Our Date...

... Last night we went on a date... Although it was paid for by our son...:-) He gave us a gift card for Mitchel's Fish Market & a Gift Card for AMC Theater.

Mitchel's Fish Market is WONDERFUL! I Highly recomend it... Their Lobster Bisque is The Best!!! Yes, I'm searching the internet for a recipe for Lobster Bisque now..;-)

The movie we saw was " War Horse"... Very Good. It's in the 1800's... and starts in Ireland and goes through WWI. Just make sure you have a few Kleenexes with you.

Then after the movie... we walked out on the Levee and found a Cold Stone Ice Cream... Well, you can't pass that up! It was good also.

BTW, this all took place at Newport On The Levee.

If Michael looks at my Blog... ( I have no idea if he does.) Thank You!!! We had a Great Time..:-)

We're still working on the closet. I'll be putting up more pictures later. Hubby is now putting up the railing that holds the doors.

~ Susan

Food That Brings You Good Luck..;-)

...Did you ever think you coiuls EAT for Good Luck? You can on New Years Eve! For your Party or Get Togather try one of these....

Pork Chops with Cranberry-Pear Chutney ( Good Luck Food)

Pork Chops

1/3 C. kosher salt & 1/3 C. sugar

3 slices peeled ginger & 1 dried bay leaf

1/2 tsp. whole cloves & 1/2 tsp. whole peppercorns

1 tsp. whole allspice berries & 2 C. pear juice

4 (4-oz.) thick-cut, bone-in pork chops

Cranberry-Pear Chutney

1 tsp. canola oil

1 T. finely chopped shallot & 1 tsp. grated ginger

1 T. lemon juice

2 Bartlett pears, cored & cut into 1/2-" chunks

1/2 C. dried cranberries & 3/4 C. light brown sugar

1/4 tsp. ground ginger & 1/2 C. white wine vinegar

1 tsp. butter & 1 tsp. olive oil

For the pork chops, combine salt, sugar, ginger, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, allspice, pear juice & 2 cups water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, til salt & sugar dissolve to make a brine. Remove from heat, pour into a wide, deep dish & chill til cool. Submerge pork chops in brine, cover & refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove pork chops from brine, rinse under cool water & pat dry. Discard brine & set chops aside.

For the chutney, heat oil over low heat in a med. pot. Add shallots & grated ginger & cook til fragrant & lightly translucent, 30 seconds to 1 Min. Add lemon juice, pears, cranberries, brown sugar, ground ginger & vinegar. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook over Med. heat til pears are tender & chutney is thick, 20 to 25 Min., watching carefully to ensure chutney does not scorch. Set aside.

To cook pork chops, heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Add butter & oil & swirl to coat pan. When hot, add chops & brown each side, 1 to 2 Min. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low & continue cooking til pork is just cooked through, 5 to 7 Min. Transfer plates & serve with chutney.

Or try some sweeter.. It's like Pineapple Upside Cake only with a different fruit...

Orange Up-Side Down Cake
1 T.butter, softened
1/2 C. packed light brown sugar
3 navel oranges
1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour & 3/4 C. granulated sugar
1/4 C. cornmeal & 1 1/2 tsp. bakingpowder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. milk & 1/4 C. olive oil
1 large egg & 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees .

In bottomof 10 "" cast iron or heavy skillet with ovenproof handle, spread butter. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar.

From oranges, grate 1 tsp. peel; set aside.

Cut peel & pith from oranges; discard. Slice oranges crosswise into 1/2""-thick slices; arrange in single layer over sugar in skillet (if necessary, cut 1 or 2 slices into pieces to fit into spaces).

In large bowl, with wire whisk, combine flour, granulated sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, & salt.

In small bowl, whisk milk, oil, egg, vanilla, & orange peel til blended. With mixer on low speed, add milk mixture to flour mixture & beat til blended. Increase speed to Med. & beat 1 Min. Spoon batter over oranges & spread evenly.

Bake 35 to 40 Min, or til toothpick comes out clean. Cool in skillet 10 Min. Run knife around side of cake to loosen from skillet. Place platter on top of skillet; carefully invert cake onto platter. Let cool 30 minutes.

I'm going to try an Asian one...

