It's Pumpkin Season

Oh how we love pumpkin season. You did know this gourd-ish squash has it's own season, right? Winter, Spring, Summer, Pumpkin...We anxiously anticipate it every year.  - Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer

I must confess, I am not the biggest fan of pumpkin. My favorite has to be the pumpkin roll, but I think that has more to do with the yummy cream cheese filling than anything pumpkin related.

It seems, though, that pumpkin-fever is here to stay for a while and everyone one is jumping on the pumpkin train. I wrote a post last year for the October writing challenge I was participating in called "Everything Is Coming Up Pumpkins". There you can read all about pumpkin products and trivia.

Now that fall is well underway, I'm hope I can find one of those delicious pumpkin rolls for an upcoming event next weekend. 😋 

Happy Pumpkin-ing y'all!


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Flag Day 2018

Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
 Francis Scott Key, The Star-Spangled Banner

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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Just Say When!

I am Summer, come to lure you away from your computer... come dance on my fresh grass, dig your toes into my beaches. - Oriana Green

While it isn't technically summer for another few weeks, the weather in our neck of the woods deems it to be summer, so we are gearing up. Here are our new beach chairs. 😎

Two years ago I got new beach towels and dolphin towel clips, and last year some friends gave us a new umbrella. As you can see this is a process of selection and collection. Now I'm ready! The only question is when???

Let me know in the comments if you are a beach gal (or guy) like me, and where you like to beach best.



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What's Up?

So what do you write about when you have nothing share-worthy rolling around the ol' noggin? Crickets!

Okay, so let's talk about my day. It began with breakfast of one-half of a cinnamon and raisin bagel followed by a 45-minute aerobics class. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I have calories leftover from that.

The afternoon was equally intriguing as I sprayed the second version of homemade weed killer on my test subjects, bleached the dickens out of my shower curtain liner, and made multiple trips up and down the basement steps and in and out the back door.

Awesome, right? I know...

I now have my dinner in the oven...meatloaf. What? You were expecting a 5-star, 3-course meal and fancy cocktails? I will be serving this beefy deliciousness with the dried hash browns that are now re-hydrating since I was too busy (or lazy) to go to the store for more potatoes.

To add to this fascinating tale, upon coming in from mowing, hubby announces that he has a meeting at 7:00, and is going to shower. 

"Didn't I mention that to you?" 

"Yeah, weeks ago."

Needless to say, dinner will be more of a sprint than a marathon.

So, how goes your day?



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The Season of Sunlight

When the sunlight hit the trees, all the beauty and wonder come together. Soul unfolds its petals. Flowering and fruiting of plants starts. The birds song light up the spinal column and harmonize the hippocampal functioning. ― Amit Ray

I think that means we all come alive in the sunlight. We feel the sun on our faces, hear the birds sing and watch with wonder as life starts all over again. These memories will carry us through when we feel the absence of the sun's warmth.

In case you were wondering, the hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for processing of long term memory and emotional responses.  We should all be grateful to our hippocampus for preserving our memories.

What are some of your favorite sun-related memories?

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The Well of Spring

Hey friends,

Spring has sprung and Easter is just around the corner again. With each passing year, so does the time pass faster and faster. There is no slowing it down, so hang on for the ride and live each moment to the utmost.

Spring is a season of renewal, where not only do the flowers bloom and the trees leave out, but our souls are renewed as well. We cannot slow time down, but we can slow ourselves down...for a moment to drink deeply from well of spring.

On another note, Easter falls on April 1st this year. I can only imagine the April Fools jokes regarding bunnies and eggs. I heard where someone was going to put grapes inside the Cadbury eggs. Ewww! Maybe we should all check our Easter goodies this year. 😉

Have a joyful and blessed Easter.

To read previous Easter posts, click the links below:

Easter Delights (2011)

Easter Wishes (2015)

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Gluten-free Brownies for the Win!

I have a very good friend who, over the years, has developed an intolerance or sensitivity to a number of foods. Among her many restrictions are gluten, soy, yeast and most dairy, which unfortunately includes butter.

Ladies, as you all know, we must have our chocolate, and since she has issues with most chocolate, but can eat cocoa, I decided to find a brownie recipe that would not further upset the already delicate balance of her diet.

Having found a recipe that was close enough to what I needed, I gathered my ingredients and ventured into the culinary unknown, mixing and baking and pondering what the outcome would be. 

Ding! The moment of truth. As soon as they had cooled enough to get one out of the pan, I tried it. It was good! This recipe makes a moist, fudgy brownie, just the way we like them. 

I took one to my hubby for a taste test and after getting a thumbs up, I told him they were gluten-free. 😋 Win!

