Postcard Friendship Friday

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Marie at Cpaphil Vintage Postcards is hosting this post today! She is in France and has the most amazing collection of postcards ever! I encourage you to check out her blog while I go back upstairs to bed to rest as I've got a cold that has kicked my hiney!

Greetings from the area of San Francisco, California!

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I'm being interviewed...

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By Gill at That British Woman... But before we get to the interview, please visit Gill and enjoy all her amazing 50 recipes food posts, easy money saving tips and lovely photo's! You won't be disappointed!



Gill asked me the following...



1. What would be a perfect day for you?

For my family, all of them like a big reunion, to spend the day at the sea/ocean with perfect weather, an amazing picnic basket filled with all our favorites, tent canopies to provide some shade and while I'm at it, some great reclining chairs too, various sand toys to build castles with, a two hour block of time to read a book without being interrupted, firewood to build a bonfire in the evening, and then a beach band to come and play music so we could all dance in the sand, then finally a photographer to be there the whole day to take pictures to capture the memories!

2. Is there anything you wished you could have done before you had a family?

No regrets on this one, I waited until I was 30 to have my first child. I did enough on what I could afford to do at the time prior to having kids.

3. Do you have any goals for 2009?

Yes, to lose 25 pounds before October because my Niece is getting married and as we all know, those wedding photo's stay through history! My next goal is to perfect my skills at Calligraphy so that it comes effortlessly.

4. What is your favourite food/meal and why?

My favorite meal is my own recipe for Beef Stroganoff that I do in the crock pot, served over wide noodles with a Caesar salad and garlic bread. Why~ it is simply because I have the cooking anointing every time I make it as it comes out perfect. If I could have my own show, this would be my signature dish. Currently though my fame only extends to the end of my driveway and my closest friends who call me Betty Crocker revisited.

5. Is there a skill you would love to learn, and if so what is it?

Calligraphy to which I am still trying to learn to do. The weird thing is that I took a class in Junior High School and was a quick learner and did quite well. Now 20 years later, I'm picking up the pen again however this time I'm not so good! ha ha I want it to come effortlessly, like when I sign my name, I don't have to think about it, it's just automatic. With calligraphy, it's painstakingly slow to get the flow and angles just right. So practice, practice, practice is what it takes to learn the skill.

***Thanks Gill, that was fun! I really had to think about my answers too. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be! Have a great week!

These are the rules for this meme: Want to be interviewed by me? Here are the instructions:



1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me" with your email address as to where I can send your questions.

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions and let me know when you have posted it, so I can link to it.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

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Home again... UPDATED

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UPDATED** This is what I made today! I think they came out just fine!

Well I'm home again today, except it's with my Girl whose got the flu bug this time. So, what to do... work on my journal covers! Several years ago at a women's retreat I attended, the afternoon activity was making a journal from a composition notebook. I generally am not a person who journals, so instead I make other uses out of them. I have a book for my tea parties, a Sunday church sermons, a book journal where I write down lists of book passages that I want to remember, a humor journal where I write down funny sayings I've heard or seen and want to remember. I make my journals to suite my style and since I am right handed, I glue pictures from magazines and place them on the left side of the journals.

Here is a composition notebook. I generally stock up in August/September when they are on sale for the coming school year.

Here is my miscellaneous journal with it's second cover on it as the first cover had worn off already...

Here is where I made notes and planned the menu for my sister's 45 Birthday Tea party...

Here is a letter from one of my best friends, Erin~ written on what I call nature paper, not the official name but that's what it looks like to me. She LOVES this kind of stationary and she wrote me a letter from a recent find that I found while out perusing shops in the Napa Valley one day.

Here is my Sunday sermon journal that I just recently filled up.

Here is the newest Sunday sermon journal and the embellishments are already starting to fall off. I'll probably have to redo the cover in a couple of months.

I was surfing the net this morning to get some new ideas as my art supplies are very limited right now and was delighted to find inspiration. The littlest idea can help me create my own cover. People are just so talented, aren't they? Creative in their own ways that express their artistic gift. Look at these I found...

By the way, if I've infringed on any one's copyright, it was not intentional, I was just sharing what you already put out there on the web. Let me know if this is you and I'd be happy to take the pics down.

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Tag~ I copied it!

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My lovely bloggy friend, Nana Trish at Nana's Living the Dream tagged readers to Name Five Things. I'd like to play along, so here goes:

(Above pic is of PEI)

1) Name five things in your purse:

6 different pens (Calligraphy, Bold Tip in Blue Ink, etc), a large candy cane, my scripture verse card that I'm trying to memorize, my cellphone, my list for the Dollar store.

2) Name five things in your work room:

art supplies, books, photos, box of dishes, left over Christmas items that didn't get packed

3) Name five things you have always wanted to do:

Go to Prince Edward Island in Canada, visit the United States East Coast to see the colors of the Fall season, go on the Jane Austen tour in England, go to Sweden to visit long lost family that probably still live there, go to Bosnia to see my friend Nijaza. (I see a traveling theme here)

4) Name five things you're interested in:

READING, cooking/baking, architecture, afternoon/high tea, calligraphy

5) Five Blogs to pass this on to:

I'll make this easy... I invite you to play if your reading this! Let me know so I can visit your blog!

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I won, I won!

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I RARELY win anything so just let me go with abandon as I share this with you all! I won a giveaway! I KNOW.... ME.... I WON! Who would have thought? Yea, me neither! This is the second time in 6 months that I've won, I think I'm on to something!

