday leave this world of trouble and grief and pain and sorrow and the joy in knowing that heaven will be the prize of this daily race called life.

Hugs & God bless
I'll be back in a few days.

Recent Trip: NYC - The Big Apple

2011-10-20T11:50:00.005-04:00

Hi friends!
I thought I'd share some photos & video clips that I shot while we were visiting New York City. We arrived at Times Square on a Saturday evening, which is apparently one of the most busy times of the week that we could have visited (according to the step-on guide). It was chaotic, fast and furious. Remember, I am a country girl straight out of the mountains - where we have total privacy where I live. This wasn't my first time to visit NYC, but it was my mother and son's first time there. My poor mother, she stuck on to me like glue. The look on her face when we were standing in the middle of Times Square, looking around and up...taking it all in. I could almost imagine her clicking her shoes together, saying, "There's no place like home". Ha!

Here is a video clip as we are entering Times Square

This is the famous ball that drops on New Year's Eve. I forgot the scandalous amount of rent the guide mentioned that is paid to keep that ball perched there yearly. The ball is pretty, always changing colors.

We saw lots of strange characters just walking around the streets greeting people. If you took their photo, I think they expected some kind of cash payment.

NYC Elmo

There were fuzzy ones.

NYC Spidey

There were even super heroes with fanny packs. :-)

Leaving the subway

And you can't see NYC without going down to the subway, right?

Here is a series of three video clips of some guys doing a street performance drumming. They were fun to watch. Be sure to check out all three videos!

The Chrysler building

It was a neat experience indeed, but I know that I couldn't (or maybe I should say wouldn't) do well living in a city like this. I value my slower pace, privacy and my beautiful mountain life too much. So, I'm Green Acres in reverse. :-)

Unfortunately, we did not visit the very place that I love more than anything else about New York, and that is Ms. Liberty herself. I so wanted my mom and son to see her. I think every American should see her if possible.

Hope you guys enjoyed my mini-tour of NYC. Next stop is Mystic Seaport, CT!

Hope you all are enjoying your day.

Hugs & God bless

Rainy Day Blues

2011-10-19T16:11:00.001-04:00

Today has been a long day guys. It is nearly 4pm and we are still doing our lessons. It's been one of those days. You know what kind of day I'm talking about, right?

Fog so thick that it hides the mountains

A chilly Autumn day where you are being lulled to sleep by the sound of the rain falling gently...

A moment before I snapped this photo, you couldn't even tell there were mountains behind the thick fog

And the windchimes are playing your favorite lullaby; beckoning you to curl up on the couch with your favorite blanket for just a short little cat-nap.

But there is way too much work to be done today. No time for naps, no matter how wonderful it sounds.
I tell my two chicklins if they want to nap, they must first finish their lessons first. Work, then play. That is how it goes around here - most of the time. ;-)

Do you see this jar of ginger cookies and cup of coffee? They are sitting right on my desk helping me get through this sleepy rainy day. :-)

How are you spending your day today? I would love to hear about it!

Hugs

When Is It Time To Use The Nicest Plates You Have?

2011-10-17T20:28:00.000-04:00

Anytime you want! : )

There is something about Autumn that makes me want to cook, bake & have guests over. Am I alone in this? I am always trying to think up some way to throw a little party (and I do mean teeny-tiny) a few times a year, but it seems like during fall, I find myself wanting to have people over more often.

I don't have a big fancy house. I don't own fancy dinnerware. I don't make some kind of big elaborate meal either. But, I love the idea of a few family members or friends coming over for a sit down with me around my table.

I had a few guests a couple days ago; my Great-Aunt & Great-Uncle (Hi Muriel & Jim!) and with them, they brought my Papaw James. They live in NC and came here for a few days to visit with my Grandpa and while here in my area - they dropped by my house. I hadn't seen them since my Mamaw's funeral in 2009. And honestly, I hadn't seen them too much before that, but we've been talking via email for a couple years now and I was so glad to have the opportunity to spend some real time with them.
My Papaw decided to bring them here to my house on Thursday, instead of the Friday that was originally planned. I found out about that change Thursday morning, a couple of hours before they were to show up. :) My only regret was that I didn't have time to make a good proper meal, so I threw together something very quickly to serve.

Cranberry Chicken Salad Sandwiches (my recipe will be added soon) and a spice cake with cream cheese frosting and of course lots of good hot coffee! We had a wonderful visit. I sure enjoyed my day with them and I hope they enjoyed their time here with us.

These plates and saucers were my husband's grandmother's china.

This all got me thinking about how that I don't have enough place settings for more than three guests. I mean, I have 4 or more sets of my handy dandy Corelle dishes that I could and do use most of the time, but I only have a few special pieces of china that my husband's grandmother gave me when he and I got married in 1992. I tried finding out more about her china, but was unsuccessful. They may be worth very little money-wise, but they are priceless pieces in my eyes. :)

Granny Suzie's China

Mom and I stopped by a second-hand store today just to take a peek. I ended up finding some white plates and white tea cups that are not matches to Granny Suzie's china, but they are relatively similar in color, shape and size. I was pleased as punch to run across these pieces. After soaking them in bleach and a few good scrubbings in my sink, they are shining like the new moon.

Old dishes brought back to life

The whole set together

I'm not picky about every single piece being a matching place setting. Infact, I don't know that I would even like that too well. It would feel too formal or fake (for me, at least). This way, it just feels like friends sitting down for something casual and fun.

Come on over for cake and coffee... I have plenty of old china dishes to serve you in now!

Hope you all are having a good Monday - God bless!

Hugs,

Day 1 : Lancaster PA

2011-10-12T23:00:00.000-04:00

On the first day of the trip, we visited Lancaster, PA. We didn't spend near as much time as I could've spent there...I just loved this place.

I found everything about the Amish community very interesting. I would love to go back there and spend some more time. I would need at least a week to explore. :)

I loved this little Amish rose garden. I shot this photo from inside the bus.

We toured some of the Amish farmlands. Look how pretty this field is.

It had been raining for a few days before we arrived. The rain stopped the day we visited. I have never seen so many lines of clothes in all my life. Notice how high those lines are? They are high above the ground so the cattle can go underneath them.

This is truly a beautiful place. I like what feels like a slower pace of life in the community.

Look at this beautiful perfectly manicured lawn. Isn't it lovely? The man was working on it when we visited, but I was careful not to point my camera in his direction, as I understand, the Amish do not like their photo taken - and I fully respect that.

It appears to me they take so much pride in their work, although I am sure they would never consider it prideful. They are very hard working people and whatever job they do, they do it well and it shows.

We visited a farm where we were able to go inside one of their shops to look around. I bought a homemade pot holder and some goatmilk soap. If I had more money and more room to put things, I could have spent all day looking at those quilts and such.

They do not decorate their graves with flowers. I was fascinated each time we passed a cemetery like this.

Amish and Englishers coexisting side-by-side.

This was a beautiful day, spent in a beautiful place.

Stay tuned. Next stop is New York City. :)

Spiced Harvest Pancakes/Photos & Recipe

2011-10-07T17:01:00.001-04:00

Do you ever feel like having breakfast for dinner? We do! Today, I made Spiced Harvest pancakes from my new Gooseberry Patch cookbook. Yum!

My daughter wanted the full effect of an Autumn pancake meal, so she set up some of my fall candles on the table. Between the pumpkin candles and all the spices I used in the pancakes and syrup...the smell that was waffling through our house was wonderful!

These pancakes are simply delicious, and I would recommend that you try them very soon! : )
They cook up a little bit differently than regular pancakes, so some of mine were getting too brown on the sides and still needing some cooking time in the middle. The recipe calls for medium heat, but after getting the skillet and oil hot, I actually had to turn the heat down to low to cook the remaining batter.

Add a couple slices of turkey bacon to the plate and mmm!

Mix up the same spices the pancake recipe calls for and add them to your syrup. Heat the syrup to infuse the spices into the syrup. More mmm!

We all agree that we liked these pancakes better than plain old fashioned pancakes. This recipe will be added to our favorites book for sure.

Since I've been home, I've been busy with so many things around here that I haven't had a chance to look through my New England photos. I have another obligation this weekend and then I'll be free for a day to reminisce about our trip - I hope!

Below is the recipe for Spiced Harvest Pancakes. You are welcome to click to enlarge and copy for your own recipe collection. Let me know if you try them and what you think!

Hugs

Repurposing Digital Cards

2011-10-05T15:44:00.001-04:00

Hi friends!

Remember my Happy Fall card I made for you? Well, I decided to use it for my invitations to an upcoming fall brunch I will be hosting for a few of my family and friends. I had to re-work the card a little but I kinda like how it turned out. : ) I like repurposing things, even if it is digital things. And I especially love that I didn't have to spend too much time on this invitation because I already finished all the hard work! : )

Click for the larger image

The sun is shining and it is a simply glorious day here. I hope you all are having a good Wednesday and enjoying your day!

