tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11636888007085328432024-03-13T19:19:25.955-07:00RuminationsLiving a beautiful life at OakMeadowsFlorencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.comBlogger2138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-13642189157886739762024-03-07T16:49:00.000-08:002024-03-07T16:49:13.231-08:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8J8cs1tML9FFn1msADxYgAdYQ0jt8modSNP7ebJTUT1qQuEWzm3sYHb5DXyp6j9D46QLraOXKJf2CaViIRacY1Jyyp6JWjA4iFVBW7dnpcPsL0BDS-yBcTIuK29E1PBNqj87AL999zKe-ogDU0-DsGclcldJZEv9IysDWk2x567oF3QiR_jOYqxGBg_T/s266/Book%20Review%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="266" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8J8cs1tML9FFn1msADxYgAdYQ0jt8modSNP7ebJTUT1qQuEWzm3sYHb5DXyp6j9D46QLraOXKJf2CaViIRacY1Jyyp6JWjA4iFVBW7dnpcPsL0BDS-yBcTIuK29E1PBNqj87AL999zKe-ogDU0-DsGclcldJZEv9IysDWk2x567oF3QiR_jOYqxGBg_T/s1600/Book%20Review%201.png" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">I’m a bit late in posting my reading for February but better late than never. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"> Ebola: The Natural and Human History of a Deadly Virus by David Quammen ⭐️⭐️⭐️ It is a bit dated and doesn’t go much into the clinical aspects but was very interesting in the hunt for the reservoir of the virus. It was heartbreaking in the parts about the deaths of the great apes from the virus. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"> Honest Aging by Rosanne Leipzig ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Excellent lists of resources. Much of the book I was already familiar with (eat right, exercise, get enough sleep) but learned several helpful things (kidneys don’t concentrate urine as well, need to consume more protein as we age).</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"> Graceland, at Last by Ruth Renkl. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️How I enjoy her essays on life in the U.S. South in the NTTimes! Having a whole collection of them to read at my leisure was a real treat. The book came out a couple of years ago and she now has another book of essays out that I am looking forward to reading. </div></div><p><br /> </p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-28380186344460136822024-03-03T15:56:00.000-08:002024-03-03T15:56:22.017-08:00Book Lists<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaV94JNmqcfmwkaDB3OG2kvDMV5DRoUQvJWL5ONIJfwt9q7HQ7iVY0wT8N4anp7nZCIKk0IDCsdgB6eRZkCtkwzKx79CwjAOrBFo5dImF2BHoRxCVVI9GJ3RlP3LEdpc_k4qJs1TvAovzNuq4wGi7Wz3iie114A-2ryUl2JmJ_FTQH8I9_QjdJjfnnv0mX/s470/Reading%20Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="228" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaV94JNmqcfmwkaDB3OG2kvDMV5DRoUQvJWL5ONIJfwt9q7HQ7iVY0wT8N4anp7nZCIKk0IDCsdgB6eRZkCtkwzKx79CwjAOrBFo5dImF2BHoRxCVVI9GJ3RlP3LEdpc_k4qJs1TvAovzNuq4wGi7Wz3iie114A-2ryUl2JmJ_FTQH8I9_QjdJjfnnv0mX/s320/Reading%20Girl.jpg" width="155" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">The lovely Brenda @ It’s A Beautiful Life had a blog post on Book Lists and since I am a very listy person, I couldn’t resist making my own lists. </span></div><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /><div>Book Lists<div>1. A favorite (or 2 or 3) from your childhood</div><div> The Little House books (all of them)</div><div> The Louisa May Alcott books (all of them)</div><div> The Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace</div><div><br /></div><div>2. A book you read once but couldn’t stop thinking about</div><div><br /></div><div>3. A book that shaped your life</div><div> Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster</div><div> Today Matters by John Maxwell</div><div> Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez & Vicky Robin</div><div><br /></div><div>4. A book you couldn’t put down</div><div><br /></div><div>5. A book with a favorite heroine</div><div><br /></div><div>6. A book that creates a safe place </div><div> All of the Miss Read books. I go to Caxley or Thrush Green or to Fairacre to have tea with Miss Clare. </div><div><br /></div><div>7. A book that lifts your spirits and makes you feel happy </div><div><br /></div><div>8. A book you like to read over and over </div><div> I have read the Miss Read books countless times.</div><div><br /></div><div>9. A book you just finished and loved</div><div> Tom Lake by Ann Pachett</div><div><br /></div><div>10. A book you just started and know you’re going to like</div><div> The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama</div><div> </div></div></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-24069436001589449522023-11-25T03:08:00.000-08:002023-11-25T03:08:22.495-08:00Imagine<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrM7e8gUcJd2KodQb-TT5QHD8YaGBYQC_VvYFT-ThG2H2XJoETbcyI0UQ7PUStrtfZLVPAqgo5w0IYTiIBUN23kK3oTnQ0SAvBF6AplE7BdYUsDHYSGYyADTAKuUOia4BoVGdt6-6gfHOxDhyh2Qw3g726Vl274o-gdZjsgK3MC39zBuHSXSgzPYlCYEv/s254/Poetry.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="254" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrM7e8gUcJd2KodQb-TT5QHD8YaGBYQC_VvYFT-ThG2H2XJoETbcyI0UQ7PUStrtfZLVPAqgo5w0IYTiIBUN23kK3oTnQ0SAvBF6AplE7BdYUsDHYSGYyADTAKuUOia4BoVGdt6-6gfHOxDhyh2Qw3g726Vl274o-gdZjsgK3MC39zBuHSXSgzPYlCYEv/s1600/Poetry.png" width="254" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Imagine by John Lennon</span></div><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Imagine there’s no heaven</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">it’s easy if you try</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">No hell below us</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Above us only sky</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Imagine all the people</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Living for today</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Imagine there’s no countries</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">It isn’t hard to do</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Nothing to kill or die for</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">And no religion too</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Imagine all the people</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Living life in peace</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">You</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">You may say I’m a dreamer</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">But I’m not the only one</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">I hope someday you’ll join us </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">And the world will be as one</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Imagine no possessions </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">I wonder if you can</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">No need for greed or hunger</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">A brotherhood of man</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Imagine all the people</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Sharing all the world</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">You</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">You may say I’m a dreamer</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">But I’m not the only one </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">I hope someday you’ll join us </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">And the world will be as one. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /></div><p><br /></p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-45883531531258770842023-11-12T20:05:00.000-08:002023-11-12T20:05:09.329-08:00Around Oak Meadows<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqTwYhMksmRPRCjulnaL8eZXiv4JS6F1NdV2HFV1PqgRxr0RQTHNe7w5s3pHn6vBhd92x5dH6jTWhBGPoNrFmalRDDv8lmJvqJfA4v4TGqDmz4iOJyK1nhjjNdDw2QYZViEaX6fCXwjlamFKX2UrGnMCBMGiifgV4hCK_rW3GpCscj9gJ_GviFcVVc94t/s3264/IMG_2103.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqTwYhMksmRPRCjulnaL8eZXiv4JS6F1NdV2HFV1PqgRxr0RQTHNe7w5s3pHn6vBhd92x5dH6jTWhBGPoNrFmalRDDv8lmJvqJfA4v4TGqDmz4iOJyK1nhjjNdDw2QYZViEaX6fCXwjlamFKX2UrGnMCBMGiifgV4hCK_rW3GpCscj9gJ_GviFcVVc94t/s320/IMG_2103.