tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41521936187853686592024-03-17T23:03:15.201-04:00A Haven for VeeVeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.comBlogger2478125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-35885400467307531842023-07-28T21:15:00.005-04:002023-07-28T21:35:12.810-04:00An Update For Friends of Vee<p>This is Abby from Little Birdie Blessings, with some news about our dear friend Vee. On Sunday, July 23, 2023, Vee peacefully left this earth for her Heavenly reward. For four years, she valiantly fought the battle of breast cancer, until the Lord called her home. Her family has provided a link to her obituary below.</p><p>She had such a strong faith that seemed to never waiver, despite her circumstances. I know she had met many friends through the blogging community, and enjoyed reading and commenting on many of your blogs. If you'd like to leave a message for the family, you can comment here, they will see it. On behalf of the family, thank you to all who were her friend, and prayed for her.</p><p>One of the last scriptures she posted was: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10</p><p><a href="https://www.funeralalternatives.net/obituaries/obit-details.php?Swanson-3244">https://www.funeralalternatives.net/obituaries/obit-details.php?Swanson-3244</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-47105092300665241892023-05-14T08:18:00.002-04:002023-05-14T08:24:21.379-04:00God Bless You<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkPTsCtqK0KmKdvEwEJNyfOWlt03lBaLyrDyJoZkcAAx_lE2BwjJ6IZXET7bI2-O6jcoRd91ybYN6uH82A41mBIV0p0GRr59ukAX3oOc1awBhKS1Eoa0sVGe7-M5MhkdG9QCZcPOOVpnGZm5dil3zF6uzFg6p_LkMWmP06OlBcVu_elS3a5c1WJo-/s2064/AE52B198-6389-4F4F-B89E-D66D42F5C0C2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1694" data-original-width="2064" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkPTsCtqK0KmKdvEwEJNyfOWlt03lBaLyrDyJoZkcAAx_lE2BwjJ6IZXET7bI2-O6jcoRd91ybYN6uH82A41mBIV0p0GRr59ukAX3oOc1awBhKS1Eoa0sVGe7-M5MhkdG9QCZcPOOVpnGZm5dil3zF6uzFg6p_LkMWmP06OlBcVu_elS3a5c1WJo-/w640-h526/AE52B198-6389-4F4F-B89E-D66D42F5C0C2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-71056022632031630012023-03-24T06:30:00.030-04:002023-03-24T08:21:47.906-04:00A Metaphor for Life or The Struggle is Real<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Here are my sister's grands on March 1 trying to scale Mt. Plowmore at my house. Love the commentary. My little grand niece's sweet voice particularly tickles me—"I'll never make it." She reminds me of my own laments in recent weeks. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GQSmeHDuiO4" width="320" youtube-src-id="GQSmeHDuiO4"></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">"You're pushing me off!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Did they make it? Oh, yes, they did! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshrTYP1f0lp8a5jBZx_fpxYwSsFl5UsUVhT2rthb54lkchhi8WWEcDJnTPhh9wZX81ZIHlJlq1XPvh2KgZB5uW-BvcyNJcEuXN6zJnO3UOZmvCbLjW_PeqUx0yvt20Qu2lMz4KdlXgq95P3RiGWH3-ffjopwYmSQbIwL-VB2jfoWU2Ce7EXcKaqVD/s799/they%20made%20it.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="664" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshrTYP1f0lp8a5jBZx_fpxYwSsFl5UsUVhT2rthb54lkchhi8WWEcDJnTPhh9wZX81ZIHlJlq1XPvh2KgZB5uW-BvcyNJcEuXN6zJnO3UOZmvCbLjW_PeqUx0yvt20Qu2lMz4KdlXgq95P3RiGWH3-ffjopwYmSQbIwL-VB2jfoWU2Ce7EXcKaqVD/w532-h640/they%20made%20it.png" width="532" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwVstDkTfWF5AWaIzNqHlYljZnOGzAVQ9ZtI-osfb8NUMcPAg3q0u-coTwuppd9JpuUMCXXQ3KKTxpn11zHe_jlRzc6Pn9P_hW2DImS9kGGf5JBuXvpu1JgpmNsM8sQvvEEtsumsJ7a-4NistGLar9BM5nHOWSMGCGQZcXzW6NrMbVSJZGR-3uhqV/s799/E.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="799" height="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwVstDkTfWF5AWaIzNqHlYljZnOGzAVQ9ZtI-osfb8NUMcPAg3q0u-coTwuppd9JpuUMCXXQ3KKTxpn11zHe_jlRzc6Pn9P_hW2DImS9kGGf5JBuXvpu1JgpmNsM8sQvvEEtsumsJ7a-4NistGLar9BM5nHOWSMGCGQZcXzW6NrMbVSJZGR-3uhqV/w640-h604/E.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #a10004; font-family: cinzel, Georgia, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 32px; letter-spacing: 6px;">Isaiah 41:10</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="x_pad30" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #242424; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 30px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><p class="x_versemain x_georgia x_color" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 28px; line-height: 33.6px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 40px;">“Fear thou not; for I <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">am</em> with thee: be not dismayed; for I <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">am</em> thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” <br aria-hidden="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br aria-hidden="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><small style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: cinzel, Georgia, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">King James Version (KJV)</small></p><p class="x_versemain x_georgia x_color" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 33.6px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 40px;"><small style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></small></p><p class="x_versemain x_georgia x_color" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 33.6px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 40px;"><small style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for reading. I know that I am pretty scarce in Blogdom these days and will continue to be. Do not keep the light on. </span></small><small style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: cinzel, Georgia, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">ッ</small></p><p class="x_versemain x_georgia x_color" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 33.6px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 40px;"><small style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: cinzel, Georgia, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></small></p><p class="x_versemain x_georgia x_color" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; line-height: 33.6px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 40px;"><small style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Love,</span></small></p><p class="x_versemain x_georgia x_color" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; line-height: 33.6px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 40px;"><small style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Vee</span></small></p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-92190281390479148482023-02-08T06:41:00.048-05:002023-02-08T06:41:00.345-05:00Hodgepodge Answers-Volume 491<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Joyce at From This Side of the Pond</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAF89bA1a6-PhsMnmZVlQsRMAI-eIPTfaeoJXIb9QF9xnTKf9D46FR0Bipx13PeP2GImOjweaRs8pTCEqISAo8Yeum87nviOKAs3ZRVN2XXQM3U-N0Spel35CUMZ6cwmsGHfvaZGBf1fSYCTuwbGl7vixKjj1waUZm9ifNWDBLgQBeVIYhvCIZDcj/s3399/DFA789FF-CA91-4A19-980A-0ECA9B96D09F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2549" data-original-width="3399" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAF89bA1a6-PhsMnmZVlQsRMAI-eIPTfaeoJXIb9QF9xnTKf9D46FR0Bipx13PeP2GImOjweaRs8pTCEqISAo8Yeum87nviOKAs3ZRVN2XXQM3U-N0Spel35CUMZ6cwmsGHfvaZGBf1fSYCTuwbGl7vixKjj1waUZm9ifNWDBLgQBeVIYhvCIZDcj/w400-h300/DFA789FF-CA91-4A19-980A-0ECA9B96D09F.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span>Whoa, Vee, step away from the edit button!</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: times; font-size: large;">Questions:</span></span></div><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: times; font-size: large;">1. Something you've done recently that might be considered a labor of love? </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: times; font-size: large;">2. What's one thing you love about being the age you are now? </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: times; font-size: large;">3. What do you value more: careful planning or the freedom to be spontaneous? Elaborate.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: times; font-size: large;">4. A home cooked meal or a fancy restaurant? pink or red? watch the sunrise or watch the sunset? wine and cheese or champagne and chocolate? </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: times; font-size: large;">5. What's your definition of romance? Are you a 'romantic'? </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">6. Insert your own random thought here.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif;"> </span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Responses:</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">1. Honestly, can not think of <i>a thing</i>. Mostly, I am on the receiving end these days. Oh I did spend hours on Amazon shopping for 💘 treats. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It was fun, but hardly a <i>labor of love</i>. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">2. The thing I love about my age now is that it is not the age it will be by month's end.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">3. The freedom to be spontaneous because planning is not my strong point. Anytime that I don't have to fret or agonize in advance is good.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">4. <span>home cooked</span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">both pink and red</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">both sunrise and sunset</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">cheese and chocolate 🍫 no wine nor champagne for me, thanks! </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">5. Oh do I have to? Romance is not an easy thing to define. It is easier to define what it is not as it </span><span style="font-size: large;">may have zero to do with genuine love, which I don't have to define since <a href="https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1-Corinthians-Chapter-13/" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 13</a> explains so very well. </span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Am I a romantic? Hope not.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">6. Wishing everyone who honors Valentine's Day a blessed one. May it be an opportunity to say, "I love You" to all your favorite peeps.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Satisfy; font-size: large;">Love,</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Satisfy; font-size: large;">Vee</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUD9IB8M8OHYzsNjz0vEHEyBu51LzSS43PXKY1T7vCAjjsXe1a1P9wXMItiV_UVoAbhFHdW0UNCbSU3yHiCcwusQzrsfEWSXnfTMHl7Tnjdmq0S19lApvQsAPI45z1DoyAmM7M2cNdWyg9AovCDc_HoSp8WBNdt5iPuJbwXzN8WGqTShZp8IywaHC/s550/FB92654F-4128-4613-8E81-FAD988243149.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUD9IB8M8OHYzsNjz0vEHEyBu51LzSS43PXKY1T7vCAjjsXe1a1P9wXMItiV_UVoAbhFHdW0UNCbSU3yHiCcwusQzrsfEWSXnfTMHl7Tnjdmq0S19lApvQsAPI45z1DoyAmM7M2cNdWyg9AovCDc_HoSp8WBNdt5iPuJbwXzN8WGqTShZp8IywaHC/w320-h320/FB92654F-4128-4613-8E81-FAD988243149.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></p>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-4785259533552335442023-01-31T06:03:00.061-05:002023-01-31T12:12:39.564-05:00Peeking In While It is Still January<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;">Hello, Dear One. Did I scare you being away so long? Goodness, I just thought that I would have all kinds of time in January. Yet here it went skipping off like a mountain goat just as every other month does. I freely confess that coming up with blog fodder grows more difficult for me all the time. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbCcbESMkfjdW3w4OVdWyvPJpiNlikFQnbD-DJCnDnvCcpoHj4ajae5svMmP4B0fBSRMoTvw3uwVJCzOLzKbVeWEyFTDNcUIWKpbkYjM7PkZyIbYDuLjZEaJP8MrEHM9u3Km-apTDR-2TtZ6_eh_5hawc568sKBrZ3Ij24oq47-fp3O8_GZUCRuhn/s799/a%20study%20in%20patterns.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="799" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbCcbESMkfjdW3w4OVdWyvPJpiNlikFQnbD-DJCnDnvCcpoHj4ajae5svMmP4B0fBSRMoTvw3uwVJCzOLzKbVeWEyFTDNcUIWKpbkYjM7PkZyIbYDuLjZEaJP8MrEHM9u3Km-apTDR-2TtZ6_eh_5hawc568sKBrZ3Ij24oq47-fp3O8_GZUCRuhn/w400-h303/a%20study%20in%20patterns.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;">What is that? Well sometimes I take photos based on pattern or textural interest. I think I was hoping that taking a picture would spur me on. Sometimes that works.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuJnaeG2upYhqSrextsYXULewatQNtTqhO_fAuXffUANcJji9k4UhDz7C5Vqz2PZVZZ1VWE7pxJvvRlGJmc0RYrdBgZMrHFy3lT8mubwPyXquU1hchjxR2yaDvTNTVlwoTBl3Y0cM-mq-oGy98kiUjXdKbpTT45NQw4W3VbKE2juKYLYijkSOR1tq/s799/Emmanuel%20Sprocket%20the%20Rocket%20and%20Anneke.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="605" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuJnaeG2upYhqSrextsYXULewatQNtTqhO_fAuXffUANcJji9k4UhDz7C5Vqz2PZVZZ1VWE7pxJvvRlGJmc0RYrdBgZMrHFy3lT8mubwPyXquU1hchjxR2yaDvTNTVlwoTBl3Y0cM-mq-oGy98kiUjXdKbpTT45NQw4W3VbKE2juKYLYijkSOR1tq/w484-h640/Emmanuel%20Sprocket%20the%20Rocket%20and%20Anneke.png" width="484" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;">Just a few short weeks ago, I thought that God had blessed me and all Mainers with a mild winter and, in fact, He had <i>up to that point</i>. Then winter arrived. I try not to be annoyed with the cold and ice since all children I know seem to enjoy snow. This is Emmanuel and Anneke and Sprocket the Rocket. He is a <a href="https://www.petguide.com/breeds/dog/tamaskan/" target="_blank">Tamaskan</a>. He is big. He is still a puppy. I imagine that he will be huge when grown.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtH-ExSvZ3cR-kBtSwBWJo8uCtGUNMTshaIH4K0O5hA8sSqHU7hqssFH9Lr3BP_sU1Qilqj8E1S7H0_3WzmXdsaY--zJfZgBhi20gtrTGdqw3N_PeO0BBluasD8MLHJGtv7u5uUR-ljvVUQ2pWnus7m9YqXj9qA9Y5yoyilMQm3S949LLPiSy-T7Mn/s799/Laurel%20cleaning%20the%20rooof.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="528" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtH-ExSvZ3cR-kBtSwBWJo8uCtGUNMTshaIH4K0O5hA8sSqHU7hqssFH9Lr3BP_sU1Qilqj8E1S7H0_3WzmXdsaY--zJfZgBhi20gtrTGdqw3N_PeO0BBluasD8MLHJGtv7u5uUR-ljvVUQ2pWnus7m9YqXj9qA9Y5yoyilMQm3S949LLPiSy-T7Mn/w422-h640/Laurel%20cleaning%20the%20rooof.png" width="422" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;">Laurel knocking off the icicles. Sam has done it since and so has Adam. Thanks be for helpers! Every member of the family, including my sister, has helped with so much around here.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjmIJ4qKaBlvnS4m5n2J162e-LNX0-PYESir8F4MEz5PjjjXO2WB-B-IVgiK_dZGyvXtI4kdyZTXzfnLU_59Yz0ZtzfY32bt17sTw44yEz_Vz5mbljw2ohojgq_mHVorUqPjPbWVV-_9VledTkcgE4zWhklkvODirr1ZG-MIXfBI5XbPC0pmQdUp9/s817/Adam%20and%20Jake%20color%20removed.