Rainy days aren't so bad.  We don't walk the loop, but we still have fun.  Scrabble, sewing projects, crossword puzzles, and cooking.

 

Yesterday we made pasta.  We added kale powder to the dough:  turning it green, a little bit healthy, and pretty.  After we roll it and cut it using the pasta machine, it gets hung on this rack to dry.  The drying process takes a while, like 8 hours, so we left it on the table overnight.  This is what we found in the morning.  Some still hanging, some crashed onto the dining room table.  

 

Gizmo?  No, he doesn't get on the table or chairs.  The New Year's Eve elf?  I doubt that.  ;)  Or maybe just successful drying.  

 

I hope you are having some kind of winter fun.

 

HAPPY JANUARY!!!

 

I guess we weren't the only ones having a little too much fun last night.

 

Look who we found right next to the empty Champagne bottle.  I don't remember emptying it ourselves;  it must have been the elf.

 

Wishing you ALL:

 

A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

HAHAHA!!!!  We walked the loop two days in a row, wearing shorts!!!  

 

Our temperature yesterday and the day before got up to 64 degrees.  That's warm enough to wear shorts, especially when you're moving.  

 

It was also warm enough to sit on our neighbors' porch for happy hour.  Gotta love warm Winter weather.

 

HAPPY WINTER!!!

From the Farmers Almanac

 

 

 

The Winter Solstice begins today at 4:48 pm EST.  It is the shortest day, and the longest night of the year.  

 

To learn more about the science and the lore of the winter solstice go to the Farmers Almanac;  here's the link.

 

 

HAPPY WINTER!!!

 

We lit the second Hanukkah candle last night and enjoyed its peaceful glow into the cold night.

 

We also tried our hands at potato latkes yesterday.  Of course I had to modify the recipe to include garden vegetables.  We added zucchini, carrots, and our delicious candy roaster squash to the potato latke recipe.  WOW!!!  What a treat!!!

 

HAPPY HANUKKAH!!!

 

We lit the first Hanukkah candle last night.  I love seeing it glow against the evening sky.

 

Tradition says that we are to place the menorah next to a door or window, so that the light can shine out into the darkness.  We are also reminded that we are to be lights into the world, each time we pass through that doorway.  

 

I love celebrating the Festival of Lights, even though our celebration is colored by our Christian upbringing.  Celebrating light makes me happy, and it feels very much like celebrating the Winter Solstice, and Christmas, both of which are coming up soon.  Perfect timing this year:  all these holidays blending together.

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

 

 

 

Here is Momma making cheese biscuits in 2017.  She was 94 years old.  

 

She didn't see very well, but by golly she still loved grating the cheese, rolling out the logs, and baking the biscuits.  Of course, that year Betsy got to do all the other stuff, like clean up the mess and wash the dishes, but we all loved our turn making cheese biscuits with Momma.  

 

Another sweet memory of Momma's birthday is that, on that day she always placed her Christmas candles in the windows.  So we do that too, on her birthday.  

 

We love celebrating her in all the happy ways.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOMMA!!!

 

 

 

Yep.  Getting ready to make cheese biscuits.  We love doing this every year on Momma's birthday.  

 

But in order to cook the cheese biscuits on her birthday, we have to start the day before, to give the butter and cheese time to soften.

 

If you are interested, the recipe is in the recipe section.  I included a bit of family lore, so do take a look.  Recipes are further down the Neighbors Sharing Section on the menu.  

 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for a picture that we all know and love.

 

HAPPY COOKING!!!

 

I am starting to think about Christmas, and when we walked by Patty's Nandina, I couldn't help it:  I saw Christmas.  

 

Those red berries are so pretty against the green leaves.  Looks like Christmas to me.  Time to get started!!!

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

 

Hoping you all are having a Happy Thanksgiving.  I know, we are.  

 

Every day at our house is thanksgiving.  We have SO much to be thankful for:  family, friends, neighbors, health, happiness;  the list goes on and on.  

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!