Soba Noodles with Shrimp, Snow Peas, and Carrots
Good Luck Food...:-)

1/4 C. creamy peanut butter
2 tsp. peeled grated fresh ginger
2 T. low-sodium soy sauce
1 T. distilled white vinegar
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper sauce
Salt
1 pkg. (8 oz.) soba noodles, (100% buckwheat)
1/2 bag(s) (10 oz.) shredded carrots, (about 1 1/2 C.)
1 lb. large shrimp, shelled & deveined
4 oz. snow peas, strings removed
1/2 C. (packed) fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, plus additional sprigs for garnish.

The first 6 ingredients get blended togather.

Have fun bringing in the New Year!!! And be Safe..:-)

~ Susan & Paul

Mom & Dad & Sissy

This was taken by me on Christmas Eve... Mom cooking... Dad cleaning... and Sissy is doing the most Strenuous job of all... WATCHING and HOPING for food to be dropped..;-)


~ Susan

Christmas Eve Party

Merry Christmas Everyone !!!

Paul & Sissy in my Dad's chair relaxing...:-)

The first is of my Mom & Dad hiding out in the computer room while the rest of us were in the Party / Family room.

Then Michael & Kristin with Sissy in Mom & Dad's Living Room..:-)

~ Susan

Shopping AFTER Christmas...:-)

Do you look for SPECIALS AFTER CHRISTMAS? You know, when stuff is marked WAYYY DOWNNN .... I do... Here is an e-mail I got from MSN...

If you can't afford to buy EVERYTHING right now for Christmas... Just wait for the After - Christmas Sales!!! I know I wait for the sales.

ALSO... Look for all of the FREE SHIPPING deals if you shop on - line.

It's not even Christmas YET... but I wanted to put this up on my blog to share now.

" 9 things to buy after Christmas "


Holiday cards and 2012 calendars -- after Jan. 1 -- are obvious choices. But there are some post-holidays bargains you may not expect.


But what are the less obvious bargains you can find if you wait until after Dec. 25 -- or, in some cases, Jan. 1 -- to head to the store?

Clothing. Hopefully everyone has realized that clothes are the most returned holiday gift, so grab your gift cards and head out. Regarding Dec. 26, Dealnews says (but don't expect just one day of deals):


Last year, exclusive in-store deals were largely available from apparel merchants, like American Eagle, Aeropostale, New York & Company, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Banana Republic factory stores, Express, Old Navy and Gap, the latter of which offered a staggering extra 50% off sale items in store until noon. We expect to see such discounts in-store this year, too ….


Any item with a holiday theme. This covers a lot of terrain -- blankets, candles, dinnerware, bath sets, etc. "Many seasonal dishes and glasses aren't available only in red or green. You can find neutral and jewel tones, too," Sara Noel wrote at ReadingEagle.com. Often it's just the box that has a holiday touch, and the contents can be used all year. "If it's got a holiday-looking package, then expect it to be marked down significantly after Dec. 25," says The Bargainist.

Video games. Again, from Dealnews, which closely tracks this stuff:


We saw a high number of Editors' Choice discounts on popular video game titles after the holidays last year, with several notable games reaching their rock bottom prices of the year.
TVs and other electronics. Deal websites note that retailers have to make room for new product after the annual Consumer Electronics Show (Jan. 10-13), where new models are rolled out. However, don't expect TV prices to match the screaming deals of Black Friday, CNNMoney says. And this advice won't work for early adopters.


Jewelry. This makes sense, if you think about it. Says Mark Di Vincenzo at the CashCrate Blog:
Regardless of how Christmas sales went, January usually is a good time to buy jewelry. It's one of the six non-gift giving months -- the others are March, April, July, August and September -- when you're more likely to see real sales on jewelry, as opposed to the "sales" in anticipation of Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, high school and college graduations, June weddings, and Christmas.


Linens. January is the month for white sales. CNNMoney reminds us that Philadelphia department store pioneer John Wanamaker invented the white sale back in 1878 -- before sheets came in blue flannel decorated with snowboarding penquins and snowmen on sleds.


Fitness Products. Crystal at MoneySavingMom.com says sellers of workout equipment drop their prices in January in anticipation of all those who made a resolution to lose weight in the new year. Wait even longer, she says, and you can pick up even better deals on Craigslist or at yard sales. They'll be gently used, we suspect.


Baby Gear. Baby Cheapskate notes that several retailers had major sales on all kinds of items for infants in January last year. You can expect the same in 2012.


Winter Coats. Several websites that track clothing prices said you can expect significant discounts in January. Buy for kids with next year in mind.