Early Morning Pepper Pickin'

2011-10-04T10:15:00.003-04:00

Hi friends!
I'm back home and I have so much I'd love to tell you all about! I will post about our recent adventures in snippets and segments to avoid any overkill from my excitement! :)

As a lot of you already know (those whom I have their email address) my kiddos, my mother and myself headed out on a tour to New England right after my last blog post.

We've arrived back home - safe and sound with mounds of laundry to be washed, a sack full of little treasures we picked up from here and there, a couple email addresses of some fantastic people we met on our motor coach and many wonderful memories from our journey - plus, a ton of photos (over 2500!) that I have yet to upload and edit. I'm behind on things here around the homefront, so I'll have to work on the photos as I find the time.

As you can see, I didn't over extend myself buying things I actually didn't need (although I wanted to!) Here is my stuff from my New England goodie bag. I picked up some Vermont Maple Syrup, a bag of Sassafrass hard candies, a maple leaf cookie cutter from Maine that I've been looking for, The Secret Garden book from Kennebunkport for reading on the bus, a Martha's Vineyard book from Martha's Vineyard, floursack kitchen towels, old-fashioned Teaberry gum, Lavender goat's milk soap from Vermont and Lavender goat's milk soap and pot holder from the Amish in Pa, pumpkin butter, elderberry jelly, creamy peanut butter, a Maine coffee mug, a fall Gooseberry Patch cookbook, cute twin owls for fall decor and a sack of rocks and shells from Long Beach in Plymouth, Mass. Not a lot, but truly treasures to me!

Fall is definitely in the air up here on the mountain. I took an early walk around 7 a.m. this morning and it was so exhilarating! The air was cool and fresh and I just stood there for a while and breathed it all in deeply. I noticed the dull muted greens of the mountains were starting to be replaced with shades of gold and burgandy and orange. Yes, fall has definitely made its way to our mountain.

I so enjoyed being back home watching all my feathered friends flitting around the yard this morning, chirping merrily while enjoying their breakfast. It almost seemed like they were thanking me for coming back home and filling up all the feeders. Ha! :)

I made my way to the raised beds to see what has been happening there since I've been gone and was pleasantly surprised to find a small bounty ready and waiting. I picked a few green, red and banana peppers as well as a couple sprigs of rosemary for a chicken dish and some curled parsley for my cheddar biscuits I'll be making for dinner later.

It's good to be home and I can't wait to see what everyone else has been up to for the past couple weeks!

[Stay tuned for the upcoming New England posts]

Hoping everyone is having a fantabulous day!

Warmly,

A Quickie For The Road : Mail Swap

2011-09-21T14:47:00.033-04:00

I've been anxious and excited about getting some 'mail' from Jill's Mail Swap for days now. I found this in my mail and the moment I saw the name of the person who sent me this mail, I smiled. I knew it would be something good and I was right! She is a very crafty and creative lady, who happens to be a scrapbooker.
Thank you for organizing and hosting this for us all, Jill!

I'm anxiously awaiting mail from my mail buddy...

Isn't this so cute?!

And I hope that my mail swap buddy will enjoy what I sent her; and I can't wait to hear everyone's mail swap story!

All this mail swapping is making me get into the Christmas spirit. I haven't sent Christmas cards out in a few years now, (yes, I was a bah-hum-bug, right?) but I was thinking I'd love to send out some cards this Christmas to some ladies that I've become friends with through blogging. I have a few addresses already and they can be expecting a greeting card from me (Lord willing) come December, but there are a lot more that I don't have addresses for and would love to have. I know it would be impossible to send a card to all the people you come in contact with through blogging, but there are those whom you visit and they visit you often that you just feel that friend connection with, ya know? If you'd like to be on my Christmas card list, drop me an email with your address!

I'm off to have some of my momma's homemade chowder on this rainy day...lots of things going on in the next few days that will keep me busy, but I'll be around for a blog visit to your place soon!

Have a beautiful day, friends!

Sew Simple - Part II

2011-09-19T15:34:00.001-04:00

I'm happy to report I did finish my little sewing project. Although it is far from being perfect, well, actually, it is far from even being pretty good, I did finish it and it works - that's what counts at this moment for me. :)

One thing I realized today - I am my father (Jimmy's) daughter and he never let anything cause him to give up or quit. I am glad I inherited that trait. If my Dad were here today, I'd run down to his house and show him my handywork - even if he thought it was the ugliest thing in the world, he would encourage me and tell me I did a good job. :)

Another thing is, after I finally figured out that there is a little cut out knotch on the spool of thread that has to be turned away from the thread as it's coming off the spool - or else it messes the entire thing up, I thought it was pretty neat sewing this and I will probably try something again sooner than later.

One more thing I'd like to say is to those of you who can sew - y'all make it look so easy, and I take my hat off to you!

Ok, now for my big reveal. LOL

I have a messenger bag that I needed to convert into a camera bag/purse. I got the idea from Gone Country when she made herself a stylish camera bag. And with the help of ShinyHappyWendi, I learned how to do a Whip Stitch. Yay!

Here's my finished product.

I made a little padded nest for my camera and lenses on one side of the bag. The other half I'll use as the purse part.

I made a bottom pad the entire length of the bag, two side pads and one insert to divide the compartments. I then whip stitched them together to make a little nest to sit perfectly inside the messenger bag. I made lots of mistakes but this will serve its purpose for me and next time I try to make something, I'll hopefully do just a little better. :)

I asked my son to model it for the photo.

Sheww! No sweat, right?! :)

Sew Simple...NOT!

2011-09-19T11:37:00.000-04:00

Today, of all days I decide to learn to use this machine. Pfft! I have a project that I need sewn ASAP. Why did I not listen to my mother and take Home Ec. in high school?

My first attempt at using a machine was a few years ago when I bought a Brother from Wal-Mart. From the start, I had big lumpy clumps of thread underneath whatever I tried to sew. I adjusted the tension on the bobbin, like the instructions said. Still...same thing. My mother, who is a very good seamstress, who used to make my clothing and do alterations for many people over the years, who also owns a Janome tried to use this Brother and she basically said it was junk. (Sorry to any Brother people out there) So anyways, fast forward to last year, when my daughter wanted to learn how to sew...
I got her this Singer from Wal-Mart for Christmas. I mean, come on...it says right on the box Handpicked by Martha Stewart. It should be a dandy starter machine, right? :)
Guess what? We are having the same exact problem with this thing. We've adjusted the tension and went over each step again and again...still, there is a tangled mess underneath everything we sew. Mom tried on this machine too, and she didn't like it. It was hit and miss, sometimes it worked well, sometimes it clumped on her. Could it be that I have purchased not one but two lemon machines? OR...could it be that I'm a sewing dummy and no matter which machine I try that I will fail?
I'm usually not a whiner; I dislike whining - a lot, but right now I feel a little weepy and frustrated.

Anyone out there that's had this problem and know what I can do or try to correct it?

Ok, enough crying...

I hope you all are having a wonderful day! Despite my run-in with the Singer Simple, I am still blessed and thankful to be alive another day.

God bless
xoxo

Autumn Blessings

2011-09-17T18:54:00.000-04:00

You know it is fall when...

♥You begin to see the leaves changing into beautiful shades of gold and burgandy.

♥You notice the chill in the air.

♥You begin to want comforting hot soup.

♥You start thinking about how well a hot cup of cocoa would warm you up.

♥You find yourself thinking about having hot tea or spiced cider instead of cold drinks.

♥You start craving everything pumpkin.

♥You start pulling out sweaters and wooly socks.

♥You start pulling out fall decorations.

♥You begin to start planning your menu for your Thanksgiving dinner party.

♥You begin making apple and pumpkin dishes and goodies.

♥Your house smells like cinnamon and spices...yum!

♥You notice that daylight doesn't linger quite as long.

Is it fall for you yet? : )

I know it is still a few days away, but I'm in the fall mood today - so here's my card I made today from me to each one of you - my blog friends. xoxo

Happy Fall Y'all!

In Search of Beauty

2011-09-16T22:30:00.000-04:00

Beauty is all around me - I just need to take time to stop and see it.

Beauty is this dove balancing perfectly on the tip of this hook feeder.

Beauty is this imperfect Zinnia.

Beauty is the brief opening of a gray day reminding me that there is still a blue sky above me.

Whether you were looking for it or stumbled upon it, did you encounter beauty this week? Did you take time to stop and see it?

Have a beautiful weekend, friends!

Please visit Shanda at A Pause on the Path to share your own search of beauty.

Project 52: 40/52 - Buzzy As A Bee!

2011-09-15T21:04:00.000-04:00

Hi friends!