I messaged my friend the recipe and said I had a pan of them on the counter. Her response? "I can't wait."

Did she like them? Oh yeah! I failed to take a picture, so I borrowed a similar one from Pixabay.

If you, or someone you know, loves brownies but can't have dairy, soy or gluten, give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.

Gluten-Free Brownies
½ cup coconut oil, melted
1⁄2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla
1⁄2 cup gluten-free flour
1⁄4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8×8×2 pan.

Place the cocoa into a large mixing bowl. Melt coconut oil in a sauce pan or microwave in a glass container. Remove from heat and add to cocoa and mix until blended, then add sugar and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla, flour and salt. Mix until blended, but do not over mix. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool and serve, or even better, eat 'em while they're warm!

I used the King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour, and baked for the full 30 minutes in an 8×8 glass baking dish. You can find the original recipe here.



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President's Day

The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them away.– Ronald Reagan

Image source: Wikipedia

Today is President's Day, so I thought it was appropriate to pick a presidential quote, and I read through tons of quotes by decades of American leaders. I came across a top ten list, and Ronald Reagan came in at number 2. It was, however, not the one featured above. After each quote, was a little blurb about the president and that's where I found this gem. 

I will leave you to ponder his statement for yourselves. Meanwhile, the quote that earned him the number 2 spot in this list was "Mister Gorbachev, tear down this wall."




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Just Be

Firelight will not let you read fine stories but it's warm 

and you won't see the dust on the floor. –Irish Proverb

Sitting before the warmth of a fire is more of a time for peaceful reflection than the perusal of literature. Don't think about work or to-do lists, take the time to just be. That is something none of us do frequently enough these days. And if you should fall asleep, may your dreams be pleasant until you wake as the flickering flames turn to glowing embers.


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Until Next Time...

This is the last day of the 2018 edition of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join us this month on our writing journey. Today's prompt is Finale.

As the sun sets on another 20 Days of Chill, we pause to reflect on all that was written and read, and look forward to what lies ahead. Congratulations to my fellow bloggers who participated in this year's challenge. Until next time...


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Catching The Big One

This is Day 19 of the 2018 edition of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join us this month on our writing journey. Today's prompt is Pounder.

This is the next to the last day of the challenge and I just didn't know quite what to do with today's prompt, so I went with the obvious usage of the word. 

When we catch the granddaddy of all fish, it is usually just a fish tale, but now and again someone legitimately catches a big one. 

Robert Strickland was certainly not floundering around last fall when he pulled a 38-pounder out of Salem Lake during the the city's annual Pier Catfish Tournament.

You can check out the article to see the actual fish caught by the tournament winner, and hear Strickland talk about catching the big ones. He has fished all around the area, but keeps coming back to Salem Lake.


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What's Cookin'?

This is Day 18 of the 2018 edition of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join us this month on our writing journey. Today's prompt is What's Cookin'?

I was running on empty today so I took a page out of Mac the Cheese Man's cookbook and made homemade mac & cheese for dinner. 

Start with some melted butter and finely diced onion. Add some flour and cook for another minute or two. Add milk and let it boil lightly until it thickens. Toss in your cheese(s) of choice and gently stir until it is all melted. Mix this with some just-cooked macaroni, top with buttered bread crumbs, bake and enjoy!  
Good-night!


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Tropical Dreams

This is Day 17 of the 2018 edition of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join us this month on our writing journey. Today's prompt is Tropical Dreams.

Nothing is rigid. Things change. 
You can change your mind. 
You can change your thinking.

― Liane Moriarty

I'm keeping it simple today. My tropical dream is a place where life is calm, the breeze is warm, the drinks are cold, and you can always change your mind.


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Guilty or Not?

This is Day 16 of the 2018 edition of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join us this month on our writing journey. Today's prompt is Guilty Pleasures.

A guilty pleasure is anything you partake of or join in that prompts you to say (or think) I probably shouldn't, but what the heck!

Image Source: Scott Ableman

Most of my guilty pleasures are food-related, most specifically to sweets. I don't have real sweet tooth and am not constantly craving chocolate, or pies or cake or even ice cream. That said, I do love me some Krispy Kreme doughnuts, after all they were founded right here in my home town. 

When the Hot & Now sign is lit, there is some serious goodness going on inside, and like a couple of kids we get our doughnuts and sit and watch the doughnuts going through the phases: rising, frying and getting an icing bath before being plucked off the belt and into to-go boxes. People line up for these tasty confections.