If you know of other things... please add it onto the list! We would all like to know... Well, "I" know "I" would like to know!!!

~ Susan

Cocoa Bourban Balls

I Make These every year!!!

Cocoa Bourbon Balls - ( About 3 Doz.)

1 C. finely crushed vanilla wafers (about 30 wafers)
1 C. 10 - X (powdered) sugar
1 C. walnuts or pecans, finely chopped ( I use Walnuts, better flavor)
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T. light corn syrup¼ C. bourbon, rum, or brandy ( I use Bourban)

Topping:

½ C. granulated sugar

In a Med. mixing bowl, combine crushed vanilla wafers, confectioner’s sugar, nuts, cocoa, corn syrup, & bourbon rum or brandy; mix well with wooden spoon.With slightly wet hands, Shape dough into small balls, about 1” in diameter.

Tip: An ice cream scoop is ideal for making uniform-sized cookies.

.Topping: Roll the balls in granulated sugar til completely coated.
Store in an airtight container.

Susan

After you look at this... tell me what I made this afternoon..:-)

Susan

Puff Pastry

If your like me... You use Puff Pastry mainly in the Fall & Winter.  I always got mine from the store to use. Then I found this. * The store bought type is for when I'm in a hurry.* I guess I need to make some and freeze it.

Homemade Puff Pastry



Did you know that you could make your own puff pastry? Did you know it's not that hard? Did you know that it only has five ingredients? Well, it's all true. I learned how to make puff pastry last winter when I took an awesome cooking class. I was amazed at how easy it was to make. If you make your own pie crust, you would find it extremely easy.


There are a couple of things you should know before you get started. First of all, make sure that all of your ingredients are REALLY cold. You need to put the flour and butter in the freezer for an hour and the water needs to be ice cold. The other thing is don't overwork the dough and don't use too much water.


Puff Pastry
1 cup all-purpose flour


1/3 cup cake flour


1 1/2 stick of unsalted butter


1/4 tsp salt


1/4 cup ice water


Mix the flours together with the salt and freeze for 1 hour. Cut the butter up into 1/2 cubes and freeze for 1 hour.


Put cold flour and butter into a large mixing bowl.



With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until you have 1/4 in pieces of butter.


Add enough cold water to the flour mixture until the mixture almost holds together (I needed to use a little more water than that, probably 2 tbsp more).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and press together to form a rectangle. There should be large chunks of butter showing.



Roll the dough into a rectangle that is about 5x7 inches.


Fold the narrow end inward to meet in the center and then fold the dough again so that there are four layers.


Turn dough 1/4 turn and repeat the process.


Repeat the process two more times for a total of four turns. After the last turn, fold the dough accordion style.


Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes. Then use as you normally would use puff pastry.


I got this from another blog... I hope she doesn't mind that I borrowed it.
Thank You Lisa !!!

~ Enjoy!!!

~ Susan

Organic Food???

Hi!

It sure is looking cloudy & gray as I look out of the dining room window... It's suppose to rain.

Does anyone herfe buy Organic Food? if so, watch this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=JQ31Ljd9T_Y

~ Susan

Hanging Drywall Today...

Here are the latest pictures of the closet... Today was all Hanging Drywall..

Then up went the sides...

Then here he is pounding the last nail into the drywall...

Then comes mudding...

~ Susan

Hubby's Birthday Today!!!

...So I fixed steak, baked potatoes, corn, and dessert. I made a birthday cake he hasn't had for a long time. I use to make it for Michael on his birthdays... But I noticed that Hubby loved them also.

We'll be hanging up drywall this weekend. I have a list of stuff to get. Home Depot here I came.

I have made a small afghan / lapghan that hangs on the back of Paul's Blue Lazy Boy Chair... But I can't find the picture I took of it. I'll have to get that on here some other time.

It's starting to get cool again... Well, COOLER...

Good Night for now..:-)

~ Susan

It's A Closet !!!

A Twelve Foot Long Closet... I can't wait til it's done..:-)





Take a look at what is done so far...

I'll take a picture of it in a few days. We need a weekend to get the drywall up. Then we'll have to pick out what shelving designs we want...:-)

~ Susan

Just had to share these !!!

I found these on a food blog I watch... I think it was Mommy's Kitchen.