This month is just flying by so quickly! It seems like I never have enough time in the day to accomplish everything that I need to get done and I have less and less on-line time for writing new posts and visiting bloggy friends these days. And sadly, I don't even have time to pick up my camera as much as I'd like to or use to. I have this feeling of urgency to move around, get things done...a restless feeling that I can't quite explain but I think it has something to do with this particular time of year. The whole gotta-get-ready-for-being-stuck-up-on-this-mountain-during-winter feeling. : )
I have a feeling I will have lots of time for blogging and visiting as soon as the first snowflake falls.

Anywho, here is week #40 of my 52 week project. The photo is not as crisp and clear as I'd like it to be, but there are a couple of reasons for this; It was dusk and the light was low, I had been shooting earlier in the day and forgot to change my settings on my camera and last but definitely not least - the bee was inside the flower and when he came buzzing out, I wasn't sticking around to get in his way! haha! (Y'all remember I'm scared to death of bees, right?)

Buzzy As A Bee!!

I hope you all had a good week and I hope you have an even better weekend!
(I'll be around soon to visit everyone!)
God bless
xoxo

Vote for me :)

Project 52: 39/52

2011-09-10T22:45:00.000-04:00

Today I visited a friend of mine. She still has some beautiful flowers in her garden in which I was able to snap away and get some nice photos that I might share soon. I also got this shot of her dog -

Project 52: 39/52

He's a big baby, who sometimes thinks he is a lapdog. Ha! He actually smiles and shows his teeth when asked to smile, but he didn't seem to want to smile today for me. He did pose nicely and let me take many shots of him.
As we were looking through the photos on my camera while at her house, she mentioned that those were the best photos she'd ever seen of him; so I am thinking of having this photo printed for my friend as a little surprise.

Tonight I am remembering America.
May God Bless,

Vote for me :)

World Bird Wednesday: Birds In My Yard

2011-09-07T14:56:00.004-04:00

I never, ever grow tired of seeing any photo of any bird. To me, each bird is beautiful and unique...even my nemesis the Cowbird, who drives me bonkers by hoarding up around my feeders and clearing out 20 pounds of seed in a couple days, but still, I can appreciate them (sometimes) for their unique sounding gurgly call.

Notice the two in flight to the left.

I caught this guy coming in for a landing. This just makes me smile.

Sometimes, there are so many I think there is no way that another bird could possibly land on the feeder or sock, but they manage. The sock was full until I scared most of them away trying to get a nice shot.

Oops! This little fellow lost his seed.

My feeders are not in the best place for photographs. I'm thinking of moving them next year.

Wanna be best friends?

I like crows. I just can't help myself. I enjoyed watching this one drinking water, while squirrely-Joe was doing what squirrels do best in my yard - eat my bird seed! :)

In my video clip, the little finch looks like it is yawning - twice! (at about the 10 & 26 second mark)
Do birds yawn? Hmmm...I've never really thought about that. Does anyone out there know if birds yawn?

Hoping everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday!

I'm linking up with World Bird Wednesday over at The Pine River Review, hop on over and check out the amazing birds there!

Vote for me :)

To Redecorate Or Not & Sweet Surprises

2011-09-06T15:08:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, I get bored with the look of my blog. Most of the time, I like the simplicity of it. I don't like a lot of things in the sidebar, I detest ads and I like my white background because sometimes the busy backgrounds are too much for my eyeballs. But every now and then, I get a hankering to change it or at least rearrange it. I'm having one of those rearranging days, but I still can't bring myself to fiddle with the look of my blog too much.

Soon, I will have to do some changing - because the site I host my font at will soon become a pay site, and I'm not paying their $7 a month price to keep my font there. If I can't find an alternative, I'll have to go with the default fonts Blogger offers. Oh well.

I made a new header today. (See above) I'm not sure I'll leave it or not. Decisions, decisions.
:)

Today is a dark and gloomy gray day, but I have windows opened to let in some of the fresh 60 degree air. The chilly rain-fresh breeze that's blowing in feels nice. And it smells nice, too!

It just looks like fall outside today. Notice the mountains outside my windows. The green color of the trees are beginning to dull and fade. I know that for so many people who have had scorching heat with no rain, like my friend Theresa - cooler temperatures and fall is a blessing, but I can't help but feel a little sadness to say goodbye to summer, even though it's been so sticky hot and humid here for us. Winter has always been a bit of a depressing time for me, and this year is going to be even more depressing with it being my first Thanksgiving and Christmas after my Dad's passing. It just won't ever feel the same, but I am thankful for the 39 years that I had my Dad, and I feel blessed for that.

Sweet Surprises

I wanted to share a sweet surprise from a very sweet bloggy friend, Debbie. Right out of the clear blue yonder, I received a package from her and it made my day! I definitely wasn't expecting a thank-you from her for being the winner of my little giveaway, but that is just how thoughtful Debbie is.

The very day that I received her beautiful photo cards, was one of those days. The kind where some kind unexpected gesture of kindness from a friend is just what you needed to cheer you, humble you and make you feel extremely grateful for life, for family and for thoughtful sweet friends.

I mentioned to Debbie that I thought her photo cards were too pretty for me to use and that I was going to frame them and keep them...guess what she did? She sent me more of her beautiful photographs so I could frame them. I hope I don't embarrass her by mentioning this, but it is rare nowadays to come across such thoughtful people who is willing to go what I feel is an extra mile being kind and thoughtful, although I'm sure if asked, she would say it was not much...but to me, it meant a lot.

Have you had a friend surprise you with something unexpected that made your face sore from smiling?

Vote for me :)

Carin. Carin Who?

2011-09-06T11:44:00.001-04:00

I've made a discovery today. Maybe I am the last person to find out about this, but all this time of blogging, I have been replying to peeps who leave me a comment via email.
Today, I realized that some people who have left me comments have probably never gotten my replies.

Carin

noreply-comment@blogger.com

I guess this is the auto-thing that I've been replying to all this time. I wonder what Carin must think when she/he reads my replies. LOL!

Vote for me :)

A Week Of Complete Random Photos

2011-09-02T23:50:00.000-04:00

Welcome to randomness.

Project 52: 30-38/52

This guy looks very ordinary and unspecial until he spreads open his colorless gray wings to reveal a beautiful flash of color. And he is big, don't let this photo fool you - I'm talking huge. I can't remember what the name of this moth is.

I definitely know what this guy is. We currently have a plague of Katydids on our mountain. And in my garage. And in my house, if the door isn't closed quickly upon entering or exiting. I don't mind them too much - when I'm safely behind the glass window looking out at them. : )

Fading. [Their last stand]

Parched. [Dry and desolate because I keep forgetting to fill it up]

Clinging and climbing. [To a single blade of grass]

Survivor. [After being accidentally chopped down 3 years in a row by the evil weed-wacker]

Thriving. [Even when everything else is dying in the blazing glare of the sun]

Beginning or end? You decide.

Happy Labor Day weekend!

Vote for me :)

The Best Savory Biscuits Ever

2011-09-02T22:28:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone!

I thought I'd share a savory biscuit recipe with you all. This isn't the kind of biscuit you'd eat with your gravy in the morning for breakfast, this is a luncheon/dinner kinda biscuit.

We recently went to Red Lobster (because it has been my hunny's dream to eat there) and the Cheddar Bay Biscuits were the ONLY thing that I liked. Needless to say, I don't ever intend to go there again. Yuck! Not to mention I was sick (as in sick to my stomach) when the check came for our food. It was very expensive!

(Sorry to any Red Lobster lovers out there - I am just not a fan.)

Our waitress was very nice and recommended which dishes to order. I ate one bite of my food and was just hoping she'd keep those cheddar biscuits a'coming - and she did! (I totally fell off the healthy food bandwagon that day)

I ended up having three of them. Yes, they were that good!

I decided to try to recreate them and after online searching, here is my tweaked version:

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup water
3/4 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup melted butter, plus 2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons parsley, chopped - divided (I was able to use parsley from my herb garden)
2 tablespoons garlic, minced (divided)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix Bisquick, water, shredded cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon of parsley and 1 tablespoon garlic.
Knead once or twice.
Cut biscuits with a cutter, or use a large spoon to drop them on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
In a small bowl or mixing cup, melt 1/4 cup of butter, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of chopped parsley; mix well.
Brush the biscuits with garlic butter mixture.
Bake for 8 -10 minutes. Yields about 10 biscuits (depending on how big you make them)
Serve hot & enjoy!

Have a fantastic weekend - and God bless you all!

Vote for me :)

Reheating Peeled Hard-Boiled Eggs: A Warning.

2011-08-31T00:05:00.000-04:00

Apparently, you can not reheat a previously hard-boiled (peeled) egg for 30 seconds in the microwave.

Why, you may ask?

