Christmas is coming

Christmas is coming and I must say I am looking forward to it! Tomorrow I will spend the majority of the day putting ornaments on our living room Christmas tree and then hopefully by Tuesday be able to start on the tree in my room. While browsing the internet today I cam across this collection of photographs and it really got me in the Christmas mind set. http://blokeinabowtie.tumblr.com/post/12180568362/because-christmas. 
Last year we were lucky to have an uncommonly snowy Christmas and I can't help but hope for a repeat of that this year as well. I would love to be able to take some pictures of the snow with the Christmas lights on outside my house. I guess that will be my Christmas wish this year, that I will have snow this winter. *crosses fingers*

Thanksgiving a time to be thankful

Well today is the day. The day for stuffing the turkey (or tofu shaped turkey) and oneself. It is a time for families to be together and to be thankful for their blessings. This year unlike most I am not gathering with aunts, uncle and cousins the schedules just did not allow for it but I am sort of glad. I will be spending it with my mom and dad the two people I am more thankful for.  If not for them I wouldn't be here but I also would not have had all the things I did growing up. Some might say that since I am an only child it is only natural that I had a good childhood. Many would say that I have been spoiled and perhaps that is true in some ways. At the same time though, what parent doesn't wish to spoil their child now and then? My parents were not the type to tolerate tantrums nor were they the type to give into my every whim. Their main desire was to know I was safe and happy and should anything happen to them that I would be taken care of. As a child you can't really appreciate this but now that I am older and have a concept of the world and its expenses I find myself deeply moved by all the sacrifices they made for me. We may have our ups and downs as every child and parents do but I will always love them and I am thankful for them on this Thanksgiving day.

Such a neat vintage image I just had to share

Just had to share

My newest habit when I am bored is painting my nails. I am still not very good at it but with all things practice makes perfect and I am at the very least not painting my entire hand when I try to paint my nails now. (shaky hands plus nail painting does not mix well). Anyhow, the other day I decided to be really daring and since it turned out looking alright I thought I would share the result. So here for all to see... my nails!

The bright lighter green is actually a powder glitter. My nails are soooo hard and soooo short right now >.<

Inspirations of fall

Bright beams shining through
Softly highlight the fall leaves
Yellow is now gold.

Fall trees full of leaves
Shed their festive adornments
To greet winter bare.

The chill of fall comes
Leaving most trees bare of all color
Winter is so bleak

I am real not very good at any sort of poetry but I had the sudden urge to try and write some haiku. It was a struggle but I managed out these few. The last haiku's picture is sort of strange choice I know but as bleak as winter is I wanted to show there is still some beauty that can be found in it. I love Juniper berries and if I ever did have a winter wedding (something In doubt) I would want to have lots of juniper used around in the decorating.

A small trip

I went on a small trip recently to Indiana. For those who are not familiar with the state the best way to describe it is flat with lots of cornfields (in fairness to the state this describes the parts I have visited). There are charming old farm houses, modern malls, and big cities,  it is just that the vast majority of the land seems to be used for farming.

This was not a new trip for me. It has become a yearly tradition since I was in middle school or before (the exact year escapes me). We make the 5 to 6 hour car drive up to Indiana every year in the Fall. It provides my family the chance to visit my Aunt and Uncle and assorted cousins and their children but additionally we go to the Covered Bridge Festivals which are held at the same time.

Over the years I have collected assorted treasures at these festivals. From antique hats and compacts, to tie dye shirts, bamboo plants, and the kettle corn made and sold by the Amish (the best kettle corn I have ever had!) The festivals are an interesting mix of old and modern. The Mansfield Covered Bridge festival is the one I have attended the most over the years. It is spread out over several acres on either side of the covered bridge, and I find it much easier to navigate than some of the other festivals. In the last few years I have not even bothered to cross the bridge. Perhaps that is poor of me considering how rare a covered bridge is these days ,but with every passing year I find less charm in the cheap modern goods filling the stalls on the other side of the bridge. Most of these goods I could easily purchase elsewhere so I don't bother to waste my time crossing the river to see them. Still I thought I would share a picture of the bridge. I wish the leaves had turned more but it seems fall is slow in coming to Indiana.

I had a lot of fun seeing my family in Indiana but one of the bigger highlights was meeting a Denmark native at the antique store. He was quite charming and cute but it was just a passing meeting. Plus as my mother made clear he was to old for me. I think his looks and good humor made up for it but that is neither here nor there.  The moral I guess is ,that as wonderful as it is to travel, there is no replacing ones own home and things. I was glad to be home in my bed and with my animals.