Old Fashion Peanut Butter Balls
1-1/2 C. of creamy peanut butter
•1 C. (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened
•1 (1Lb.) box of powdered sugar, sifted
•1 (12 oz.) package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
•2 T. plus 2 tsp. of vegetable shortening (like Crisco)
Cream together, by hand, the peanut butter & the butter.
Mix in the powdered sugar a little at a time til well mixed.
Use a small scoop or pinch off dough to form balls, rolling them into about 1-inch size. Place onto wax paper or parchment covered baking trays & store in the refrigerator to firm up for about an hour.

Melt the chocolate & the shortening in the top of a double boiler. Work in batches, leaving remaining balls in the refrigerator, & quickly, dropping peanut butter balls, one at a time, into the chocolate &toss with a fork. Lift out, let excess chocolate drain off, transfer to wax paper to set. Dough will make several dozen, depending on what size you roll them.

~ Susan

Can You Tell Me.. Part 2

Here is another clue... ( I did have a LITTLE picture here, but I found a bigger one.)





Have Fun..:-)

~ Susan

Can You Tell Me... " part one "

... What Paul Is Doing Here???

I'll keep adding more pictures..:-)





~ Susan

The First

Our first fire of the year...:-) But no snow YET.



Cozy!!!

~ Susan

Last Night...

Hi!!!

We were at Music Hall last night and saw Carrie Underwood. Here is a shot of her I took from the gallery.



The first tihng I noticed about her were legs... Talk about toned muscle... She must work out a lot. Or at least walk a lot. And I wasn't the only one to notice. A lot ladies were saying, " I wish I had those legs"..:-)

I'm now working on an afghan using " The Stasholics Stitch"...:-) Just using up yarn I have no idea why I even bought it..LOL

~ Susan

Back To Blogland

Hi!

I thought I had better drop into blog land for a minute... we're on vacation... so I also decided to take vacation from blogging for it. But I can't quite give it up entirely... even for 2 weeks. I have been crocheting, reading baking, etc...

Right now hubby is in the family room TRYING to stay awake to watch a John Wayne movie... I can hear the movie running & him snoring... He's had a hard day of hunting...:-)

Tomorrow we'll be watching the Bengals game.

~ Susan

Thanksgiving then Black Friday

Good Evening!

.......... Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and also a Great Black Friday! What did you all buy? Hope you got the specials you all wanted.

I got some goodies. I found the Garmin I wanted...:-) At Staples!!!

The weather has been changing a bit... So arthritis is bothering me a little. So I have been doing more reading then crocheting. Right now I'm reading Seperate Beds by Lavyrle Spencer. So far so good.





~ Susan

It Dissapeared...

Good Evening!

When I looked last night, my blog list was gone. ( The Blogs I Follow.) I remembered the addresses of about 5 of them. I guess I have to re build it.

Good Evening!!!

... As most of you are doing, I have been trying to decide what to bake / cook for Thanksgiving & Christmas. It's so fun to search for new recipes. But don't forget your Tried & True recipes. Those are the ones everyone already loves.

Today I made a share package for the church. A box of items that someone out there needs for Thanksgiving. I added some extras like Mixes for Hot Chocolate etc.

I have been workin on a afghan... Not everyday though. Reading has been my latest obsession... If you have a favorite book... please let me about it. I may like it..:-)

Oh yes... before I forget. Does anyone have a great fruitcake recipe ??? I need one.

~ Susan

Getting Nervous....

Good Afternoon!

Sometimes I wonder WHY I put up that countdown to Christmas banner. It makes me a LITTLE nervous to see how many days I have to finish my projects / shopping. It's like a Finish Line for a race. ;-)

Last night I started a Solid Granny Square ... It keept on growing & growing... I have no idea what it's going to be or how big it will get. I just needed something to do with hands while watching a movie last night. The movie was " Certain Prey " starring Mark Harmon. Different but good. It was based on a book. But when a movie is based on a book, I usually find that the book is better. With a book, you / the reader has your own pespective on the characters in the story.

You'll never guess where I found this???





I like it.


Well, I better get started on Dinner.

~ Susan

My Kitchen Window Sil

Look what I have on my Kitchen Window Sil... I saw that at a craft store and bought it.




~ Susan

Trick or Treak...

Had penty of Trick or Treaters tonight.:-)





Guarding The Candy !!!

~ Susan

Drew Names For Christmas..