Because they EGGsplode! : )

It literally exploded - complete with a loud boom! It was kind of scary hearing it pop, but it was quite funny when I saw the yoke laying almost entirely intact, however, it wasn't too fun cleaning up the mess!

Lesson learned - eat said hard-boiled egg cold! : )

Have you ever had a little mishap like this before?

Vote for me :)

World Bird Wednesday [8.30.11]

2011-08-30T17:09:00.001-04:00

There is a large group of Turkey Vultures that roosts in some dead trees on the other side of the mountain.
I have the pleasure of seeing this group of majestic vultures soaring around my house daily. I've heard many negatives about them my entire life. Why? I don't know for sure, but it probably has something to do with the fact that they have a face that as they say only a mother could love and they love to eat the roadkill around here.

Notice the dead tree in the bottom right corner? I don't dare cut it down as long as the Eastern Bluebirds keep coming back to the nestbox. I am hoping it doesn't fall on my roof!

I happen to enjoy seeing them gliding around so gracefully, and sometimes not-so-gracefully as they teeter around in what I'm guessing is strong wind currents -without even hardly a wingflap. Quite amazing to see!

I sit out in my yard and watch them soar right over my rooftop, landing behind my house in the trees. I am always in awe of how huge they really are when I am able to be that close to them. I am fascinated at how they manage to sit for long periods with open wings sunning themselves. They have earned my respect- I like to think of them as hard working flying-gigantors, keeping our area clean and carcass free as well as providing hours of viewing pleasure for me! :)

Linking up with World Bird Wednesday. Go and check out the other submissions for this week!

Vote for me :)

World Bird Wednesday

2011-08-24T12:11:00.001-04:00

It's been a long time since I've been able to participate in the World Bird Wednesday over at Springman's Pine River Review. Go over and check out his blog - you will find some stunning bird photos there!

I am always excited to hear this guy in my yard. I ususally hear him for a while before I ever see him!

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

This is the only full bodied photo I've been able to get of him! He's always hidden behind branches every single time I see him. Maybe he's a little camera shy? :)

I also have a video to share. Please excuse the shaky movements. I should have used a tripod. I also lost the audio, which was so beautiful! After uploading it to movie maker, the audio disappeared, so I added some music instead.

Have a great Wednesday evening!

Vote for me :)

A Great Big Thank You! & The Creative Exchange

2011-08-22T19:33:00.004-04:00

First off, I want to say THANK YOU so much for all the well-wishes for my one-year blogiversary! I appreciate each and every single one of you for leaving a comment! I hope you all have had a good Monday. It's been a busy day around here, that's for sure! I almost thought I wasn't going to make it in time for Lisa's - The Creative Exchange, that I always enjoy participating in, but I was able to snap a photo outside today and do a little bit of editing to share.

This weed grows all around my house up here on the mountain and even in my yard. I happen to think they are a quite attractive weed!

*This photo has not been edited, besides stamping my watermark on it.

This is what we Southerners call Poke Sallet. There are dozens of other names that this weed is called - you may even know it as Pokeweed.
This is a new bloom. When it is mature, it has a beautiful deep purple berry that just happens to be toxic to all mammals. Birds, however, are able to enjoy these berries without any worry. The small seed has very hard outer shells and remains intact in the digestive system of the bird and is eliminated whole.
All parts of pokeweed are poisonous, but around here, in the early spring when the leaves are young and there is no red coloring found on them, people pick the leaves for eating what we call Poke Sallet. The young leaves are boiled a few times, discarding the water each time. I once ate a couple of the frozen berries each day for a few weeks, because I had been told by old-timers they help with Rheumatoid Arthritis - until I did some research to find they were poisonous!
I've even read that many letters written home during the American Civil War were written in pokeberry ink! Pretty neat, huh?

Here is my edited photo:

Here's to a quieter Monday evening! :)

Vote for me :)

Please go check out the other enteries at The Creative Exchange!

Blogiversary * Wildberry Almond Chicken Salad

2011-08-16T14:23:00.000-04:00

I just realized this is my blog's anniversary month. It's hard to believe it's been a whole year since I started this blog. Time sure does fly when you're having fun! I've really enjoyed meeting all the wonderful people that I have had the pleasure of calling friends through the blogging. I look forward to another year of blogging and interacting with you all!

I haven't updated too much on my healthier food habits lately, so I thought I would share that I've now lost 20 pounds as of this past Sunday. I'm still not calling it a 'diet', because I know the minute I start referring to my healthier eating as a diet - I will jinx it and it'll go downhill from there! :)

I've actually been eating very well and when I say well - I mean A LOT! The first couple weeks, I felt like I was hungry all the time, but I guess that was my body detoxing from all the garbage I've put into it. Now, I can honestly say that I crave vegetables and fruits OVER breads and meats AND even sweets! I don't deny myself a sweet treat sometimes, but I pick the healthier lo-cal chocolate rice cake instead of grabbing that homemade sugar cookie. :)
Anyways, I could go on and on about food but I'm going to show you a fantastic salad that is my absolute favorite instead!

This is the best salad I have ever eaten in my life! It's sweet, it's sour, it's crunchy and it is very filling!

Go on, make one of these yummylious salads - you know you want to! :)

No exact measurements here, but you'll need:

Baked chicken (cubed)
Romaine lettuce
Strawberries
Blueberries
Almonds
Smidgen of Parm cheese (if you'd like)
Lite or Low-Cal Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

Enjoy ! !

Vote for me :)

Exposing A Dirty Little Secret

2011-08-15T11:44:00.002-04:00

Well, maybe not dirty, but it is a bit of an eyesore! Do you have one of these? Or maybe you even have more than one? Do you have hopes of someday re-organizing it and making it look neater? When guests are around, do you hurry and grab your item out and shut it quickly hoping that no one caught a glimpse of what was lurking inside? If you do, you are not alone!

Believe it or not, this mess of kitchen gadgets is a perfect example of organized chaos. Yes, believe it or not, I know every single item that is in this drawer and I know exactly where to grab it from (practically with my eyes closed).

:)

Vote for me :)

The Creative Exchange: Earth Laughs

2011-08-15T10:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all have a beautiful day. It's a dreary looking day outside up here on the mountain, but that's ok - I'm gonna try my best to smile anyway!

I'm linking up with The Creative Exchange over at Lisa Gordon Photography today.

Textures from Kim Klassen & Rita's Coffee Shop

Vote for me :)

I Like It HOT!

2011-08-08T10:56:00.000-04:00

I recently tried PW's Iced Coffee recipe. I don't have the neat jars and kitchen gadgets that she has, so I had to wing it.

The recipe looked easy enough.

It even looked pretty enough.

You need to have a least two sets of hands on this process . . .

My son was my second set of hands. Thanks for the help, J! I really couldn't have done this without your help. Really.

The finish was a little bit of a let down. (Sorry Gone Country, I know you made this recipe and loved it!)
We all decided we would stick with our hot coffee, 'cause we like it hot!
: )

We are a few hours into our first day of our second week of school. So far, it's going fairly smoothly. There's only been a few bumps in the road today but we are making it - praise God!

I hope y'all are having a good Monday!

Vote for me :)

Dog Days of Summer

2011-08-04T17:15:00.002-04:00

Hi friends! I hope everyone of my blogland buddies are doing well . . . and I hope you are staying nice and comfortable in this muggy heat we're having right now! I've missed reading about what you gals (and a few guys) have been up to lately. Hopefully I can catch up reading all my favorite blogs soon! My little family has been super busy up here on our mountain. We've spent most of our time preparing for school for the past few weeks - pheww! (Tiring work on my brain) :)

This is our first official week back and it's been tough getting back into the swing of things but thankfully, everything has been running smoothly - so far. We have all noticed how our day just goes better if we spend some time putting Jesus first by inviting Him into our school day. It works for us - it really does. I'll try to type a post soon including our curriculum and schedule after we've had a couple weeks to settle in for anyone who is interested in seeing what other homeschool families are doing. I always enjoy seeing what other families are doing and how they are making it work for them. I find the greatest tips and loads of encouragement from reading about other homeschool families.

We are still following a more healthful diet. We have all grown tired of the things we were eating day after day, so I've began to try different dishes, more vegetables and I've added a little pasta back into my diet. I've still been trying to eliminate as much gluten as I can . . . babysteps.

Homemade Red Sauce, full of vegetables and herbs from my garden. (I did add one small can of tomato paste for thickness)

Veggies cut up, waiting for the pasta (spaghetti noodles) to finish cooking. We prefer our vegetables crunchy, rather than smooshy after cooking.

Meatless pasta with homemade sauce - chock-full of fresh garden veggies & herbs.

Herbed butter is so easy to make. Use the same herb for the butter that you used in your main dish.

Spread a tablespoon over freshly baked or toasted bread and enjoy it with your pasta. Yum!