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="817" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjmIJ4qKaBlvnS4m5n2J162e-LNX0-PYESir8F4MEz5PjjjXO2WB-B-IVgiK_dZGyvXtI4kdyZTXzfnLU_59Yz0ZtzfY32bt17sTw44yEz_Vz5mbljw2ohojgq_mHVorUqPjPbWVV-_9VledTkcgE4zWhklkvODirr1ZG-MIXfBI5XbPC0pmQdUp9/w640-h458/Adam%20and%20Jake%20color%20removed.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: large;">Adam and Jake in negotiations. Jake was ready to split. Laurel and I had the January birthday boys over for pizza and cake and ice cream and gifts. It was just one of many birthday parties for them. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;">Sam looked out at the luge and said it would be ready for sledding in another storm or two. I was surprised that he still thinks of the luge fondly now that he is 17. Jake is 16. John sure made it fun for them.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLv4nK002pmy3etBJxsljRgcNSyvzyfpy3XBTLSNFBa1GWhxHRAZeYcpqa1Q36ywYBujav2OiU5NXWC8qYWEFMUUaBv4YVklbACMC9hd-uLEN7fySzbzFn1aLFyCOodnNMqlGYGZqAwh39JQhPg2YQ8FX8OLEgIWW21uWxiptk-CsCH5k2CjjXGH9/s799/Jake%20and%20Sam.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="799" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLv4nK002pmy3etBJxsljRgcNSyvzyfpy3XBTLSNFBa1GWhxHRAZeYcpqa1Q36ywYBujav2OiU5NXWC8qYWEFMUUaBv4YVklbACMC9hd-uLEN7fySzbzFn1aLFyCOodnNMqlGYGZqAwh39JQhPg2YQ8FX8OLEgIWW21uWxiptk-CsCH5k2CjjXGH9/w640-h640/Jake%20and%20Sam.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;">Here they are in younger years....perhaps 5 and 6 or 6 and 7. I would ask their mom, but then I would have to confess that I stole this picture from her FB page. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevnzX4aA2dnkfpktVNvE6rG7YhMZ8TPAHjEXnM_bAtHuOmtyadIle-ynapORH2VXVdnJXpnTw8TZuPUeDEEzdgEhydYQf4t45ObnBCjuwvQRRIHCOulXe3Ye1XyfxTTIMAqavI0P75OX3je5ePeAMdYTwTnyhmc8fG2Wi1PtTqbjv-lQgxcRM3uz1/s799/grocery%20receipt.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="799" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevnzX4aA2dnkfpktVNvE6rG7YhMZ8TPAHjEXnM_bAtHuOmtyadIle-ynapORH2VXVdnJXpnTw8TZuPUeDEEzdgEhydYQf4t45ObnBCjuwvQRRIHCOulXe3Ye1XyfxTTIMAqavI0P75OX3je5ePeAMdYTwTnyhmc8fG2Wi1PtTqbjv-lQgxcRM3uz1/w400-h303/grocery%20receipt.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;">Can you believe the price of groceries? Eggs!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;">May February be sweet... thanks for stopping by...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Love,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Vee</span></div>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-32069619767240086432022-12-23T06:32:00.030-05:002022-12-23T09:01:12.242-05:00Merry Christmas and a Bright, Blessed New Year!<p><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><i></i></span></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(64, 62, 62); color: #403e3e;">“This glorious word Emmanuel means, first, that God in Christ is </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(64, 62, 62); color: #403e3e;">with us in very near association</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(64, 62, 62); color: #403e3e;">. The Greek particle here used is very forcible, and expresses the strongest form of ‘</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(64, 62, 62); color: #403e3e;">with</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(64, 62, 62); color: #403e3e;">.’ It is not merely ‘in company with us as another Greek word would signify, but ‘with,’ ‘together with,’ and ‘sharing with.’ This preposition is a close rivet, a firm bond, implying, if not declaring, close fellowship. God is peculiarly and closely ‘with us.’”</span></span></i></blockquote><span face="proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(64, 62, 62); color: #403e3e; font-size: 18px;"></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: medium;">~Charles Spurgeon</span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PGGYjytjNR43KVcINY1b8FTfzG4I95S2ryB2I-6mao1z12m-RYbZelmT7_SNAFbACFf1WDlL8mrPx1zqqIazOe0vj9dnguuOXPcaBJzJaI0Xi4Qi9uWfr09_6JSqdAci1izXCzn-85ZQzsdvU6U77K8oqKXP7x-Y2qNVbROZHBAZTVWXF6uVxoFT/s4032/BDD0FA1C-EF0C-41C6-9D1C-2044AB47EC48.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PGGYjytjNR43KVcINY1b8FTfzG4I95S2ryB2I-6mao1z12m-RYbZelmT7_SNAFbACFf1WDlL8mrPx1zqqIazOe0vj9dnguuOXPcaBJzJaI0Xi4Qi9uWfr09_6JSqdAci1izXCzn-85ZQzsdvU6U77K8oqKXP7x-Y2qNVbROZHBAZTVWXF6uVxoFT/w300-h400/BDD0FA1C-EF0C-41C6-9D1C-2044AB47EC48.jpeg" width="300" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Sitting here thinking of you and how quickly time will get away from us in these last few days before Christmas. It has been such fun visiting your blogs and homes during December. I always think that Christmas Time should be perfect; it never is. This December has had some heartache as I know it has had </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">for many of you. Whatever the burden, whatever the sorrow, it is the reason He came. He will save; He will rescue; He will comfort. All one has to do is ask.</span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"> </span><div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Comments are closed. No one has time for that! 🙃</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">See you in the New Year, The Lord willing and the creek don't rise. (Flood watches all over the place in my corner.) You take care now...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Love,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Vee</span></div></div>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-51784878197327162192022-12-07T06:23:00.150-05:002022-12-10T11:23:34.595-05:00National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Hodge Podge<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000;"> <a href="http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Many thanks to Joyce for this week's Hodge Podge questions.</span></a></span><a href="http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></a></i></span></p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large; text-size-adjust: auto;">1. The Hodgepodge lands on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. </span><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Have you visited the memorial? <b>no</b></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Any desire to do so? <b>If I could be translated without the headache of travel, yes. </b></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Have you visited other WW2 sites and memorials? <b>yes</b></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Do you think we do a good job of teaching current and younger generations about the events of WW2?<b> Highly unlikely...when I taught high school American history, I realized that the year was never long enough to get to WWII so I began teaching history from the present to the past. I was able to get back to the Civil War. Many parents thanked me for the unique approach and the students were relieved being taught something "new." One of the more shocking things we learned about WWII was that many Jews were turned away from entering the United States even though they had all the required papers and passports. You can read more about that <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/us-government-turned-away-thousands-jewish-refugees-fearing-they-were-nazi-spies-180957324/" target="_blank">*here.*</a></b></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Do you think it matters? <b>yes</b></span></div><div><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">2. Many books, both fiction and non-fiction have been written with WW2 as the setting. Is this a 'genre' you gravitate towards? <b>not necessarily </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;">Share with us a book (or two) you've enjoyed that is set in some way around WW2. If you're not a reader, how about a movie? </span><span face="Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-size-adjust: 100%;"> .<b>🎥</b></span></span><b><span face="latoregular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-style: italic; text-size-adjust: auto;">The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society 🎥Tora Tora Tora </span><span face="latoregular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;">was the first and only movie my family saw in a theater when I was growing up. My father felt that it was important. Whether what was presented was 100% true, I don't know. </span><span face="latoregular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; text-size-adjust: auto;">The </span></b></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">3. According to Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, there are seven popular color trends for the holidays this year. They are- red and white, Victorian blue, pops of pink, rich shades of green, rainbow hues, black and white, and nostalgic retro colors. Are you 'trendy' when it comes to holiday decorating in 2022? <b>I hope not. </b></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">How so? <b>Oh-oh! </b></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><b>A careful look at my wee tree in an antique trunk reveals that my colors are mostly red and white so I may have to rethink my disdain for trendy. </b></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXVcn-ZDVt8W9uSvqwyACcRgQwFePOd5rwQBOaM4ZQesZeL2kkh_ClaAYEjWWlQBNFXtgHujmVCCRTBs-Zh_m5MWO4eSJqfSiFoOfUA3yPcYL5ZbU9gPgJVGPWcQFK-N--8jlJtIw5vODfthRdbLU3qzoAT_8alvCFN4EWVA5JwkpiRDC6ZjDSI3M/s700/page%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXVcn-ZDVt8W9uSvqwyACcRgQwFePOd5rwQBOaM4ZQesZeL2kkh_ClaAYEjWWlQBNFXtgHujmVCCRTBs-Zh_m5MWO4eSJqfSiFoOfUA3yPcYL5ZbU9gPgJVGPWcQFK-N--8jlJtIw5vODfthRdbLU3qzoAT_8alvCFN4EWVA5JwkpiRDC6ZjDSI3M/w640-h640/page%202.png" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><br /><b><br /></b></span></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Does your tree have a 'theme'? <b>Now that would imply careful thought and planning — nope! </b></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">4. What's a current trend you buck? <b>I like to think that I buck most trends. </b></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">5. What's your favorite chocolate something? <b><a href="https://www.instructables.com/Crock-Pot-Molten-Lava-Cake/" target="_blank">A molten lava cake made in a crockpot served with vanilla ice cream is so delicious.</a> </b></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">6. Insert your own random thought here. <b>My best random thought is this: Sparkle on! We who have invited Christ into our hearts have every reason to rejoice! </b></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>I Christmas shopped all day yesterday with my sister. Fun! I followed Susan Branch's advice to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc7UEJEj1Mc/?taken-by=susanbranchauthor&epik=dj0yJnU9U1RLQUltRTNiWFZkNTY4SzlvYzEyY0o3bFZkNE91bVcmcD0wJm49ZTF5UHpOcF9BMFhVOWpPZWdZeTBhQSZ0PUFBQUFBR09QMFlV" target="_blank">"Be an Elf."</a></b></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>This means <strike>washing my face</strike> dressing up, putting on some make-up, and trying to get my hair to cooperate. It also means finding my mother's poinsettia pin to wear on my coat. Plus I worked on smiling a lot. My face aches today. ツ Thanks for reading! You deserve a prize.</b></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;"><b>Love,</b></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;"><b>Vee</b></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;" /></span></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" />Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-63089932255065063972022-11-28T06:21:00.048-05:002022-12-06T21:34:21.413-05:00Thanksgiving 2022 in Oakland<p><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">Oh my! Yes, Laurel more than surprised both her brother and me. Everything was so lovely, smelled so good, and tasted so fine. I was especially pleased that I did not have to prepare anything more than a pecan pie. Adam made his famous dinner rolls while Michelle baked a pumpkin pie and bought a chocolate cream pie from the library's annual sale. </span></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;">(We were down by one as Jake has declared himself a hunter who will no longer be attending our Thanksgivings. 😢)</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxoVliDK6HyTxD8wreLdtLqSUEKlWiMKtyBrmHGvbjWBYgO_Gj1f2Zxy6ogWTDsmBgcIfEG22cZjOtTWqydfD5Fiucq_Twx8YCA9SOdagQuNu-VlCljda7nqCUX8xXsjWpyahXoSf9_3lxMFS0U4RlFY-ni-p4uycbdv8KJMvd4UyMk2pGjIK1D_R/s799/centerpiece.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="799" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxoVliDK6HyTxD8wreLdtLqSUEKlWiMKtyBrmHGvbjWBYgO_Gj1f2Zxy6ogWTDsmBgcIfEG22cZjOtTWqydfD5Fiucq_Twx8YCA9SOdagQuNu-VlCljda7nqCUX8xXsjWpyahXoSf9_3lxMFS0U4RlFY-ni-p4uycbdv8KJMvd4UyMk2pGjIK1D_R/w400-h350/centerpiece.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This was Laurel's table theme with the sweet table runner that I first saw at </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">Betsy's right</span><a href="https://themainehouse.blogspot.com/2022/02/a-winter-woodland-tablescape.html" style="font-family: Merriweather;" target="_blank"> *here.*</a><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"> When I saw that runner, I thought it would be perfect for Laurel's riverside cabin up in the semi-north woods. I had no idea that she would be moving to a new home closer to civilization. I also purchased one for Michelle and one for my sister. Both Laurel and Kim have enjoyed theirs. </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">Michelle has hers packed away because she thought it</span></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">was a pillow cover. It might be especially appreciated by Jake at their home these days. 🦌 Laurel bought her table and chairs new for our holiday. It was very nice seating...no one was crowded.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Speaking of table runners, Betsy has many beautiful tablescapes from which to gather ideas. Her blog, named after her grandmother, is simply beautiful and, if you don't already, you would certainly love it there. Also, she has the best recipes. I have several on speed dial. </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjk3ssavWkYjpyGxCeyvsPAlZMJYGY7EcMeCo3dRdL4a_ugOC_VDiaexXpDgK_4JK_pj1LoYeBO_xmX6RNptCLwen1DBmat8yjk7zNggFojBdcAQZ1snrmJG9LihefY5AIDeAoijbVmKDAp1m36KUp-mNOCxDAvjuuHhadXr_apjCIKmEOqUP2CKY/s799/Charlie%20says%20hello.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="799" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjk3ssavWkYjpyGxCeyvsPAlZMJYGY7EcMeCo3dRdL4a_ugOC_VDiaexXpDgK_4JK_pj1LoYeBO_xmX6RNptCLwen1DBmat8yjk7zNggFojBdcAQZ1snrmJG9LihefY5AIDeAoijbVmKDAp1m36KUp-mNOCxDAvjuuHhadXr_apjCIKmEOqUP2CKY/w640-h482/Charlie%20says%20hello.