We drew names for Christmas today, so I can get down to SERIOUS shopping..:-)

~ Susan

Be Careful If You Have A Black & Decker Iron

... A Few days ago, my Mom was going to press something. So she turned on her Black & Decker iron. Walked accross the room to do something and sparks flew!!! Her iron blew up! Good thing she was accross the room when it blew! So be careful if you have a Black & decker iron!!! I'll have to get the serial number off of her old one if she didn't throw away yet.

~ Susan

White Chocolate Chip & Raspberriy Muffins

... I just made the muffins titled above! They are FOR breakfast for Paul, But as you can see...





I tasted one and they almost taste like a cupcake. LIGHTER then a cupcake.

I think my crochet can wait til tonight... I'm in a baking mood..:-)

~ Susan

Learning New Stitch...

I haven't left ! I'm learning a new stitch. It's suppose to be very easy once you get going... But I haven't quite conquered it yet. The Crocodile Stitch.

Also... I'm still making TWIRLY scarves for the high schools. Getting sore fingers from trying to hurry.

I have no idera what our weather is doing... First we're slightly warm, then we get cold again. But the weatherman scared me a bit. He said to expect SNOW before Halloween..!!!

So I guess tomorrow I better start unpacking and cleaning the winter stuff I have packed away.




Sissy is warm in her little Cincinnati Bengals sweater I made a few years ago. She doesn't quite need it yet, but she will later. She has much warmer ones. I just think that one is cute on her.

~ Susan

Cincinnati's Loss

Cincinnati and around is sad today. They have lost A great benefactor. Carl Lindner Jr.

http://www.fox19.com/story/15715506/udf-founder-carl-lindner-jr-hospitalized

The picture was taken at Christmas at Cincinnati Music Hall.

Need Ideas

Good Morning!

I'm in need of some new ideas of what to crochet for charity. I have been making hats, scarves, headbands & slippers. ( since they are easy & don't take too much yarn. I'm trying to stretch my dollars.)

~ Susan

In God We STill Trust

I found this on Facebook and wanted to share it.

Every God fearing, true American should listen to this. And think long and hard about what our country is becoming....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiYgpPB1kwU

~ Susan

Found It!!!

Hi!

Thanks to everyone who left a message about the yarn I'm looking for! I found some on Ravelry & some at Michael's..:-)

So now I can get to my crochet hooks.

It's getting cooler! The only bad part is what I heard on the news. Heating bills are expected to be a little higher! But ours is usually close to the same every year. But our fireplace helps a LOT!!!

~ Susan

A yarn SOS

Good Afternoon!

I need to find yarn that is ncie yet cheap. Nice & Cheap do not go togather...;-) I have some Simply Soft by Caron... It has good yardage, but I don't care for it. Any ideas ???

~ Susan

Crocheting Hats

...It seems like I have been crocheting hats left & right. And now my box of hats etc. is over flowing. It might be time to take a break. Maybe read a little...:-)

We grilled out at my parents house again this week...:-) Michael grilled, and the steaks were superb!!!

Then this is what happened while we were watching the football game...





Those feet belong to my Dad...:-) And of course that is Sissy sitting on the foot rest of his chair.

~ Susan

Happy Birthday To Our Son!!!

Good Morning!!!

Today is our son's birthday! We celebrated his birthday last night at my parent's house. We gave him a " Garmin Nuvi 1300 GPS ". Here is the pictutre of him opening his present. I think he's happy! Look at that grin!!!




~ Susan

It's Raining Roses!

Good Afternoon Blog Readers!

Yesterday was a great day! I went into Hiatt's Florist to buy some Green Silk Ivy to decortate out Fireplace Mantel. An alrm went off on the owners cell phone, and she told me I won a dozen roses!!! Just for being in the shop when the alarm went of!!! You gotta love a flostist who does that!!! ( well, at least I do.)

here they are in our bow window in the dining.




And my little gift to you is this bunch of coupons for Michael's Craft Store. Hope you can all use it!!! ( It won't link, so I guess you just put it in your broswer.)

http://www.michaels.com/c/100211-IA-US,default,pg.html

~ Susan

Only 80 Days Til Ho Ho Comes !!!

Better get shopping and Crocheting!!! ... If only I could find the right kind of yarn I need. Soft & Bulky. A True Kelly Green... White, Black , Red & Hunters Orange.... If you know of any, will you tell me the name of the place?

Thank You !!!

~ Susan

Party!!!