The other thing that makes my taste buds cry out for more is pecan pie, and not just any pecan pie, but the recipe my mom used. I still have the clipping of the recipe from way back, probably printed in the Journal more well over 50 years ago. I never tasted a better pecan pie. Given that it's about the highest calorie pie in my repertoire, I only make two per year around the holidays, and they are typically shared with family and friends which limits my caloric burden.

What are some of your guilty (or not) pleasures?


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Eli Asks Why?

This is Day 15 of the 2018 edition of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join us this month on our writing journey. Today's prompt is Why Ask Why?

My first thought on why ask why was - why not? If you don't ask, you will never know. Not that everyone would be forthcoming with an answer.

For instance, my friend Eli, (remember him?) has this strange habit of disappearing into thin air. You read that right. He just spontaneously becomes invisible. Now if you were to ask him why he was there one minute and invisible the next, what do you think he would say? "Uh...I'll have to get back to you on that."

Eli seeks out the only person who can answer him when he asks WHY?

"Why did I suddenly become invisible? I had to leave Paul to face that madman at the bar, not that he didn't deserve it–why can't he keep his mouth shut? Plus I had to walk home because an invisible man can't drive," Eli exploded at his mother, who was fortunately in her human state, as Eli would have felt even more ridiculous having this conversation with a bird. 

"Can you tell me why, and then maybe how? I need to know. I can't risk randomly disappearing in public like that. Imagine what my boss would say."

"Take a breath," said his mother calmly, "and I'll try to explain. You've always known that you...that we...were different. I had hoped my stories and your dreams would prepare you."

"For what?" Eli asked skeptically.

"For your new powers," she stated, as if that were sufficient explanation.

"I'd say that the preparation was seriously lacking," responded Eli sarcastically. "I had no idea beyond the fact that my mother is a part-time bird princess."

She sighed, "You are inherently magical, as am I. Back at the bar when you wished you were invisible, you became invisible. It was a fear response. You feared for Paul, and for yourself. Each time you wished you were invisible, the power built until you ceased to be seen. In the beginning, our powers are a response to an intense feeling, and difficult to control," she explained.  "I know it was a shock, and I wish you could have known what was happening."

"In time, you gain control of your power and make it work for you. I do not know why you have been given the power of invisibility, but I'm sure there is a reason. Perhaps there is something new on the horizon for you. Another thing you should know is that your powers grow, or advance, with time, and as you master one power, another will begin to appear. 

"Any more questions?" She asked.

"What other powers are there? Will I suddenly find myself leaping tall buildings, stopping locomotives? What am I...like Superman?"

"I just had to ask, didn't I?" thought Eli. "Now what?"


The previous adventures of Eli:
Birdman

The Princess

Eli and the Redhead

The Winged Woman

Meet Eli’s Mother

Eli, Where Are You?

Can You See Me Now?

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Ten Things That Make Me Happy

This is Day 14 of the 2018 edition of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join us this month on our writing journey. Today's prompt is 10 Things that make you happy.

Okay, finally an easy prompt. With all the fussing and complaining you hear today about how messed up everything is, regardless of what side of the fence you're on, it should still be easy enough to list ten things that make you happy.

It doesn't have to be huge or outstanding. It doesn't even have to cost money. It could be as simple as a hot cup of coffee on a cool morning, or your dog or cat greeting you at the door. There are so many things I could list, but here are what first came to mind–in no particular order.

1. Going to the beach
2. Potatoes (my favorite food)
3. Hearing the birds sing
4. Going for a walk on a beautiful day
5. A glass of chilled Chardonnay
6. Watching it snow
7. Hanging out with friends
8. Head butts from our cat
9. A warm blanket
10. Cool sheets
11. Bonus: My husband, but that is a given after 30+ years together.

This is a random sampling of things that make me happy. What makes you happy?


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Let It Snow...Or Not

This is Day 13 of the 2018 edition of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join us this month on our writing journey. Today's prompt is Let it snow (or not).

If you live in the South you understand this concept very well. If you're from the North and think it never snows here, it does. It is just not as predictable here. With modern technology and advanced forecasting, most weather sources will give a 10-day forecast. Unlike years ago, when we had one forecast which we either got in the morning paper or saw on the daily weather report on TV, we now have weather news that is updated 24/7. 

What that means is that the forecast fluctuates more than a politician's double-talk. What you read this morning may not be true by lunch time. So when you look at the long-range forecast and see the "S-word" (snow), don't start making or cancelling plans based on that. The snow will likely be in and out of the forecast many times before you actually get the snow...or not.

Snow is indeed in the forecast for the day of this post. By the time it is up, we will know whether we got snow or not.

Update: We got SNOW!

Santa, is that you?