God bless,

Vote for me :)

Weigh In

2011-07-25T10:39:00.000-04:00

I weighed in yesterday . . .

I lost 5 pounds.

I am grinning like a possum right now. I guess all the rabbit food I've been eating has helped. :)

Some things that I believe sabbatoged my success:

1. I didn't walk enough. (I'm having a flair up right now with my Rhuematoid Arthritis, especially in my feet.) My back. (Always my back, it rules me since I fell off the top of my house while we were building it 3 years ago. I did a number on my back when I fell.)

2. The wonderful gift for women only. (retaining fluid, bloated and everything that goes with the gift)

3. A couple days I did not drink enough water.

This week's goals:

1. Find and make some different kinds of healthy dishes. (I am about to get sick of salad 3 times a day)

2. I feel like I'm not getting enough protein, but I have to be careful and not have too much because of RA/kidney problems. I need to find protein alternatives other than meat.

3. Better water intake.

4. Do more walking.

Anyone have any tips that you've tried and had success at? I'm all ears! (Or in this case, I'm all eyes!)

Hope everyone is having a fantastic day! God bless!

Vote for me :)

Good Treasures

2011-07-24T14:23:00.000-04:00

When you think of good treasure, what thoughts come to your mind? Do you think of a pirate chest full of gold or having riches or maybe even owning the finest house in the neighborhood or driving the most expensive car of anyone you know?

Although, most of us do enjoy our possessions pretty well, there is so much more to having good treasure than just materialistic things of this life. Sometimes, in a world where gain seems to be the main focus, it would be easy to lose sight of what good treasures we do already have. I am thankful for the good treasure God has given to me. I am reminding myself today of some of the endless good treasures I have. Today, I am thankful for a good husband, whom I love dearly, two of the most precious children anyone could ask for as a parent, a mother who is a wonderful best friend, a father, who has now gone on to Heaven, but was a hard working family man who loved us dearly and taught us much, my husband's parents, who after 19 years of marriage feels more like my real blood family than in-laws, a humble home on the mountain that I am grateful for, food and clothing and waking up to a glorious sun-shiny day. My list of good treasure could go on and on.

Do you have good treasure that you're thankful for?

Vote for me :)

Shewww Weee! It Is HOT!

2011-07-23T16:38:00.003-04:00

How are y'all beating this muggy humidity and sweltering heat we're having all across the nation?

Me?

Well, by sipping on Southern Iced Tea, of course!

My babygirl made this for us today. Thanks, Miss M!

Vote for me :)

Project 52: 29/52 Baby Eastern Box Turtle

2011-07-23T10:10:00.003-04:00

My son found the cutest little thing, ever! It's an Eastern Box Turtle. He also told me he thought it was a female. We learned about Eastern Box Turtle's a few months back and how to determine if they were male and female, so I'm gonna to go with what he says. (The females have yellow eyes and males have red eyes)

She was so tiny and cute. I've actually ran across smaller ones before, but it isn't too often you find these tiny treasures, so of course I had to check her out for a while and snap some shots. After checking her out, I decide to offer her some water, which I had the pleasure of seeing her drink and built a makeshift turtle shelter near a Marissa-made-mud-hole so she could have some shade from this sweltering sun and heat. She stayed there for a few hours but the last time I checked on her in the evening, she was gone.

Awww! Aren't babies so cute?

Vote for me :)

Low Calorie (And Quite Satisfying) Pizza!

2011-07-22T15:09:00.002-04:00

I wanted to share a quick and easy recipe for pizza that I've been making for years, but until today, have never really calculated the calorie content. I just had the feeling it would have to be better for you than regular pizza with dough for the crust. So, I got down to business today and did some research and homework on my quick pizza. Here's what I came up with.

A regular 12 inch cheese and pepperoni pizza cut into 8 slices (1 slice = 1/8 of the pizza) is about 220 or more calories per slice. The pizza I make is a 10 inch pizza cut into 4 slices, which equals approximately 129 calories per slice! I am excited about this, can you tell? It may not seem like a big difference in the calories, but every calorie counts when you want to drop some pounds and get healthier! : )

Paired with a salad and a piece of fresh fruit and it feels like I'm having a feast!

The ingredients are simple and you can add whatever veggie you like!

I made this one for my hunny, who is not a fan of vegetables. If it were for me only, I would have loaded it with a lot more veggies.

Too much cheese gives me a migraine headache, so this is a perfect amount of cheese in my book. : )

Pop it into the oven for a few minutes and voilà! A healthier version of pizza. Mmm!

I was so stuffed, I couldn't finish the salad! Now, that is what I call tasteful and satisfying!

Marissa's Quick Lo-Cal Pizza

Ingredients:

1- 10" tortilla (230 calories for entire tortilla - 1/4 slice = about 57 calories)

16 pepperoni slices (14 slices = 140 calories - 34 calories for 4 slices)

1/4 c. Contadina Pizza Sauce ( 1/4 c. = 30 calories - 7 calories per slice)

1/3 c. Mozzarella cheese (1/4 c. = 80 calories - 30 calories per slice)

veggies of your choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Lay crust (tortilla) on cookie sheet. Spread pizza sauce (1/4 c. is suffient, anymore than that and you can't hold the pizza slice in your hand, it'll be droopy). Add pepperoni and veggies. Top with cheese. Bake for 7 minutes, then switch oven over to broil for one minute or less to brown top. Enjoy!
(Yields 4 slices)

Happy Friday, everyone! May God bless!

Vote for me :)

I Want Some Food!

2011-07-21T00:39:00.003-04:00

"I want some food!" I've had that thought in my head all day and even now, I have a craving for something.
Last week, I began a healthier-than-I-eat-right-now lifestyle change. I've been keeping a food journal with everything and I do mean everything I put into my mouth listed in that journal, along with the amount of water I've taken in for the day and the amount of extra activity I've done. [a.k.a. exercise] I'm not calling this a diet, because I will be doomed to failure if I jinx it that way. I'm having carb withdraws and sugar withdraws and I can report that today has been my hardest day so far. I am cranky and hungry.

I AM HUNGRY!
: )

I stood for over an hour today chopping fresh garden vegetables to make another huge dishpan filled with salad, that way I'll be able have a salad daily for the next few days. And believe it or not, my non-veggie loving kiddos have been more than eager to eat a salad each day all week. I guess that is what happens when mom says, "I ain't cooking ANYTHING - it's salad or nothing". Of course, salad isn't the only thing they are eating, so don't be too alarmed. :)

This salad, although it looks like a small bowl in the photo is super huge. It has layers and layers of veggies underneath, not yet tossed.

I also made a huge pot of Zero Soup. This is a Weight Watcher recipe that I used years ago when I followed the WW diet. This soup is zero points for one cup serving, and can be eaten in between meals when your stomach is about to eat your backbone.

It's actually quite good. I used all garden vegetables from my father-in-law's garden, with the exception of the carrots.

Ingredients:

3 cups nonfat beef broth (beef is the best) or 3 cups nonfat vegetable broth (beef is the best) or 3 cups nonfat chicken broth (beef is the best)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups chopped cabbage

1/2 yellow onion

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup green beans

1/2 cup chopped zucchini (I omit this)

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Spray pot with non stick cooking spray (I use 2 tbsp. EVOO) saute onions, carrots and garlic for 5 minutes.

2. Add broth, tomato paste, cabbage, green beans, basil, oregano and salt & pepper to taste.

3. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until all vegetables are tender then add the zuccini and simmer for another 5 or so minutes. (The zuccini doesn't hold up well in my opinion, it becomes too mushy for my taste, so I omit it)

This recipe serves 6. 1 cup = 1 serving. 22 calories per serving. I double the recipe to make a larger pot.

This water bottle holds 3 1/2 cups of water. I've been drinking at least 3 of them daily. I've NOT been drinking tea or diet soda and I've been limiting myself to one cup of coffee each morning. I have NOT given up my Coffee-Mate Coconut Cream creamer. Some things, I just won't compromise on. :)

Tonight I satisfied my sweet craving with this sweet treat. It wasn't half bad. Infact, it was so good, I had to pace myself because I wanted to snorkel the whole thing down way too fast!

1 Quaker Chocolate Crunch Rice Cake
2 sliced strawberries
1 dollop of fat free organic French Vanilla yogurt
About 110 calories

YUM!

I have also been trying to eliminate most of the gluten from my diet. It is hard switching over to gluten free, but I am trying, slowly. I am trying to see if gluten has a negative effect on me. So far, after eating meals without gluten, I notice I am not nearly going into a coma-state. Coinky-dink? I don't know, yet.

Lord help me . . . I still want some food! :)

I hope y'all are having a good week.
May God bless and keep you,
Marissa

I'm linking this post to "Healthy Home" over at The Legacy of Home.