We had a Party tonight !

Here are the grillers!!!

Lasagna !!!

Tonight I made a new Lasagna! It's called Barbecue Lasagna... I'm not quite sure who's blog I got it from... but it is GOOD!!!

So here is the recipe!

Barbecue Lasagna Yield 8 Servings

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 C. ketchup & 1 Med. green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped & 1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. lemon juice
2 T. cider vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. prepared mustard & 1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. salt & 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 tsp. chili powder & 1/8 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
6 lasagna noodles, cooked & drained
2 C. (8 oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 C. (4 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 C. (4 oz.) shredded Colby cheese
1 C. (8 oz.) 4% cottage cheese & 1 egg
In a large skillet, cook beef over Med. heat til no longer pink; drain. For barbecue sauce, in a large saucepan, combine the next 13 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Spread about 1/4 C. barbecue sauce in a greased 13 X 13 baking dish. Layer with three noodles & half of the beef. Spread with 1/2 of the remaining barbecue sauce; sprinkle with half of the mozzarella, cheddar & Colby cheeses. Repeat layers.
Combine cottage cheese & egg; spoon evenly over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 Min. til lightly browned.

I only kept mine in the oven for 40 minutes though. It was getting a nice brown on top & I didn't want to leave it in too long.

~ Susan

Last Night...

Hi!

Last night I heard something that sounded like a Kitten Purring with a bad cold.... It was Sissy snoring!!! Can you picture this cute little face snoring???




It sounded so funny coming from her... :-)

~ Susan

Thinking About Starting...

... My baking... I have been going through my bread recipes... Cool weather makes me want to bake stuff...:-)





My Kitchen Aid has been napping under it's black blanket all summer long... It's time to get wake it up!!!

I better get going... More laundry waiting for me.

~ Susan

Christmas Countdown..;-)

...Hey, somebody has to remind how many more days til Christmas..;-)... What can I say, I'm in the mood for Christmas... Right now anyway.... Kohls must be readty for Christmas too. They already have a Christmas Tree up and Thanksgiving isn't even here yet!!!



I'm looking forward to these days... A nice fire in the fireplace...:-)





~ Susan

New Yarn Shop !!!

... I have been sitting here reading my e-mails... And I had to share this with you... what do you think? If this doesn't link, just put it in your browser.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/16/us/politics/jobs-speech-by-house-speaker-john-boehner.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all



Yesterday I went into a new Yarn Shop. It's called Handicrafters Hideaway in Harrison, Ohio. It's in the Tall Oaks Center. It's a nice little spot. She has a living room area. A Sofa and Chairs with a Coffee Table. Even a Coffee Pot..:-) And Wifi..;-)

I have been working on scarves for charity... but I found a pattern I want to make for us. I just don't want to mention it in case it's too hard to do. In the mean time, I'll keep chugging away on scarves. I make them for a lady at a shop here. She makes Hygiene Kits for the Homeless. She puts the scarves in them for winter.

I better put meat out to thaw for tonight... Then run errands. Including the library. Need more books..;-) Not tear jerkers like last one. But Jane Green is a good Author.

~ Susan

A Tear Jerker

... I just finshed a book called " Promises To Keep " by Jane Green.... I won't spoil it by telling you what it's about... But I WILL tell you that if tears come easily to you, keep a kleenex handy.









~ Susan

Good Evening!

... I just got finished watching the Debate between Presidential Candidates... Very Interesting.... But I won't talk about that right now.

I'm still working on more charity crocheting.... I'm hunting all over for another pattern for Feather & Fan in crochet. It seems they are all in knitting. And I don't do that anymore.

I already made this one.





That one was O.K. But I'm looking for one that has more of a closed pattern. Something not so open. If anyone has one... I would love to have it. Or let me know where I can buy the pattern.

Tomorrow in the 80's... the next it gets COOLER!!! Can you tell I'm looking forward to the Fall & Winter ??? ;-)

I can hear the dryer going off... So I'll have to write more later. Either that or I end up with wrinkled clothes...:-(

~ Susan

My Husband and Son went Zip Lining

When I first hear tghe term ZIP LINING... I thought " What? " ... what the heck is that? Then they told me....

Here are the pictures Paul took of our son Zip Lining.



This one is of my son...




I'm not quite sure who this one is of. I need Michael to tell me who all of the people are they went Zip Lining with. Some of them work with him.