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Okay, back to Thanksgiving. Alas, I took hardly any photos. You know how my family is not a fan of picture taking. My grandkitty has no problems with it. He has a ghost cat visit regularly who asks the same question, "Can Charlie come out to play?" </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlrWxv--fc1CZw9vg_-2KbHNYNMtv_HbE885diWdchWuK2g3lmTLD2OeRARIMyddJndEI82dI9LVXDGA7updpF6gfiaGRb47TpSNanXz1AZgpQimDkMAN0oEvpqL5yt57tE6ERTmQ9aV3jNiyJ8v0CS6uXv-HqLF654w7JeBZxAv0ETyATO_k2VfZ/s799/Laurel%20in%20the%20kitchen.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="799" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlrWxv--fc1CZw9vg_-2KbHNYNMtv_HbE885diWdchWuK2g3lmTLD2OeRARIMyddJndEI82dI9LVXDGA7updpF6gfiaGRb47TpSNanXz1AZgpQimDkMAN0oEvpqL5yt57tE6ERTmQ9aV3jNiyJ8v0CS6uXv-HqLF654w7JeBZxAv0ETyATO_k2VfZ/w640-h482/Laurel%20in%20the%20kitchen.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Here's Laurel preparing me a cup of peppermint tea. Yes, into every lovely time a clinker must fall</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">. 😏</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-M63P6_VhDrow39U2sRO_i5Flfn6gYcFf52ThuHff9Ff-ql2UO4TzeKPWL1vjf5pt7wJI9m92hhAANks84dgSqFUAo9km9l_iQxrCKV0oot4eMGu1KQFMhU4wJf3iGvQxl7NT_gAQ29ltVG--Gpnzm98Aggbklgr5VVpsRN0Ca0SIt4MV5TPMAYj/s799/eagle.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="604" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-M63P6_VhDrow39U2sRO_i5Flfn6gYcFf52ThuHff9Ff-ql2UO4TzeKPWL1vjf5pt7wJI9m92hhAANks84dgSqFUAo9km9l_iQxrCKV0oot4eMGu1KQFMhU4wJf3iGvQxl7NT_gAQ29ltVG--Gpnzm98Aggbklgr5VVpsRN0Ca0SIt4MV5TPMAYj/w484-h640/eagle.png" width="484" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Don't worry, though, because </span></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">when Laurel was taking me home Friday afternoon, she found a lovely lake side restaurant called Lintonia. It had the added bonus of an eagle in a tree just beside the restaurant. </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wupBZfwPL8hxwhmiJ_Mep0R90bf50ligm6DFDysi2tWe9LnVYlWv2vZIkI9qBaYTit-E_PpkzeYkatcr0c_o8Oojaa9P49M1bOYpdFwWVHOBkuK1UysOXJsBdMyU4hGuSGHaqnw4wifBTD9NIVf_7i_yc-2MySbpz2TNmOt1v2dx2Oq6tAczXdat/s799/Laurel%20at%20Lintonia.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="799" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wupBZfwPL8hxwhmiJ_Mep0R90bf50ligm6DFDysi2tWe9LnVYlWv2vZIkI9qBaYTit-E_PpkzeYkatcr0c_o8Oojaa9P49M1bOYpdFwWVHOBkuK1UysOXJsBdMyU4hGuSGHaqnw4wifBTD9NIVf_7i_yc-2MySbpz2TNmOt1v2dx2Oq6tAczXdat/w400-h301/Laurel%20at%20Lintonia.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">We had the best cup of coffee and delicious tacos. Laurel just found out that they closed for good the day after we were there. So sad all the businesses that are closing. It was a fabulous little restaurant. My sister and I had already made plans to visit soon.</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Thank you for reading my simple Thanksgiving record. I have been enjoying reading yours.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Love,</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; text-size-adjust: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script;">Vee</span><br /><br /></span></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" />Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-67904788967560369262022-11-17T08:28:00.000-05:002022-11-17T08:28:24.758-05:00An After First Snowfall Picture Story<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddOtmnXAnHgHREjsMY92T4qVs7FVsm4fJfEJjV2NOzQ4HazoLNztDdasbOzZjPQQW_o1rUAxynHWKRK9A00lE_pUMdqHzDypysUgsS97Vl4r9dx-yFrV7KPeYD_Qp8caEE9EZBshRxK8z1qB7ffTqvf30LqTgxW1pMcB0k_gn9SYVetOHsh2rnhz5/s1494/DA13B5DC-D9BA-4359-B1DA-AF8835A0618C.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="1120" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddOtmnXAnHgHREjsMY92T4qVs7FVsm4fJfEJjV2NOzQ4HazoLNztDdasbOzZjPQQW_o1rUAxynHWKRK9A00lE_pUMdqHzDypysUgsS97Vl4r9dx-yFrV7KPeYD_Qp8caEE9EZBshRxK8z1qB7ffTqvf30LqTgxW1pMcB0k_gn9SYVetOHsh2rnhz5/w480-h640/DA13B5DC-D9BA-4359-B1DA-AF8835A0618C.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqAzTwc6Qg4_LEoD2PRGG9SJCdcx28cUmBsW0hKidhyfn2BwtnNva1pCH-55Jhodz15RQSYOqkhwi2XUv4bnOONi9dei2WLNK8S01RCdjO8Xt5RtlkbPE4WPQCtWvgXvrMpNi0YN6NeUDsoM4zJiU-Ugg47P2w7lgS1KBwRMvy7R4hcTENUfE5pf8/s2160/066CB6A6-F569-495C-9769-F1C27FD50A74.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="1620" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqAzTwc6Qg4_LEoD2PRGG9SJCdcx28cUmBsW0hKidhyfn2BwtnNva1pCH-55Jhodz15RQSYOqkhwi2XUv4bnOONi9dei2WLNK8S01RCdjO8Xt5RtlkbPE4WPQCtWvgXvrMpNi0YN6NeUDsoM4zJiU-Ugg47P2w7lgS1KBwRMvy7R4hcTENUfE5pf8/w480-h640/066CB6A6-F569-495C-9769-F1C27FD50A74.png" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aDbNXcORqfI5FsY8Dgii3CUR09D7LC0ccvbsh91_z-FZ7U-t6vDNBl34fY0ZCXF3ItK4UgddsI4x7nx8FYULsIpIji49gUShwdfAgAV45-WmZH2_UnkCnx9DNXX4pi_nQxaXNRwvDxtycatdEMhHrXUlwVAvFcd4Dy8NMlwffwAMA9I0os5Cq3EO/s1600/BCE95A23-D440-4D72-A296-5271F414D837.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aDbNXcORqfI5FsY8Dgii3CUR09D7LC0ccvbsh91_z-FZ7U-t6vDNBl34fY0ZCXF3ItK4UgddsI4x7nx8FYULsIpIji49gUShwdfAgAV45-WmZH2_UnkCnx9DNXX4pi_nQxaXNRwvDxtycatdEMhHrXUlwVAvFcd4Dy8NMlwffwAMA9I0os5Cq3EO/w480-h640/BCE95A23-D440-4D72-A296-5271F414D837.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">It's all gone now! Praise the Lord! ☺️</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">Comments are closed. Happy Thanksgiving! </span></div><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: medium;">Love,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: medium;">Vee</span></div><br /> <p></p>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-46944745946137881922022-11-01T06:58:00.117-04:002022-12-07T20:09:56.374-05:00Bigfoot?<p><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">A sigh of relief is always breathed</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span><span dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">November 1st.</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">I am so glad that the entire end of October scene has finished for another year. I am happily </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;">moving on to the next big holiday (not Veterans Day). We'll chat about that toward the end of this post, yet let's tidy up on the big day just past—</span></span></p><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">She arrived on her grandmother's hip wide-eyed and a little breathless. "I scare-t of Bigfoot." I look at my sister questioning this comment and am told that the children saw Bigfoot at my house last week as they were leaving. What? Who knew?! <a href="https://coffeeteabooksandme.blogspot.com/2017/02/sunday-afternoon-tea-story-behind-my.html" target="_blank">For a moment I think that I have gone down the rabbit hole and landed in Brenda's world.</a></span></span><div><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckNu_NlJ1QFOB6OeUZVHQ-X7Ot6UCdTARdYPRKgpWNZNQTQzZlSg41T1thLE5wz_W0faXccNlNpzdGTFy__951vnEQAgDhkr0QPCOp9U_OvdDfZTwlRbUwk6VHdSZK84ofxbou0lJV8BS-Go6Pu1dUSLitgZfUjB81NVkv-hfnlreodo4LNRLiY2I/s799/Bigfoot%20Country.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckNu_NlJ1QFOB6OeUZVHQ-X7Ot6UCdTARdYPRKgpWNZNQTQzZlSg41T1thLE5wz_W0faXccNlNpzdGTFy__951vnEQAgDhkr0QPCOp9U_OvdDfZTwlRbUwk6VHdSZK84ofxbou0lJV8BS-Go6Pu1dUSLitgZfUjB81NVkv-hfnlreodo4LNRLiY2I/w400-h300/Bigfoot%20Country.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Foot Country</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">I say, "There is no such thing as Bigfoot." At which point, Anneke's brother, who is playing with the rotary phone, run on imagination alone, says, "Bigfoot? Is that you? Ackkkk! It's Bigfoot!" Anneke's eyes grow even wider and she clings a little tighter to Grammie. </span></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOsGwNb3YTiUG9qF59z4pSDefLUtzbyMuZ63IY2jSl9Ur-vJelJ7qy344yUt9CN81v7bUjTXLZjWUtg_58hkVXif0S6vHPAkd7H0VuYVx-5Wfw53HcG8BS_O0Vvbz5ADI5ZIX5DQlac1h3v4r22l4VfCS963vbMNxSLMbhKs2dRxekVSesm-nyQ-x/s358/calling%20Bigfoot.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="358" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOsGwNb3YTiUG9qF59z4pSDefLUtzbyMuZ63IY2jSl9Ur-vJelJ7qy344yUt9CN81v7bUjTXLZjWUtg_58hkVXif0S6vHPAkd7H0VuYVx-5Wfw53HcG8BS_O0Vvbz5ADI5ZIX5DQlac1h3v4r22l4VfCS963vbMNxSLMbhKs2dRxekVSesm-nyQ-x/w400-h384/calling%20Bigfoot.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_CREmGPtt59R5tFpBhTqnxNjveX8wAHCPIcoMQVg7e7arBdjHNHxzs4UkYLGRAgyWhcBw-GqcW9sWGmap5sI518D65Odc7cefO0wIoqvEbj4tDG2uTR2LJlCrRtthV94R0lNdMnvrFCuuMC0lVJhEev292OV9Na1IEnYCcdUmZnTOqNO39OwCOGXM/s799/I%20may%20have%20called%20Bigfoot.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_CREmGPtt59R5tFpBhTqnxNjveX8wAHCPIcoMQVg7e7arBdjHNHxzs4UkYLGRAgyWhcBw-GqcW9sWGmap5sI518D65Odc7cefO0wIoqvEbj4tDG2uTR2LJlCrRtthV94R0lNdMnvrFCuuMC0lVJhEev292OV9Na1IEnYCcdUmZnTOqNO39OwCOGXM/w400-h300/I%20may%20have%20called%20Bigfoot.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I may have dialed Bigfoot</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Playfair Display;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">So I have no idea how this story ultimately unfolded. My sister agrees with me and says that they will ask their mommy and daddy because parents tell the truth. I am hoping that mommy and daddy didn't decide instead to crank Anneke's chain. One of them can be a bit of a prankster. I just happen to know that for.a.fact. ッ</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Playfair Display;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Playfair Display;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtwVCHYXR2fO5hMq8Za4o4G-56ob3TS7ks_OsCLYxTxJmU8QwJv0g1pc7w6ji9ioN1guFuVspIWSMLh13rSPwonLuKtE1VuODNwCsnFIG6V9vz69NDchxLTIrTb4uX9yqSfsW7vwHUvLnZS80fQO14aQjV3Xr9skko4l9ySBRxT2FMKN9o9bJHPfg/s799/Peach%20and%20Mario.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="721" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtwVCHYXR2fO5hMq8Za4o4G-56ob3TS7ks_OsCLYxTxJmU8QwJv0g1pc7w6ji9ioN1guFuVspIWSMLh13rSPwonLuKtE1VuODNwCsnFIG6V9vz69NDchxLTIrTb4uX9yqSfsW7vwHUvLnZS80fQO14aQjV3Xr9skko4l9ySBRxT2FMKN9o9bJHPfg/w361-h400/Peach%20and%20Mario.png" width="361" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peach and Mario</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;">Aren't they cute? Peach and Mario...aka Anneke and Emmanuel.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">Now I do have news about my own grandchildren. Sam received his driver's license last week. Doesn't he look happy? So proud of him! </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2W-KllDTy9ERKG1zGG-lyxUZ9KrN9VWtv728qlqk5gdG9qywbaVijbLKqeGnRRm0jF5_mvpx821NQcQqTaYv-Q5_cfgpI4hI-5T2PFj-m9PRzLUPXnne7TB9y4miydzf2kcTQD1jonwjte5VYG32PjShHouQ-HGv2v6FKVhqEsZn0_t1gO_veLocF/s799/Sam%20and%20license.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="613" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2W-KllDTy9ERKG1zGG-lyxUZ9KrN9VWtv728qlqk5gdG9qywbaVijbLKqeGnRRm0jF5_mvpx821NQcQqTaYv-Q5_cfgpI4hI-5T2PFj-m9PRzLUPXnne7TB9y4miydzf2kcTQD1jonwjte5VYG32PjShHouQ-HGv2v6FKVhqEsZn0_t1gO_veLocF/w308-h400/Sam%20and%20license.png" width="308" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">Jake got his first deer on Saturday. I'll be careful with that picture because I'd not like to offend those who might keel over. I am thrilled that there will be extra food in the freezer and that Jake is happy too.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxY4oQMEuEJAiTq5PvoQ4WNUddYU1rKvBmEL0O60zJY97taHoIUQx8mZVlhyhWMOGWvjbFSOI-ZHGUaNk9u8FoRr-3ht8zWRS6E_R62XoraQjHg5BqjOJRSnE_hDPmgifJ1jOhKABnxYodeXt8Wai7Sn5CqVlaeDejvocnmHc--PqjRTnt2AOQ634/s799/Jake%20and%20his%20deer%20with%20maternal%20grandfather.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="799" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxY4oQMEuEJAiTq5PvoQ4WNUddYU1rKvBmEL0O60zJY97taHoIUQx8mZVlhyhWMOGWvjbFSOI-ZHGUaNk9u8FoRr-3ht8zWRS6E_R62XoraQjHg5BqjOJRSnE_hDPmgifJ1jOhKABnxYodeXt8Wai7Sn5CqVlaeDejvocnmHc--PqjRTnt2AOQ634/w400-h201/Jake%20and%20his%20deer%20with%20maternal%20grandfather.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;">A few weeks ago, when sickness hit, we had to postpone plans to see Laurel for her birthday. She graciously joined us a couple of weeks later at a local restaurant where my family made plans for Thanksgiving. I saw a bit of eye-rolling, heard some comments. It boils down to this: I have messed up Thanksgiving dinner one too many times. Instead, we shall celebrate at Laurel's. She's in for the roller coaster ride that is Thanksgiving</span></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">preparations. Should be fun! </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Playfair Display;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: large; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">To my American brethren and sistren, have your plans for Thanksgiving firmed up? </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">I want a nice sweet ending so I am sharing what I am making this week. I had to check for ingredients and found that I have them all. Yippee! </span></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: large; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: x-large; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZFKyf5n3s6vkRaxerfEOk-81FiGT9xujEFgkAokXEWC8QxFYV7NUuanGWaUWExRHJeb1mB03RvZUZpUVfnOTt8-ATrb7IhR969f08eNUSKm047bYJ1DxBxdY59DeUqgTaSfxLO6Xrsfp-VnoqKhSaK1VyVjcqrPPuxr8G0XEActQYmevcI4MXxBn/s799/Ingredients.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZFKyf5n3s6vkRaxerfEOk-81FiGT9xujEFgkAokXEWC8QxFYV7NUuanGWaUWExRHJeb1mB03RvZUZpUVfnOTt8-ATrb7IhR969f08eNUSKm047bYJ1DxBxdY59DeUqgTaSfxLO6Xrsfp-VnoqKhSaK1VyVjcqrPPuxr8G0XEActQYmevcI4MXxBn/w400-h300/Ingredients.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span><p class="x_p1" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br /><br />Now I found this recipe somewhere in the last week or so. I have not named that source because my mind is a sieve. If it was yours or you know whose, let me know so I can include it.<br /><br />It was <a href="https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/10/30/potluck-pumpkin-and-grace/">*here</a>* with a nice photo of what it should look like, too. My mind really is a sieve.