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">This was the Fall Back time change week. As usual, it just throws my sleep/wake schedule off. It takes at least two weeks to get back to normal. It seems like it’s midnight when it’s only time for the 6pm news. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">We’ve been doing our part to help pay off the veterinarian’s student loans this week. Henry went in for his annual exam and shots. He had a minor ear infection—>topical antibiotic, lab panel—>all is well, and he needs his teeth cleaned. And he is worth every penny of it. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">We gone back to Kristy’s Pet Salon for Angie’s grooming. It’s inconvenient but they do a much, much better job. She looks so much better. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Thursday we Brazos Lakes Old Timers got together for lunch at Chili’s. It was so nice to see everyone. Sherry Heitzenrater called everyone and got it all together. We ended up sitting with all the men at one table and women at another. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">The Monarchs arrived with the cold front. It is so beautiful to see all the butterflies on the blue mist blooms. As much as the blue mist annoys me 11 months out of the year, but it is spectacular for that one month from the middle of October until the Monarchs leave in addition to the Monarchs, we’ve had Queens, Gulf Fritillaries, & American Ladies. We haven’t had any Longtailed Skippers at all this year. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">I’m still cutting out the pieces for the 3 lap quilts. I hope to finish getting everything cut in the next week. Then I can start piecing. I have decided that I’m going to use up my stash and buy only the fabric needed for backing. (We’ll see how that works out…)</div></div><p><br /> </p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-91408004455720758502023-09-24T14:11:00.000-07:002023-09-24T14:11:18.505-07:00Around OakMeadows <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzVPewX8iQyms867Okfv7sQRdaFHsLu6kG64Yl3yKd-qgu7_bvV7OnmtwRqib6SfQXIYcBfABkTLm-nLHfLu5PNqIF0C5In8loG5IzAH0KesYhlCfyUaNmZVMLuCL2v-yyOOO7j-lDn1k5YR33riexH-9eOpGY40bQ4ulmg4z13VDJ-Ilwdak6ObxEc8q/s2863/IMG_2578.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2694" data-original-width="2863" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzVPewX8iQyms867Okfv7sQRdaFHsLu6kG64Yl3yKd-qgu7_bvV7OnmtwRqib6SfQXIYcBfABkTLm-nLHfLu5PNqIF0C5In8loG5IzAH0KesYhlCfyUaNmZVMLuCL2v-yyOOO7j-lDn1k5YR33riexH-9eOpGY40bQ4ulmg4z13VDJ-Ilwdak6ObxEc8q/s320/IMG_2578.jpeg" 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="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Journal</span></div><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Last week we went to see A Haunting in Venice. I was looking forward to seeing Kenneth Branaugh as Hercule Poirot. It was to say the least a disappointment. Over the top melodrama. We watched 30 minutes of previews and 30 minutes of the movie and left. The hot dog was very good though. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">JMM took Angie to the groomer at CBW. We switched from Kristy’s to CBW because it is so much more convenient but I am going back to Kristy’s. CBW charges $80 plus a tip and if I’m going to pay that much money, I want a much better cut than what CBW does. Kristy’s does a much, much better cut. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">I got my latest quilt back from Karen Shively and I must say that it turned out even better than anticipated. Speaking of quilts, I am sending one to Cecelia to be auctioned at their church’s silent auction in October. I was planning to send it to Sue Silverstein for her immigrant families but I’ll send her another one. I’m working on cutting out for 3 lap quilts. The fabric is from a package of French General fat quarters. After that, I want to make table runners. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">We’ve had more hummingbirds than usual this year. Maybe because of the drought, there isn’t as much blooming. Speaking of blooming, we have had bumblebees all over our purple salvia and our plumbago is outdoing itself this year since it loves the heat. JMM planted several more purple salvia and 3 more plumbagos. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">I think my 19 year old clothes dryer is on its last go round. Of course it would go out on a Saturday when it is impossible to get someone out to take a look at it on the weekend. (Just like the dog always gets sick on Friday evenings.) Monday morning, I will see how soon someone can come out. We currently are drying clothes by spreading them out on chair backs and around the house. JMM is looking online for the best new dryers in case this would cost too much to repair. To be continued. </div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><ul><li><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></li></ul></div><p></p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-48821161255369501792023-02-02T06:20:00.006-08:002023-02-02T06:20:45.992-08:00Books I Read in January, 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDluAMUHPjphJdhHioKcoqMQa5rhvoW2XcNUM2sRWrgDSAJCthhbMk4ArvIJsNYPJx8rr_bPzkHOnn1frdR8pfLZECAj23cv3fo_ABVhApT0zgjuAgw_XVPlwjV9TOrdh7OcI2G77xXvc_2S3lc2G7xVjsau1KKYurHiHEnO5yBsgCsg65yKvlNqa5jA/s239/Books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="239" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDluAMUHPjphJdhHioKcoqMQa5rhvoW2XcNUM2sRWrgDSAJCthhbMk4ArvIJsNYPJx8rr_bPzkHOnn1frdR8pfLZECAj23cv3fo_ABVhApT0zgjuAgw_XVPlwjV9TOrdh7OcI2G77xXvc_2S3lc2G7xVjsau1KKYurHiHEnO5yBsgCsg65yKvlNqa5jA/s1600/Books.png" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Books I read in January, 2023</span></div><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">The Puppetmaker’s Daughter by Karla M. Jay⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">The Complete Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(JMM read aloud)</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Katie, Up and Down the Hall by Glen Plaskin⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Me Before You by JoJo Moyes (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /></div><p><br /></p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-19370703915816089002023-01-31T15:40:00.000-08:002023-01-31T15:40:10.037-08:00Life Around OakMeadows in January,2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDr4PEzhfLHd818pt9lFpOm8cNA_3_rDN5kCLQY3QRsoWTgRU3SE1yEMotgwFPgDEBa33q_gJGZLxiafaxIIdVsXOKWnbSQeioPcH8iwXBuTZNutTVwMpSL_WdJNMT6yj2od37y-aHmkd6k3e8ZEZ1-G-Qx0nY4vB3pjSQLaKudnMlhssFsq97RN9aQA/s750/511CF07C-A417-4E88-92AB-0772F3F73D30.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDr4PEzhfLHd818pt9lFpOm8cNA_3_rDN5kCLQY3QRsoWTgRU3SE1yEMotgwFPgDEBa33q_gJGZLxiafaxIIdVsXOKWnbSQeioPcH8iwXBuTZNutTVwMpSL_WdJNMT6yj2od37y-aHmkd6k3e8ZEZ1-G-Qx0nY4vB3pjSQLaKudnMlhssFsq97RN9aQA/s320/511CF07C-A417-4E88-92AB-0772F3F73D30.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Life Around OakMeadows in January, 2023</span></div><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Birds</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Bluejays </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Crows</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Goldfinches </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Cardinals</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Turkey Vulture</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Black Vulture </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Caracaras </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Red-tailed Hawk</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Mourning Doves</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Collared Doves</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Blue-headed Vireo <<== New addition to Life List!!