December Birthdays

Happy Birthday to all December folks. 

A special Happy Birthday to our son Robbie on December 17th.
12/17/1965-10/23/2009 

Fall Rainy Days

Rainy day and no where to go....take that opportunity to sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, read a book or just snuggle on the couch with a great movie. I love to just sit and watch the rain coming down on the trees, flowers and leaves. 

Tonight will be soup night for our family.

Easy Potato Soup

Dice 4 medium potatoes

add: 4 cups of chicken broth

One medium onion diced

boil for 20 minutes 

One cup of shredded carrots

(adding salt and pepper to taste)

One cup of heavy cream

One stick of Butter (use real butter)

Simmer for 20 minutes

OCTOBER IS GONE & NOVEMBER IS HERE

Oh my, where did October go? Halloween and all the festivities at home, school and church. Loads of candy and "special" treats galore.

Now it's time to settle into our next Holiday which is Thanksgiving. So many things to be thankful  appreciative for. Such a joy and so thankful for my family and friends most of all and the many things that we share through the year. All the baking and preparation for such goodies to enjoy with the family on that special day. As a family we share the cooking and we enjoy the tasting of great dishes from each one of our children. Enjoy your family time and share the memories.

September Birthdays

To all who have had Birthday's this month!! Our family has had several and we have been celebrating all month. Just to share a few of ours.....

Our great granddaughter Gracie....precious!


My husband Charles on the 19th as well as my brother Johnny.

 Our son Chuck,  September 23

Our granddaughter Kheri and grandson Adam both on the 16th

 Gracie our great granddaughter 

Fall is Near

Fall is just around the corner. I am so ready for the changing color of the leaves. The beauty is always breathtakingly beautiful.

Beautiful Autumn leaves, breathing the fresh air as you walk through the winding road.
The glimmering shadow of the trees shinning on the lake. So relaxing....

School Days Are Here

School day's are here again. Seems like the summer break was much too short. This year it is Kindergarten and all the things that go along with it.  Early to rise, rush, rush..... Time just flies anymore....slow down please!
A REAL schedule is back on the board and in high gear.  Time to get up, breakfast, brushing teeth, getting dressed and out the door to get in the car line at school.
Home in the afternoon. Snack time and play time until dinner. More reading.
Meal preparations for dinner. All at the table for dinner at the same time, wonderful family talks as always during this time. Lots of laughter, especially hearing what took place at school then teeth brushed, reading a story, prayers, cuddle time.....
At the end of the day you are trying to figure out where the time went...lol
However the most precious memories made today and each day to follow through the year.
I lovely children & grandchildren!

Beach Trip Panama City Beach Florida

Beautiful view of the beach at St Andrews Park early afternoon and sundown. A very peaceful area and very family oriented. We managed to witness two beautiful Wedding's late that evening. Lot's of camping and boat rental's in the park.

 Beautiful wild life as we entered the park. A day of picnicking, boat rides, bicycling and just chilling on the beach taking in the sun.

 Pigeon Forge Tennessee

The Old Mill Restaurant in Pigeon Forge is a great family restaurant with a wonderful view of the river. Not only a great atmosphere, but the view from the window's of the river is awesome. The wait is normally a bit long, but most definitely worth it. The children and adults as well love feeding and visiting with the ducks after diner or while waiting.

HAPPY 4th of JULY

    FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOUR'S, HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Road Trip to the Mountains

Had the opportunity to visit the Mingus Mill House in Cherokee N. C. this weekend. What a beautiful scene and such great history presented. I purchased the cornmeal and wheat flour during our visit. Tonight our family enjoyed the corn muffins with our meal. It was very good along with our meatloaf, coleslaw, green lima beans, and garlic potatoes.
Very interesting visit and something for the family.

Pictures below are the inside of the old Mingus Mill in the early 1900's and the water chute on the outside. It was still an operating gristmill grinding the corn and wheat for families in the area during that era. The mill continued to run until around 1930 when the land and mill were bought by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Fathers Day Celebration

First of all I hope that all our dad's and granddad's have had a wonderful day! 

As for our family we enjoyed the day. We had a celebration last night with homemade ice cream and Lunch with my two favorite men, my husband Charles and our son Chuck.

Below is a picture of the day we married, July 23, 1972 and the one below is present. He is still my sweetheart and has been a great example of a dad to our 4 children. Very Blessed!

This is a picture of Charles and Chuck at his dad's Birthday dinner in September. Chuck is also a great dad and has had a very good example in his life. 

Gatlinburg Tennessee

 CROCKETT'S BREAKFAST CAMP

One of our most famous breakfast places in Gatlinburg Tennessee. The best food and giant cinnamon rolls, pancakes and my favorite, the bacon waffles. I plan to have one next week on our road trip.