</span><span style="font-family: Playfair Display;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: x-large; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424;">🤦🏻♀️</span></span></span></p><span style="font-family: Playfair Display;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: x-large; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: large; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p class="x_p1" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s1" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pumpkin Crunch Cake</span></p><p class="x_p1" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ingredients:</span></p><ul class="x_ul1" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><li class="x_li1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s3" color="inherit" face="Menlo-Regular" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 box yellow cake mix</span></li><li class="x_li1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s3" color="inherit" face="Menlo-Regular" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree</span></li><li class="x_li1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s3" color="inherit" face="Menlo-Regular" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk</span></li><li class="x_li1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s3" color="inherit" face="Menlo-Regular" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3 large eggs</span></li><li class="x_li1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s3" color="inherit" face="Menlo-Regular" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 1/2 cups sugar</span></li><li class="x_li1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s3" color="inherit" face="Menlo-Regular" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 tsp. cinnamon</span></li><li class="x_li1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s3" color="inherit" face="Menlo-Regular" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/2 tsp. salt</span></li><li class="x_li1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s3" color="inherit" face="Menlo-Regular" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (the original recipe called for 1/2 cup)</span></li><li class="x_li1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s3" color="inherit" face="Menlo-Regular" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 cup butter, melted</span></li></ul><p class="x_p1" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">*Heat oven to 350° F. </span></p><p class="x_p1" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">*Grease bottom of 9 x 13″ pan. </span></p><p class="x_p1" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">*Mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. </span></p><p class="x_p1" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">*Pour mixture into greased pan. </span></p><p class="x_p1" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">*Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture and top with pecans.</span></p><p class="x_p1" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">*Drizzle melted butter over pecans.</span></p><p class="x_p1" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">*Bake 50-55 minutes.</span></p><p class="x_p2" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px;"><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br aria-hidden="true" /></p><p class="x_p1" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="x_s2" color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Source: <a href="https://www.thepickyapple.com/blog/2008/11/22/pumpkin-crunch-cake/" target="_blank">https://www.thepickyapple.com/blog/2008/11/22/pumpkin-crunch-cake/</a></span></p><p class="x_p1" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="x_p1" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">Thank you for reading. You're good sports.</span></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: x-large; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" /></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">Love,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">Vee</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /></div>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-18794541324551472012022-10-12T06:58:00.047-04:002022-12-07T20:10:21.400-05:00Falling Leaves Hodge Podge<p><i><span style="font-size: large;">1. Thursday (Oct 13) is National Train Your Brain Day. What do you do to keep your brain in tip top shape? Is it helping?</span></i></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes I amuse myself by thinking that doing Sudokus is helping. I can prove that it isn't because just last week, after simmering chicken bones all afternoon to make chicken broth, I poured it into a sieve that had nothing beneath it to capture the broth—Right down the drain! <span class="s2"></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJ-r3VjfDRGgxap9dB4DR2QbpaRG_8hGtcV4HJShzvho4Ye778q2ou2oJUfjIvO5o3_1EwRdrP_FmoEc0l4PvCCguTp3-7kgySH8sn6qmUT2mH6sX5zte8cBHek9w1QiagaWjpQd2nXw3cdb9KpBKhJ4SXf3518sieEB6Y32J7M0xo6KQKApccfVG/s799/Suduko.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJ-r3VjfDRGgxap9dB4DR2QbpaRG_8hGtcV4HJShzvho4Ye778q2ou2oJUfjIvO5o3_1EwRdrP_FmoEc0l4PvCCguTp3-7kgySH8sn6qmUT2mH6sX5zte8cBHek9w1QiagaWjpQd2nXw3cdb9KpBKhJ4SXf3518sieEB6Y32J7M0xo6KQKApccfVG/w400-h300/Suduko.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"><br /><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"><i>2. You can sit with anyone in the world and 'pick their brain'...whom do you choose? Tell us why? </i></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;">This is a tough question! </span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;">Let's see, who meets my criteria?</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;">I insist that said person is attentive, gives me enough time, has great patience, does not make me feel foolish, and is kind, though he or she can and should offer helpful insights. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;">Okay, there's no one in the world like that! Sounds as if I am looking for a counselor; scripture teaches me that Jesus is a wonderful or is it "the" wonderful counselor? I'm sticking with Him. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;">But! If I must choose a human being, I guess I'd choose Jordan Peterson who intrigues me a lot, yet with whom I do not always agree, especially on matters of faith. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"><i>3. What's something happening in the world (or your corner of it) right now that you have trouble 'wrapping your brain around'? </i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;">😳</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.breitbart.com/education/2022/09/28/maine-department-of-education-promotes-overnight-camp-for-trans-six-year-olds-in-confidential-location/">https://www.breitbart.com/education/2022/09/28/maine-department-of-education-promotes-overnight-camp-for-trans-six-year-olds-in-confidential-location/</a></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"><i>4. On a scale of 1-10 where do you fall in the pumpkin fanclub? (1=blech, 10=make it all pumpkin all the time) Tell us something delicious you've tasted recently that had some pumpkin in it somewhere. </i></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;">7</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;">I have yet to enjoy any pumpkin this autumn, but I have a can of pumpkin and am planning to do <i>something</i> with it. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"><i>5. Share a favorite song, book, or movie with an autumn title, setting, or vibe. </i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gnp58oepHUQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="Gnp58oepHUQ"></iframe></span></div><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;">(Nat King Cole sings "Autumn Leaves)</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/n5bIhglTLbk"></a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/n5bIhglTLbk"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n5bIhglTLbk" width="320" youtube-src-id="n5bIhglTLbk"></iframe></a></span></div><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">(Love this channel...an entire hour plus of pure nostalgia.) </div></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;"><i>6. Insert your own random thought here. </i></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2">I've got a pile of random thoughts, just like the leaves in my yard.</span></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCFkTyqbDb187o7f_AlV9HP7uzw_DUE8rhTwcMpwMFUcj6oYoRfs_TLuAXUTD-X2evuHFQ0uEYwVL4B3Btb2LcTtDrx4DenB1tA4V9gwsNgSkEKQYWM6OIxqxQkmpNE-8dO--pVLnIu4QNVJJUnyBa8_ZttrvfmIhfCSNX3O8LdxtGPzq8DmAF2gV/s799/leaves%20everywhere.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCFkTyqbDb187o7f_AlV9HP7uzw_DUE8rhTwcMpwMFUcj6oYoRfs_TLuAXUTD-X2evuHFQ0uEYwVL4B3Btb2LcTtDrx4DenB1tA4V9gwsNgSkEKQYWM6OIxqxQkmpNE-8dO--pVLnIu4QNVJJUnyBa8_ZttrvfmIhfCSNX3O8LdxtGPzq8DmAF2gV/w400-h300/leaves%20everywhere.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span class="s2"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2">Eagerly looking forward to spending time with my kids and grands this weekend. </span><span class="s3">☺️</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: large;">Many thanks to <a href="http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com" target="_blank">Joyce at Across the Pond</a> for this week's questions. </span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Love,</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Vee</span></p>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-37670134419924351762022-10-08T06:57:00.033-04:002022-10-08T08:45:42.754-04:00Autumn Decor<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: medium;"><i>Days grow shorter now, the nights chillier...The trees kindle with color, a few at a time, small flashes of scarlet appear in the swamp, and the sugar maples begin to glow, as the great wave of autumn glory rises to full tide. </i></span><span style="font-size: 21px;">~ </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Gladys Taber</span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">October—my favorite month for God's amazing decor; my </span></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">least favorite for man's. I wonder if my neighbors ever think of how distressing it is for me to see the glowing skeleton hanging from their maple tree. Unlikely. I changed my kitchen curtain situation so I only have to see its dangling feet, which is plenty disturbing enough. </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-small;">ツ</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">October has a boatload of chores to get accomplished. I have never cut back hostas in autumn before, but now that I have watched Laura at <a href="https://youtu.be/gonYWTjpRXE" target="_blank">Garden Answer</a> for a couple of years, I will be, right after the color fades and before they turn to mush. I also harvested enough chives to get me through the winter.</span></span></p><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I already pruned the rose bushes way back. The deer were ravenous even though I had covered the roses in bird netting. The deer also ate all the phlox and the bee balm. Perhaps I just need to rip out my garden. Most people here have their vegetable gardens fenced. It doesn't seem practical for a flower garden on the front lawn. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Since I was listless Thursday, I decided to do some indoor decorating. I have bought nothing new so determined to use only what I already had. I also decided to decorate for Thanksgiving. Yes, I know it is early, <i>unless</i> you are living in Canada. I hope that my Canadian cousins and my blogging friends have a fabulous holiday this weekend. </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">So with minimal commentary, here are my photo offerings. </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs61Nqo71QXXh3QA109rQauQhA4QFeMa3AEDoWX1ZtQw1odmxlIH6oKVidZjOgajUxrQGSIvaUGT2gIZ0RrRHIvQ0Oul2B0o-gbapT8gk02m8YnLEC969BeB_y0K0_njC95Ml93KOaNXredGyKbBWKQqJQi2EaYzDHLWuMwF8MpFTp53mYMa_oJwDH/s799/my%20view.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="799" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs61Nqo71QXXh3QA109rQauQhA4QFeMa3AEDoWX1ZtQw1odmxlIH6oKVidZjOgajUxrQGSIvaUGT2gIZ0RrRHIvQ0Oul2B0o-gbapT8gk02m8YnLEC969BeB_y0K0_njC95Ml93KOaNXredGyKbBWKQqJQi2EaYzDHLWuMwF8MpFTp53mYMa_oJwDH/w640-h640/my%20view.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span class="s1"><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXeXxv-mJp2lckNuloeBS0y4jABc-DqpSoz-hqt5_J8Jrv34QUvI68xg5YtW19LNvQVIIfD0rnGNq8TBZtgR7MDIExAnvMXv_vzlxRbkSBMucVdCClgtK0exps4XAZLrOx6ncY-jGIrNGETthQ91k7MvAGAwXU5IsyR6oGDfMWJ04fYhtJsCUqNHm/s799/back%20deck.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="799" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXeXxv-mJp2lckNuloeBS0y4jABc-DqpSoz-hqt5_J8Jrv34QUvI68xg5YtW19LNvQVIIfD0rnGNq8TBZtgR7MDIExAnvMXv_vzlxRbkSBMucVdCClgtK0exps4XAZLrOx6ncY-jGIrNGETthQ91k7MvAGAwXU5IsyR6oGDfMWJ04fYhtJsCUqNHm/w640-h576/back%20deck.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfCU7xK-XOkuA2xlD6smswqYZEycdNSG4GZfF0qE0jiwY1kcpiF6GgxRUD14klCdYrybXzKjxKTNvg2vnZ3YnYZ3_e9_ha7htPk-gpCOVnKWlqlYoH7Npvt2MqilJ3esGqFYXYJ1N-VSfUnEp2Wxws2HmAOtgeG7eLgXABP3qag6iQjFwYQpONUah/s799/5465.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="799" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfCU7xK-XOkuA2xlD6smswqYZEycdNSG4GZfF0qE0jiwY1kcpiF6GgxRUD14klCdYrybXzKjxKTNvg2vnZ3YnYZ3_e9_ha7htPk-gpCOVnKWlqlYoH7Npvt2MqilJ3esGqFYXYJ1N-VSfUnEp2Wxws2HmAOtgeG7eLgXABP3qag6iQjFwYQpONUah/w640-h628/5465.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTdjEl3rYOqJqRsT6gzqmsh46iiaZ6o-OBRDnKq_11kO8duHHyjMXNLJOKUk3xheMOuH84wR0wUnW6sVTMQ2e7nqGu_EiCDTuQeT1f24rbT7WPS8ObI7yJzJZcdguSfUWRmHq07nT855g9FSuIeZ0vQpFsjbSReVTzK5Saqy33PrIoNflXC0KeNo6/s799/fence%20and%20sky.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="799" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTdjEl3rYOqJqRsT6gzqmsh46iiaZ6o-OBRDnKq_11kO8duHHyjMXNLJOKUk3xheMOuH84wR0wUnW6sVTMQ2e7nqGu_EiCDTuQeT1f24rbT7WPS8ObI7yJzJZcdguSfUWRmHq07nT855g9FSuIeZ0vQpFsjbSReVTzK5Saqy33PrIoNflXC0KeNo6/w640-h484/fence%20and%20sky.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span class="s1"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCy9K2Exig-xhK68LwhngccOgUtuuonAbrAsL5wBjQIe10ouqHyap2IqJL-jIHkP0hSvHlh64bKr-07V2gUGUoAUeA4vqLgOuhh3GcOqq0VER4mGczsk8L51rbIz7y7OZS6IMQamModTT2IV5vAHKsSJHK8OLtR2G3jJbmdD9E0uEfbspZevRdhFd/s818/5462.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="818" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCy9K2Exig-xhK68LwhngccOgUtuuonAbrAsL5wBjQIe10ouqHyap2IqJL-jIHkP0hSvHlh64bKr-07V2gUGUoAUeA4vqLgOuhh3GcOqq0VER4mGczsk8L51rbIz7y7OZS6IMQamModTT2IV5vAHKsSJHK8OLtR2G3jJbmdD9E0uEfbspZevRdhFd/w640-h484/5462.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrnXZxAJVMH-yqDUCrS64ar3yNHbqofxUfLKOf0Vso0i8z-sgZIa3IkQfzpCTBtzPtBdLP_plgPO4N5CbL3_n-0JwybxHYIAYNKF7SLqsZy58VskIDmY8MTKZbMF7b-pdMfckQ6z3m0ed7dE_0460MaTpWeagsKMpp_YL30d0LeyT3iT72S-hEubN/s799/geraniums.png" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdwusQpA1-UUALcDdEOd7uf6PJ4MYWS3kyH2lTCIopdaX1R2I7d3rGOVU_z022266FkGw0drdTPRwMifxnYCtKRPyWzmp5puBmymThjqR2K6q9_FMIeSsOEtfRpk3qbEDaKvpvXgMcxAitAZgrSn6c8YLr8TGhnuM1lnHzUtHforpvJ2o4kygHqqP/s799/dishes%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="799" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdwusQpA1-UUALcDdEOd7uf6PJ4MYWS3kyH2lTCIopdaX1R2I7d3rGOVU_z022266FkGw0drdTPRwMifxnYCtKRPyWzmp5puBmymThjqR2K6q9_FMIeSsOEtfRpk3qbEDaKvpvXgMcxAitAZgrSn6c8YLr8TGhnuM1lnHzUtHforpvJ2o4kygHqqP/w640-h484/dishes%202.