HICCUP

Last night I wrote an entire post on my Blood Orange Marmalade. Before or during the time I pressed the publish button, This great confusing thing called the World Wide Web, hiccuped, and I lost all but the images and the first sentence. Since my postings are written "off the cuff" I'm not going to re-write it. Suffice to say that it was yet another humorously entertaining bit of written word and it basically summed up the fact that instead of my beloved Blood Orange Marmalade that I thought I made I instead came up with the perfect chicken marinade. I also encouraged those of you who have a jar to make this yummy dish.

If you want the details of the recipe I can write it out for you. let me know. Now onto the next thing on my never ending list of "things to do" Beginning with change the towels over to the dryed and sterilize jars . xoxo

Blessings, Sue

The branches of my blood orange tree were so full of oranges this year. I love looking out my front window and seeing

Not quite empty yet....

I've got to admit, its been a strange and bumpy ride this last week. but its ok. I'm ok. Time is an interesting thing. While your in the midst of living your life it just seems like things will be the way they are at that moment forever.

I wasn't really paying attention to time as our nest began to fill up.

I was to busy with the everyday stuff. You know the endlessness of diapers needing to be changed and owies needing to be kissed. Then the never stopping taxi service taking this person there and bringing this person here. School plays and homework projects. Halloween costumes and birthday parties. The daily little dramas of life that play out, usually loudly, in a house full of girls.
.

Making sure everyone is full and happy and somewhat content. No time to think about it really, just living it and loving it.

One day you look around and realize your nest is pretty darn small. In fact, what the heck happened to my tiny little baby girls. Oh ya there they are... Those three beautiful young women over there. The graduations begin, and continue. The engagements follow, and not far behind are wedding plans. Pretty soon and before you know it your little babies are all grown up and beginning to have little babies of their own.

I just thought this picture was so cute. I felt like this so darn many times. hahahhahahahah

I can't be sad. There's nothing to be sad about. Seth and I have accomplished the goals we set out before us when we decided to have our family. Our daughters have grown into beautiful, healthy, young women who are Godly, and competent and fully able to continue on with their lives and be successful and prosperous in whatever they do.

I'm looking forward to this next season in my life. We still have Allison home, even though she is gone for the summer. I'm still married to the most amazing man ever, my best friend. I'm going to be a Grama. We are looking forward to retirement and moving to Georgia. Life is good, just not as busy ....that's all.
I'm not watching Paige anymore and so I will have alot more time to do the things I want.

I'm over the shock.

Now to get my craft/sewing room ready!!!!

Blessings, Sue

I wanted to add that I got thes pictures off the internet. I checked for copyrights and saw none.

Thoughts

The Way of Women

She allows her daughter, sitting beside her, to
take the first stitch. The wise woman does not rush
in to take it apart. She smiles, acknowledges, and
continues to sew her own stitches.

The daughters model the mothers, Act wisely.

The daughters are watching.

The Tao of Women
Pamela K. Metz & Jacqueline L Tobin

Blessings, Sue

Strawberry Applesauce

Not only has my beautiful Jennifer moved out, and gone to Georgia, but my "adopted" children Molly and Todd and their precious baby girl have gone to South Carolina as well. All on the same day. I refuse to say goodbye. I love them to much. I had the honor of taking care of Paige since she was a tiny little angel baby...... Aneeeeewaaaaaaaaaay. We had a huge taco dinner a few days before everyone left and I cut up a bunch of strawberries for desert. hhahahahahhaha Yeah right. They weren't even touched. I also had these apples sitting here to make a pie for Seth before they left but time has a way of sneaking up on me. I decided to make some applesauce and add the strawberries in for flavor. I wanted to send a jar with them so my granddaughter would get a bit of a tasty of what's in store for her when her Grama gets back there!!!

Ive never made applesauce with anything else added so this was a new one for me. I decided to go ahead and use cinnamon since I put it in all my pies and it tastes great. Good choice, it enhances the flavors perfectly.

Since I had already put sugar on the strawberries I wasn't sure how much more to add. I didn't want it to be to sweet so I just added another cup and the juice of a few lemons, off my tree.

I had to transfer it to a bigger pot by the time I got everything in there. There just wasn't enough room to stir without spilling it everywhere. I cooked it down a bit until the apples were fork tender and then took out about 2 cups and set it aside. I smooshed up the rest with a potato masher. I have put it through the food processor before but I wanted this to be somewhat chunky. Then I added the non mooshed back in.

I got 3 quarts and a pint. Perfect. I sent one back to Georgia along with 2 qts of pickled beets, 4 quarts of dill pickles, 1 pint of bread and butter pickles and a jar of blood orange marmalade. I hope y'all love it.

I have finished off the pint of applesauce already. Chill it first. It did turn out rather sweet but you know, I can't help but rub off on everything I make for you guys!!! I'm just so darn sweet!!!!!!

Blessings, Sue

True confessions and a BBQ

I have to admit that I had been feeling a bit like not doing my blog anymore. I mean I wanted to do it but I would look at the comments and it seemed like no one was reading, or leaving any comments. So i went online and learned from some really great blog ladies that I myself enjoy reading..."How to attract people to your blog" " what to say to get people interested" and " How to get your blog out there". And then I stopped........ And I pondered exactly why I started blogging to begin with. Not to impress a bunch of people, not to teach anybody anything but just to keep in touch with my daughter and the other people I love who take the time to check in once in awhile. Now my second daughter has flown the coop so to speak and I have even more reason to keep this up. Besides its just fun. I love writing and I love being able to show you the things I make. I love looking back on past posts and seeing what we were up to and where we were at. So with that in mind, I venture forward, coffee cup or wine glass and camera in hand. Thanks for coming by. I hope you are blessed!!! Isn't this tea pot the coolest thing ever??? Want to know whats even cooler. I got it a Good Will for $3. It doesn't have a lid, but its genuine Fiesta ware. and I love it!!!!!