</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Red-bellied Woodpecker </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Carolina Wren</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Meadowlarks </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Mammals </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Raccoons </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Squirrels </div></div><p><br /></p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-74515787839316809182023-01-25T16:20:00.001-08:002023-01-25T16:20:12.084-08:00Around OakMeadows <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswjwDfNSWYtWKGopX3piV1Rn--HOIeQDp4iy0ebo2XSwSiJY4rOGgfWM_4LTPEuqQmaT7U8AbjP_5y5rnA6gKOCyRwP8lO47mG3EL_xPp3wVuBPXWwr-wgP5SIXYpNDTrJ5o-t_lWSVEU_c2Y33vX7CImaGi-u9dh-QKqnmIK6474NJ8n93yAB6rJJQ/s3264/06E46ED0-E66A-4B08-9BEC-92E69F461100.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswjwDfNSWYtWKGopX3piV1Rn--HOIeQDp4iy0ebo2XSwSiJY4rOGgfWM_4LTPEuqQmaT7U8AbjP_5y5rnA6gKOCyRwP8lO47mG3EL_xPp3wVuBPXWwr-wgP5SIXYpNDTrJ5o-t_lWSVEU_c2Y33vX7CImaGi-u9dh-QKqnmIK6474NJ8n93yAB6rJJQ/s320/06E46ED0-E66A-4B08-9BEC-92E69F461100.jpeg" width="240" /></a><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">Angie</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">Our sweet Angie has been sick. JMM took her to the vet Monday. She has an infection which the vet says probably started in her gums or teeth. From there it moved into her throat and ears. She’s been on Augmentin since Monday and is noticeably better. Even though we had her teeth cleaned last April, in a couple of weeks after the infection clears up, we’ll have her teeth cleaned again. </span></div><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">We had a terrific rainstorm yesterday. For the first time in our 50+ years of marriage, JMM headed us all to the closet because of tornado warnings. The storm didn’t last long but the wind and rain was terrible. We didn’t have any damage but I see from the news that there were several tornadoes in the Deer Park/Pasadena area. Today has been beautifully clear, sunny, and crisp. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">I’m taking a week off from my Tovala dinners to cook for JMM. We made the Shrimp Chowder this evening and toasted some sourdough bread. Very good. Yesterday we made a loaf of banana nut bread for JMM. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Still cutting out pieces for the next quilt. I love French General fabrics that I’m using. After I get it all cut out, I have to take the sewing machine in for a cleaning and adjusting the tension. It’s not a difficult pattern to cut out but I don’t have the energy to do much at the time. </div><p></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;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-85175663658726414342023-01-08T11:13:00.004-08:002023-01-08T11:13:33.194-08:00Life Around OakMeadows - December, 2022<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1jbHb4ADgb2QYD3z2C_pBxuRCBzZET7nyvYdEWENCXHzQJqRi9lrzDAIC7BIJclCOOnrJvRsrJFvQgsvLLVQI4IFu_tgWtu4rdm1t5YJT2lSHFrmaJa6KCC2WxurKXyD4PHHem6gMaPZXGT9CZMCWTrNo2ZqBMGoK9vLoexjgpiQOgyH3i_Lny1-AA/s1641/943DEE46-14BD-41F0-A331-AEDD2C64613F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1429" data-original-width="1641" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1jbHb4ADgb2QYD3z2C_pBxuRCBzZET7nyvYdEWENCXHzQJqRi9lrzDAIC7BIJclCOOnrJvRsrJFvQgsvLLVQI4IFu_tgWtu4rdm1t5YJT2lSHFrmaJa6KCC2WxurKXyD4PHHem6gMaPZXGT9CZMCWTrNo2ZqBMGoK9vLoexjgpiQOgyH3i_Lny1-AA/s320/943DEE46-14BD-41F0-A331-AEDD2C64613F.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></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="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Life Around OakMeadows in December, 2022</span></span></div><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Birds</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cardinals </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bluejays </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mockingbirds </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Chickadees </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Goldfinches </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Black Vulture </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Killdeer </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Crow</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Meadowlarks </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Barred Owl</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grackles </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Caracara </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Red-tailed Hawk</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Great Egret</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Laughing Gull (Galveston)</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">White-winged Dove</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mourning Dove </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Collared Dove</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Carolina Wren</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Insects</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cloudless Sulphur </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gulf Fritillaries </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Monarchs </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Queens</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Longtailed Skippers </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Common Buckeyes </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Little Sulphurs </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Giant Swallowtail </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mammals </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Raccoons </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Deer</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Armadillo </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Squirrels </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;" /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /></span></div><p><br /></p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-11228699829922308182023-01-07T15:57:00.000-08:002023-01-07T15:57:50.060-08:00Around OakMeadows <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazBoZkJSIpxwcvIurwK6EzqJyc_ZxlMans7QGaIZ-Wy09K5GsvcgsPLHEf0N1z0Xt6hs-sd4lkEArjx93CpEP5kRh-FlwzlIiVYN9wYjo6YBtB5_SHRn0fnoHpZcrES11h0fUk4ByCjyQ-fFQbW5IlbffepD6i4VcjvdKNJ8To12UWGfVBp_oU_4ZPw/s4032/8910E9E8-C003-4252-9D7A-626CE23A66D2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazBoZkJSIpxwcvIurwK6EzqJyc_ZxlMans7QGaIZ-Wy09K5GsvcgsPLHEf0N1z0Xt6hs-sd4lkEArjx93CpEP5kRh-FlwzlIiVYN9wYjo6YBtB5_SHRn0fnoHpZcrES11h0fUk4ByCjyQ-fFQbW5IlbffepD6i4VcjvdKNJ8To12UWGfVBp_oU_4ZPw/s320/8910E9E8-C003-4252-9D7A-626CE23A66D2.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BvdV9LjPXxiE1gNXf35cyxebnbcCO7-i8DQ9Tu_0DF67V3FOPQamsir5_JavmdTLJ1_oj3j8DBCE67fBUaC_wMm-n25u_viSci659mFLheMK9DKpWTCCZwi9B4_YuXhL_FYL-91TDE4DZD_2rXYbZKIOcw8AO0G-d5B7Z-nrVw3aBbZhDtz0HpTYgQ/s4032/82E89EE1-409D-41A9-856D-D816B64315F0.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/AVvXsEg-BvdV9LjPXxiE1gNXf35cyxebnbcCO7-i8DQ9Tu_0DF67V3FOPQamsir5_JavmdTLJ1_oj3j8DBCE67fBUaC_wMm-n25u_viSci659mFLheMK9DKpWTCCZwi9B4_YuXhL_FYL-91TDE4DZD_2rXYbZKIOcw8AO0G-d5B7Z-nrVw3aBbZhDtz0HpTYgQ/s320/82E89EE1-409D-41A9-856D-D816B64315F0.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTIpcXjYeKMDQHT-ue26ewOwxUo2XgPSRt7O9cTRXT2LeA-rBQjEuQQb13IdtobwLxVbWtTDZ8eiA_81qKUMJlKlzH6V2APHHtstzsgbl-Ny0GwOytl0-wZJOxQYLAIjmS8jJzvdN-88Uy12byLsUr7ReBtwoQICjhY9W_zCon6cUxndccN0OJZO5Ug/s4032/40E0F6A5-1F9A-41A1-8AC3-438F50998450.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/AVvXsEhgTIpcXjYeKMDQHT-ue26ewOwxUo2XgPSRt7O9cTRXT2LeA-rBQjEuQQb13IdtobwLxVbWtTDZ8eiA_81qKUMJlKlzH6V2APHHtstzsgbl-Ny0GwOytl0-wZJOxQYLAIjmS8jJzvdN-88Uy12byLsUr7ReBtwoQICjhY9W_zCon6cUxndccN0OJZO5Ug/s320/40E0F6A5-1F9A-41A1-8AC3-438F50998450.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpPzV-y9qzvKj8EdaWCJywgtei3-hdAC5EFZolC0oSlgdjdQfFG0jxKbIqTGWmyiF3KMk3tk_ZKn4pXBD-KP7ETbdrS9GmDHDLcmFkYFFJkQzTGujoRBKqsxfcG1QhvNftzmP2of5Q5W0EaU2NtKvyoTl5fE1YMkUKF7M0L0f4W5rjTrfvikSzJ-Xig/s4032/8C1480A5-22D5-4294-9C9F-D2ECC29C8915.