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyEwTgMY-5iaDgOMPgHnuaKcy4MC34ijIWHefpljC7TZahjBVYlw7XvFQLR2eCpbEJGURA_tJcMKZSKMQwaeOduc1SoeFb-atS579Dy_LdGtIpc3nCru_QZXB63PaZ46dJAvskOo__538Q_6OFqSCxmmRNcOvLs2zAqeZrQA46NDBxxzpHzqMq4cr/s799/kitchen%20window.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="799" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyEwTgMY-5iaDgOMPgHnuaKcy4MC34ijIWHefpljC7TZahjBVYlw7XvFQLR2eCpbEJGURA_tJcMKZSKMQwaeOduc1SoeFb-atS579Dy_LdGtIpc3nCru_QZXB63PaZ46dJAvskOo__538Q_6OFqSCxmmRNcOvLs2zAqeZrQA46NDBxxzpHzqMq4cr/w640-h552/kitchen%20window.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Thanks for your visit. Happy October! </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Love,</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Vee</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-2965260504261754272022-09-21T07:01:00.066-04:002022-09-21T08:34:16.752-04:00478<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="273" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAG-XJGAXvIRWg_jS2zHFxtlpocf71C4372daMX75PAPzmWNfCvikgFVQ5cI1VcWcXRpYqvZyfPKw0nvdxDqEHJ5rc0Ge6jx-U_6_sCarPPq9dbaELV3OCGYiSVseF33YGh152Oi1KIrdSdynlmXL67CnEqpKiW-rN1Ogd3LdbWk2pl9kCPgc04Hlx" width="262" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;">1. Volume 478. Sounds like a lot. Where were you in </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;">1978</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;">? If you weren't born where were you in 2008? </span></i></div><div><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large; text-size-adjust: auto;">Four hundred seventy-eight is a lot, Joyce! Thank you for hosting and coming up with all these questions over the years.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Merriweather; text-size-adjust: auto;">In April 1978, I was married and living in Arizona with my husband who was stationed at Fort Huachuca. I had two </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather;">children, a two and a half year old little girl and a newborn son. By November of 1978, we drove back across the country home </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather;">to Maine just in time to be horrified by the big news of the day—The Jonesboro Massacre. I still shudder thinking about <i>that</i>. </span></span></div><div style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><i>2. Raise your hand if you remember records playing at a speed of 78 rpm? What's a topic that when it comes up you 'sound like a broken record'? </i></span></div><div style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;">✋</div><div style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The past two years politically speaking. </span></div><div><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><i>3. What's the last thing you recorded in some way? </i></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This. It's the very last thing that I have recorded. Thank goodness for blogs. Otherwise, I might not know </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;">what's going on. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><i>4. Thursday is the first day of fall (in the northern hemisphere). How do you feel about the changing seasons? Something you're looking forward to this fall? </i></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It is my favorite time of year and I am hoping my daughter will take me for our annual foliage drive. I'd be fine with changing seasons if winter never came. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><i>5. In what way (or ways) are you like the apple that didn't 'fall far from the tree'? </i></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Too many to count. I run a little hot like my father. I look a lot like my mother and see her every morning in my mirror. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><i>6. Insert your own random thought here</i>. </p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Today my sister and her grands will join me. Last week, we went to visit my daughter in her new home. We went out to eat at Applebee's. The children behaved so well and ate their dinners all up. My sister said of this photo, "I look like mom from behind." Yes, well that makes two of us. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqWuBj5xjYwtJdprkDN0D1wJxdPmGtbx3oudI63UjKG_izjdXbSmVfLqM8qdGN00QBHtNh1LZtBRCmnrOi9on_lprQZwQXUYczP_l1-qboaNhH10sCkGOR3rXzJu-lUSe8IMiUsTHGUkBlR06bGJ47bzW_cN7MblZBWskdFCRiX8WMm3svoAfC9zY/s750/at%20Applebees.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="750" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqWuBj5xjYwtJdprkDN0D1wJxdPmGtbx3oudI63UjKG_izjdXbSmVfLqM8qdGN00QBHtNh1LZtBRCmnrOi9on_lprQZwQXUYczP_l1-qboaNhH10sCkGOR3rXzJu-lUSe8IMiUsTHGUkBlR06bGJ47bzW_cN7MblZBWskdFCRiX8WMm3svoAfC9zY/w400-h396/at%20Applebees.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Join Joyce by clicking through on the opening graphic. Thanks for reading! </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Love,</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Vee </span></p></div>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-28018713399627445192022-08-31T09:00:00.002-04:002022-08-31T09:00:32.555-04:00Goodbye, August<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Oh I do hate to say goodbye to August. Still, my sister and I and her grands will squeeze out every drop. We are planning a picnic today between rain showers. It probably means eating at Mickey D's and hoping for a bit of clear sky to sail some boats. </span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Earlier in the month, we made it to my daughter's home for the last time. She sold her cabin on the Carrabassett and has already moved into her new home. I hated to say goodbye to that place, too, but Laurel is happy and content. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtshvxBhVIfUYOS0ZgR69ozoaZWMR5z3nMp0nvbWolvtdE2YGOyX3idEOlkZrC9ITW4RaBoY0gJn1_6-nYdei02XtSUpx9luw7CKEfG2r_hcgidhm7rK6QwwXZXzO0GZWseHiakPTYUrPVKgkPmxExfB0d1ai_ZV1AyE5ngMs7cH29zDfQGKNHRgAE/s4032/97967663-5EC1-486A-B027-2836CF6D24D1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtshvxBhVIfUYOS0ZgR69ozoaZWMR5z3nMp0nvbWolvtdE2YGOyX3idEOlkZrC9ITW4RaBoY0gJn1_6-nYdei02XtSUpx9luw7CKEfG2r_hcgidhm7rK6QwwXZXzO0GZWseHiakPTYUrPVKgkPmxExfB0d1ai_ZV1AyE5ngMs7cH29zDfQGKNHRgAE/w400-h300/97967663-5EC1-486A-B027-2836CF6D24D1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmY5Ctai1W2G_4xKu_02aZBwZVwdEoVf5qzhdqtk3g1YQ6B8t86L5yjoqUnZ4GG8gPYHx_z7rJjlJ0GvE896YPrjm7A88Dgi0BPWiMzITpX-BVanP7R7-jolK4jqHe6GCmv-zDoAIdfx3h2Z9L-tdTdNhvslYXoiIUDU85cPW-LzdqhgjdogDJCjl/s4032/C8EA7320-D099-42C5-AA73-C3F9CE91E250.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmY5Ctai1W2G_4xKu_02aZBwZVwdEoVf5qzhdqtk3g1YQ6B8t86L5yjoqUnZ4GG8gPYHx_z7rJjlJ0GvE896YPrjm7A88Dgi0BPWiMzITpX-BVanP7R7-jolK4jqHe6GCmv-zDoAIdfx3h2Z9L-tdTdNhvslYXoiIUDU85cPW-LzdqhgjdogDJCjl/w400-h300/C8EA7320-D099-42C5-AA73-C3F9CE91E250.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Nz_3AeRvKPmq-CnK88SaSYvpS_Cxnu-d3jWLwdLV2iPb94fmatP_ZmGRUUAq5q-wddlm1MGDeqOHCKMTRiJoESBQzir8V9TP-FZpwqVtkzf1Fo2HM0jxevPrlQbNyhnYKAiFLH2URyyqAFQCJRLzomDM9VKNh6Ka-kATVoyUOYyQxdqx6iXYruce/s4032/82C00875-68AD-4971-A079-BD67CB827DDE.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Nz_3AeRvKPmq-CnK88SaSYvpS_Cxnu-d3jWLwdLV2iPb94fmatP_ZmGRUUAq5q-wddlm1MGDeqOHCKMTRiJoESBQzir8V9TP-FZpwqVtkzf1Fo2HM0jxevPrlQbNyhnYKAiFLH2URyyqAFQCJRLzomDM9VKNh6Ka-kATVoyUOYyQxdqx6iXYruce/s320/82C00875-68AD-4971-A079-BD67CB827DDE.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">(Sorry so small. Nothing cooperates with me anymore.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Have a blessed final day of August. Here's to a splendid September! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Love,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Vee</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-67295087689360311242022-08-03T06:30:00.062-04:002022-08-03T06:30:00.259-04:00Wednesday Hodge Podge<p><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> Let's Get Started...</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;">1. Do you have a sister? Tell us something about her. If you don't have a sister, tell us about a friend who has been</span><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"> like </i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;">a sister. Or tell us about a sister-in-</span><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;">law</i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"> if you have one who is extra special. </span></span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">2. Re<i>sister</i>, as<i>sister</i>, in<i>sister</i>, per<i>sister</i>...choose one of the words listed and explain how it relates to you and your life lately. </span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">3. Share a favorite song, book, movie, or television program that features sisters.</span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">4. August 3rd is national watermelon day...are you a fan? Do you like watermelon flavored candy? Besides eating the melon as is, do you have a good recipe made with watermelon? </span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">5. 'Tis August...what are three things you're looking forward to this month? </span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">6. Insert your own random thought here. </span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">1. Yes, I have a sister who shows up from time to time here on the blog. If you peek in the "Who" folder in my sidebar, you'll see her photos. And her grands who are four years old and two years old are also there. (It's lovely to have little folks in the family again.) We have weekly visits when life allows. On Wednesdays as it so happens. Alas, illness struck this week. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">My sister has been a great blessing to me in my health journey often taking me to doctor appointments, hair appointments, and grocery shopping. She has also done laundry, dishes, and cleaning. Sometimes it helps to have a nurse in the family. ツ</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">2. Resister—one must be willing to resist in this bizarre day and age. Whenever possible, I throw sand into the mechanism, if needed. No, I am not explaining.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">3. </span><u style="font-family: Merriweather;">Little Women</u><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">, of course. I am thinking that this will be the number one response. </span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEnA1jotnY2zMyN8G8urhPqx73UnqK_tuosV8H5W9SJYf7ucDFjAA9L8i9YA33cAdakoH-VUqrPSAHBJSuTH007Tej7S6zAUhW9SkVxBuPreUXYqYylxrQ99-nOCWAnu4ya1qAF4n2HxNj4jDad6rkTcptO3DSuxzrc-zKwuicWH7XqdiyXjBhY2J/s768/Little%20Women.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="768" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEnA1jotnY2zMyN8G8urhPqx73UnqK_tuosV8H5W9SJYf7ucDFjAA9L8i9YA33cAdakoH-VUqrPSAHBJSuTH007Tej7S6zAUhW9SkVxBuPreUXYqYylxrQ99-nOCWAnu4ya1qAF4n2HxNj4jDad6rkTcptO3DSuxzrc-zKwuicWH7XqdiyXjBhY2J/w640-h350/Little%20Women.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><i style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;">Go out more, keep cheerful as well as busy, for you are the sunshine-maker of the family, and if you get dismal there is no fair weather.</i></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); text-size-adjust: auto;">~ </span><span class="authorOrTitle" face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">Louisa May Alcott, </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><span id="quote_book_link_1934" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); text-size-adjust: auto;"><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3244642" style="text-decoration: none;"><u>Little Women</u></a></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">4. Yes, I love watermelon. No, I do not enjoy watermelon flavored anything. No, I have no recipes that employ watermelon in the ingredients list.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">5. Picnics, Picnics, Picnics</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw--89a4EoLSHjD1L0jRyII1UtzzqjetEFEa8-TqiXQGUVLDnmZzJRxPktOsrQgkLrsU15RbEHOIh0yvW4vuL_z_xTFzIhskrPhcYAeHJdhQBiH8Nf_LBpDLd8YPOoqFC-NETG8GcQKRXmq2cOktxMRzxA12psCPP2mb6lrnstaaljflH-lZ8WoBcQ/s799/Picnic.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="799" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw--89a4EoLSHjD1L0jRyII1UtzzqjetEFEa8-TqiXQGUVLDnmZzJRxPktOsrQgkLrsU15RbEHOIh0yvW4vuL_z_xTFzIhskrPhcYAeHJdhQBiH8Nf_LBpDLd8YPOoqFC-NETG8GcQKRXmq2cOktxMRzxA12psCPP2mb6lrnstaaljflH-lZ8WoBcQ/w640-h454/Picnic.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>6. Many random thoughts wander about in my old head. Coming in for a landing would be too much of a challenge today. Trust me! </span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Thank you for reading. Please join Joyce <a href="http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/" target="_blank">*here.*</a> </span></p>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-16374721074616279862022-07-29T06:23:00.061-04:002022-07-29T07:51:20.854-04:00Tea (Iced these days of course) and Toast<blockquote><p><br /></p></blockquote><blockquote><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;">When the girl returned, some hours later, she carried a tray, with a cup of fragrant tea steaming on it; and a plate piled up with very hot buttered toast, cut thickly, very brown on both sides, with the butter running through the holes in it in great golden drops, like honey from the honeycomb. ~Kenneth Grahame from <u>Wind in the Willows</u> </span></i></blockquote><blockquote><p><br /></p></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">These days, all recipes need to be quick and easy and since I like nothing better than toasted bread, this one from *Celebrating Appalachia* was perfect. The minute Tipper mentioned "grilled jelly sandwiches" I was all ears. I had never eaten one before; I had never even heard of it before. </span> </span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aNDKeB4FtVM" width="320" youtube-src-id="aNDKeB4FtVM"></iframe></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This is how mine turned out. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx13qKuqZTq7_Ttr6mnVurXJaVmBqYOL0jknWh3OQwKOjcuaSpsKZ3pK0Cir_OUXS9i6n-BkY8gQecIiFbKAJExV2pa3MyN1LY3hqg864Na3B-9MANUMLSDMBCl9pXPdew_gVoMQsn_O4-PVWF0W0JGA8SqPHaMHUoj_Y9DEq1cXQ6GRIVaYc6pBGb/s799/1.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="799" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx13qKuqZTq7_Ttr6mnVurXJaVmBqYOL0jknWh3OQwKOjcuaSpsKZ3pK0Cir_OUXS9i6n-BkY8gQecIiFbKAJExV2pa3MyN1LY3hqg864Na3B-9MANUMLSDMBCl9pXPdew_gVoMQsn_O4-PVWF0W0JGA8SqPHaMHUoj_Y9DEq1cXQ6GRIVaYc6pBGb/s320/1.