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Lessons Learned

This is Day 12 of the 2018 edition of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join us this month on our writing journey. Today's prompt is What I learned in school.

School is a place of learning, and that is not limited to what we glean from textbooks. We learn about life and how to function with others. Some of those lessons are harder than the scholarly endeavors.

My Brain in School!

Things I learned:

• That it is not easy being the new kid in school, and not everyone will be your friend.
• Not to raise your hand to answer a question. Getting the answer wrong is not a big deal for most, but I was embarrassed and did not raise my hand after that. I think I was in the second grade at the time.
• I could not sing. We had a music teacher at the school where I was the new kid. She made everyone memorize and sing the "hymn of the month". Solo! More embarrassment. Fortunately, it was only that one year then I guess she retired.
• Not all teachers are good teachers. I had one teacher who taught math and probably science. He said anyone who would stay after class would get the answers to the next day's math test. I was not good at math, so of course I stayed. The tests in the other class was pre-recorded and we had pieces of paper numbered down the side and four columns of circles. He played the tape of the questions and gave four choices. We filled in the corresponding circle.
• My history teacher dictated sentences and told us what to underline. The tests were the exactly what he dictated, so if you were good at memorization, you passed the tests. I passed the tests. What did I learn?
• I learned that extra credit is very helpful if you are doing poorly in math. Often it counted as a test; you do it and you get 100%. Win!
  
  Many people complain about the quality of education in our public school systems and there may or may not be justification, I don't know. What I do know is that most of the above experiences were in a private, Christian school, which I attended for five years. The school was growing and each year they added another grade. At the end of the 10th grade, I made the decision I was going back to public school, and there was a senior high school just a couple miles from my house that I could drive to.

What I learned there?

• I learned that I could choose classes. I had never had that option before. We were told what the classes were and we took them all, which is why I learned to type at 14 and had three years of French.
• I learned that if you were late getting back from lunch, the good parking spaces were taken and you had to park at the swimming pool.
• I learned that didn't like accounting, and after all my years of typing (I was good and fast), that manual typewriters made it look like I couldn't type at all. It was embarrassing to get a mediocre grade in something I was really good at.
• I learned that I loved shorthand, and was good at it, too. 

Lest it sound as if I did not learn anything, I got the basics in math by the end of the 5th grade, and my typing skills helped keep me employed for 19+ years. I even had occasion to use my rusty middle school French to order some pastries in a small French bakery. I did not enjoy school, but I never failed a class and got through it with a reasonable education.

What was your school experience like? Feel free to share in the comments if you wish.


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Fetch Me Some Grog!

This is Day 11 of the 2018 edition of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join us this month on our writing journey. Today's prompt is All for me grog.

What is Grog? Originally grog was a drink made with rum and water which came about when the British Admiral Sir Edward Vernon ordered all Naval rum to be watered down. 

The men, accustomed to drinking their rum straight, were, of course, upset but rather than mutiny, however, they named the watered down rum "Grog" after the Admiral. 

His nickname was Old Grog from the grogram coat he always wore. Grogram is a coarse fabric made from silk and wool, and stiffened with gum, which seemed particularly fitting for the Admiral.

The British Navy wasn't alone in it's fondness for grog; many mariners, including pirates, carried a blend of sugar-water, rum and lime juice to help prevent scurvy.

Today grog generally refers to any alcoholic beverage.

I did, however, discover a recipe for a drink called grog that contains lime juice, brown sugar, rum and water. You can find the exact recipe at thedrinkblog.com.  

What is your favorite Grog?



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High Tide

This is Day 10 of the 2018 edition of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join us this month on our writing journey. Today's prompt is Hi, low...in, out.

My very first thought when I saw today's prompt are Tides. What exactly are tides anyway?

Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of Earth.

Spending time at the beach will get you to thinking about the tides for various reasons such as fishing, swimming and sunbathing, games, jogging, sand castles and tidal pools.

The tides are high when the moon is either directly over head where you are, or directly overhead on the exact opposite side of the earth. It works differently in each place. When the moon is overhead at your location, the moon's gravity is essentially pulling the water toward it. The opposite is true when the moon is overhead on the opposite side of the earth from you. The moon's gravity is pulling the earth away from the water on that side. There is a graphic here that shows this.

What I knew about tides from my beach trips was that there were both high and low tides twice a day, and that the moon affects the tides. Now I know more of how that works. Any coastal town will experience a high tide about every 12 hours and 25 minutes. If you are interested, you can find tide charts at any bait and tackle shop on the beach or just search online for tide charts.

Now let's stroll along the beach and enjoy The Tide Is High by Blondie.

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