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/AVvXsEgFpPzV-y9qzvKj8EdaWCJywgtei3-hdAC5EFZolC0oSlgdjdQfFG0jxKbIqTGWmyiF3KMk3tk_ZKn4pXBD-KP7ETbdrS9GmDHDLcmFkYFFJkQzTGujoRBKqsxfcG1QhvNftzmP2of5Q5W0EaU2NtKvyoTl5fE1YMkUKF7M0L0f4W5rjTrfvikSzJ-Xig/s320/8C1480A5-22D5-4294-9C9F-D2ECC29C8915.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Journal</span></div><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Went to the optometrist today. I’ve been having some burning sensation in my eyes.and blurring of vision. I’ve put off going for months but finally decided it must be done. I must say that eye exams are much more thorough than they used to be. I had my eye pressure measured, my retinas photographed, the usual “which is clearer #1 or #2” (when they really don’t look all that different): and several other tests. Anyway, the burning situation is age related dry eyes—>Refresh eye drops at least twice a day. The blurring vision—>cataract surgery probably in a year or two. New fancy pants lenses—>trifocals, transition lenses to slow cataract progression. An last but not least new frames for to replace my 20 year old ones. $600 after discount and insurance. Whew!</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">I’ve started cutting the pieces for my next quilt. I ordered the fabric directly from French General. I have too much trouble finding quality fabric that I like in the quilt stores or Hobby Lobby so now that I know how to order directly from FG, getting fabric is so much simpler. I washed, dried, and pressed the fabric to get it ready to cut. I also ordered a new Olfa 60 mm rotary cutter. It is such a pleasure to cut with a brand new blade. Today I cut the 30 center pieces for the 30 blocks. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">I am watching #4 on my list of 100 best movies, Gone with the Wind. So far I have watched The Godfather, the Shawshank Redemption, and Schindler’s List. All excellent. Between Netflix, Prime, and my list of 100 best movies, there is always something good to watch. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">That’s about all the news from OakMeadows. </div></div><p></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;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-44339476858126590692022-12-19T10:20:00.001-08:002022-12-19T10:23:10.282-08:00The Ten Best Books I read in 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77Z9IHKwckh3cRTw4cE8wTucXC75SZd3mKkoB-lUI_mdx5a27DTCWo1UHjMLGi1Meyal1wDc9LFpEPVDM1xW4_bxrABW_A3P4bPuLOZipvqp3K2enLBOFPM24Dp1EdGkIHOsXvHu4R3PvUve_PvArA_P6G8G4oT94ZseXt6nHKyrJNYuh1sPdl7kUiA/s261/Book%20Review%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="193" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77Z9IHKwckh3cRTw4cE8wTucXC75SZd3mKkoB-lUI_mdx5a27DTCWo1UHjMLGi1Meyal1wDc9LFpEPVDM1xW4_bxrABW_A3P4bPuLOZipvqp3K2enLBOFPM24Dp1EdGkIHOsXvHu4R3PvUve_PvArA_P6G8G4oT94ZseXt6nHKyrJNYuh1sPdl7kUiA/s1600/Book%20Review%202.png" width="193" /></a></div><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Ten Best Books I Read in 2022:</span><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><u>Nonfiction</u> </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Passage of Power by Robert Caro</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Hamilton by Ron Chernow</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><u>Fiction</u> </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Apples Never Fall by Lianne Moriarty</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">As always it was difficult to choose only 10 as there were several others that could easily have been included. Usually I prefer Nonfiction over Fiction but this year I read some really good fiction. </div>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-66605669722540518242022-11-08T04:26:00.002-08:002022-11-08T04:26:36.660-08:00Poetry<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgby67mNZoJPsY0tJMb3XuQoIo_u_JV3LhRBtFE2cYHk3sr44VIUF8PtBdr7u_3sPjbg3reFevGLUUfsveCerCmmzrW2tujULwSvKAWhYCwv3vIxdVg7__y-ntNhdum5gIk01ukRzfG9pKquH_czbkC3Yqr3_tVH1u2z3JfNwo6Qs0nD5Ccjm_4v9YCSQ/s306/Poetry%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="165" data-original-width="306" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgby67mNZoJPsY0tJMb3XuQoIo_u_JV3LhRBtFE2cYHk3sr44VIUF8PtBdr7u_3sPjbg3reFevGLUUfsveCerCmmzrW2tujULwSvKAWhYCwv3vIxdVg7__y-ntNhdum5gIk01ukRzfG9pKquH_czbkC3Yqr3_tVH1u2z3JfNwo6Qs0nD5Ccjm_4v9YCSQ/s1600/Poetry%205.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><p></p><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">My work is loving the world.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird —</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">equal seekers of sweetness.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Are <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>my boots old? Is my coat torn?</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Am I no longer young, and still half-perfect? Let me</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">keep my mind on what matters,</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">which is my work,</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">which is mostly standing still and learning to be</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">astonished.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The phoebe, the delphinium.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">and these body-clothes,</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">a mouth with which to give shouts of joy</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">telling them all, over and over, how it is</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">that we live forever.”</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">~ Mary Oliver</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div></div><p> </p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-72088889964536173052022-11-07T17:33:00.003-08:002022-11-07T17:33:29.918-08:00Around OakMeadows <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ksmlE76ZpuFzdXa7fpi6w8PJPRqW_tM2uIqU0lVACwOxN1yPscrartacwH4QyOAtgclZUkyMq5VH6TcvFt9VHG1HziL9V3nfYhhjAWt4RaKSw7hKHPEPeFCt5_IaSuvoFxmYfpbgsF_m8PBmTj-GP07gxvAbKq6pMgA0X_EzN12CkpSupimNmX0rww/s600/38E4D629-0A39-443A-B940-F50EA5D391B5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ksmlE76ZpuFzdXa7fpi6w8PJPRqW_tM2uIqU0lVACwOxN1yPscrartacwH4QyOAtgclZUkyMq5VH6TcvFt9VHG1HziL9V3nfYhhjAWt4RaKSw7hKHPEPeFCt5_IaSuvoFxmYfpbgsF_m8PBmTj-GP07gxvAbKq6pMgA0X_EzN12CkpSupimNmX0rww/s320/38E4D629-0A39-443A-B940-F50EA5D391B5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">It is time for my twice yearly gripe about time change. Yes, it is time to turn the clocks back one hour. My complaint is the same as usual: Just pick one—> Regular time or Daylight Savings time. Either is fine with me but pick one and stay with it! The time change is not as bad now that I am retired but how I remember it was not so easy to deal with when I was working rotating shifts. I understand that the Senate has passed legislation to make Daylight Savings Time permanent but it seems to be hung up in the House. Arrgghh!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">The butterfly count is going down. We still have some Monarchs and Queens, a few Gulf Fritillaries, and lots of Sachems. We have a cold front coming Friday and I anticipate the end of the butterflies for this year. It was so beautiful this year with hundreds of butterflies on the blue mist right by the brick pathway so that you could watch them close up. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">I am putting the borders on my Blue & Brown quilt. I thought I would finish it today but it just didn’t happen. Tomorrow. I found a couple of French General patterns that I really like. I plan to order them tomorrow. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">Tomorrow is the midterm Election Day. JMM and I voted by mail weeks ago. Very convenient. I do my best to concentrate only on those things that are in my control. Voting is really the only thing I can control so once I’ve voted, I avoid the constant news barrage leading up to the election. I will find out what the outcome was the next day or the next. I doubt very much if anything changes here in Republican Texas but in any case, JMM and I will be just fine whatever happens. Then after Election Day on Tuesday, the campaign for 2024 begins Wednesday....blah!!