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfNwJP3x6ru1yyEFbPo4wYGhkU5FZjhBNV8nLnuyjzsGU6M-2nvy0r9f7o1cfoHIEJjZ14LFm2yApqLkORxMb2BIDWU777gS75Qfgzo6ekWa91Hu6jp23FWYXAqpNP-t2pMEwoDED9_v5EMBz2uiXnO78hmETdaeNloEXDM6fmdAar4ZU7T6pC9vJ/s799/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfNwJP3x6ru1yyEFbPo4wYGhkU5FZjhBNV8nLnuyjzsGU6M-2nvy0r9f7o1cfoHIEJjZ14LFm2yApqLkORxMb2BIDWU777gS75Qfgzo6ekWa91Hu6jp23FWYXAqpNP-t2pMEwoDED9_v5EMBz2uiXnO78hmETdaeNloEXDM6fmdAar4ZU7T6pC9vJ/s320/2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqyP0e2Zcmdm_w22PyzgEeAE3nQDpzVIm3uVXf49PnD2LiYW-hMvz5Qtd01nXDYv4uTcuKNhdsISpqV13B9OGSAmt8USnSsP4GjyEzhIm0IwmW2iw6O6sEEXI8yNLDS__aOkrQ9tPY6Rws4Qu8tuXfUl5SeYCTotEWiG0bem_dT7_DupHQcHTPDj1/s799/3.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqyP0e2Zcmdm_w22PyzgEeAE3nQDpzVIm3uVXf49PnD2LiYW-hMvz5Qtd01nXDYv4uTcuKNhdsISpqV13B9OGSAmt8USnSsP4GjyEzhIm0IwmW2iw6O6sEEXI8yNLDS__aOkrQ9tPY6Rws4Qu8tuXfUl5SeYCTotEWiG0bem_dT7_DupHQcHTPDj1/s320/3.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"> </span></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Perfectly Scrumptious!</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;">💞💞💞💞💞</p><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><a href="https://ahavenforvee.blogspot.com/2015/09/september-so-soon.html" target="_blank">Seven years ago</a>, my grandsons, John, and I visited Quaker Ridge. I was wondering about that yesterday when my sister and her grands and I enjoyed a picnic there once again. Sis's grandson is on antibiotics and so they had to be careful of sun exposure. No beach! The hilltop proved to be the most perfect of summer days. It was a full ten degrees cooler than in the valley with pleasant breezes and beautiful cloud formations. The children enjoyed themselves tremendously and so did I.</span></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VN4AyE2FAFjV1fZglQWyVBWeC5kOl72PEICV1EP1fuT41iLUIxcBWHyq4NH4fsV6z6wTD0hLO32iNJ4M3ilw0UcEDlD7lKiQ7fa-tCEeqdeupf0gMbiVofYrpp5vYak7EnG5L4PahVQzZ7j6yabV2EWl1oiNEyqAscOAVahAkiW4VhQsFVlj6nlh/s799/idyllic%20day.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VN4AyE2FAFjV1fZglQWyVBWeC5kOl72PEICV1EP1fuT41iLUIxcBWHyq4NH4fsV6z6wTD0hLO32iNJ4M3ilw0UcEDlD7lKiQ7fa-tCEeqdeupf0gMbiVofYrpp5vYak7EnG5L4PahVQzZ7j6yabV2EWl1oiNEyqAscOAVahAkiW4VhQsFVlj6nlh/w640-h480/idyllic%20day.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Thank you for popping by. Let me know how your summer is going!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Love,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Vee</span></p><p> </p>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-56325443185725049982022-07-04T06:52:00.023-04:002022-07-04T06:52:00.264-04:00Some Thoughts on Independence Day 2022<p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;">I am an American. I recognize only one loyalty higher than allegiance to our flag — faith in God. I acknowledge that America and God, the physical and the spiritual, are inseparable. America was founded by people of faith and grew to greatness by His grace. I pray that we will always be the instruments of His will.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;">I am an American. I weep over the fact that American history is no longer taught in our schools. In its place is a worldly, cynical skepticism inculcated by authors and educators at war with our basic values.</span><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;" /><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;">I am an American. I cringe at the collection of connivers, cowards, clowns and quacks that passes for our political leadership. I wonder that so many of my compatriots have no idea what America means and show no gratitude for the blessings that are theirs.</span><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;" /><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;">I am an American. My ranks grow thin; the night closes in. Whether I will be the last of my kind or the vanguard of their resurgence, only time will tell.”</span><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;" /><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;">~Don Feder</span></span></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxH8sUesa_9a5y5MpgFsYvNt44YR_POseS630BrAAoYP1rAg1CsF-2NOYaAXCW9i6jOHnVcE7Met66SAAz9A9Txt6fu9B6qhuo1N01xQBMMq7K8K6yQFcLzqsv0CDs-lYhY2wTRkQS2zbBfvz7qWjSsplrOEMXx6pc3OiNfEjLFK2VgbT8NrauvgYq/s2194/6F2E6B55-6B5B-4CAE-9581-083CF9EBBE8A.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2081" data-original-width="2194" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxH8sUesa_9a5y5MpgFsYvNt44YR_POseS630BrAAoYP1rAg1CsF-2NOYaAXCW9i6jOHnVcE7Met66SAAz9A9Txt6fu9B6qhuo1N01xQBMMq7K8K6yQFcLzqsv0CDs-lYhY2wTRkQS2zbBfvz7qWjSsplrOEMXx6pc3OiNfEjLFK2VgbT8NrauvgYq/s320/6F2E6B55-6B5B-4CAE-9581-083CF9EBBE8A.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m15mze-ZdHQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="m15mze-ZdHQ"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">A blessed Independence Day!</span></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><span face=""Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-size: 14.6667px;"></span>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-83562555915668830042022-06-30T08:33:00.006-04:002022-06-30T08:39:23.994-04:00Peeking In<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><i>tempus locus veritas </i> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">(Time reveals the truth)</span><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFR-HL13e0gg3Q-GFJsyrgZhTMKT6Za95IjrckxFQ7BAnyjiNmS5ghJInjHhOGKzoSf5XSe5jQghuQoopwTuXEuHIqcNyKlk7EBcC57z5ddQh4NfZ9F5LsU1mJqbMc95S8bn2ySdUu9C9VIErT7GuF5YIODRUJp63rJGjPGZRjL4l5zU6NSzhTOk5/s4032/465C9B18-F107-467B-A8DD-69045EA59AD2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFR-HL13e0gg3Q-GFJsyrgZhTMKT6Za95IjrckxFQ7BAnyjiNmS5ghJInjHhOGKzoSf5XSe5jQghuQoopwTuXEuHIqcNyKlk7EBcC57z5ddQh4NfZ9F5LsU1mJqbMc95S8bn2ySdUu9C9VIErT7GuF5YIODRUJp63rJGjPGZRjL4l5zU6NSzhTOk5/w640-h480/465C9B18-F107-467B-A8DD-69045EA59AD2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurel's Rose</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: large;">One of my hopes for these times is that the truth will be revealed. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: large;"><span>Golly! Is it the last day of June? Unbelievable. June has been a rough month for a few of us. I am praying mightily. I know a number of us are dealing with health issues. God is good </span><span>and He hears us when we pray.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: large;"><span>I spent the month hobbling about using canes. Nothing like a torn hamstring to lay a person low. Last night, La</span><span>urel informed me that she has been diagnosed with Shingles. Good heavens! </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: large;">So the 4th of July may become the 20th of July for our family. In the meantime, I am wishing you and yours a blessed 4th, in spite of everything.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script;">Love,</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script;">Vee</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;">Comments are closed today because this post is a formatting mess and I am frustrated. 😏</p>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-33644161051763006142022-05-31T09:55:00.000-04:002022-05-31T09:55:21.857-04:00Closing Out May<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This post is being written on the Sunday evening before Memorial Day. I am not sad to see May go. I have explained my challenge with May before so will spare you another explanation. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG264OBQ-GE9D99WO0dBEDJlvu2m11JhWXJnRRUik2LZW0XbnGzqEZhkKOMl8FLRutU5Jn7fex6DEd_hmvPaZlacI-K6fjanbe5bo3_c7bJ6BHdjBYlnsYBft-uQOShS2K-sNzd-tyhNSLhlExu41jLNa8imrkD3MoB1Zl-Qed1XMLlADPSnE29L2s/s799/mothers%20day%20flowers%20for%20the%20summer.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="799" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG264OBQ-GE9D99WO0dBEDJlvu2m11JhWXJnRRUik2LZW0XbnGzqEZhkKOMl8FLRutU5Jn7fex6DEd_hmvPaZlacI-K6fjanbe5bo3_c7bJ6BHdjBYlnsYBft-uQOShS2K-sNzd-tyhNSLhlExu41jLNa8imrkD3MoB1Zl-Qed1XMLlADPSnE29L2s/w640-h536/mothers%20day%20flowers%20for%20the%20summer.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">At this point in my blogging journey, I am documenting life like a journal. I used to think that this blog would not be a diary of daily details. Right. Silly me. I wanted to talk about books, current events, and ideas. Instead, I am too worried about what you think so I post current events comments on a back page. As for books, others do a beautiful job reviewing books. Ideas, I haven't had any lately. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJWjaKGmEALtly4hAYvz8mVTnqM0qlLvsq7SSWiXr1SUJu_aBDWxhSimnwe9XqZ4IXTTyiQ56YwThKD28zlTNG5cJqWTUL-45a7hY58yiPBoO56Ty7lloOkRk1RCaV3fsEmgFQt4KDdB3jPtqFdVqJoKzoxOi9J9thHff_dJu2wv9qUo3Ge51sFFO/s799/Mothers%20Day%20Bouquet.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="799" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJWjaKGmEALtly4hAYvz8mVTnqM0qlLvsq7SSWiXr1SUJu_aBDWxhSimnwe9XqZ4IXTTyiQ56YwThKD28zlTNG5cJqWTUL-45a7hY58yiPBoO56Ty7lloOkRk1RCaV3fsEmgFQt4KDdB3jPtqFdVqJoKzoxOi9J9thHff_dJu2wv9qUo3Ge51sFFO/w640-h512/Mothers%20Day%20Bouquet.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">An overview of my dining and kitchen area. Now that's one thing I know better: this is not a pretty home blog where style is the thing. ッ</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2-MChKSid13-LgQohw-tUj9Ownu0R1DbtQie6y3xuZzuRC8PlNGH6a_lKfDPWj0lnwpycUwIk-0EJPE8Xb3LRyoAAtgptIi4tauL60XfTQFgJM83QyY9LKrxZWsN0dy1pDzSJEWqikZYnMgV3bYAbDxfK9tfh0O1t3IHokYdMutYYM9mG7yG6slu/s799/Remnants.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2-MChKSid13-LgQohw-tUj9Ownu0R1DbtQie6y3xuZzuRC8PlNGH6a_lKfDPWj0lnwpycUwIk-0EJPE8Xb3LRyoAAtgptIi4tauL60XfTQFgJM83QyY9LKrxZWsN0dy1pDzSJEWqikZYnMgV3bYAbDxfK9tfh0O1t3IHokYdMutYYM9mG7yG6slu/w640-h480/Remnants.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjw8BFn6pl7TRESVpy3eDB0TTcMahFGTlEBZG9gbUAw7o2hzB3GNvjeA4LSK9WVpeZvc0cbaRhCGbFczwgRw_VY5eYpGOSA0g4wnQRZKjheqbBn4aH3KtMUumcGe3NglKxOUEzLyxIIzoLD09O4zQRH34W3TrYtjCfHNy8g4jQbaS2OlYxdwOVaKd/s799/Last%20wall%20standing.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjw8BFn6pl7TRESVpy3eDB0TTcMahFGTlEBZG9gbUAw7o2hzB3GNvjeA4LSK9WVpeZvc0cbaRhCGbFczwgRw_VY5eYpGOSA0g4wnQRZKjheqbBn4aH3KtMUumcGe3NglKxOUEzLyxIIzoLD09O4zQRH34W3TrYtjCfHNy8g4jQbaS2OlYxdwOVaKd/w640-h480/Last%20wall%20standing.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">There have been a few current events. If you read a few years ago where the <a href="https://ahavenforvee.blogspot.com/2018/10/pardon-whiplash.html" target="_blank">paper mill in town burned down</a>, the owner has finally gotten around to the removal of the remnants. I caught the action when the last wall was standing. Cleanup is in progress.</span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSaLW6POZTiNPVSLbo4t0wE5-zn0tccLH7O3d0wd1s4uDSg5uyJVpvpii8JjTxcGbCYKF9C0vfVjSLdOx3bVqs0kPXgbRZPyqola7RO7m6_yxAhrnJ7pO3FdaZnMj5jZ1Dt6-VHHEWwmSR15s_5nsBwr_Pb_Pb9RnSOUQoyv6_9Qov3HDlG2DA1Ga/s799/raised%20bed%20and%20potting%20bench%20by%20John.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSaLW6POZTiNPVSLbo4t0wE5-zn0tccLH7O3d0wd1s4uDSg5uyJVpvpii8JjTxcGbCYKF9C0vfVjSLdOx3bVqs0kPXgbRZPyqola7RO7m6_yxAhrnJ7pO3FdaZnMj5jZ1Dt6-VHHEWwmSR15s_5nsBwr_Pb_Pb9RnSOUQoyv6_9Qov3HDlG2DA1Ga/w640-h480/raised%20bed%20and%20potting%20bench%20by%20John.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Any old year at all, you can find the same sorts of images here. It was exhausting washing all the fence plates so I packed up a lot of them. Apparently, all that talk of decluttering has finally reached my consciousness.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzissFGhPxBoQDMywZt6D4KFB-jEjORFZ1vMlHCzxAZaK5brFCCr2vQYJ-l7vheUWHl6Nn9KEH2kYq_iW-_ighBut_ydMD_IwMe8Z5RrouA4ydo7pe1GXBT-FASz319bmaokkd3rB-TgbjZiYItuT99qxFvwFAH0e4MPR1e9wLvf9cQPlzXrjVEFz/s799/back%20yard%20room.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzissFGhPxBoQDMywZt6D4KFB-jEjORFZ1vMlHCzxAZaK5brFCCr2vQYJ-l7vheUWHl6Nn9KEH2kYq_iW-_ighBut_ydMD_IwMe8Z5RrouA4ydo7pe1GXBT-FASz319bmaokkd3rB-TgbjZiYItuT99qxFvwFAH0e4MPR1e9wLvf9cQPlzXrjVEFz/w640-h480/back%20yard%20room.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGmIcbLeJCxtO521hfn24S9ZbkhceQCPbVn3jVhBg7LKDOSvlzNbpnJH-3Gn4NdgKUGngtbk26gRUV4zlJ7WTDp79z2m6Wfdv8huc1rJTBQyTt2W2Pa8IClKVTe4zp2LWreLe794OyctSEvOimIzUCUzSjclf1lCNma1H5hh8qz0_ed2gsGKL6iD_/s799/lilacs%20purple.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGmIcbLeJCxtO521hfn24S9ZbkhceQCPbVn3jVhBg7LKDOSvlzNbpnJH-3Gn4NdgKUGngtbk26gRUV4zlJ7WTDp79z2m6Wfdv8huc1rJTBQyTt2W2Pa8IClKVTe4zp2LWreLe794OyctSEvOimIzUCUzSjclf1lCNma1H5hh8qz0_ed2gsGKL6iD_/w640-h480/lilacs%20purple.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRlgx7SXrP3VU1DeKZ6HuEo3hnqaXxDZJY4kEw3BWDtVKQviU_wf-PJP5mjYjRNC3rRvja508Vxu_g2rX72rVrDOLuXE6quNH7t9sxfstQGOgd2wY0pBeRQvI0pH3mCK8TR_HuTfSBRzYDZx8xwibZHqAMoEnFvXepE8fCt5D3SFIgsKmNcgWNv5M/s799/junked%20up%20lilac%20tree.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRlgx7SXrP3VU1DeKZ6HuEo3hnqaXxDZJY4kEw3BWDtVKQviU_wf-PJP5mjYjRNC3rRvja508Vxu_g2rX72rVrDOLuXE6quNH7t9sxfstQGOgd2wY0pBeRQvI0pH3mCK8TR_HuTfSBRzYDZx8xwibZHqAMoEnFvXepE8fCt5D3SFIgsKmNcgWNv5M/w640-h480/junked%20up%20lilac%20tree.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">⚘⚘⚘</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The poem below was marked by John; I found it just last week. It blessed me. So like John, too. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">John and Jim</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">He didn't do much for Jim, perhaps,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> When he met him yesterday.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">It wasn't much for John to do,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> As he hurried along life's way. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">Yet, oh, what a help it was to Jim,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> John probably never will know,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">For John's on top, while Jim is down,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> And figures the world's his foe.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">His friends, he thinks, have turned away,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> And some may have, that's true,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">But some are loyal; they just don't know,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> The trouble he's wading through.