Taking the Plunge!

Hello friends and fellow bloggers, there are new things on the horizon here at Roses to Rainbows. I have taken the plunge and opened an on-line store. 

Rosie B. Designs is now open for business at Zazzle.com. I would greatly appreciate it if you would stop by and check out my new shop. Items include Christmas cards with coordinating stickers, ornaments, magnets, tote bags, apparel, kitchen & dining items and more.

I am just getting this off the ground so selection is limited at the moment, but I'm working hard on new designs and products every day. Please feel free to browse around anytime because like Roses to Rainbows, it is open 24/7.

Thank you!


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Breakfast in bed, please!

We have had our beautiful Sophie for almost 11 years now and she's just as sweet and quirky as ever. Like all of our cats, her personality has continued to develop over the years. After the passing of her housemates, (Dood, 4 years ago and Rosie, 5 years ago), she has been "talking" more than ever before with an ever-growing vocabulary. I believe she is either channeling the boys, or was just never able to get a word in edge-wise and is now making up for it.

If she were talking in this picture, she might be saying, "breakfast in bed would be nice for a change".

Do your cats talk to you, and what do you think they are saying?



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Chasing The Rainbow

We were returning from Ft. DeSoto and as we came over the bridge at Tierra Verde I spotted a rainbow. It was not raining where we were at that moment, but it was or had been raining somewhere. We followed the rain clouds and the rainbow, hoping for a better view. All you can see of the rainbow in this picture is a tiny segment to the left of the first palm tree, but the sunlight transforms these ordinary condos into something beautiful.

Here is the rainbow when we first saw it.

On another note, today is October 20, 2018 and it occurs to me that I failed to acknowledge my ninth year in blogging (by exactly one month). 

How did that happen? Well, to be quite honest, I have not been very diligent in posting and basically took the entire summer off. Life is busy and time taken sitting at the computer stringing words together took a back seat.

Am I back? Yeah, maybe...I'm not sure, but it would be sad to just quit. Did I get where I wanted to when I started out? Nope, but that's okay, at least that's what I tell myself. My goal continues to be to inspire people, give them something to think about or at least make them smile.

So I guess I'll keep on chasing the rainbow and hope that my words will reach the person(s) that they were meant to reach.

Remember, the welcome mat is out and the virtual doors are always open so make yourself at home. Please leave your calling card in the comments below so I can greet you personally.

The Wrath of Michael

How dear the woods are! You beautiful trees! I love every one of you as a friend. -Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea, 1909

The handiwork of Tropical Storm Michael as he made his way north, pausing long enough on his journey to topple some trees and take down power lines.

This is the second time this year we have lost an old, beloved Pecan tree. Farewell my friend, you were well loved.

There is something wrong with this picture. That is what's left of the power to the house (thankfully not the one we're currently living in). The rest is a hanging somewhere in another tree.

When Hurricane Florence was heading toward the coast, we were all making preparations. Even those of us who live well inland were cautioned that we could get severe weather. After all the predictions, thankfully she steered away from us, and all we got were a few sticks in the yard and a couple inches of rain.

Then along came Michael who kind of sprang up out of nowhere and quickly became a record-breaking monster, leaving very little time to prepare or leave. What happened here cannot remotely compare to the devastation along the Florida Panhandle, but Michael did leave us with downed trees, widespread power outages and flooding.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those suffering in Florida and all along the path of the storm.




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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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