</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">My first Tovala food delivery comes tomorrow. The oven came last week and TSMR came over Sunday and figured out the wifi set up and got it all ready to cook when the food arrives. I am really looking forward to this. I’m getting 4 meals a week. The menu selections look wonderful and I am happy that I will be getting one vegetarian meal a week. </div></div><p></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: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-417469980454699002022-08-29T17:36:00.001-07:002022-08-29T17:36:28.644-07:00Around OakMeadows <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQoOwJBW-BnL3oCEye58JXgZSXLRtB0lYEdj17i2vURs4u-ktVZu0vIegB24CF7N0XkOVBZW0QzWD6QtSa-dCzZQcuQK5aphdpv4mymYlpWLCjVDw3N3KWuUosLcnJYSqs0zGplJ3ghNf6zGEYzbZX6j6wfXR8BZM3O9cGe3ceei0Kz8BYu6kS_esDQ/s1600/10%20Butterfly%20Weed%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQoOwJBW-BnL3oCEye58JXgZSXLRtB0lYEdj17i2vURs4u-ktVZu0vIegB24CF7N0XkOVBZW0QzWD6QtSa-dCzZQcuQK5aphdpv4mymYlpWLCjVDw3N3KWuUosLcnJYSqs0zGplJ3ghNf6zGEYzbZX6j6wfXR8BZM3O9cGe3ceei0Kz8BYu6kS_esDQ/s320/10%20Butterfly%20Weed%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">I’ve been working my way down the IMDb list of 100 greatest movies on weekends. I watched #1 The Godfather and #2 The Shawshank Redemption on the first weekend. Both were excellent. The Godfather is probably my all time favorite movie, but I had never seen The Shawshank Redemption and what a truly outstanding movie it was. Then this past weekend I watched Schindler’s List and Raging Bull. Schindler’s List is a truly great movie but I cannot understand why Raging Bull would be on anyone’s best movies list. Next weekend will be Casablanca and Gone with the Wind. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">I finished one half of the twenty blocks for my Blue & Brown. I like the pattern and think I’m going to do another one in Red, Cream, and Blue. Maybe, we’ll see. Next I have to make the other half of the blocks for this one. I wish I knew what to do with my finished quilts. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">This evening I made a tray of roasted vegetables that turned out so tasty. I cut up carrots, baby red potatoes, red onion, and red bell pepper. Then I tossed them with olive oil, sea salt, and thyme and baked them at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring them about half way through. Definitely, will be making this again and maybe adding sugar snap peas. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Rain. We went all summer without a drop of rain. It was hot (with highs in the upper 90s) and not a drop of rain. Now for the past week we have been getting rain almost every day. I must say the grass and crepe myrtles are doing much better. </div>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-29177794807416123912022-08-14T07:08:00.002-07:002022-08-14T07:08:58.662-07:00This Mornng by Mary Oliver<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhsOL6chPuDrpSTM5zTfVLN1JC-2EYUCA7M4kHhzYD-YqsHI9E6WBMuqn26VpKa_82X8VgFw4iwoe73dcwpLrfY8G9gNzhEdFGujB2pn1h9M4dp5rwy7GeD2gmNwsxWyywZ8pDJNK8mr4WC0-j20H3N-QGzW0_9zDWi23BNBXFh58UEeI38p4pK1vAw/s254/Poetry.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="254" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhsOL6chPuDrpSTM5zTfVLN1JC-2EYUCA7M4kHhzYD-YqsHI9E6WBMuqn26VpKa_82X8VgFw4iwoe73dcwpLrfY8G9gNzhEdFGujB2pn1h9M4dp5rwy7GeD2gmNwsxWyywZ8pDJNK8mr4WC0-j20H3N-QGzW0_9zDWi23BNBXFh58UEeI38p4pK1vAw/s1600/Poetry.png" width="254" /></a></div><p></p><p>This morning the redbirds' eggs</p><p>have hatched and already the chicks</p><p>are chirping for food. They don't</p><p>know where it's coming from, they</p><p>just keep shouting, "More! More!"</p><p>As to anything else, they haven't</p><p>had a single thought. Their eyes</p><p>haven't yet opened, they know nothing</p><p>about the sky that's waiting. Or</p><p>the thousands, the millions of trees.</p><p>They don't even know they have wings.</p><p>And just like that, like a simple</p><p>neighborhood event, a miracle</p><p>is taking place</p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-58499972761662224202022-08-03T07:29:00.001-07:002022-08-03T07:29:55.313-07:00Shrimp and Pasta Salad <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9BisvuCIiycEkrWo1xVfCAo0cRuwuUWKG9MSkTArd5FHPEEtYxIo96iYJo22twmRCakUQ_DV1U_em_8MFFl7NavLVSwzdaYYWF8n5z9xbphGu1de68NJGBm8vmXM9Qe0cFsnM0IjGA9Tf4nDSLpizyQ-fS2URKD7NgEpCCAhaKOarky9MWIppap4bQ/s229/Cooking1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="229" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9BisvuCIiycEkrWo1xVfCAo0cRuwuUWKG9MSkTArd5FHPEEtYxIo96iYJo22twmRCakUQ_DV1U_em_8MFFl7NavLVSwzdaYYWF8n5z9xbphGu1de68NJGBm8vmXM9Qe0cFsnM0IjGA9Tf4nDSLpizyQ-fS2URKD7NgEpCCAhaKOarky9MWIppap4bQ/s1600/Cooking1.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>This was my new recipe for August and it was absolutely delicious. I was looking for something that would be eaten cold but substantial enough for dinner. This would also be good with ham instead of shrimp. I’ll definitely be making this again<p></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Shrimp and Pasta Salad</span></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><b><u>Ingredients for the Salad</u></b></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">8 ounces (2 cups) small pasta</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1 pound cooked shrimp (cut in half if shrimp are large)</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1 heaping cup diced celery, about 1/2 inch</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1/2 large or 1 small red bell pepper diced about 1/2 inch</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1 cup frozen peas</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1 bunch green onions chopped</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><b><u>For the dressing</u></b></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">2/3 cup Greek yogurt</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">2 Tablespoons lemon juice</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">2 teaspoons honey</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1 teaspoon white vinegar</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1 teaspoon salt</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1/2 teaspoon black pepper</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1. Cook pasta according to package directions, about 9 minutes in boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook shrimp in boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt for about 7 minutes for large shrimp. Drain each. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">2. Mix all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">3. Mix all ingredients and dressing together in a large serving bowl. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-74304904090021284332022-08-01T05:08:00.002-07:002022-08-01T09:23:20.025-07:00Plans for August 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKxGtfOkmAFAKVHrMol9oGHNQDJgbvnw0X0Ey7OeO-JD7G0M_iMK-hBlsNDvJiKN22Iud7vXjuLjQcBSPUdW-pgHdYqU6EIOTKB9HgPevIHilQse1FTUwbuVJamj7suDylOjtfMN6yFZZ_B1h1_usXLHN3tCMOAmRCuABQ0z3Xfveq6XN-KhgeL1RTQ/s251/Goals%206.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="251" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKxGtfOkmAFAKVHrMol9oGHNQDJgbvnw0X0Ey7OeO-JD7G0M_iMK-hBlsNDvJiKN22Iud7vXjuLjQcBSPUdW-pgHdYqU6EIOTKB9HgPevIHilQse1FTUwbuVJamj7suDylOjtfMN6yFZZ_B1h1_usXLHN3tCMOAmRCuABQ0z3Xfveq6XN-KhgeL1RTQ/s1600/Goals%206.png" width="251" /></a></div><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Plans for August 2022</span><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1. Read 4 books.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">2. Buy a new sunflower door wreath. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">3. Finish piecing Blue & Brown quilt top.