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">So yesterday, when John met Jim,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> And stopped for a glad, "hello,"</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">And grasped his hand and talked a bit,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> If just for a moment or so,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">And told him how good it seemed again</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> To see him, and have a chat,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">About old times, they used to know,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> Of fishing, and this and that,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">It wasn't so much for John to do,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> Not much, perhaps, to him, </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">But he'll never know, what a help it was,</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> And what it did for Jim. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> ~Orrin Alden DeMass</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;">⚘⚘⚘</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I am tossing in a few Memorial Day photos. My family was invited to my sister's place. Adam and Michelle, Sam, Jake and I rode over together. I very much appreciated hitching a ride. Laurel had to work. Bummer. Keanne was in New York. Also a bummer. The rest of us enjoyed a good afternoon.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZqSbBCwA_nMMPERrSw8YX7QfqEI45HnS68edANk6EL0hYA1K0hdShjWQ7Nh4Oq__7OcFBJKL7nCxML-w1UZrflK0lFojIHGrVUyvyKmM9cwNBsXiPYgI-_R3wU9vkv0-cAA8chdZQjnNXTHJVKrVjtdgZ4Y_LkGMD6MaGca4xf-dhXKCsqfWLG72/s799/Kim%20getting%20her%20table%20set%20up.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="799" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZqSbBCwA_nMMPERrSw8YX7QfqEI45HnS68edANk6EL0hYA1K0hdShjWQ7Nh4Oq__7OcFBJKL7nCxML-w1UZrflK0lFojIHGrVUyvyKmM9cwNBsXiPYgI-_R3wU9vkv0-cAA8chdZQjnNXTHJVKrVjtdgZ4Y_LkGMD6MaGca4xf-dhXKCsqfWLG72/w640-h496/Kim%20getting%20her%20table%20set%20up.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rtJHKOkZ7vttaEuCapVumUG294tekbNK4jiuWgpYxs4_hbwdS1mQHtPGKTWXACrfHCfHcvFFnSMuEAtmxBE0O90fUmX14NF9SYhJeFs1p3QZm334l-54kJPlQ5q9eHXow1psIN5Qq40ZvwGtfKnwunqDDM3f7oJBW2RyVNPxcCzxhLDg06wDyfwk/s799/lots%20of%20chatting.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="799" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rtJHKOkZ7vttaEuCapVumUG294tekbNK4jiuWgpYxs4_hbwdS1mQHtPGKTWXACrfHCfHcvFFnSMuEAtmxBE0O90fUmX14NF9SYhJeFs1p3QZm334l-54kJPlQ5q9eHXow1psIN5Qq40ZvwGtfKnwunqDDM3f7oJBW2RyVNPxcCzxhLDg06wDyfwk/w640-h580/lots%20of%20chatting.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQc-D9xRoBe4Q7L_EY3BOdjxxCva_g9TfCf0S4nJi81Q5M5Dtiu0u89VdW2OHAUhAwMHCl_kDGhri3gL1OEu1-g_PMaYsNfhetKQ9bMm8dNYvn-dNWxVFtTtxvau3b4iVhKY-T7-bOasouwFSKQWJWMHG7_oquQBIJ8sr6PgPkfksUZz_IdpcFqX6U/s799/Play%20Ball%20png.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="799" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQc-D9xRoBe4Q7L_EY3BOdjxxCva_g9TfCf0S4nJi81Q5M5Dtiu0u89VdW2OHAUhAwMHCl_kDGhri3gL1OEu1-g_PMaYsNfhetKQ9bMm8dNYvn-dNWxVFtTtxvau3b4iVhKY-T7-bOasouwFSKQWJWMHG7_oquQBIJ8sr6PgPkfksUZz_IdpcFqX6U/w640-h496/Play%20Ball%20png.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxVgCnRfgvNhaML4r5filE3cKfXyggE35L5fKN9sT_7gfjjHaYSD6mOAuQdAbz-rYCGvZDI5h4oN87TT90WSg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Playing Ball and Bouncing </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzMCcRMeJdvoS7gEPJgId3sezX94Q-YcZJTd4t5xfc_Zj5NJGRettaVPqInQGh92P78_VtN5bzDHlHkqx_9XQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXsjk6t6nnFn9gVgcXeSBFDxi0ugA9quzX_1Bd9Gid912oh8NSDUqEY3S85PzqwDkOC3PE5KwF48EbWfsnJNCAAjM1EcGYmy49-Pwt2MKYfOfLk2V3rh91k8wAADtJXXvFW8T4gOiNtBcoVCyIP-yYf1Ia4_yA3jbg96aJkJTlODZRl0wIGzsVmKd/s799/horse%20chestnut%20tree.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXsjk6t6nnFn9gVgcXeSBFDxi0ugA9quzX_1Bd9Gid912oh8NSDUqEY3S85PzqwDkOC3PE5KwF48EbWfsnJNCAAjM1EcGYmy49-Pwt2MKYfOfLk2V3rh91k8wAADtJXXvFW8T4gOiNtBcoVCyIP-yYf1Ia4_yA3jbg96aJkJTlODZRl0wIGzsVmKd/w640-h480/horse%20chestnut%20tree.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Horse Chestnut Tree and Blooms</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KlED5Okj-351hmrUSEH1g1gnQdb4hDD7J2VbnmdNJ-Z7F_5alNopPuSjqfw_Ip9n1IBcY9b4s6asK8Y_iaE2u4AQqwSQ2AKgngeowpJbfcuyZsaZl3H8SQWkCOi-IcKVwp1P1FXthUZXm-1fixsdf2_fQwh1lOhSUceDS5E3rYkX6MUJGWdrQYgj/s799/horse%20chestnut%20%20blooms.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KlED5Okj-351hmrUSEH1g1gnQdb4hDD7J2VbnmdNJ-Z7F_5alNopPuSjqfw_Ip9n1IBcY9b4s6asK8Y_iaE2u4AQqwSQ2AKgngeowpJbfcuyZsaZl3H8SQWkCOi-IcKVwp1P1FXthUZXm-1fixsdf2_fQwh1lOhSUceDS5E3rYkX6MUJGWdrQYgj/w640-h480/horse%20chestnut%20%20blooms.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Thank you for visiting! </span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGVnIwuY9Ce6SAckuE-CUFzuywlJo5tJZsOVNWnXR0SeQ6YjW3u5p2zzBK71R6WcwBoWRgCGVh22pd4jp0RHSdNFaxQ6I_tRaZido080VQQZ8PHXTTKoe3DUeE1uLwG6WgNvtKx5UUQsefxhU0EhgGsyd2hfsQuaB8Q5_bNf4DwBXVMraSO7lyWYl/s799/push%20push%20mower.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="689" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGVnIwuY9Ce6SAckuE-CUFzuywlJo5tJZsOVNWnXR0SeQ6YjW3u5p2zzBK71R6WcwBoWRgCGVh22pd4jp0RHSdNFaxQ6I_tRaZido080VQQZ8PHXTTKoe3DUeE1uLwG6WgNvtKx5UUQsefxhU0EhgGsyd2hfsQuaB8Q5_bNf4DwBXVMraSO7lyWYl/w552-h640/push%20push%20mower.png" width="552" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The End</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Love,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Vee</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-16042011756302740312022-04-29T07:00:00.125-04:002022-04-29T09:02:58.506-04:00April in Maine<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> Still brown. And that's nearly all that I have to say about that. Warming is slow coming. The grass is looking rough. One good thing: the forsythia is beginning to bloom. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbp8XJjb2KrHVRKWTZDsP2KuBteGyeTmBe5z-eyjVkl2JX3m4IxmEkc2Y_tXlKW4VAi8gHNvqtyx4K2bqCxV5gYi5wDeslWMjV7jE-bKTf5kgACWQIDib8cJJT0VD2ij6Mec7nk0BvOMWGxh84pvQKjwIVantsfRwIQEpHWTGg34X7CV_Oa0_b187j/s799/pitiful%20Forsythia.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbp8XJjb2KrHVRKWTZDsP2KuBteGyeTmBe5z-eyjVkl2JX3m4IxmEkc2Y_tXlKW4VAi8gHNvqtyx4K2bqCxV5gYi5wDeslWMjV7jE-bKTf5kgACWQIDib8cJJT0VD2ij6Mec7nk0BvOMWGxh84pvQKjwIVantsfRwIQEpHWTGg34X7CV_Oa0_b187j/w400-h300/pitiful%20Forsythia.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You will have to look closely!</div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9RlEPvQwIJF1XfYI-uyd-nm76yjyQVs8k2pMAu8IJkhLprsEb2VsGyb4qA9CA-zTTp07yqIb6XE3B1tOXZFKXkTDTsTynerJay3roX8X8eQSsTTJ59RdEB-3HgCiuItbcvzcZIuX0DP7rNjEfDWEEG1k59YYK6_pa_PUBI7BJnH47zTudQJ49M9D/s799/winter%20kill.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9RlEPvQwIJF1XfYI-uyd-nm76yjyQVs8k2pMAu8IJkhLprsEb2VsGyb4qA9CA-zTTp07yqIb6XE3B1tOXZFKXkTDTsTynerJay3roX8X8eQSsTTJ59RdEB-3HgCiuItbcvzcZIuX0DP7rNjEfDWEEG1k59YYK6_pa_PUBI7BJnH47zTudQJ49M9D/w400-h300/winter%20kill.png" width="400" /></a></p><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The last of my mountain of </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">snow, created by the plow clearing my driveway, melted a week ago. It left a lot of winterkill in its wake. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I have slowly done my own yard work this year. I spend about an hour each morning sweeping, blowing, raking with good results. It eventually gets accomplished. Even the town crew has been along removing and cleaning all those piles of sand on the street's edge.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The winds of March blew all through March and straight through April. I have heard a lot about these winds from all across the country. I am not a fan of wind. It was blistering cold yesterday and it is even colder today. Snow showers are expected for tomorrow, the final day of April.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf25byWxhdp_fPHiuC5zvYIxCzl-GRf5SpqjNbjWY9YC4cBq79MVWgvek3B5ZFdjXzCVAqQAwgmHvoj_cWcn6h8cocnKGLq937RGD4XqNZWvuawy2Aek4FFAH5AjQwCLJ5AuyGXI-V2-PHxAuXJI_jbngYn00sezzEKb3EqbdEXbL3kpS0Gqt6nF0v/s799/rocking%20chair%20tipped.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf25byWxhdp_fPHiuC5zvYIxCzl-GRf5SpqjNbjWY9YC4cBq79MVWgvek3B5ZFdjXzCVAqQAwgmHvoj_cWcn6h8cocnKGLq937RGD4XqNZWvuawy2Aek4FFAH5AjQwCLJ5AuyGXI-V2-PHxAuXJI_jbngYn00sezzEKb3EqbdEXbL3kpS0Gqt6nF0v/w400-h300/rocking%20chair%20tipped.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">Porch Rocker Tipped</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">We should have celebrated a birthday last weekend, but schedules didn't work out so we'll be celebrating this weekend. I'm looking forward to that. A gal has to get out of the house once in a while. It will be the first time this April birthday will have been honored in May.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Easter Sunday, Laurel and I met at a local steakhouse for a delicious dinner. Afterward, when she walked me to my car, she exclaimed, "Mom, your car registration is way overdue. And so is your inspection." So I had those chores to tidy up in the week that followed. I really am slipping. Say, does your state require you to register your car yearly and have an inspection? The cost for the inspection was $12.50; the cost for the registration was $140.00. I consider the registration an extra tax that is unnecessary and punitive.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">What else do I have to share? </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Nothing.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I will try to catch a photo or two at the birthday party. I should not make these promises. Everyone in my family hates photos. ッ </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Thank you for reading. (I see that I have titles worked out for the next few months.)</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Here's to brighter days ahead!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Love,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Vee</span></p>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-17606064081883212252022-03-30T07:00:00.001-04:002022-03-30T07:00:00.248-04:00March in Maine<blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"> The color of March in my valley is brown...</span></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;">~ Gladys Taber</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Yes, mine, too, Gladys. Brown and ugly. Very. </span> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcD7eO3vGTpP5K-DK93dtVtmXspu6YqaP5GhCk1UkUWlmlPgzkcJBqBGK2sgz2xkniqUKtjkGk0xgcgb27hmu2tmwGAE7drAMBlcK0MAPXRM7a936dlqBaDyKz_A6WnjYNH6O9ujgU-FLmmGGByC27P6hZ_vF1yLYnHc52bddw0kpBGovc3VKpDwvL/s799/Brown%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="799" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcD7eO3vGTpP5K-DK93dtVtmXspu6YqaP5GhCk1UkUWlmlPgzkcJBqBGK2sgz2xkniqUKtjkGk0xgcgb27hmu2tmwGAE7drAMBlcK0MAPXRM7a936dlqBaDyKz_A6WnjYNH6O9ujgU-FLmmGGByC27P6hZ_vF1yLYnHc52bddw0kpBGovc3VKpDwvL/w640-h484/Brown%201.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back Yard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkdFXgRUijDspmvXD-bZnsZ_2vD9KlCUdjdxQR_QnsivS2uBKwIwqCXRvTVpFQkFxO5NOBaQ4-Yd_Z7cJoyC4WkF9xYeFxey5L0KVgQqld_jU4uZJ9XowPid_aIxlzKCR3_gLChoGU6ne0aHtq3hl5srp2oRD7_L9GR06Ef2wvYQzNJ9ZJPvgiPQl/s799/rhubarb%20is%20up.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="799" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkdFXgRUijDspmvXD-bZnsZ_2vD9KlCUdjdxQR_QnsivS2uBKwIwqCXRvTVpFQkFxO5NOBaQ4-Yd_Z7cJoyC4WkF9xYeFxey5L0KVgQqld_jU4uZJ9XowPid_aIxlzKCR3_gLChoGU6ne0aHtq3hl5srp2oRD7_L9GR06Ef2wvYQzNJ9ZJPvgiPQl/w640-h484/rhubarb%20is%20up.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhubarb is Up</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljpQbPB7X0hAHJ0MNit-7Z3Yew8BlUtm7wUBx4ae_lcbWQJ-dKJ5nOg9XvZCLBvIL-DZnh3_iqUGg5fOrpdRg6juRqFlzFYakKeFD9OdX38pVMw4xxVf3thxYPdia6krhEdhUILTfM0vV4ScoMF8q-IViqMBY_FLVG5pvp22JG96awOzv69iE6keU/s799/front%20lawn.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="799" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljpQbPB7X0hAHJ0MNit-7Z3Yew8BlUtm7wUBx4ae_lcbWQJ-dKJ5nOg9XvZCLBvIL-DZnh3_iqUGg5fOrpdRg6juRqFlzFYakKeFD9OdX38pVMw4xxVf3thxYPdia6krhEdhUILTfM0vV4ScoMF8q-IViqMBY_FLVG5pvp22JG96awOzv69iE6keU/w640-h484/front%20lawn.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front Yard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It would be tempting to whine a little. Okay, I may be pouting some.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Still I have a crockpot with a pot roast simmering on the counter. Thank you, <a href="https://www.kittyskozykitchen.com/2022/03/my-favorite-pot-roast.html" target="_blank">Kitty</a>. My son and his boys are going to enjoy a delicious meal tonight. 🙏</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And I have guests coming for lunch. Yippee! It's so cold today that the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AUICwXcktc&ab_channel=FOBOSPLANET" target="_blank">fake fire</a> will be crackling. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Warmer days are coming. ツ</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Love,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Vee</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><blockquote><p> </p></blockquote>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-68068944121296183562022-03-15T07:02:00.250-04:002022-10-31T08:53:04.544-04:00Possible Post and More<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Let's see if I can make sense of today's entry. I am always looking for blog worthy topics. I was looking for the recipe for the bread below because I prefer it to soda bread. It is, after all, time for such things. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl7ZqIm4NkHusgKCEVCSUVJ2I9qKp1G6LJ_mBNM1RowPnN3tcUlj995uHzQm2G7oZtI9xiAd50I2BpwlLIywe0i64w63fz_s30FvNj2f0cJAA0QPL_DRCgPjYn1FyEHAFiCS5LVH2d8DnOBKMTIbYR4Jk6UPYitK8ARmPUbgJqZkuwMQGHc5fFWaTI=s799" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="799" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl7ZqIm4NkHusgKCEVCSUVJ2I9qKp1G6LJ_mBNM1RowPnN3tcUlj995uHzQm2G7oZtI9xiAd50I2BpwlLIywe0i64w63fz_s30FvNj2f0cJAA0QPL_DRCgPjYn1FyEHAFiCS5LVH2d8DnOBKMTIbYR4Jk6UPYitK8ARmPUbgJqZkuwMQGHc5fFWaTI=w640-h488" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tea-Soaked Raisin Tea Brack</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEkBZFLt1uqkDBA_ufvGP3o0auePy18cRCNIpMOsZURXXdQHxBZ2FWIreJK2bw0WyitlaFFolsBUwgrdSqUkieMIHgW7DopxLVV-f345LxodIHamfmci_nVCpLX40WyZcQQpdVEUuaKk2fZgJPYj3hDuTXebar-k2coDz0TrzKPrIA-ljiSdO-NyKV=s799" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="799" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEkBZFLt1uqkDBA_ufvGP3o0auePy18cRCNIpMOsZURXXdQHxBZ2FWIreJK2bw0WyitlaFFolsBUwgrdSqUkieMIHgW7DopxLVV-f345LxodIHamfmci_nVCpLX40WyZcQQpdVEUuaKk2fZgJPYj3hDuTXebar-k2coDz0TrzKPrIA-ljiSdO-NyKV=s320" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Why, yes! I do love butter!