february blizzard

Today we are reeling from the effects of an historical blizzard that hit over 20 states, including our humble abode.  As of this moment, it is the third largest blizzard in our history, and the snow is still coming down.  What makes this so extreme is the gusty 50 mph winds that cause drifts.  I was quite worried last night as I awaited the call to get Wayne from the train station and luckily the roads allowed me to bring my hubby back home safely.  Mike and Margarita brought Ozis; Dan and Darcy were dancing in the snow last night; and Steve and our dogs kept checking the status and wondering why we were having a party.  It was heartwarming to have all my loves under one roof safe and sound together for a slumber party.  We enjoyed hot cocoa with whipped creme and sat by the fireside listening to the whistling wind.  Baby even chimed in by kicking all night long. 

Mike and Wayne played warriors this morning and tackled the drifts and made paths for now and they enjoyed every minute of it - boys will be boys.  Now they will enjoy a brewski and nice salad and a huge bowl of spaghetti to warm their bellies.  Everyone else is still asleep.  I made a little path so the pups can do their doo doo.  This whole event is quite exciting, for it makes us take pause and keeps us together.  We are making some great memories and they will remember it for years to come, just as we did during the famous Blizzard of 1967, which still holds the honor as the greatest storm in our lifetime.  I got a kick out of how the media kept referring this as the Blizzard of the Century when this century just turned 11 years old.  Giggles. 

Darcy and Steve were thrilled to get dressed up in warm layers and make a snowman, which turned into Miss Margaret, the snow woman.  The sun is shining and it brings back fond memories of when the boys were little and endlessly played in the snow.  They would get all dressed up, play outside, get undressed, come in for hot chocolate, then begin again - endless playtime.  The doggies keep going in and out to join their party.  I am taking tons of pictures but the photo blogger is not working right now so I'll table my photo share. 

Enjoy this extraordinary day.  When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.  When it snows, make a snowman! xo

weekend birthdays

Happy birthday to my sister, Karen (a.k.a. Kiki) and my nephew Matt (a.k.a. Awesome.)  This weekend we hold you both in our hearts with warm wishes for a happy, healthy and wonderful year filled with lots of love and joy.  May all your dreams come true. 

Things won are done; joy's soul lies in the doing. William Shakespeare

Faith is like the air in a balloon.  If you've got it you're filled.  If you don't, you're empty.  Peggy Cain

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.  Helen Keller

Love you both ~
Have fun and be happy xo

cupcakes

Today is a perfect day to clean the stove and fridge ~ and bake cupcakes!  The snow is falling providing the perfect incentive to stay indoors and do something creative, hence, I am baking red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with lots of love.  I am into the colors red and pink lately; I wonder why?  Red is a power color; pink for spiritual.  I must purchase some flowers with these colors very soon.

I can't get an oldie but goodie out of my mind; my cousin, Cindy, shared this morning, the 1965 Lesley Gore song "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows."  What a blast from the past.  I am still feeling the warm fuzzies this song keeps providing.  It's amazing what a simple thing like an old tune can trigger.  I'll hang on to this one for awhile. 

As I nested yesterday (or better yet, hibernated) I happened to finally view the movie Temple Grandin.  I sat glued with my mouth open most of the time at the fabulous and heart warming story of this amazing woman.  Claire Danes portrayed her beautifully and I hope she secures more awards for her efforts.  This portrayal of Temple Grandin's journey with autism filled my heart with so much love and compassion that when it ended I couldn't stop crying.  My whole body was wracked with emotion.  The most profound message is in the truth that "we are different, but not less."  This will stay with me for a long time to come.   

Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows

Everything that's wonderful ~  is what I feel when we're together

Brighter than a lucky penny

When you are near the rain cloud disappears, dear,

And I feel so fine ~  just to know that you are mine.

My life is sunshine, lollipops and rainbows

Everything that's wonderful is sure to come your way

When you are in love to stay.

xo

anyway

All you can do in life is be who you are.  Some people will love you for you.  Most will love you for what you can do for them, and some won't like you at all. 

Rita Mae Brown

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;  forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed anyway.

If you spent years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.

