Okay, my computer is finally back. HP technicians were unable to recover any of my data, thank goodness for my new external hard drive!! I have been busy putting it all back together. Fun!
In the meantime, we have been having some beautiful weather, it is not Winter-like at all. No snow. Warmer than normal temperatures. It doesn’t feel much like Christmas, but I’m not doing a lot of complaining!!
I opened the back door the other day for a bit of fresh air. The cats love it when the doors and windows are open! I took this picture of the cats (with my phone) while they were watching our resident squirrel “eat” (stealing the stuffing from) our patio chairs. I’ve mentioned him before, here and here. Stinker.
It’s nice to have things be almost back to normal around here. I look forward to checking in with all of you!
Sadly (for me) I will not be blogging, or reading/commenting on any other blogs, for the next week or so as my hard drive crashed and I am without a computer until it gets replaced.
I am already missing the connection with all of you. However, my house is cleaner and all the laundry is done!
I miss the internet! My phone is just not a very good substitute.
Starr’s sorority had a formal this past weekend. Her date was the same young man she went to the Winter dance with her junior year of high school almost five years ago.
I don’t think that E and Starr are destined to be together, much to my dismay, but they have remained friends over the years.
Last Saturday night, seniors in college:
And February 2006, juniors in high school:
They were at Sunny’s house that day, getting ready, taking pictures and having fun:
Aren’t they cute? It seems forever ago, yet so very recent at the same time!
Starr colored this paper Santa at daycare when she was three years old, 18 years ago. It makes me smile every time I see it. I have a companion tree ornament that I cherish equally. Oh, and the reindeer with her traced hands as antlers that we post on the fridge! So cute.
She doesn’t make things like that any more. *sad face* I know…they grow up!
We didn’t go anywhere and no one came to visit. Starr and I had a mini-Thanksgiving, just the two of us. It was nice and stress free, though there are times that I wish we had family closer. Starr made this Apple Pie, it was really good. It was her first ever pie making experience…I think she will do it again!! I hope that she will do it again!
We talked about taking a day trip to Estes Park while she was on break. I might of actually taken some pictures, but her professor assigned two papers due today, so Starr spent most of her “break” writing and reading. It wasn’t much of a break at all!
The Holiday decorations are up and we are ready for the season. Starr actually broke her long-time rule of waiting until Thanksgiving is over and started listening to Holiday music a couple weeks ago.
Her sorority sisters have been getting a kick out of teasing her for her unusual playlist. I guess that is partially my fault!! Here is one of her favorites, she says that it is the best Christmas song ever! Though I am sure that many songs are equally her favorite!:
“Dominic the Italian Christmas Donkey” – Lou Monte
Streusel Topping (required! Just kidding…optional)
1/3 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, chopped into small pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 to 1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup peeled, cored and chopped apple
Dry Ingredients
2 cups unbleached white all-purpose or pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin by lightly oiling the cups or placing a paper liner in each cup.
If you want a topping (Starr and I approve of the topping!!), mix together all of the strusel ingredients and blend with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and then the milk and vanilla; the mixture will look lumpy. By hand with a rubber spatula, fold in the pumpkin and apples. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix well. Add the wet ingredients and fold together without overmixing. Divide evenly into prepared muffin cups. Top each muffin with some topping. Don’t be shy.
Place the muffins in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until puffed and golden.
Remove the muffins from the oven and place the tins on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes.
Serve warm or cool completely and store in a sealed container at room temperature.
It’s been four weeks!! I am drinking tons of water and the occasional Sweet Tea.
My weak moments are each and every morning when I open the fridge and see this:
Starr is still drinking Diet Coke, so I’ve been keeping it on hand. It is so tempting, cold, easy, bubbly…mmm! But I have resisted and reach for the water instead.
Yay!
I think my goal for this week is to move those cokes to the garage fridge so that they aren’t so tempting. I wonder how Starr would feel about that??
I made this jar of Lemon Honey last spring and have been using it regularly over the past week. I don’t know if it helps my cold or not, but it sure feels (smells and tastes!) nice!
I don’t remember where I first saw this recipe, if you can call it that, but I have made several jars over the past few years. I sliced 2 lemons and placed them in the jar and then I poured honey over the top until the jar was full. I keep it in the refrigerator. To use, add it, to taste, to plain hot water or hot tea. It’s good!
Sammy and Zeta were, as usual, were in the way! But they are cute doing it!
Always a cuddler, she was more comfortable in my lap, in my arms, leaning against me or holding my hand. I loved each and every second of it.
She would hold my hand in public places until she was about 12, when she announced that she wouldn’t be holding my hand any longer. I respected it. I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable.
It was about 4 months after she made that declaration that we were shopping at the local mall and she kept reaching for and holding my hand. I smiled and let it happen. We would separate and then she would be reaching for me again. She was holding my hand more often than not. I was aware of it and didn’t reach for her or instigate it, she was reaching for me. Repeatedly. I savored it, because I knew that this sort of thing wouldn’t last.
I was right and that was the last time she really held my hand in public. We’ve talked about and laughed about that day many times over the years.
The truth is, she really likes me…and I love her…yanno…just a little bit!
Name? Kelly. Mysterious? Not really. Passionate? Yes. Lazy? Sometimes. Outgoing? Not a bit. Trusting? Mmhmm. Artistic? On good days. Crazy? Could be. Trustworthy? Absolutely. Graceful? I wish. Sarcastic? Often. Deserving? You bet. Forgiving? Yes. Religious? No. Spiritual? Yes. Uncertain? At times. Confused? Sure. Distracted? Daily. Silly? Yeah. Talkative? Not. Punctual? To a fault. Breakable? Quite.
Robb Wolf's 30 Day Total Transformation is the ultimate "getting started" guide to the Paleo diet. Includes interactive information on nutrition, metabolism, exercise, a meal plan, shopping list, and more.
This is not a music blog. While it is my desire to share free and legal music here (music is a part of me), it is not my goal to critique this music.
If I have posted music, it is because I like it, and it moves me at the moment. It might match my mood, it could be on repeat, or mirror the sentiment of my post. It might be quite random, and just what I wish to share.
*Older links may not always work, as promotional MP3s, in particular, are known to disappear without warning.
Artists and labels: if I have erred and posted a song inappropriately, let me know, and I will remove it.
To download a song: on a PC, right click the link and choose "save link as"