                                                        (My last pictures of Indiana as I was heading home.)

                                                                             (Just some fun random shots.)

Also I wanted to say thank you to Aura-Illumina for pointing me towards this awesome Polaroid making application. I love it soooo much!

My Godwill finds of the day

Went to Godwill as per my norm on Friday. Sometimes the trip seems a total waste but today was not that day. I managed to find all the below pictured items for $11.00 (with the aid of my mothers senior discount).

The pitcher is so heavy! I almost put it down a couple of times because carrying it around in the basket was awful! As the second row of images shows, I have yet again another saucer without a cup but I couldn't resist. It is just so beautiful and the hand painted details are just wonderful.(I tried to show them in the picture) The last row of pictures are the cutest and funniest shape tea cups I have found in awhile. I couldn't resist! I found the cups first and was worried I wouldn't find the saucers ,but with just a little searching I lucked out.

Have a cup of tea!

In the last few years, I have started to think of what I might want at my wedding. (If I do get married and don't end up an old spinster) Getting back to my initial point, one thing I have been collecting has been tea cups. I am not sure if I will use them in the reception or use them purely for decoration. I have seen them used in both capacities online. I am leaning towards just using them as decoration. I have become rather attached to the teacups and if they were broken during the party it would definitely darken my mood.

My collection of cups is not perfect. Often I am buy the random saucer or the random cup because it is more thrifty . Mismatched pairs are so much cheaper. I have found cups and saucers that come fairly close to matching and ultimately it doesn't matter to me. In the end I would like the decorations to look like an English garden party meets the Mad Hatter's table. Beautiful but a bit whimsical.

 Recently I have been shopping the local Goodwill for my teacups. You really can't beat a teacup or saucer for under a $1.00. Generally I pay $0.49 to $0.25 per tea cup or saucer depending on the sales of the day or if I happen to get to Goodwill on half price Saturday. I will share some more of my Goodwill finds in the future but for now please enjoy some of my collected cups.

~Not all of these were Goodwill finds but a lot of them were.~

A new look and frustration

So I am ever so slowly trying to learn how to change my page. Thus the new look. Like it ? Don't like it? Personally I rather fancy it. Sadly if you can believe it took me several hours to make this new template.

My real complaint is about all these how to guides on the internet. They tell me go to edit html and find some word combination or another. The problem I have is the supposed code I am looking for does not exist. Any help would be greatly appreciated because I am most certainly at a loss. Someone please tell me where this mystery code is ! I am at my wits end!

The tale of Gunther

You ask of my companions.  Hills, sir, and the sundown, and a dog as large as myself that my father bought me.  They are better than human beings, because they know but do not tell.  ~Emily Dickinson

Well one of my first posts in this blog was about the sad passing of my beloved dog Godfrey earlier this year. He is still very much missed and loved but I am happy to say we were able to provide a place for another dog in dire need of a home. 

We had been looking for some months at online postings from animal shelters and rescue groups and had visited several shelters in our area with no success. The only real plus was that it seemed my family was a good luck charm for the animals. Nearly every dog we inquired about ended up getting adopted.

On a whim when my mother and I were running errands in town I decided to go visit our local animal shelter again. When we went inside we saw several cute dogs we thought might be possibles so we called my father to have him come look at the dogs. While waiting for him to arrive, we discovered one of the three dogs we were considering  had the bark of a screech owl (it was horrible), and no matter how we pleaded it would not cease. We knew for sure that my father would not want that dog, but we were still hopeful for the other two dogs. While waiting, I continued to look in the runs at the other dogs.

My parents initial plan was to get a smaller dog. No more then 30 lbs (15.876 kg) because their backs are not what they used to be. Looking through the runs I found myself stopping repeatedly to look at the dog the shelter had named Bubba. He was a very large dog with beautiful chestnut fur and white feet and collar. His most striking features were his yellow brown eyes and liver nose. I just kept coming back to his run, but I knew there was no way we could have him. He was just far to large.

Finally my father arrived, and he quickly decided against the two smaller dogs we had considered. Since he had made the long journey, he continued to look at the other dogs available only to stop at Bubba. After a short talk with the staff it was arranged for us to take Bubba outside to a play pen. I was excited and amazed but knew better than to get my hopes up. Unfortunately, it was the worst possible situation for any dog. In the fenced off play pen right next to the one Bubba had been taken to, there was a goat. Someone had abandoned a goat at the shelter and when a strange animal like a goat is running around it excites a dog quite a bit. I just knew Bubba's chances were doomed. 