This is Charlie. Getting bigger as we speak. She is such a little lover. She loves to sit on me and purr. Oh and I love to have her sit on me and purr!!!! She is quite a rascal as she has begun exploring outside already. Maybe its in her genes from having a barn cat momma and daddy??

So as I mentioned before, Jennifer has "left the building" She is, along with her Daddy driving her car to Georgia right this minute. Along with most of her worldly belongings. So as a matter of course we had a BBQ last night to send them off in style.
Join me in the backyard........ evening approaches... you can feel a slight chill in the air and the smell of BBQ wafts listlessly about the yard.... get the picture??? hahahahha

Remember the amaryllis that I found blooming the other day? Well it has opened up fully now. Someone asked me if its even "supposed" to bloom right now. Funny about supposed to and ought to and even should have. It didn't bloom at Christmas time, that's when we thought it was going to bloom but its blooming now. I guess this is when it was supposed to, after all.

Its beautiful! I couldn't have enjoyed it more in December, to many drugs, hahahahahahah

We have PLUMS !!!! And they are starting to ripen. Can you see them way up there. Plum jam. Yummmmmmm.

Mmmmmmmm these were so good! Daddy knows just how to keep them juicy and moist.

And we had Cheese Dogs.

And nosey little Sarah kept coming over to see what we were up too. I just thought this picture was so darn cute.

And then I noticed the wine glass was empty, the burgers were off the grill, guess that means it was time to eat!!!! We had a nice time. Casual and fun.

Oh ya I forgot to mention the one little mishap that happened earlier in the day. Lest we get all starry eyed and think that we live in a little bubble of really cool photos and cute quips.

We let the chicks out to mosey in the yard. All was well..... Lily was guarding them and they were doing great. The big hens were ignoring them. And then.... One was missing... We found feathers..

That's all...... just feathers. DAMN. It was one of the little Americaunas. The ones that lay blue eggs. We have checked all the dog poo and nobody in the canine family is guilty. We were thinking perhaps an hawk or no, gasp, no, Thomas. At any rate....... My rose colored glasses were shattered for the day!!!

Guess I'll just have to look at the world through this!!!! hahahahhahahaahahhahhhahahahaha

Love and hugs til next time, Blessings, Sue

Mmmmmm Mud Pies

When my sister and I were little we played for hours in the mud. We made pies, and patties. We make cakes and cupcakes. We added special ingredients and then we baked them in the sun. They were beautiful. They were masterpieces. I don't remember what we did with them, or any of the details really, but I do know that many happy childhood hours were spent elbow deep in yummy gooey mud.

We didn't follow any specific recipe either, but I know they came out absolutely perfect every single time.

While going through some papers I happened upon a special paper. Actually alot of them but this is the one I'm going to share today. It is a recipe, dictated by my youngest daughter Allison and written by my middle, Jennifer. They must have been a bit older. You can tell by the language that they were for sure "past" the age of "actually" partaking in this activity any further. hahaha

Written exactly as seen:

Include a recipe for what??? mud pie?

1. Take a hand sized amount of dirt. Mix with water til pastey. Then place (place is scribbled out) spread on brick wall and wait until water evaporates and mud turns back to origonal state: dirt. Then, embellish with small ugly rocks and chicken feathers. Use sticks as you see fit.

Too funny!!!! I remember my girls playing in the mud for hours as well. I would peek out the den window and watch them. I remember seeing little mud patties all lined up on the brick wall. They were adorable. The patties and the girls. Wow, good memories.

I believe that if you were a child and were anywhere near some dirt and a bit of water, you enjoyed making some too.

What are your fond memories of playing in the mud and making delicious treats? I would love to hear about them.
Blessings, Sue

Sunday morning Stroll

I have had a terrible cold. In fact this is the first day I have felt like I'm getting better. I decided some sunshine and a walk in the backyard would be nice. Come on with me.... First stop.... the chicken coop. I was so surprised when I peeked inside the nest box for eggs and found.... Sarah..... Hope springs eternal for her. I watched for a minute and she leaned up, touched her beak to an egg ( white so I know it wasn't hers, hers were brown) and settled back down.

I just let her be. Bless her heart. You can tell by her look that she didn't want to be disturbed. haha Broody little hen.

This is what I saw when I looked back. The other ladies were looking in the nest box. Waiting for her to leave. Too funny........

This is the hibiscus. Cool huh. I just snapped this because it intrigues me. If I wasn't sick I may have liked to use it for an inspiration for a writing on here, but... as it is...I'm dragging....

The bougainvillea is blooming. It is the most beautifully vibrant color! I love it.

Back to check for eggs. Ah ha Sarah is gone... and my Buff Orpington is busy now.

These are the babies. They are getting so big...so fast. The white one in the middle top left is the one Allison rescued. She is doing great. The other chicks stay around her and guide her to the food and water. This was a surprise. I threw an old amaryllis bulb out, pot and all, when it didn't bloom inside. I'm sure there is some sort of lesson here. but again...dragging.

Remember Clementine? Shes still here and still spoiled. I planted a lettuce pot just for her. I haven't been spinning much as of late, but shes giving me lots and lots to work with.

Rosemary Clementines, treat.

Cherry tomatoes.

Lemon cucumber experiment.

Sarah is back looking for bugs. And we got one egg from everyone else today.

I love this shot. Look at her little foot. She is so busy. Things to do, no time to waste. I wonder if she thinks, I think she layed an egg for me today? I'll just let her.
Blessings, Sue