Angela at Tea With Friends whose blog is on my 'daily read' because it's quite simply the best blog in bloggyland about all things related to tea ~ in my opinion! She's a lovely lady whom I'm convinced is a kindred spirit from the likes of Anne Shirley and Diana Barry from Anne of Green Gables, when she recently posted about the gowns worn this week by the ladies of Washington. Angela, I'm in complete agreement with you about the gowns!

Okay back to the giveaway! It is a set of teapot and flowerpot patterns to embroider on tea towels! (the crowd cheers.......) I KNOW!! I'm so lucky! Now if your like me, I like to watch people open their gifts. I like to see the anticipation, watch the facial expressions change and just watch them soak it all in. Remember, I'm a trained observer so I'm keen to these things. So, Angela the following pictures are for you so you can see that your lovely giveaway made its way to me safe, sound and with a grateful and appreciative heart~

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Not only was there the patterns but also a lovely card to open and 2 tea bags!

(Photography courteousy of my Boy who was walking by and ready to help his Momma)

(Here my Boy asked me if it was a Mush Card because I said AAAAAHHHHH after I read it!)

Thanks again Angela! See you tomorrow!

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Blogger problems?

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Hi there! I've just posted this question to Blogger Help and waiting for a response but I'm asking you all too...

I've been unable to leave comments when visiting blogs when the comments are embedded into the post page. For example, I'm able to leave comments in a pop up window, like I've switched to just now but when the comments are embedded as part of the post, it is just a blank white square. Is it just me? Thank you!!

Inaugural Invitation Today

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"At present, 58 federal, military, state and city law enforcement and public safety agencies are working together to ensure a safe and smooth event," according to a statement. In bloggyland, we've added a 59th - Cha Cha Security!

However, let the gentlemen do this detail today while the ladies enjoy some much needed girlfriend time! Today I invite you to join my table for an Inauguration Tea Party for the First Ladies of Bloggyland hosted by Muse-Swings!

I hope you wore elastic today because there is still dessert!

Here is one of the White House's less elaborate dessert recipes:

White House Ginger Cookies
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder (rounded)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large tablespoon solid shortening
6 teaspoons butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg (or 2 if small)
1/2 cup molasses
Additional sugar, as garnish

Directions:

1. Sift together dry ingredients including spices.
2. Cream shortening and butter until fluffy.
3. Add sugar slowly, then egg and molasses, and beat thoroughly.
4. Stir in dry ingredients all at once.
5. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (the size of a walnut) and roll into sugar spread on waxed paper.
Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets, flatten with fingers, and sprinkle colored sugar on tops of cookies.

Bake at 325 degrees for 7 minutes. Let stand a minute before removing from sheets. Store in airtight container.


Thank you so much for stopping by today!

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Home for the Holiday

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No holiday for us around here because we have a sick little boy since yesterday...

... the flu bug.

Today, so far. the medicine is staying down so that is GOOD news because then the fever will come down. I hate it when my kids are sick... I'd rather it be me. Besides it's easier to quarantine myself than keep siblings apart.

I hope you enjoy your holiday today in remembrance and see you all tomorrow for the Inauguration party in bloggyland!

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Wuthering Heights Tonight....

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Wuthering Heights

premiers tonight on PBS Masterpiece Classic and part 2 is next Sunday the 25th!

The Earnshaw children expect gifts from their father when he returns to Wuthering Heights after a trip, but are instead greeted with the arrival of Heathcliff, a young Gypsy boy who has come to live with them. Quiet and mysterious, Heathcliff is befriended by Cathy Earnshaw, and the two become inseparable. In adulthood, their bond deepens to love, but a forced absence opens Cathy to the affections of a different suitor — Edgar Linton. Given the choice between a life of comfort and a profound love, Cathy's actions have repercussions for multiple generations in this haunting story of turbulent passion and revenge. From PBS site

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Can I hear an Amen?

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God is better than He has to be!

This is SO WONDERFUL!

My Sister and Niece were just blessed beyond measure!

Read about it here!

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Tess Reminder....

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Reminder that this Sunday, January 11
Masterpiece Classic of PBS will be showing Episode 2 of

Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Did you miss the first Episode? For a limited time you can watch it online here!

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And if you enjoy these types of movies:

Wuthering Heights will begin Sunday, January 18 & 25

Sense and Sensibility will begin February 1 & 8

Then... after that the Charles Dickens' series will begin...

so many movies... so little time.
Enjoy!

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Lazy afternoons in Winter

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Winter has arrived here with it's cold temperatures and frankly it was time to get outside because we were all getting cabin fever.

But first, I made myself a Gingerbread Latte with LOTS of whipped cream. I bought a can during the holidays to take during our travels among the relatives and it was about to expire and I didn't want to let it go to waste.... so I piled it up SUPER high and then it melted into the latte. Ahhhh, heaven on earth!

Got my stack of magazines that have been waiting for me to read. Did I ever tell you all that I am a major reader? Yes I am. I'm always reading~ love, love, love to read. (Blogging is great for reading isn't it?) If you have something on your desk, I'll probably read it. If you've got a note-to-self on the refrigerator, I'll probably read it. I am a trained observer so my skills are super-honed! Just call me Nancy Drew! Yeaaaaaaaaaaah, that's it... Nancy Drew!

The kids ready to play in the back yard.

Here we are trying to take self-portraits during the sunset, so we've got squinty eyes.

Yes, my boy has his sweatshirt on backwards. He did it on purpose so he could look down at the treasures he finds in the backyard. Okay, if you've ever seen my backyard, ya 'all know that I've got a dead lawn ~ I do not have an emerald thumb ~ and then a concrete patio.... no treasures (except for the view). Ah, you have to love the imagination of children!

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