Strawberry "Illusion" Moon and That Danged Deck

Yes, I am still practicing moon shots scampering about in the dark getting my face slapped by branches and being eaten alive by mosquitoes and black flies. I tell you I will stop at nothing to gain some success. Mari-Nanci told us that June's full moon is called a "strawberry moon" and La Tea Dah shared what makes it all so very special in her Moon Illusion post. Patient man was still at the wheel and silly woman — that would be moi — was yelling "Stop, I see the moon!" Ridiculous! It did get me a Heath Bar Crunch ice cream cone, though. ;>

This week has been absolutely awful for anyone trying to get some painting done. Just when it seems that the skies will be blue and clear, showers pop up. I think it has rained every single day since last Saturday when the deck was finally painted one coat.


Several weeks ago the deck was stripped using a high powered steam cleaner.


The stripped deck receives some much-needed repair.


And this is how we've been enjoying the deck since.

If anyone's interested, the deck color is Behr's Deck Plus Solid Color Stain in Chatham Fog. I adore this color that's all I know.

Yay for Friday! Have a wonderful one...

Where I'm From

Here's a meme where we can all have fun (if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged). It allows us to explore the creative side. I found this while visiting Shanda at Front Porches-Sweet Tea&Old Aprons. She has, herself, written a wonderful response to the poem called "Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyons. You'll find my own response after. Thank you, Shanda, for such a great idea!

Where I'm From
by George Ella Lyons

Here's my humble response...

Where I'm From

I'm from paper
I'm from books
I'm from flowers
I'm from music
a piano filled with melodies
From Vic and Marilyn
and two sisters one blond one brown
I'm from the ocean
and the swirling tide
From the lake where the loons cry
From kisses
From smitten looks
From the One who
Knows me best and loves me most
From the north born in the south
From hazelnut coffee with cream
From blueberries
From the forest
and the trees
From the kitchen and the laundry room
From the garden
Upon my walls photographs of my loves...
From the books I've read, the tunes I hum, the moon I gaze upon
From the dust...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sooooo, have you anything planned for supper yet?
Because if you haven't, I'd like to offer a suggestion. I found these Crash Hot Potatoes at Ree's. Honestly, they are soooooo yummy, soooooo easy. I've made them four times and I'm thinking of making them again tonight. Have I mentioned lately that I'd like to lose weight? Perhaps, I shouldn't make them tonight, but you can!

Create a wonderful Wednesday!

A Tuesday MEME

Last week, Pat at Mille Fiori Favoriti tagged me with a Five Question MEME.

Here are the five questions I must answer:

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

2. Five things on my "To-Do" list

3. Five Snacks I enjoy

4. Five things I would do if I were a millionaire/billionaire?

5. Five places I have lived


1. Ten years ago, I was packing up my classroom of thirteen years for the final time. I am certain that I was worrying about what would be next, but "next" came and has continued to come every year since. Sometimes I don't understand how it has all worked out, but I do know that the Lord has always been faithful to me.

2. Clean the garage, clean the basement, clean out the spare closet, paint the second coat of paint on the deck, cull books...why am I so "cleaning" oriented? I wish that I were thinking along the lines of visit Rome, read The Odyssey, learn to bake the perfect apple pie, lose weight, and write a book.

3. Peanut M&Ms, Sunchips-original flavor, Lindt balls, buttered popcorn, any kind of cookie, cake, pie...okay, no wonder I'm not losing weight!

4. Well, of course, I choose to be a billionaire so I will build a library for my hometown, pay off school loans for son and nieces, start some kind of business that would employ a number of people, travel, and finish restoring my home...this one.

5. Virginia, New England, Oklahoma, Arizona, back to New England


Five bloggers should be tagged to answer the same five questions...

I am going to select five relatively "new to me" bloggers who visit me from time to time.

1. A Thrifty Mrs

2. Shanda @ Front Porches-Sweet Tea&Old Aprons

3. Barb @ The French Elements

4. Jenny @ Things From My House

5. rose_michelle @ A Cup of Tea With Friends

Ladies, please feel free to accept this challenge or not depending upon your own plans. I will not be offended or upset if you choose not to participate, but I really would love to know more about you!

I Remember Laura Week 3

"This week we will be sharing family recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation." ~Miss Sandy @ Quill Cottage

Years ago now, I was attending the funeral of one of my paternal grandmother's dearest friends when I overheard a wonderful conversation between my aunt and one of my aunt's childhood friends. They were reminiscing about time spent in my grandmother's big square kitchen around the large table eating hermits and drinking milk. My aunt's friend said, "I know that this will seem shallow, but I loved spending time at your house because your mother was so much younger than my own. I thought that she was so pretty and so nice. You know, she fed many more children than her own five."

Source

The thought of my grandmother as a wife and mother "young and pretty" feeding the neighborhood kids her delicious hermits and serving up glasses of milk has remained a powerful image for me. My own memories of her were of a woman bent and bowed by time, rheumatoid arthritis, and the cares of the world. I have much appreciated being able to replace those harsher memories with warmer ones.

This is my grandmother's Hermit Cookie recipe. It's hearty — good for growing boys and girls for she always said it was rich in iron.

Hermits

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup shortening
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup molasses
* 1 egg
* 2 teaspoons milk
* 1-3/4 cups flour
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon clove
* 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 cup chopped raisins

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add beaten egg, molasses, and milk and mix well. Mix and sift flour, spices and baking powder. Add to first mixture and mix well. Add chopped raisins and mix thoroughly. Drop from teaspoon 2 inches apart on greased pan. Bake in moderate oven (325ºF) 15 to 20 minutes.

My grandmother always baked hers by spreading them on a cookie sheet and then cutting them into generously sized bars.

*printable recipe*

Happy Monday, everyone!