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;">For whatever reason, writing is not as easy for me as it once was. So imagine my surprise when I found the post below hiding in a notebook just ahead of the recipe for the bread named above. How perfectly serendipitous. I wrote the post in June of 2018. I'm using it today. And what a title!</div></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">☘☘☘☘☘</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Possible Post</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;"><i>You and I are not what we eat; we are what we think</i>.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;"> ~Walter Anderson</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;"><i>Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?</i></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>~Winnie the Pooh </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1">As so often happens, I find a new think to think every time I read my favorite blogs. This time it was about thought itself: </span><span class="s2" style="font-style: italic;">what do I find myself thinking about?</span><span class="s1"> I had never truly considered it, but now that I have, I am surprised, even shocked. </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Perhaps the few things I share may also shock you. Perhaps you'll try paying attention to your own thought life. I was once told that if we could be privy to another's thoughts, we would be frightened to death. I believe it. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">For starters, I do not think in complete sentences. No. I think in little snatches of thoughts, sometimes in pictures.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">I am something like the White Rabbit who runs along looking at his watch saying, "I'm late. I'm late for a very important date." </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">"I've got to get going. Get <i>going</i>. Do <i>something</i>. <i>Move</i>. <i><b>Move</b></i>. <i>Get going</i>." Apparently, I am cracking a little whip on myself much of the time. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Sometimes I practice double think especially while reading, watching tv or listening to the radio. This may or may not be productive. Double think is a simple repeating of what is heard or read. "Many wonderful choices" is a fragment of a commercial, for example, that has been running through my head for about twenty minutes.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">There's also a fair amount of negative self-talk. Guard that stuff! I'll be paying closer attention. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">"Ouch. Ouch. Ouchie" figures prominently in my thought life. Lots of pain as I grow older...pain upon rising, bending, climbing stairs, you get the picture and may be able to relate.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">"Oh John. Oh Mom. Oh, Oh, Oh." Well this bit goes without saying.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">My prayer life is greatly reduced... sometimes only "Dear Lord." Then my wee little mind wanders off to some far less important thing.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: 21px;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> And what blogger caused me to ponder all this? </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Linda B! She wonders why she is not giving God the praise that He so richly deserves. I've been wondering the same thing. Obviously, I am much too busy with my fascinating thought life. 😏</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">You can find her post<a href="http://copingandpraying.blogspot.com/2018/06/crabgrass-or-blessings.html"><span class="s3"> *here</span></a>.*</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Happy summer! </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYnQS1wnHCXTeimbrrKGQ_kccKfcOg0m_RkKkXeHMkINHMJjqZRTT0pXYZqkis1otdRIuQHm8szj_J5Ei9nwvSH-KGRfNPPZi3Al9gf3h6hkakBIxPgEHhUXG6qL6HelAD59mWgCBkbTNDToaz8mzYbS1PKDLAZl1lhv65FgwG9bqtmkbsRnZUvjPU=s400" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="400" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYnQS1wnHCXTeimbrrKGQ_kccKfcOg0m_RkKkXeHMkINHMJjqZRTT0pXYZqkis1otdRIuQHm8szj_J5Ei9nwvSH-KGRfNPPZi3Al9gf3h6hkakBIxPgEHhUXG6qL6HelAD59mWgCBkbTNDToaz8mzYbS1PKDLAZl1lhv65FgwG9bqtmkbsRnZUvjPU=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;">Psalm 139</p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: medium;">☘☘☘☘☘</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Recipe for Tea-Soaked Raisin Tea Brack</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Tea-Soaked Raisin Tea Brack</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">1 cup raisins</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">1 cup strongly brewed tea</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">2 cups all-purpose flour</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">3 teaspoons baking powder</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">1 teaspoon salt</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">¾ cup brown sugar, packed</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">¼ teaspoon nutmeg</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">½ teaspoon cinnamon</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">1 egg </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Rolled oats for sprinkling</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Brew one cup of tea. Pour over raisins in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight or 8 hours. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the egg, raisins, and tea. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Then, pour into a prepared loaf pan. </span><span>Sprinkle rolled oats on the top of the loaf. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 25.1px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Place loaf in an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees. Bake until the top is browned, about 1½ hours. (Mine was done in 1 hour and twenty minutes.) When done, cool slightly and remove from loaf pan. Allow to complete cooling on a wire rack. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">(This recipe was amended from the one listed in my Recipe Box in the sidebar.)</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Have a blessed week and a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: Dancing Script;">Love,</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: Dancing Script;">Vee</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;" /></span></p>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-21609837904858000292022-02-28T16:14:00.002-05:002022-02-28T16:16:22.580-05:00A Brief Hello<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's now or never—last day of February and, if I hope to keep up with this break neck speed of one post a month, I need to put a word or two down. I think I'll close comments, though, because I don't want anyone </span><span style="font-size: large;">to try coming up with something when I am offering so little. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">February was quite cold and snowy. "It's Maine, it's winter," says my sister if I dare mention that it is cold or snowy. We did have a wonderful hint of spring a week or more ago with temps warming to 60° for a few days. Lots of snow melted. Now it is frigid and there's been more snow so the incessant dripping will happen all over again. Probably three times. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Usually on Wednesdays I have visitors. They climb my snow mountains and linger for lunch. My sister has become a covid grandmother like thousands of others. God bless them. Here are a few pics IF the platform will upload them. We'll see. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU3smcB-d6WKQ4n6kU3D1LAVFuviL5K18xMXhOG5ERkyma1o0rr-guRBmyx0zrc7VnnIv0XgdzNeslo7cYVV5fNhLVib-i7TcBeggdsKbxi8sr3Wocz_CnLODcPF9_fkUN2Mh40etU2NSTUyvOGu4jJ3_5Rc-EsrHSgalkTMXQees8900xNDR9XToq=s799" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU3smcB-d6WKQ4n6kU3D1LAVFuviL5K18xMXhOG5ERkyma1o0rr-guRBmyx0zrc7VnnIv0XgdzNeslo7cYVV5fNhLVib-i7TcBeggdsKbxi8sr3Wocz_CnLODcPF9_fkUN2Mh40etU2NSTUyvOGu4jJ3_5Rc-EsrHSgalkTMXQees8900xNDR9XToq=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtnzwm-dWC2aydF1Emd-17bhGFdO2VCvBstptDJBFosI77istfS8BTOVFTJQfNqHPe8e100YRExcsUZ0uZYORRhrNZCoZiyJSOFgzNFqiepRmh6OqlIAQ4bJyk9bmf-_pQZNp3BNscmKOBRegtx3x7-zF0p69KdlUa0fEKHdsFH2xcR2gX1wG1G5XY=s799" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="799" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtnzwm-dWC2aydF1Emd-17bhGFdO2VCvBstptDJBFosI77istfS8BTOVFTJQfNqHPe8e100YRExcsUZ0uZYORRhrNZCoZiyJSOFgzNFqiepRmh6OqlIAQ4bJyk9bmf-_pQZNp3BNscmKOBRegtx3x7-zF0p69KdlUa0fEKHdsFH2xcR2gX1wG1G5XY=w640-h438" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Thanks for stopping in. I will try to do better in March. Maybe. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Love,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Vee</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-53773980042535866632022-01-19T07:00:00.011-05:002022-01-19T07:00:00.268-05:00National Popcorn Day Et Cetera<p><b> <span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;">1. It's National Popcorn Day-my favorite! Are you a fan? Sweet or salty? A good or great movie you've seen recently (at home or in a theater, either one)? </span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>2. What's something you didn't realize was going to take so much of your time as an adult? </b></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>3. Your favorite yellow something? </b></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>4. Why do you write? </b></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>5. Share a favorite memory associated with snow.</b></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>6. Insert your own random thought here. </b></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></p><br style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;" /><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">1. Yes, I like popcorn a lot. My favorite is buttery so guess that best translates to salty. </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKpKNyYCvRGMhT3KPcTdLftFYWtVfsWXJMJqaDFHH_9LF-MtEwJdIRT5BOm4A6RKJ9r0s5-5yDlwTiyL1oKyIqp34TbdTuUl49srtUbjhXFcgo9kfDGCLtoA3tCTEiXulihF-udyGde1I6MEdT_wLWxyHmLCDcv9dNPWWjq8XncYhgWtGnJGXcanc3=s799" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKpKNyYCvRGMhT3KPcTdLftFYWtVfsWXJMJqaDFHH_9LF-MtEwJdIRT5BOm4A6RKJ9r0s5-5yDlwTiyL1oKyIqp34TbdTuUl49srtUbjhXFcgo9kfDGCLtoA3tCTEiXulihF-udyGde1I6MEdT_wLWxyHmLCDcv9dNPWWjq8XncYhgWtGnJGXcanc3=w640-h480" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The movie I watched recently on Netflix that I have since thought about more than a little bit is <i><a href="https://decider.com/2020/12/17/the-professor-and-the-madman-based-on-a-true-story/" target="_blank">The Professor and the Madman</a></i> with Mel Gibson and Sean Penn. </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">2. Home care or really the care of all those things for which I am responsible from the house to the car to the lawnmower. Sometimes, I can toss myself in there as well. Maintenance takes effort. </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">3. Yellow is my favorite color. Some yellows are nicer than others, I think. My preference is a buttery yellow over a lemon yellow. Yellow roses are delightful, lemony or buttery doesn't matter. </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">4. Lately I write because I am ashamed not to. I have become one of those bloggers that I used to poke requesting a new entry on their blogs. Did I ever poke you? Please forgive me. </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">5. Snow is king here in Maine for many months of the year. Now that I am olden, I definitely have many snow memories; however, why reinvent the wheel? <a href="https://ahavenforvee.blogspot.com/2015/02/tobogganing-over-snowy-roads.html" target="_blank">Tobogganing Over Snowy Roads</a> remains my favorite.</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">6. It is unwise to wish time away, still I am very pleased that we already are this far through January. Winter months are harsh and dreary and I am always looking forward to spring. </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Thanks to Joyce for coming up with this week's questions. You can find Joyce and the other participants here at <a href="http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/" target="_blank"> From This Side of the Pond</a>. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script;">Love, </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script;">Vee</span></div>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152193618785368659.post-37148368130570080672022-01-01T07:00:00.002-05:002022-01-01T08:26:30.381-05:00Smitten<p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVWvF3uxwCGYDzKknqoIW58FPqtf6e3Wpj2Y3mDTVIrmwlylM9_W82952fyOBy2um07QhhW66n-XMylLrN6is2wcXDlvvsI40xwom2qd912VZIJR9PJHnPGsSnElJ8PCOINSUfiTe7GF-kRgXLHY5XEGWdmrXD6z9MGBM7_KswlJZASR_vKBlCE2dK=s799" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="799" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVWvF3uxwCGYDzKknqoIW58FPqtf6e3Wpj2Y3mDTVIrmwlylM9_W82952fyOBy2um07QhhW66n-XMylLrN6is2wcXDlvvsI40xwom2qd912VZIJR9PJHnPGsSnElJ8PCOINSUfiTe7GF-kRgXLHY5XEGWdmrXD6z9MGBM7_KswlJZASR_vKBlCE2dK=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The amaryllis bloomed again in time for the new year. I am totally smitten by this gorgeous plant. Next year, if there is a next year, I'll pick up a waxed one so that I don't have to fret so over watering or not watering. Above is the new </span><span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">flower</span> </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">blooming. Below the final photo on the bottom right shows the first flower and, if you look closely, you can see the second stalk growing up beside the first stalk...just a wee thing. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">So, if I believed in signs (I don't), I'd take this as a good one for the new year.ッ</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPP07k6KxNPdDS9A2CF8UK3YUqGkSXekk2ExYs-CHSA_fT72sKPgLd5gOqAwJDhjWnlAfEjBzHOVI4yefGoOU9G4EbcdMwbj6tYlBLxRBFJJIzStemkg67MFvPdFgEamcb3qDoT5za8LmspjDVufabZS9hR8xNFAKGO2q47lkMrfbSmnE2CRhUNIh2=s799" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="799" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPP07k6KxNPdDS9A2CF8UK3YUqGkSXekk2ExYs-CHSA_fT72sKPgLd5gOqAwJDhjWnlAfEjBzHOVI4yefGoOU9G4EbcdMwbj6tYlBLxRBFJJIzStemkg67MFvPdFgEamcb3qDoT5za8LmspjDVufabZS9hR8xNFAKGO2q47lkMrfbSmnE2CRhUNIh2=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;">A blessed </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: x-large;">2022</span><span style="font-family: Playfair Display; font-size: large;"> to you!</span></div></div><br /><p></p>Veehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618654361869856894noreply@blogger.com