Hmm... not sure who it is...





And here is my favorite!!!







By The Way... your not getting me to do that...;-)


~ Susan

Charity Crochet

Here is what I started last night...






~ Susan

My Off White Afghan...

Here is a close up of the stitches in my Off White Afghan...




And here it is spread out on the floor.





It's a light weight yarn... I believe it's rayon. Yarn I bought on E-Bay You can get real nice yarn on there if you know who your talking to. I deal mainly with MaryAnn. She has a shop on E-Bay called LotusBlossum. She has great Bamboo yarn.

And now I'm crocheing for charity. I started a scarf tonight. I'm using Simply Soft Heathered Teal to make a scarf. After the scarf I guess I should try a hat with Simply Soft to match it.

~ Susan

Another Cool & Breezy Day....

... Very Nice !!! I don't mind it when we get a little either. We need it. I hope everyone is enjoying this weather. I took Sissy for a walk today and loved the wind... Almost blew Sissy away though. Good thing I had her on her leash..;-)

The Reds are on again tonight!!!

I'm almost done with an afghan I began working when we were in California on our vacation. It's off white and I'm using the Double Puff Stitch. It' Spring / Summer kind of yarn. Very Light Weight.

I'll say good night right now so I can watch the game...:-)

~ Susan

Quick Blog Tonight

Hi!

The rain sure is coming down fast... Just wanted to say Hi before going on to bed.

I hope the storms don't mess up the fireworks tonight.

~ Susan

Pearly whites...:-)

...Look at my baby after having her Pearly Whites cleaned by the vet.






She was sleeping off the anasthesia. So far no tummy aches... PLUS.. she hasn't let me see her teeth yet...LOL... She gets to resume eating tomorrow.

~ Susan

A " The Pioneer Woman " Recipe

Good Morning!

I have found " The Pioneer Woman "... She has some recipes that look GREAT!

And here is one:

Sunrise Punch recipe:

2 cups orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 T. meringue powder
2 teaspoons vanilla

Fill rest of blender with ice and blend! Yummy.

Susan's Note : I used Almond Milk in place of the whole milk. And only 1 1/2 Cups of it.

You can buy the meringue powder is from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/meringue-powder-10-oz ( put that link in your browser to get there.)


~ Susan

Announcement To Make...

...The JoAnn's Craft store in Harrison, Ohio is closing... So if your neatr there, I hear they are selling everything... even the shelving. So I have to get there too..;-)

~ Susan

I Got Some More Stuff Done...

I got some more stuff done around the house... but a lot more needs to be done.

Did you ever notice how CLEAN your hotel rooms are? The ones we stayed in are making me wonder if I need to do some Fall Cleaning.

I got a few more pictures up for you to see.

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Here is Paul & I getting to our seats to watch the game at Petco Park ( San Diego)





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An Eagles Nest we saw in Colorado while driving. The nest was FULL!!!



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The Golden Nugget Casino!!! For some reason your not alowed to take pictures inside..;-)






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Here is a better picture of Hoover Dam then the last one I put up yesterday.




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Here is the Hotel Del Coronado... Beautiful!!! ( California )



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I like this... It's a statuse near the USS Midway... Honoring W.W.II...




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We went to Pikes Peak... He was fine... Me, not so much...:-( BUt it was beautiful view!



That's it for tonight.

~ Susan

We're back...:-)

Hi!

We have been on vacation for 3 weeks... which means:

I have to Re Stock fridge, Do 3 weeks worth the laundry, Clean house, Learn to cook again after being waited on for 3 weeks..:-) Even though I did some of the cooking, I got to do it in a BEAUTFUL kitchen! ( My Aunt in Corona Del Mar, California.) I'll try and get some pictures on here for you.

And as for Sissy! My youngest sister took care of her. So she is fine. But I sure missed her.

*** Pictures ***

Paul looking over Pikes Peak...



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Hoover Dam



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Paul visting his favorite store!!! It might be vacation, but you still have to shop!..;-)



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This sign was in a chocolate shop I went to...:-) I loved it!!!



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Paul & I got a personal tour in Goodyear Arizona at the Cincinnati Reds training camp!!!



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That's all the pictures for now. I have to upload the rest of them later. ( After I do the laundry.) Before that we need to eat. Guess I better remember how to cook in a kitchen that doesn't have a view of the OCEAN!!!

Later!!!

~ Susan