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">4. Sharing</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> Coastal Prairie Conservancy </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> JK</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> ND-BGHS</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">5. Try 1 new Recipe</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">6. Check on Smithsonian Transcription project. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">7. Sign up for this fall’s Project Feederwatch. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">8. Dental cleaning. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">9. Sprinkler installation for crepe myrtles. </div>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-30394734639478945402022-07-31T18:08:00.003-07:002022-07-31T20:40:35.020-07:00Around OakMeadows <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhBFMHQe370ZI8K3w4-7oPk6MvkHfD_GliGYF3sma9QjFKBDY7qUQ4cBzOcZyC4JCcm21R1J1aWaoPfGhsDnOaKKJjT8OM7vFxStqbPqcpa1l27hM6xTig7Zi-sAJEzQfWRZcWCSGFYvDw1uOXCgOf2g_B7wFmwLtwd4NeUTlUhPFcTIVImKsTM6FZQ/s4032/694CD26F-BB09-4A13-AC3D-CE6E36DA493D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhBFMHQe370ZI8K3w4-7oPk6MvkHfD_GliGYF3sma9QjFKBDY7qUQ4cBzOcZyC4JCcm21R1J1aWaoPfGhsDnOaKKJjT8OM7vFxStqbPqcpa1l27hM6xTig7Zi-sAJEzQfWRZcWCSGFYvDw1uOXCgOf2g_B7wFmwLtwd4NeUTlUhPFcTIVImKsTM6FZQ/s320/694CD26F-BB09-4A13-AC3D-CE6E36DA493D.jpeg" width="240" /></a></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;">Gulf Fritillary </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">We went to see Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. It was sweet and we both enjoyed it. We always get a hot dog, popcorn, and a drink which costs approximately twice what the tickets cost. Since we always go to the early feature on a weekday, the only people there are seniors like us. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">It has been very hot this past week. We had a few rain showers but not more than 1/2 inch total. JMM has been doing some watering early in the morning but by about 8:30, it’s getting hot and so it’s time to come inside. Sometimes I stay out a little longer reading or doing a Duolingo lesson but soon it is too hot especially if there is no cloud cover or breeze. Thank goodness for air conditioning!!</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">I am thinking about and looking into doing volunteer document transcription for the Smithsonian. I would do it at home online. I have the website and will check into it. More information later. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">My sweet Angie caught a mild case of Bordatella, kennel cough. She had it once about 5 years ago when she first came to live with us and was very sick. We have since kept her vaccinations up to date but evidently dogs can get it even if they have been vaccinated but it doesn’t make them nearly as sick. She is now completely recovered and has had a bath so she is a happy (and clean smelling) dog. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Since this is the end of the month, here’s the list of life at OakMeadows for July. It is short because it’s been too hot to spend much time outside. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><b><u>Birds</u></b></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Barn Swallows </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Hummingbirds </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Cardinals </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Carolina Wrens</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Blue Jays</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Mockingbirds </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Tufted Titmouse </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Red-bellied Woodpecker</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Black Vultures </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Killdeer </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Grackles</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Collared Doves</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><b><u>Insects</u></b></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Ants (I would really like to identify the types of ants that are around here.)</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Wasps, black</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Bumblebees </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Gulf Fritillaries </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Monarchs </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Giant Swallowtails</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Unknown Skippers </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Eastern Pondhawks</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Blue Darters</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><b><u>Mammals/Other</u></b></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Raccoons </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Squirrels </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Armadillo </div></div><p><br /></p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-15537962118907870672022-06-24T06:48:00.005-07:002022-06-24T06:50:13.172-07:00The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8yxxFqTfLm7BnFFFfyiOduWkUP5NlDMJKPs8X7IJ2i2_XLuuBgJa7Ps2OvqgVF-qKuy9wljGFcOJaG6Er0q1TTAoVRAkZjgaN2MOgHp4WqjoPJwUWyxG1o_CsvzEjj74tI6Oad9m0pIUHGUG_WAoXo2rGl67fElsf135I2dejmgEdbi4UILSj9Ohvw/s259/Poetry%209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8yxxFqTfLm7BnFFFfyiOduWkUP5NlDMJKPs8X7IJ2i2_XLuuBgJa7Ps2OvqgVF-qKuy9wljGFcOJaG6Er0q1TTAoVRAkZjgaN2MOgHp4WqjoPJwUWyxG1o_CsvzEjj74tI6Oad9m0pIUHGUG_WAoXo2rGl67fElsf135I2dejmgEdbi4UILSj9Ohvw/s1600/Poetry%209.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Wendell Berry</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">When despair for the world grows in me</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">and I wake in the night at the least sound</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">I go and lie down where the wood drake</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">I come into the peace of wild things</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">who do not tax their lives with forethought</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">of grief. I come into the presence of still water.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">And I feel above me the day-blind stars</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">waiting with their light. For a time</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.</div>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-9128658691267643332022-06-23T12:00:00.001-07:002022-06-23T12:02:20.189-07:00Around OakMeadows <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRN6aNo9q_f6LnMLNwMieo-2RqN1BhzgqV9ahzwbD69k7qJWNv2jREa7ektLx4ERLqLL3sgGValmwmoyo0FQgBZryABbp6zZX4DvvrxC08d9IsygNnd_RyzFcyfHm_f8m9kE3ij0j1NKfWtI88LPbohQgO5Lzdk28RxAtHDXnLA83_CNiNmOfbzZY6hQ/s292/Live%20Oak%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="292" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRN6aNo9q_f6LnMLNwMieo-2RqN1BhzgqV9ahzwbD69k7qJWNv2jREa7ektLx4ERLqLL3sgGValmwmoyo0FQgBZryABbp6zZX4DvvrxC08d9IsygNnd_RyzFcyfHm_f8m9kE3ij0j1NKfWtI88LPbohQgO5Lzdk28RxAtHDXnLA83_CNiNmOfbzZY6hQ/s1600/Live%20Oak%202.png" width="292" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">We are enjoying watching the antics of a Mama Raccoon and her 7 babies. Yes, 7. I had thought that raccoon litters were of 4 but this Mama has 7. Anyway, JMM puts a small pile of dog chow on the back porch and we watch as Mama and the babies cautiously come out of the bushes and feed and play. But the most darling thing was when he put out a shallow tub of water. Mama wasted no time in scurrying over and climbing in followed by all 7 littles. Soon Mama climbed out followed by 7 very wet and much cooler littles. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Can’t have a post in summertime Texas without mentioning the HEAT! Temperatures are around the 95-100 degree mark daily and we very much need rain. No tropical developments so far but the water in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean are well above normal which doesn’t bode well for August and September. We shall see. