Holy Terrier

Today's Halloween and my Mom and I want to wish you a "terrier" Halloween!!!

Get it? 
Terrier - scarier!!!
My Mom really is funny!!!
And if you feel like recounting one of her great Halloween stories, just click here.

Double Digits

Somebody recently entered the double digit zone...

Any guess as to who that is?
Happy Birthday Grayce!!!
We love you :)

Let Me Introduce

Let me introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. John H. and their combined family...

Yes, it's true.  My brother married the lovely Ms. Tammy yesterday and his family of three became a family of seven.  I like to think of it as "Lucky Seven :)"  It was a beautiful, short ceremony at Tammy's father's home. 
There were the familiar.  Handsome boys...

 

Beautiful girls...

 

and the clown who loves his Grandma...

There was also a new, extended family that have opened their hearts to John and his girls...

The young...

The mature... 

And the furry... 

 

I know my brother and I know he seems truly happy and that makes me happy.  I wish nothing but continued happiness for him and his new family.  All seven of you, for that matter ;)

Congratulations and welcome to our family!!!

It's a Great Night

It's a great night to snuggle in - temperatures have dropped about 20 degrees since yesterday.  I have lentil soup on the stove that will be ready to eat when I return from my walk with my puppies.

And It's a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is going to be on at 8:00 PM...

I will be snuggled under a warm quilt enjoying the show and hoping that my dear friend Pat, who is stricken with Alzheimers, is doing the same and somehow knows that I am watching it with her.  Have a great night and enjoy the show!!!

Is It Green or Red With Envy?

Whichever way the saying goes, if you place green tomatoes in a box (or bag) with an apple, you will end up with red tomatoes :) 
The ethylene gas emitted from the apple causes the tomatoes to ripen quicker.

Trust me it works!!!
Your friends are going to be green with envy and you are going to have a delicious tomato :)

Baked Tilapia and Scavenger Scotties

What do you do with the leftover items in your refrigerator?  After a period of time, you have to throw them away.  But what if they aren't that old, there is still some nutritional value in them, and you need to eat something and they are the only items you have on hand.  You do what I do.  You improvise.

My latest and greatest improvisation (creation) was baked tilapia.  With a bunch of extra spinach, tilapia fillets, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and a can of crushed tomatoes on hand, you too can have baked tilapia.  By placing the above ingredients in a 13 x 9 pan in the order listed and baking at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes (or until fish is flaky), you could have a nice, easy dinner or lunch ready in no time...

Who knows, a roving, Scavenger Scottie may even magically appear at your side and try to place you in a trance with her cute little brown eyes with the hopes that she can lick your plate clean after you are done eating...

Use what you have on hand and create some magic for those around you today.  Have a great day:)

The Halloween Magic-Lantern Show

Last night Dave and I enjoyed a dinner show.  We went to Wyoming and watched the American Magic-Lantern Theatre present their Halloween show.  It was held at the Wyoming Town Hall and the staff involved in assembling this event went all out.  The facility was very well decorated and the food delicious.  Here is a photo of Dave at our table before the others arrived.  Note the Halloween tree in the background :)

The ebony beams added to the night's ambiance.  If you look closely at the screen, you will see the magic lantern projector...

 One of the two cast members dressed in Victorian clothing.  Boy, could she sing...

 Upstairs at the facility there was a museum, complete with birds from around the world...

 an orangutan...

and Native American garb.  All I could think was, I wonder if this place comes alive at night like in the movie, Night at the Museum?  I bet it does ;)

And here are two of the three prizes I won last night (I also won golf tickets for the boys).  I was allowed to choose any two items from any table.  I chose little green bread pans complete with black stones and scented candles.

I think they look very nice on my greeting table and they are a nice momentum from a night much enjoyed.
Have a great day!

Score!!!

I went to JoAnne's earlier this week and all Halloween decorations were 60% off!!!
So I bought these...

 I put the pumpkin lights here...

 And the bears here...

Score!!!
Hoorahhh!!!

Just Enjoying the Sunshine

I looked out my bathroom window yesterday and saw my cat Zoe sitting contently enjoying the afternoon sun.  I don't really have alot of pictures of her because most of the time she is off mousing.  So, I decided I should get myself out there and take some photos of her.  She is such a beautiful cat.  At first, she was a little camera shy...