I was expecting us to turn around right then and return inside, but we lingered much longer than I expected. Finally, we took him back inside, where he calmed down, and dad decided we would go home and consider our options. I was nervous of course. I had fallen hard for Bubba and knew from looking at his card that his time at the shelter was coming to an end. Over dinner that night we talked more and suddenly my dad said, " You know what that dogs name is; it is Gunther." I knew then that we would be going back for Bubba. Father had told us he would know the dog when he saw it, and he had been right about all the dogs we had owned in the past. My father just couldn't bare to think that such a beautiful and sweet dog would get killed. He was just too large a dog for most people to want to adopt. We knew we would have to get him trained, but it felt right saving his life over investing money in a purebred dog, According to my father, Bubba was the dog for us.

We went back to the shelther the next day and adopted Bubba. We arranged an allowance of time for an examination by our vet and for insuring that Bubba and our cats could cohabit.When we first got Gunther he was weary; his tail and head always hung low. It has been several months since and he is now a  happy dog with curly tail held up proudly. He has even gone to a few classes of doggy school and is a wonderful student. 

The shelter we adopted him from identified him as a Irish Wolfhound. Actually, Gunther is a German Wire-haired Pointer who escaped having his tail docked. It was very hard to find images of GWP's without docked tails but some of the ones I did find had tails with slight curves to them like his. 

Gunther is still a puppy if you can believe it looking at the pictures. At the time of this post he will probably be around 10 months old according to the vet and in the 70lb range (31.751 kg). Puppy or not, he is quickly becoming a beloved member of our family.

An Update on my Furry surprise

Well long story short we decided to keep the cat. Once my father had given him a middle name it was pretty much decided. It has been difficult at times and I won't say he doesn't have his issues. He and Miss Kitty still have fights now and then. He also is partial to attacking ankles on occasion. He is a wonderful hunter but after a kill we make sure to give him a wide berth. He stays in tiger mode for a long time it seems. Either way King Henry Sheldon the VIII seems to have made himself part of the family and hopefully he will live a long and healthy life/reign with our family.

 Here he is now neutered and his head wound all healed up.

He is obviously well feed as well. As per his usual when in the basement/garage he is chowing down.

A quick and sweet lemoney treat!

Living in the south the summer months can become almost unbearably hot. Some days the idea of cooking anything at all is dreadful because of how hot it gets during the cooking. A person has to eat though so as a reward to myself I occasionally cook up desert to eat following my supper. One that I made recently was a lemon meringue pie. It was so tasty and quick that I decided to share it here.

 Ingredients for Filling:

1 baked 8 inch pastry shell cooled or 8 inch crumb crust (I used the crumb crust)

1can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 egg yolks (keep the whites you will use them later)

In a medium sized bowl, combine all the ingredients above blending in the egg yolks last. Once mixed well pour it into your cooled crust.

Ingredients for Mernigue:

2 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 cup of sugar

In a small bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form when beater is raised. Spread over filling and seal to the edge of the crust.

 

Bake in oven at 325 Fahrenheit 12 to 15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown.

Place in the fridge for a little bit to let it cool and set up. After it has cooled down serve and enjoy this tasty treat!

A furry surprise

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. I got caught up in a mix of life, unexpected furry surprises and a small vacation. In the realm of furry surprises one night when I was outside calling for my kitty I heard a strange unknown meow and out of the darkness came a thin little golden yellow and white kitty cat. Needless to say I was a bit surprised and exasperated by this. I had wanted a kitty to come but it was definitely not this one. After a little more patience thought my kitty actually arrived and after stopping a near cat fight I got her inside thinking nothing further on the strange cat. I had just chalked it all up to a case of funny happenstance and thought nothing of it. It wasn't until the next day my dad mentioned seeing the cat and that it had a nasty head wound that I became curious.

This is Henry and his nasty head wound. Here he is actually pretty happy because he has a full belly of cat food.

The head wound after he knocked off some of that huge scab. He loves to rub it off on my leg. It was not pleasant.