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">I’ve been helping one of my nieces and it is teaching me so much about living in poverty and how incredibly difficult even little things are. We live in Texas where public transportation is virtually nonexistent if you don’t live in a major metropolitan area. Add on to that the fact that she has a significant physical disability and a young child and you can see that having a reliable vehicle is not a luxury but a necessity. She has an old car for which she has not had the money to do the routine maintenance. Texas requires a safety inspection each year to get your license plate renewed. No safety inspection, no insurance—>no yearly license sticker—>big fine for driving such a vehicle. So I am helping her get the car in shape to pass the inspection which is due next month. Fortunately, we know a reliable mechanic. Not being of a mechanical bent myself, I won’t even try to list what all needs to be done—>but it comes to over $700. We did the first part of the work yesterday and will space it out so that all the work will be finished before the end of July and she can get the safety inspection and the license sticker if she has insurance which I won’t even deal with. Next time, I’ll tell you about her phone problems. Enough for now. Poverty is not for the faint of heart.</div>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-89584166772738168202022-06-13T15:48:00.000-07:002022-06-13T15:48:26.457-07:00Creamy Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Spinach <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEeUjF9YLoL7Q_3M6qkvAHUee8elwOlFy0ChZ_j_-wDxdWRnWOUFe5qHwlN1qgGZUiJuocihDVYHEo36SwbPO0utRbsfe-EJvzF1BFPPz-Y_waV7HpebH7rSlh15JmYyg-cuIEzGrNI6fZtNSlC-AgY-ZidRGtfTsE49YpTnb_vkKCFz2Vi9AtEQ8kQ/s274/Cooking%208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="274" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEeUjF9YLoL7Q_3M6qkvAHUee8elwOlFy0ChZ_j_-wDxdWRnWOUFe5qHwlN1qgGZUiJuocihDVYHEo36SwbPO0utRbsfe-EJvzF1BFPPz-Y_waV7HpebH7rSlh15JmYyg-cuIEzGrNI6fZtNSlC-AgY-ZidRGtfTsE49YpTnb_vkKCFz2Vi9AtEQ8kQ/s1600/Cooking%208.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>One of my goals this year is to make one new dish each month. We made this dish this evening and it was delicious. It is one I will definitely make again. </p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Creamy Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Spinach</span></p><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">4 boneless pork chops (thick cut)</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Salt</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">pepper</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">2 tablespoons Olive Oil</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">8 oz. Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">2 cloves garlic, minced</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">1 cup heavy cream</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">1 teaspoon dried oregano</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes </div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">3 cups packed baby spinach</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><u>Directions</u></b><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><div class="ingredients-body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: #343434; font-family: Charter, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 19px; outline: 0px;"><div class="ingredient-section ingredient-section-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0.9375rem; outline: 0px; padding-right: 0.9375rem;"><div class="ingredient-lists" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><div class="ingredient-item" style="-webkit-hyphens: auto; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1875rem; line-height: 1.6; outline: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5rem;"><span class="ingredient-description" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><div class="directions-body" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><div class="direction-section direction-section-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><div class="direction-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: GTHaptik, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0.9375rem 0px 0.625rem; outline: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"></div><div class="direction-lists" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><ol style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: step-counter 1; font-size: 1.1875rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 0.75rem 2.875rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;">Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add pork chops and cook until golden and cooked through. (About 6 minutes per side) Remove from skillet and place on a plate to keep warm. </li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: step-counter 1; font-size: 1.1875rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 0.75rem 2.875rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;">Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until softened, 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. </li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: step-counter 1; font-size: 1.1875rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 0.75rem 2.875rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;">Add heavy cream, Parmesan, oregano, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted, 2 minutes more. </li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: step-counter 1; font-size: 1.1875rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 0.75rem 2.875rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;">Return pork chops to skillet and cook until warmed through, 5 minutes. </li></ol></div></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-46606616174347306442022-06-09T08:44:00.003-07:002022-06-10T05:12:05.041-07:00Poetry for the Day<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWpr2bw7J6gPoTuE35Sr0YTS_YrMyfQ2riZf4h8bX6Nso4uCe22aQZaFYBco8LtsNs9JLr5ITx1cX-9FK4b0-s3o5izTqier9B7T-DCmqiI0xIiFM4OlDDEqUMeYk2CvafVzXBr6EfVkxZBCBV4Nnrrtwr7q7pqcgQh8M-xbwZYXkuHqMN5k_4Kh6Og/s254/Poetry.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="254" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWpr2bw7J6gPoTuE35Sr0YTS_YrMyfQ2riZf4h8bX6Nso4uCe22aQZaFYBco8LtsNs9JLr5ITx1cX-9FK4b0-s3o5izTqier9B7T-DCmqiI0xIiFM4OlDDEqUMeYk2CvafVzXBr6EfVkxZBCBV4Nnrrtwr7q7pqcgQh8M-xbwZYXkuHqMN5k_4Kh6Og/s1600/Poetry.png" width="254" /></a></div><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">I Worried by Mary Oliver</span><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">flow in the right direction, will the earth turn</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">as it was taught, and if not, how shall</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">I correct it?</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">can I do better?</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">can do it, and I am well</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">hopeless. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it,</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">am I going to get rheumatism, </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">lockjaw, dementia?</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">And I gave it up. And I took my old body</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">and went out into the morning,</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">and sang. </div>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-66185446292041732802022-06-09T06:03:00.001-07:002022-06-09T06:03:17.886-07:00Around OakMeadows <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiVCyp17PSwSIA8kWErQr_2j3o9R4fcRCkZV8TWM9s0ETdSl1b3a9d6csSKb1mMH1vpW6aRFhJ_e07W-V81e3zg9chd6-WdatOA5wpRm7VOMmbl9uXzwf4Oq7XIxNVthHgt63juKohN0LttaoCOMWM_UZqYzq0bq6beGBIBtFzf6aeWXuLsf-QzTmFA/s4032/842137EA-E03E-454B-988E-38641F0F4B98.