Another place that we enjoy is the Tennessee Aquarium. We will also be going again next week. There is so much to see and something for everyone to enjoy. It's impossible to see in one day so make sure you plan your trip well.

Our Mid West Travel

Cow Boy Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. One of our most favorite visits this year. Lots of art work and a fake little western town. It is a great place to visit.

John Wayne was my favorite statue in the Museum. I love the way he holds his right hand. Amazing place as I said and we plan to go for another trip in the future. It will take a few hours to go through to really enjoy. We were not allowed to take pictures of the beautiful art work that was painted by many well known artist and went for a "price".

Graduation Time

This is the time of year that our families get into high gear. All High School and College Graduation is here. What an exciting time for all.
To our grandson Kaleb and Ashlan and their many friends from Coastal College in Brunswick, GA we are so very proud of you.
To ALL of the HS and College graduates, dream big and continue your journey in life for that
wonderful future that is ahead of you.

CONGRATULATIONS

School Days 2016-2017

School is almost over for this year. It has flown by as usual. I am so excited for our little Brittini. She will be going into Kindergarten next year and she is already looking forward to the new school year, but until then there will be lot's of picnic's, Library visits, Mall and definitely the Beach scene.
I hope everyone has a marvelous summer!!

Sunday Lunch at Pamendis Italian Grill

SUNDAY LUNCH at PAMENDIS ITALIAN GRILL 

 

Very warm atmosphere and family oriented. Make sure you are hungry because the portions are large.

This is the Loganville location and the owner has another restaurant called BiBi's Italian Grill which is located in Lawrenceville, GA. Again, great food!

Orange Dreamsicle Pound Cake

This recipe is borrowed from Amy at Positively Splendid 

Orange Dreamsicle Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 Large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 teaspoons orange zest (divided)
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest (divided)
• 1/4 cup fresh orange or lemon juice
• 2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
• 4 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter and shortening together at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Step 2

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in 2 teaspoons orange zest, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1/4 cup fresh orange or lemon juice. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan.

Step 3

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely.

Step 4

For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, 4 teaspoons orange juice, vanilla, and remaining 2 teaspoons orange zest and 1 teaspoon lemon zest until smooth. If necessary, add more orange juice, 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until the glaze is a pouring consistency. Spoon over cake. Garnish with orange slices and powdered sugar, if desired. Very Yummy!

Ruby Red Throat

About the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

The male Ruby-throated hummingbird does indeed have a striking red throat, though the female of the species does not. 

Flight Capabilities

You would have to look quickly to see either, however, as these speedy little birds can beat their wings 53 times a second and fly in an acrobatic style matched by few other birds. They hover often, and also fly upside down and backwards. These hummingbirds have extremely short legs, so they cannot walk or even hop with any efficiency.  

Habitat and Diet

Ruby-throated hummingbirds live in woodland areas, but also frequent gardens where flowering plants are plentiful. They hover to feed on flowers, nectar, and sap. During this floral feeding process, the birds pollinate many plants.

These tiny birds are omnivores, sometimes feeding on insects and spiders. An adult Ruby-throated hummingbird may eat twice its body weight in food each day, which it burns up with the high metabolism necessary to sustain its rapid wing beat and energetic movements.

Reproduction

This hummingbird breeds in eastern North America and is the only hummingbird species to do so. Males establish a territory and court females who enter it with flying and diving behaviors, and by showing off their red throat plumage. Females provide all care for young hummingbirds. They lay one to three eggs, incubate them for about two weeks, and, after hatching, feed their young for about three weeks. A female may have several broods in a year. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are largely solitary outside of the breeding season.

Migration

Ruby-throated hummingbirds winter in Mexico and Central America. To get there from their North American breeding grounds some birds embark on a marathon, nonstop flight across the Gulf of Mexico. They may double their weight in preparation for this grueling journey.

Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark 

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Saturday Family Fun Time

Family Fun Time
Saturday for us was a ride to the North Georgia Mountains and having lunch at "Bigun's BBQ". It is located on 575 north of Jasper Ga. BBQ of all kinds and great southen vegetables and can't forget the Banana pudding.
It was a beautiful day for the ride and some extra sites to see. We made a stop at Pool's Mill Park in Forsyth County Ga. off Hwy 369.

While at the park we also walked down to the covered bridge which is part of the park with much history to take in. As you cross the bridge there is a neat slide down the rocks in the water. Just a great place for the whole family, picnics, family reunions, and a beautiful place for weddings as we witnessed yesterday on our visit.

A great playground for the little ones. Our granddaughter loved it.