     

The cat was truly a strange case. I had thought it a stray the night before it seemed I was wrong. He was very peoplefriendly ,almost to the point of being a hazard with his constant rubbing, and his front claws were lacking any points almost as if they had been trimmed. It was the large wound atop his head though that was the most concerning. It was obvious that during his tom catting about he had gotten the bad end of a fight earning himself a nasty bite right next to his left ear. Concerned I started to contact people seeking advice on how best to treat him. With much food bribery and hydrogen peroxide we managed to get the wound healed. Unfortunately that just meant he would creep around at night looking for a new girlfriend and be back everyday wanting attention and food.

Fundamentally he is not a bad cat and under different circumstances I might even keep him but the problem he faced was seniority. We have one cat already. My sweet Kitty (yes Kitty is her name she wouldn't answer to anything but that) who is 13 years old is dead set in her belief that our household should be a single cat household. It is bad enough that I have had to keep her pinned up to prevent her from attacking him and doing further injury to him. Knowing this was not far to my cat I set to asking around the neighborhood to see if anyone was missing or cat or would like to have one. Sadly the answer to both questions was no. 

After determining that no one was gone to step forward and claim him I decided the least I could do was to do something to prevent him from creating even more kitties in the same situation as him. I know some people might think spaying and neutering is cruel and unfair to the animal but after volunteering at the Humane Society Spay and Neuter clinic I believe it is one of the most humane things you can do. If you do not believe me go to a animal shelter (one that isn't a no kill) and look at all the dogs and cats. Shelters constantly get an influx of strays because of irresponsible owners who fail to consider the cost that animals may have to pay.

Making himself at home

It has now been less then a week since Henry (that is the name he liked beside kitty and I named him that only as a joke on Henry the VIII who had so many wives) was neutered and had his rabies shot. He seems to be hanging around a little longer into the evening but otherwise their is no drastic change in his character yet. It is my hope by having paid for his surgery that I will be able to more easily find him a forever home. I only hope that anyone that reads this will understand how important it is for owners to spay and neuter their pets.

Pre-neuter but as you can see his head looks much better

Taking the time to enjoy the simple sights of nature

Recently I have tried, weather or schedule permitting, to walk around my neighborhood. On a good day I try to make two trips totaling over 2 miles. Usually I am so focused on finishing my walk and returning home that I hardly take time to pay mind to my surroundings. Yesterday though I found I had time to take my walk at a more leisured pace so I decided to take my camera along. As I walked I noticed many wild flowers and what would be considered more weed like flowers beginning to blossom. I began to walk around taking pictures of wildflowers and fields of mixed weeds earning me quite a few strange looks from neighbors driving by but I really did not care. Just taking time to stop and smell the flowers as cliche as that sounds made me realize how rushed our lives are. Sadly, I think this propensity towards rushing is getting worse with every generation. Everything has to be instantaneous now and it has been deemed quicker to text someone than to call them and speak to them directly. Maybe years from now people will miss the simple joy of getting a letter in the mail or being able to communicate with someone without butchering the English language to save time. Many other things have come back in favor even if only briefly as fad. Perhaps learning to slow down and reconnect with our surroundings will come back in favor but I am afraid it will be short lived fad at best.

I thought to share some of the sights I enjoyed yesterday so that others might take a moment to slow down and enjoy the simplicity of nature. Mother nature will never be instantaneous but it makes her beauty all the more enjoyable for the wait.

From Bad Apples to Apple Goodie

I noticed today I had a few apples that would go bad before I would find the time to eat them, so I decided to put them to good use. This is a great recipe for anyone who likes apple treats and it is very easy to make.

I used 4 medium sized apples

Apple Goodie

Ingredients

1 stick of softened margarine          3/4 cup oatmeal -uncooked

3/4 cup brown sugar- packed          1tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda                              dash of salt

(Flour, baking powder, and baking soda can be substituted by 3/4 cup All purpose baking mix -Bisquick being an example-)

Slice unpeeled cooking apples and layer thickly in buttered or sprayed baking dish.(butter/spray bottom and sides of the dish). Put a dash of salt over the apples and if they are tart sprinkle sugar over them. Mix together the above remaining ingredients until crumbly. Pat the mixture down over the apples and bake in 350 °F oven for 45 minutes or until browned. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Cut apples with dash of salt and lightly sugared

All the remaining ingredients mixed up. I used the All purpose baking mix alternative

Mixture over the top of the apples

After 45 minutes viola!

Finished product with a dash of cool whip on top!

This is a recipe, that has been passed down in my family, I got from my 95 year old grandmother. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.