Project 52: 28/52

2011-07-15T07:52:00.002-04:00

Have you ever saw one these huge football shaped, gray paper hornet nests hanging high in the trees and wondered what it looks like inside the nest ? I have always been fascinated with these things and wondered -how in the world are they made? I had the opportunity to see inside one of these hornet havens (courtesy of my brother who was more brave than me!) and I was not disappointed ! This one belongs to what I believe is called a Bald Faced Hornet. Wow! I am amazed by these intricate nests!

While it is true that hornets do have a bad temper when their nests are disturbed, bald faced hornets are actually beneficial insects. They hunt other small insects, including flies, small wasps, and other insects. These captured insects are taken back to the nest as food for their young. Each nest consists of a:

•Queen – responsible for egg laying

•Workers – All workers are female. They are responsible for capturing food, building the nest, and guarding the nest and attacking intruders.

•Drones - All males and have no stinger. Their job is to mate with certain females that become new queens. The new queen leave the nest to start new ones.

Bald faced hornets are often seen on untreated wood surfaces. They work tirelessly removing wood fibers used for nest construction. The nest starts off small, the size of a baseball, becoming oval shaped as it grows. Inside the nest is the standard waffle pattern that contains hornet larva. Before summer ends, it can be over two feet long and hold several hundred hornets.

Their nests are often built in the tops of tall trees from deep forest to neighborhood settings. In the tops of trees, bald faced hornets usually pose no threat and are not aggressive away from the nests. Most people never even know it is there until leaves fall in the fall. They do not reuse an old nest and start with a new nest each year.

Although I am amazed by them, I am equally creeped out by them! I will continue to admire them from a distance . . . a very long distance!

Busy As A Bee

2011-07-14T14:41:00.000-04:00

It seems like there isn't enough daylight hours to accomplish all that I need to get done most of the time. Does the days seem to pass by faster nowadays or is it just me? I feel like I am always racing the clock and I am never the winner. : ) Maybe it's because of the new year I just gained a few days ago? Ha!

Cupcakes made by my sweet girl for my birthday.

Life is keeping me occupied and busy as a bee these summer months, but I'm not complaining about being busy, I only wish there was more time to get everything finished. With all the busyness, there is little to no time for blogging or visiting my favorite bloggers (YOU!) : ) I miss seeing what's going on in everyone's neck of the woods.

Freshly scrubbed birdseed dishes

All my bird feeders got a good scrubbing before refilling them. It takes 20 pounds of birdseed to fill all my feeders, 8 pounds of thistle for my finch feeders and 8 suet cakes for my suet feeders. The birdseed feeders are empty within 3-4 days, thistle feeders lasts a little longer (thankfully) they are empty in about a week and the suet feeders last the longest at about 2 weeks. Sometimes I buy wild bird seed to mix with the sunflower and safflower, which is cheaper, but I try to keep a variety of seed so each bird species can have it's favorite food. I buy a 20 pound bag of squirrel food each month or so. My hopes are that they will stay out of my bird feeders if I feed them back in the woods, away from my yard. They are little piggies and eat both their food and the birdseed. I currently have 10 squirrels hanging out in my yard. Two of them are fox squirrels. They are my favorite with those big fluffy red tails.

Here's my newest birdbath. Yes, I do believe it looks a little lop-sided, don'tcha think? Maybe it was just my angle of holding the camera. I'm gonna go with that! : )

My hunny got me this birdbath for my birthday. It's my favorite one!

This is another one of my birdbaths. I think it's mostly decorative but I do keep a stone in the middle of it with fresh water almost daily and every now and then, I do see birds stopping by for a drink of water.

Birdbath -stone removed for photo.

Yesterday, I spent the day getting my Mom's car serviced and then mowing her ~~obstacle course~~ lawn. She has a huge lawn. Did I mention she has lots of flowers and trees and shrubs to navigate around? : ) I managed to finish in a few hours without taking out too many of her beautiful flowers. Right Mom?

I need to transplant some tomatoes and plant a Crape Myrtle, a few daylilies and a bee balm that I bought recently. I need to re-sow my own mohawk lawn and do lots of weeding, along with a few other chores today- like clean my car, scrub my porch, deck and steps, stain the porch, deck and steps, wash the dog, and work on getting my new raised garden beds ready for planting . . . sheww weee ! I feel tired just thinking about it and typing it ! I'm obviously not going to get this all finished today, but a girl can dream, right ?

I hope you all are having a good Thursday! God bless!

5:46 A.M.

2011-07-09T05:47:00.002-04:00

Apparently, drinking a Diet Coke at 6 P.M. doesn't set well with me. It's nearly 6 A.M. and my eyeballs are still as big as saucers.

Yeah, I definitely won't be having anymore Diet Coke's in the evening, ever. again.

Lesson learned.
The good thing is - I have had the opportunity to catch up on a few of my favorite blogs. :)

Happy Saturday!

Project 52: 26 & 27/52

2011-07-09T00:18:00.003-04:00

I am behind! I completely forgot about my Project 52 photo last week . . . so I am combining last week & this week together.
:)

Project 52: 27/52

Project 52: 26/52

I am linking up with Nancy @ A Rural Journal for Your Sunday Best. Please click on over to see some beautiful photographs!

Happy 4th of July & The June Giveaway Winner . . .

2011-07-04T16:16:00.000-04:00

Hi y'all! I hope you all are having a fantastic 4th of July! I just celebrated my birthday on July 1st, it was nothing elaborate, infact, I cooked my own birthday dinner, but my sweet babygirl baked me the cutest homemade from scratch cupcakes, ever! (photos coming soon, I hope!) My friend, Brenda and her husband baked me a chocolate-chocolate cake and my sweet hunny bought me a garden wagon from Tractor Supply and he also let me pick out a new bird bath for my birthday and my mother-in-law & father-in-law gave me some apple butter and apple fritter mix from the Apple Barn in Tn (which I love) AND some $$ (and who doesn't love money for their birthday?!) I thank God for such wonderful people He's placed in my life.

I'd like to say Happy Birthday America and Happy Birthday to Theresa, aka TexWisGirl, my sweet bloggy friend!
And . . .

I'd like to announce the winner of the votive candle holders via Random.org

I'd first like to thank each one of you all for reading my blog, leaving comments and talking with me through emails . . . I appreciate each and every one of you - very much!

And the winner is . . . Debbie @ It's All About Purple. Debbie, please email me the address where I should mail them to.
I hope to be back soon to visit everyone - miss you all!

Project 52: 25/52 [Rainbow]

2011-06-24T08:11:00.003-04:00

There is always a rainbow right after a storm . . . you just have to learn how to find it.

This is the exact spot where rainbows appear each time here at our house. Sometimes there are double rainbows. I always think of God's promise when I see rainbows. What do you think of when you see the beautiful bows in the sky?

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Dad

2011-06-23T02:05:00.003-04:00

Today my Dad would have celebrated his 59th birthday. It's almost 2 a.m. here and I can already tell this day is gonna be a hard one.

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Dad.

I'm planning on unplugging for a while. I just pre-set a Project 52 post that should post in the morning. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I'll see you in a few days.

Yummylicious Fruit Pizza - Photos & Recipe

2011-06-21T14:46:00.006-04:00

My daughter & I made a fruit pizza today. One word comes to mind: Mmm ! : )

Let me tell y'all, if you've never tried this . . . you should !

This is a great summer dessert. It's a huge hit at family reunions, cook-outs & church dinners . . . this pizza will disappear fast !

Tip: Cream cheese is easier to work with when it is allowed to come to room temperature first.

Tip: To keep your bananas from turning brown, sprinkle some lemon juice over them. My daughter forgot this step and by the time I realized it, the bananas were turning a bit brown.

Tip: You can use any fruit of your choice.

Fruit Pizza Ingredients:

1 package 17.5 oz. sugar cookie mix

1 egg

1 stick of butter

2 packages of 8oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 c. (or more, depending on your taste) powdered sugar

3 kiwi fruit, sliced

2 bananas, sliced

1/2 c. strawberries, sliced

1/2 c. grapes, sliced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

{*Note: You can use any amount of fruit you'd like, pile it high if you want!}

{**Note: You can also make individual cookies instead of a pizza, spread on the cream cheese/powdered sugar mixture on each cookie then top with fruit. Makes a cute and delicious party platter for guests to serve themselves!}

*Recipe:

Mixed cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice in a mixing bowl, set aside.

Mix sugar cookie mix according to package directions,(our package of mix called for one egg and one stick of butter) press dough into a pizza pan. Bake as directed.

Slice fruits, set aside.

After sugar cookie has baked, spread the cream cheese/powdered sugar mixture over cooled sugar cookie.

Arrange fruit slices on top of cream cheese/powdered sugar mixture layer.

Cut into pizza slices and enjoy !