Mother Teresa

In a few days January will be a distant memory and the cold, snowy season will slowly, but surely, leave us for better days.  Be strong and try your best to weather any storm that may come your way.  Keep the faith and be happy.  Perhaps a delicious dish will soothe your soul, hence I share today's recipes. 

Cabbage Mix

2 heads of cabbage

3 onions

8 carrots

1 bulk Chinese cabbage

5 celery stalks

1 whole garlic

assorted spices

butter and oil

Slice and dice cabbages, onions, carrots, celery and garlic in little bits.  Melt a whole stick of butter and some oil in two large frying pans (you can diminish this recipe in half.)  Saute in pans and add your spices.  Today I used sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, sazon and garlic salt.  Simmer covered for about 30 minutes until tender. 

Oriental noodles

Prepare Chinese noodles by boiling, draining and saute in a wok or fry pan adding a dash of teriyaki and hot sauce to taste.  Set aside and serve with aforementioned cabbage mix. 

Cabbage Soup

Take the other cabbage mix and place in a crock pot.  Add a little water to the fry pan to get all the leftover juices and put in pot.  Add 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and clean cans with more water, adding to the mix.  Can you tell I am a waste not kinda gal? Season the soup with a little more sea salt and pepper and let the flavors blend for a few hours.   Enjoy. 

We are the masters of our own fate. xo 

 



bear down chicago bears

We are less than a day away from witnessing the much anticipated championship game between our beloved Chicago Bears and rival Green Bay Packers.  In honor of this moment, I share the Bears fight song lyrics which was introduced in 1941.  Though Jerry Downs is listed as the composer, it actually is a pseudonym for Al Hoffman (who also wrote the words and music for the song If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Have Baked a Cake.  Hoffman's lyrics:

Bear down, Chicago Bears, make every play clear the way to victory;

Bear down, Chicago Bears, put up a fight with a might so fearlessly.

We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation with your T-formation

Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you're wearing the crown.

You're the pride and joy of Illinois, Chicago Bears, bear down.

I decided a double batch of homemade oatmeal raisin cookies might satisfy those with a sweet tooth in our humble abode.  Chili is on the main menu for the game so this will provide a nice balance - all men love cookies!

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

dash of salt

6 cups oats

2 cups raisins

1 cup chocolate morsels

2 cups processed assorted nuts

1 heaping spoonful Nutella

Heat oven to 350.  In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Mix well. Add oats, then raisins, nuts, chocolate morsels and Nutella.  Mix well.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 10 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets, remove to wire rack.  Cool completely. Store tightly covered. 



GO BEARS!

XO

spicy cheese mac

Sharing this simple dish that could be made to fill some bellies while indulging in the much anticipated championship football games this weekend. 

2 packages shell macaroni

1 block Velveeta cheese

2 cups milk

2 cans Rotel tomatoes

2 cups spiced crumbs*

1 lb. fried bacon

Boil macaroni and drain.  Slice Velveeta cheese in chunks and add to macaroni.  Add milk and tomatoes and stir lightly. Sprinkle spicy crumb mixture on top and bake in oven for about 20 minutes, occasionally stirring.  Enhance with crunched bacon after done baking.

 *Take any leftover Dorito or spicy chip crumbs (you know, the dregs at the bottom of the bag that no one ever eats) and process them like bread crumbs. 

GO BEARS!

...and while you're praying for a Bears win, please keep my Uncle Bill in your prayers as he is undergoing chemo therapy to heal his leukemia.  He is a fantastic guy and I beg God to keep him with us for a long, long time... xo



to be grandpa

One of the most powerful handclasps is that of a new grandbaby around the finger of a grandfather ~ Joy Hargrove

As if by default, you, as a grandfather, are the coolest person on the planet.  In a kid's eyes you are wiser, nicer and more patient than mom and dad.  You can take this opportunity to build a special relationship with your grandchild.  Take on and embrace the role of mentor.  Teach your grandkids to do things that their parents can't, don't have time to, or lack interest in.  Show them how to make a kite from scratch and fly it in the backyard. You are the family historian now.  Your life so far is full of interesting stories of days gone by.  Share them.  Recount your tales of walking 10 miles to school through 4 feet of snow and let them know what life was like before the internet and cell phones. Share stories of when their mom or dad were little and what funny things they did.  Show your grandkids you love them; hugs, kisses, piggy back rides, long walks pulling them in a wagon and never missing a chance to tell them you love them.  Showing love and building a caring relationship goes a lot farther than any material gift you can give them.  Grandfathers are filled with wisdom.