However, after I explained to her that as Suzie and Starshine's mother, she should let me photograph her so that I might show future generations of my own clan her beauty, she decided to pose for me.  Most stoically, I might add...

No sooner had I taken that photo when someone decided that they too wanted to be part of the picture.  Starshine!!!  She was the runt of the litter and loves her mother dearly.  In fact, she still snuggles next to her mother to this day and she is almost ten years old.  She has great big mittens (paws) and is now actually bigger than her sister Suzie. 

She even posed for me.  OK - maybe not the most attractive pose, but Halloween is right around the corner so it was the look she was wanted...   

I love these cats.  They are well taken care of, spade, and lucky enough to enjoy the warmth and love of a good home.  Actually, we're the lucky ones.  Have a great day!!!

My Granny Square Afghan

On the back of my couch lies my granny square afghan that I purchased a couple of years ago at a local antique shop.  I had always wanted one and when I saw it, I knew I had to have it.  It also helped that the price was quite reasonable.  Lovely, isn't it?

It looks lovely now.  However, when I first brought it home, it smelled like moth balls (nasty).  So I washed it.  Not once, but twice.  Got rid of the smell.  However, it also separated almost all of the squares!!!  That's alot of squares...

I won't lie, I thought about tossing it on top of our burn pile.  But then I thought to myself, don't do it Marcia.  Just think how much time and effort an individual put into this project.  It is piece of some one's life and beautiful.  Take care of it.

So I sewed the squares back together.  It took me one whole day to complete the project.  However, I am very glad that I did it.  Every time that I look at it, I am proud of myself.  Although it may not be the same thing as crocheting the entire afghan, I can now truly appreciate that individual's perseverance.  I am sure it took way longer than one day to complete the project.

It also made me ponder at how quick we are to judge other people.  Some may think that creating an afghan or sewing it back together is trivial.  However, until you walk a mile in someone else's shoes, don't judge.  It's not as easy or simple as some people may think it is...

This goes for all aspects of an individual's life.  Who are we to judge?  Something you may want to ponder over today.

Two Weeks From Yesterday

Two weeks from yesterday and it will be my most favorite holiday of the year, Halloween!!! 

And I am ready for it!!!

I've cleaned, put cling-ons on windows and mirrors, and I've bought 17 pumpkins. Alright, not 17 pumpkins, but 12 (and that doesn't include the pumpkin rug in the kitchen :)...

The gang is back in town with the exception of Harvey (he got set to a maximum security facility).  He may be here soon, however.  Depends if he gets a reduced sentence based upon good behavior.  I doubt we'll see him, but you never know!!!  I'd keep your eyes out...

I have only a few things left to do - carve pumpkins, bake cakes, and I might even Boo a few individuals!!!

I wonder if it might be you...
Have a great day!!!

A Day of Rest

Every now and then, you need to rest.  I truly believe that.  I think it is good for you.  Whether you choose to take an entire day or maybe just a few hours, it is important that you do that for yourself and your family.  Yesterday I visited the Abbey of the Genesee.  It is where I most often go when I need to regroup.  Not only is it very peaceful, but it is also beautiful in its simplicity. 

 It was just what I needed.

I hope you enjoyed the photos and you have a restful day also.

One Saturday Morning

The girls (my nieces) spent the night last night.  We were originally going to go to the sectional football game at Livonia to watch Letchworth (ranked No. 5 in the state and my alma mater) play Livonia.  However, it was way too cold and wet for our taste.  I mean, really, what if we melted :)

Instead, we went up and visited with the Princess :)  We shopped, ate, and the girls got to see Nana's dorm room.  They were sooo exited.  Then it was homeward bound to see the Prince.  The girls love, love, love DJ!!!  I mean look at this boy, who could not love him?   Nice haircut by the way!!!

After a good night's sleep, they woke up full of P&V and were ready to go.  We went to the vets, watched one of my favorite movies, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, played ping pong, took a walk with the puppies, and then watched a football pregame show. 

Grayce worked out a little...

Evidence that these two are cousins and definitely related to me.

They do not like to have their picture taken...

   

We walked and played...

Snoop!!!

A few takes from Pre-Game Show...

It was then time for them to go home.

Don't worry puppies, they will be back soon.

I have another job for you to help me with...

RAKING LEAVES!!!

Then you can jump in them :)