What could be more of a Sweet Shot Tuesday than this sweet treat? : )

Click on over and visit Darcy @ My3boybarians to see more sweet photos!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic day!

Attempting A New Project For A Very Special New Family Member

2011-06-20T18:15:00.003-04:00

I haven't picked up a crocheting hook for at least 12 years or more, until now. There's a special occasion coming up around this Thanksgiving . . . I'm going to be an auntie (again). My hunny's sister and her husband are expecting their first little jelly bean. I would like to make him or her a little crocheted baby blanket before the big arrival. : )

I don't know a whole lot of fancy stitches but it's the thought that counts, right ?

This is a practice 'small table runner/scarf'.

I'm not going to reveal the color or pattern of the baby's blanket I plan on crocheting, I want it to be surprise for my sis-in-law and she may just read this blog. : )

*Fact about my sister-in-love (heard that term used before and I like it . . . I never had a sister of my own, so I claim her as my little sister.) She was only four years old when my hunny and I started dating, so naturally, she feels like my actual 'blood' family.

Would anyone want to see this as a giveaway?

*Another fact about my sis-in-law: As a child, I remember her always with a book in hand, always the reader. :) I remember her in high school and college, she always had her nose in a book. That gal was always a hard worker - no wonder she graduated with honors in high school, college and Chiropractic college. I'm proud of my little sister-in-law - as proud of her, as if she were my own sister.
Now, she's all grown up - runs a successful Chiropractic service along with her husband, who is also a Chiropractor and expecting their new precious addition to the family.
Congratulations, Dr. Elizabeth . . . love you much!

Here's a little video-clip my kiddo made from an iPod of me attempting to crochet . . . excuse the quality and the 'jumping' of the video.
Oh yeah, and . . . PLEASE excuse my windows. Can you guess why they are spotted? A hornet came on the porch where I stood, hose in hand- while I was watering my flowers. Yeah. Can you guess what happened next? Ha!

A Glimpse Of My Editing Process

2011-06-18T16:31:00.003-04:00

I thought I'd share a little of my photo editing process with you guys. I can't give the exacts, because to be honest, I just tinker with layers, masks, filters and sometimes actions until I like the way it looks. Today, I also added three or four textures to my photo from Kim Klassen textures. If you are interested in knowing actual steps I take, let me know and I'd be glad to take some time and jot them down as I go and make a post about it later. I am always interested in knowing a little about what other's use in their post processing steps.

First off, here is my SOOC photo . . . not very spectacular, huh? I used some foam board and a desk lamp for light, no flash. The natural light in my kitchen is horrible. I don't know why I always end up in the kitchen when I take photos . . .

Here is my edited photo:

The next photo is my finished photo:

I'm linking this post up with Nancy @ A Rural Journal. Nancy is the host of Your Sunday Best link-up each Sunday and Lisa Gordon Photography's The Creative Exchange each Monday. Head on over and visit these ladies to see some beautiful photographs !

And The Photo ID Winner Is...PLUS The Exciting Bird News I Promised!

2011-06-18T12:38:00.001-04:00

As some of you may recall, a beloved little bird flew into the window of my door a few weeks ago. I was certain that day it was a female Purple Finch. After doing some research and much thought . . . I began to realize that my inital thoughts were more than likely wrong.

I now believe the bird on the right was the bird that died that day. Not exactly the best illustrations, but the bird that crashed into my door had a little wider white band above her eye and was more white and brown looking. Can you see how that I could have mistaken her in my moment of break-down after seeing her die right before my eyes?

Remember a couple days ago, I showed you a photo and asked if anyone could correctly identify the bird in that photo? Well, here comes the exciting bird news I told you about !

Someone did identify the bird, although I'm not sure about it being female just yet, because it's a baby! I will be shipping your votive candle holders out after the winner for the June drawing is selected! : )

Meet proud papa - Red-Winged Blackbird

Apparently, the little bird that died that day was probably a female Red-Winged Black Bird. A few days after this happened, I noticed the female Purple Finch was back at the feeders with the male.

About a week ago, I heard the loudest commotion coming from a pine tree near one of my feeders. I saw the Red-Winged Blackbird and four drab brown birds, who were about his size squaking up a storm at him. I must have startled them, because they flew away. The next day, I could hear him coming back. (He is loud and I can usually hear him coming from across the mountain) Sure enough, here he came flying toward my house and from the distance, I could see four birds behind him squaking like crazy! So I thought, "Ok , I read that Red Winged Blackbirds could have more than one mate. Maybe he's traveling with his mates." But then, I noticed they were landing in my seed dishes, mouthes open wide, making a big racket and the light bulb popped on ! Those are HIS babies and he's feeding them !

Notice the baby to the left, demanding Papa to feed him or her.

The mama bird that flew into the door that day was probably the mate of this guy and the mama of the four babies.

Demanding little things, aren't they? :)

It's been over a week now, and he is coming several times daily with his loud little one's in tow. They land in the seed bowls and impatiently wait for Papa to put seeds into their wide open waiting mouths. It's so cute but also odd seeing this bird feed these huge babies!

The fourth baby Red-Winged Blackbird is at the bottom of the stump.

According to Cornell Lab of Ornithology, chicks remain dependent on their parents for up to five weeks after leaving the nest! No wonder he brings them here a few times every day to feed them at my feeders!
What a good Papa he is to take on full responsibility for four babies after the Mama died!

Here's an excellent video of Red-Winged Blackbirds, that gives some very good information about them!

I have been so excited to share this news with you all. I've almost let the cat out of the bag or in this case the bird out of the cage all week, but I didn't want to mention it until I had the time to sit down and write a post (with photos) about the news!

I hope you all are having a fantastic Saturday! It's storming here, but that's alright with me . . . It will save me from packing buckets of water to my plants today!

I'd also like to thank everyone for their comments on yesterday's post about my Dad. I appreciate each one of them so much!

A Sad Stroll Down Memory Lane

2011-06-17T14:10:00.004-04:00

♥If roses grow in Heaven Lord, then pick a bunch for me. Place them in my Dad's arms and tell him they're from me. Tell him that I love and miss him, and when he turns to smile, place a kiss upon his cheek and hold him for awhile...♥ I love you, Dad & I miss you so much. ♥Jimmy♥

June 14th marked 3 months since my Dad passed away. This weekend is Father's Day, which I've been dreading and June 23rd would have been my Dad's 59th birthday. I never missed a Father's Day or a birthday - I always tried to let my Dad know how special he was and to celebrate his special days. I feel like I could sit down and cry a small river today. The grief is overwhelming right now. All I can say is, if you still have your Dad, then make every effort to spend the day with him this Father's Day, and if you can't physically be there, then call him. Do something special for him. Not just on Father's Day, but make an effort to talk to him daily (if possible) I had the advantage of living beside my Dad. I could run into the house and see him everyday, and a lot of times I would do that. I'd just run into his room, give him a hug and back out again. He knew I was always around.

My memories of walking into his room and finding him barely breathing that night, February 8th, haunt me. Calling 911, crying and begging for him to wake up - but he wouldn't wake up. He couldn't. Watching the flight nurses getting him ready to be flown to another state to Holsten Valley in TN to begin what would be the last month of his life. Seeing him on a ventilator, struggling to live. Fighing hard to live. My Dad was a fighter, he was strong, yet so weak in those moments. He was a strong man - husband & father. He was a hard worker. Everything he did - he did it for his family.

My Dad told me a story about how when he was a 9 year old boy, his aunt, who was a teenager, had given him cigarettes because she thought it was 'cute' to see a little kid smoking. He was hooked. Addicted. And he was only a child.

He stopped smoking when my daughter, his first grand-baby was born. He stopped because he loved her so much and wanted to spend time with her. I was very protective over the miracle baby I had fought so hard to bring into the world, no one (not even my Dad) was getting near her with cigarettes or the lingering after-smoke smell. She already had enough breathing problems without adding more.

The damage to Dad's lungs was done. The years of 3-4 packs a day had taken it's toll on him. He lived 17 years after he stopped smoking, but 58 years old and facing death? Heartbreaking -when you stop to think about it. Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis, such an ugly name. He developed a fungus in his lungs from breathing in a simple mold spore from leaves. Something that we all breathe in daily, especially if you live in the mountains, surrounded by thousands of trees, like we do. A normal person breathes this in and their body gets rid of it. My Dad's lungs were damaged from years of cigarette smoking, so it attached inside his lungs and grew. He couldn't fight it. And there is no cure for it.

The medication they gave him was new and the cost for this medicine? $6000.00 a month. It helped to keep him alive for a year after finding out he had the fungus. The known cases of this disease have only lived 3 months or so. It is not contagious. The mortality rate is %100.