The simplest toy, one which even the youngest child can operate, is called a grandpa

If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I'd have had them first

Grandchildren:  the only people who can get more out of you than the IRS

Grandfathers are for loving and fixing things

To a small child, the perfect granddad is unafraid of big dogs and fierce storms but absolutely terrified of the word "boo"

Elephants and children never forget

Few things are more delightful than grandchildren fighting over your lap

Grandchildren are the dots that connect the lines from generation to generation

A grandfather is someone with silver in their hair and gold in his heart

The best place to be when you're sad is in Grandpa's lap

Every generation revolts against its fathers and makes friends with its grandfathers

My grandkids believe I'm the oldest thing in the world.  And after two or three hours with them, I believe it, too.

You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandfather 

poppie and tutu

Grandchildren don't make a man feel old; it's the knowledge that he's married to a grandmother.

Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old.

A grandparent is old on the outside but young on the inside.

Grandparents are similar to a piece of string ~ handy to have around and easily wrapped around the fingers of their grandchildren.

It's amazing how grandparents seem so young once you become one.

To be a grandparent is to enjoy one of the few pleasures in life for which the consequences have already been paid

What a bargain grandchildren are! I give them my loose change and they give me a million dollars' worth of pleasure.

I like to do nice things for my grandchildren ~ like buy them toys I've always wanted to play with.

I loved their home.  Everything smelled older, worn but safe; the food aroma had baked itself into the furniture.

When grandparents enter the door, discipline flies out the window.

Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do; they sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.

No cowboy was ever faster on the draw than a grandparent pulling a baby picture out of a wallet.

Never have children, only grandchildren. ~ Gore Vidal

Nicknames for grandfathers include Bampy, Ba Pa, Big Pop, Banpa, Da, Deda (Serbian), Didi (Croation), Dziadzia (Polish), G-Pa, Grampa, Gramps, Granddad, Granddaddy, Grandpa, Grando, Lolo (Filipino), Papa, Pappy, Peepaw, Pawpaw, Pampo, Pepop, Pompa, Pop, Poppie, Poppa, Opa (German) and Ye Ye (Chinese.)  Wayne already dubbed himself Poppie.

How the Grandfather Clock Got Its Name

Over 100 years ago in Piecebridge, North Yorkshire, England, there was a quaint country lodge known as the George Hotel, which was managed by two bachelor brothers named Jenkins.

In the lobby stood a floor clock, as they were called back in those days, that had been there for many years.  One unusual characteristic on the old clock was that it kept very good time.  This was uncommon, since in those days clocks were generally not noted for their accuracy.

One day, one of the brothers died and suddenly the old clock started losing time.  At first it lost 15 minutes per day but when several clocksmiths gave up trying to repair the ailing timepiece, it was losing more than an hour each day.

The clock's incurable problem became as talked about as its precision had been.  Some said it was no surprise that, though fully wound, the old clock stopped when the surviving brother died at the age of 90.

The new manager of the hotel never attempted to have it repaired.  He just left it standing in a sunlit corner of the lobby ~ it stands resting in the position they assumed the moment the last Jenkins brother died.

About 1875, an American songwriter named Henry Work happened to be staying at the George Hotel during a trip to England.  He was told the story of the old clock and after seeing the clock for himself, decided to compose a song about the fascinating coincidence that the clock stopped forever the moment its elder owner passed away.  Henry came back to America and published the lyrics that sold over a million copes of sheet music about the grandfather clock song.  These are the opening words of the first stanza:

"Oh my granfather's clock was too tall for the shelf so it stood ninety years on the floor.  It was taller by half than the old man himself, though it weighed no a pennyweight more...

Until that time, clocks such as the one in the old George Hotel were referred to by a variety of names, but not before Henry Work wrote his song, over a hundred years ago, were they referred to as grandfather clocks.

What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life.  And most importantly, cookies. xo