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiVCyp17PSwSIA8kWErQr_2j3o9R4fcRCkZV8TWM9s0ETdSl1b3a9d6csSKb1mMH1vpW6aRFhJ_e07W-V81e3zg9chd6-WdatOA5wpRm7VOMmbl9uXzwf4Oq7XIxNVthHgt63juKohN0LttaoCOMWM_UZqYzq0bq6beGBIBtFzf6aeWXuLsf-QzTmFA/s320/842137EA-E03E-454B-988E-38641F0F4B98.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My Dolly Madison Lilies are blooming.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">We have been going out under the trees soon after breakfast each morning before the heat sets in. This morning we took the LadyBuggy for a ride around the property so that I could see how much all the trees had grown in the last 3 years. It was lovely to see them up close. Many of the trees have a base diameter of 12-18 inches. The big water oak is just magnificent. Then JMM did some more watering while I read. By 9 am, it was getting warm and time to go inside. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The summer heat is setting in. We are supposed to go over 100 degrees this weekend. There are two unknowns always in the back of my mind in summer: 1.) Will the power grid hold and 2.) hurricanes. The Generac helps with the first and we are as prepared as possible for the second. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The war in Ukraine goes on. While you can’t help but admire the Ukrainian resistance, the fact remains that Russia can strike anywhere in Ukraine at any time but the Ukrainians can’t strike back outside their own territory. Which means that Russia can pound them into dust for as long as it wants to. I don’t see any way Ukraine can “win.” If I were a Ukrainian, I would be heading to Sweden to ask for asylum. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">I got some quilting books from the library to spur my creativity with what to do with my French General fabric that I bought last week. I had gone to Quilter’s Emporium to get a couple more blues to go into my blue and brown quilt top that I am about to start. I found and bought the blues but on my way out the door, I saw a collection of gorgeous French General fabric that stopped me cold in my tracks. So JMM sat back down while I gathered up 7 bolts of fabric and had them cut one yard of each. We paid for it and JMM threatened me with a blindfold and got out the door. Now I have to figure out what to do with the FG while I get going on the blue/brown. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">If you have Netflix, be sure to watch The Lincoln Lawyer. Interesting characters, good story. Not overly violent. Warning: Once you start, it is binge worthy.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> </div>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-25218773358776704712022-02-15T06:15:00.000-08:002022-02-15T06:15:05.668-08:00March Menu<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnkuA7Ll3ioybLuOiW9_PNT9fHvkS8p_upd3kdhKHKcnFpGDRZ1NiujfKUTWzd1j81BWRlOefFtK17e_iEebkdqDM2oqhZM_ToOOw10Z3mJPSgdU3AyMfQDagR11Aoz_uxOxmrshAbLKtptw8YNTCay9_9hc9wGg_fANIT1OTEimm2RhGZC6qe5Z_LqA=s270" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="270" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnkuA7Ll3ioybLuOiW9_PNT9fHvkS8p_upd3kdhKHKcnFpGDRZ1NiujfKUTWzd1j81BWRlOefFtK17e_iEebkdqDM2oqhZM_ToOOw10Z3mJPSgdU3AyMfQDagR11Aoz_uxOxmrshAbLKtptw8YNTCay9_9hc9wGg_fANIT1OTEimm2RhGZC6qe5Z_LqA" width="270" /></a></div><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">March Menu</span><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1. Chicken-Sausage Casserole, Squash</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">2. Pork Roast</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">3. Leftovers </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">4. Out</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">5. Bacon Sandwiches, Oven Fries</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">6. SC Farmhouse Chicken and Corn Soup</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">7. Shrimp Jambalaya </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">8. Chicken Cacciatore </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">9. HB Patties, Sweet Potato </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">10. Leftovers </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">11. Out</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">12. CB Hash</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">13. Burgers</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">14. Baked Fish, Fire Roasted Vegetables</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">15. SC Chicken Stew with White Beans and Sausage</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">16. Pizza</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">17. Corned Beef and Cabbage</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">18. Out</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">19. Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Toast</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">20. Burgers</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">21. Cod Chowder </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">22. Chicken and Snow Peas</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">23. Pot Roast</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">24. Leftovers </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">25. Out</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">26. Macaroni and Cheese, Corn, Salad</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">27. Chipotle </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">28. Baked Fish, Fire Roasted Vegetables</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">29 Chicken and Spaghetti Casserole</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">30. Schwan’s </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">31. Leftovers </div><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163688800708532843.post-41849948107099056812022-02-13T15:58:00.003-08:002022-02-13T15:58:42.522-08:00Slow Cooker Chicken, Tortellini, and Tomato Soup<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlYBAUXik42q7LAFvzhLFuA6H9xDowQzs4Kf0_WGYFtbdbp0zqZUNG78FNW1gUYLVOdJc5HlFOYxRlWEedUO6ZaSv3y7h-yPVb8ujfJNJsgkar1Z_0JQd8XKFFZYTJQDA5MJDbB-AMGxTTkriCITUG4oiIG5yCorcxSLjfsa2_OkxCPsuJxxee2IZQ0w=s225" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlYBAUXik42q7LAFvzhLFuA6H9xDowQzs4Kf0_WGYFtbdbp0zqZUNG78FNW1gUYLVOdJc5HlFOYxRlWEedUO6ZaSv3y7h-yPVb8ujfJNJsgkar1Z_0JQd8XKFFZYTJQDA5MJDbB-AMGxTTkriCITUG4oiIG5yCorcxSLjfsa2_OkxCPsuJxxee2IZQ0w" width="225" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">This is my new recipe for the month of February. It is adapted from a NYT Cooking recipe. It is delicious.</span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Slow Cooker Chicken, Tortellini, and Tomato Soup</span></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Ingredients </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">4 cups chicken broth</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1/4 cup dry white wine</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">2 tablespoons tomato paste</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Canned crushed tomatoes, 28 oz. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">6 cloves garlic, finely minced</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">2 teaspoons onion powder</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1/2 teaspoon salt</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">5 oz. spinach</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">8 oz. cheese tortellini </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">1. In a 6-8 quart slow cooker, whisk together broth, tomato paste, and white wine until tomato paste is dissolved. Add tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, oregano, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and chicken thighs. Cook on low 6 hours until chicken is very tender. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">2. Shred the chicken. Add spinach and tortellini. Continue cooking on low for another 30 minutes. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">3. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></p>Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157294752967287405noreply@blogger.com3