While talking to me one day in the hospital, he made the hand sign of smoking . . . bringing his hand up like he was holding a cigarette between his two fingers and putting it up to his mouth, pretending to take a draw of it . . . he then pointed to the trachea with the ventilator hooked to it and mouthed, "I am dying because of cigarettes."

My Dad also wrote in a notebook while he was in the hospital because of the ventilator and eventually trach that was placed in his neck. I have every single scribble he made tucked away in my special place. I can't read it right now, it's just too hard. But I can see in my mind some of the things he had written. One time in particular, he was telling the nurse that his daugher (me) had perfect teeth and never needed braces. There was another page where he was talking to his nurse and told her "My first born, Marissa. I love her."

This notebook is a treasure to me. These are the last words my Dad had to say to us. Maybe someday I will be able to read it again.

Although this stroll down memory lane is sad, I have so many wonderful, beautiful and funny memories of my Dad. He was an encouraging person; if you had a dream then he would encourage you to go after it. My Dad was such a positive man, I never remember him talking about negatives, it was always positives and the glass is half full instead of half empty. He liked to pull pranks and he was a bit of a daredevil, he never saw danger . . . he was young at heart. He lived fully in his short time here on earth. He was a character who could keep you laughing all the time. No one else I knew could make up a funny song that could rhyme and the song make perfect sense like he could . :) He was fun to be around and he was a joy to have as a father.

*There may be some of you that do smoke that might be reading this. I didn't write this to be insulting or hurtful to you about smoking. I do hope that this post might make you think a little bit though. I have lived right along with my Dad as he has suffered and struggled so much, I've watched him smother and gasp for breath for years and now he is dead -you can see why I have negative thoughts about cigarettes.

I'm linking this post to Lisa over at Two Bears Farm for her Memory Lane Fridays. Click on over to her blog and add your own Memory Lane post!

Happy Father's Day, (in Heaven) Dad.

Project 52: 24/52 [Pink Buttercup]

2011-06-17T08:04:00.002-04:00

I love yellow buttercups, but I also enjoy my pink buttercups, too!

I took this photo after sundown.

I Am Officially A Dot Com Domain

2011-06-16T19:01:00.005-04:00

I've wanted my little blog to have a dot com name for some time, but was hesitant about attempting to try it because:
1. Using a credit card online.
2. Going through whatever it is you have to go through to set up a custom domain name.
3. Fear of my blog content being lost in cyberspace whilst trying to switch over.

Luckily, I follow a site called Spice Up Your Blog, where Blog Spicer-Upper Paul features tons of great tips and tutorials, plus gadgets you can use to spice up your own blog. He recently posted a tutorial showing how to easily purchase your own custom domain name through Blogger. That's all you have to do, Blogger takes care of all the rest. For $10 bucks, you can have your own domain name, minus the blogspot for one year.

If you are worried about using a credit/debit card like myself, I have a little tip to offer. I purchased a pre-paid Visa from Wal-Mart for this very reason yesterday. You can get them in different amounts -$10, $20 or even more.

I believe my old url http://lifenbetween.blogspot.com/ will now direct you to my new address: http://www.lifeonourmountain.com/
If by some chance it doesn't, please - pretty please update it in your lists & dashboards. : )
*Edit- My feed is not showing up in Blogger reading lists on the dashboard. If you still want to receive my posts in your reading list/Google reader (and I hope you do!) Please follow these simple directions: Go to your dashboard - scroll down to 'reading list', you will see 'add' & 'manage' tabs. Click on 'add' then paste this URL into the drop box: http://www.lifeonourmountain.com/ . :) I am very sorry about the switcheroo I've done today, I think it will be better, eventually.

Okay . . . see that little giveaway for the summer votive candle holders in the upper right hand corner of this blog ? Well, the first (US resident) who can correctly guess the bird in the photo below will also receive a (2)set of these votive candle holders (colors may be different from photo) when I ship out the drawing winner's votive set at the end of this month! : )

*I have a very exciting story to tell you about this bird in an upcoming post! Hope you all are having a wonderful Thursday evening! I am still yucky with a cold, and have a horrible sounding croaking voice. How can anyone have a cold in the summer time? Leave it to me to pick up a cold from someone, if it can be found . . . I can find it! : )

What's On The Menu: Brunch

2011-06-16T16:26:00.002-04:00

We had a little bit of a sweet tooth today . . .

Whole wheat blueberry pancakes...mmm!

I made a ton of these 'silver dollar' blueberry pancakes. I mixed blueberry infused syrup and some regular lite syrup and heated it. (the straight blueberry syrup was just too sweet) I then dropped a few blueberries on top for good measure!

Oh yeah ! . . . that's what I'm talking about! Mmm! [*It only took a couple bites before I felt sick. Pancakes always make me feel ill, but I still get a hankering for them every now and then.]

How do you satsify your craving for something sweet, when a piece of fruit just won't do?

Textures & Sweet Shots: Verbena, My Friends, Yes, Again! :)

2011-06-14T17:05:00.001-04:00

I've been noticing all the dreamy photographs with textures that my bloggy friends have been sharing lately on their blogs. It always makes me want to try adding textures to a few of my photos, but I never seem to have the time to even begin to figure it out. I am subscribed to Kim Klassen Cafe' blog and I see her amazing photographs and think, "I wish I knew how to use these textures."

Well, finally, I decided that t o d a y is indeed, the day. So here is what I came up. I like it pretty well for my first try. If you don't like it, please, humor me just a little bit at least, okay ? : )

Before texture:

After Kim Klassen's Drop Cloth Texture:

Would you like to see more textures and sweet shots?
Click here:
Texture Tuesday & Sweet Shot Tuesday

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Tuesday! I still have the 'crud', but who wouldn't be smiling with this beautiful weather we are having here in my neck of the woods . . . sick or not, today's been good.

Life On Our Side Of The Mountain

Who Packed Your Parachute?

Wholegrain Berry White Chocolate Chip Muffins

Healthier Choices & 30 Days of Homeschool

Almost Strawberry Cheese Cake Bites

Today's Hike

Monday Fitness Check-In

Italian Pasta Recipe

Weight Loss Update & Some Blog Changes

New Year: New Outlook, New Goals, New Body, New Life

Merry Christmas!

Amazon: 25 Days of FREE Christmas Music Downloads

Kitty's MAINE Squeeze

Not So Shabby Photo Frame Giveaway (2 Winners!) *Closed*

Cheezy Chicken Cheeseball Spread Recipe

S'mores Anyone?

Motherly Advice

Project 52: 52/52 The Final One

Kids Cookbook Giveaway! (Closed)

Freebie

Project 52: 41-51/52

My Memories Suite Giveaway! (Closed)

Fighting Like Cats and Dogs

My Memories

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kittens: Fluffy, Soft, Sweetness

I Have Your Name...On My Link Up Page

Things I Could Not Live Without In My Kitchen

P.S. I Haven't Forgotten You

Little Bitty Kitty

Cats & Kittens

It's Definitely A Hot Cocoa Kind Of Day

Sharing My Holiday

Pretty Red Things

In Loving Memory Of My Uncle Bobby

Recent Trip: NYC - The Big Apple

Rainy Day Blues

When Is It Time To Use The Nicest Plates You Have?

Day 1 : Lancaster PA

Spiced Harvest Pancakes/Photos & Recipe

Repurposing Digital Cards

Early Morning Pepper Pickin'

A Quickie For The Road : Mail Swap

Sew Simple - Part II

Sew Simple...NOT!

Autumn Blessings

In Search of Beauty

Project 52: 40/52 - Buzzy As A Bee!

Project 52: 39/52

World Bird Wednesday: Birds In My Yard

To Redecorate Or Not & Sweet Surprises

Carin. Carin Who?

A Week Of Complete Random Photos

The Best Savory Biscuits Ever

Reheating Peeled Hard-Boiled Eggs: A Warning.

World Bird Wednesday [8.30.11]

World Bird Wednesday

A Great Big Thank You! & The Creative Exchange

Blogiversary * Wildberry Almond Chicken Salad

Exposing A Dirty Little Secret

The Creative Exchange: Earth Laughs

I Like It HOT!

Dog Days of Summer

Weigh In

Good Treasures

Shewww Weee! It Is HOT!

Project 52: 29/52 Baby Eastern Box Turtle

Low Calorie (And Quite Satisfying) Pizza!

I Want Some Food!

Project 52: 28/52

Busy As A Bee

5:46 A.M.

Project 52: 26 & 27/52

Happy 4th of July & The June Giveaway Winner . . .

Project 52: 25/52 [Rainbow]

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Dad

Yummylicious Fruit Pizza - Photos & Recipe

Attempting A New Project For A Very Special New Family Member

A Glimpse Of My Editing Process

And The Photo ID Winner Is...PLUS The Exciting Bird News I Promised!

Not So Shabby Photo Frame Giveaway (2 Winners!) Closed