A Sentiment

God knew what He was doing when He sent a gentle breeze and brought a lovely butterfly to set my heart at ease. The happiness of your friendship and the gentleness of your words have touched my life in special ways and now I feel assured. Thank you for your loyalty and for reading everyday. I only hope you find things to make a happy day.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Tuesday Tidbits



Bran muffins just out of the oven...yum. That's what is sitting before me as I type.My muffins are full of good things. Raisins, dried apricots, walnuts, and I toss in the remains of a couple boxed cereals...instead of tossing them.I think that muffin batter is so forgiving...you can add most anything and they will turn out.  I use the standard refrigerator bran muffin recipe...then tweak it. This makes for a sweeter muffin.

Yesterday found me on the front porch doing some last minute decorating...before cold weather creeps in. Not as many lights this year, but it still looks nice.The inside is mostly done and now I can get on with other projects. We both enjoy Christmas decorations and are turning the lights on while we watch TV even now...this early.

Today, I have to put away the fall things... downstairs. This year I'm trying to put things in bins according to holidays..just what I used this year, so next year I won't have to search through all the bins. The remaining bins will just sit there...and not be used anymore.This is hard for a gal whose husband used to say that he didn't stand still during  holiday time...fearing that  I would decorate him. Hard for me as I write this, but not so hard when the actual work is being done. I just can't do as much anymore. I'm not complaining...this is how life is supposed to be...Years ago my grandma just had a Christmas tree...a little one....I didn't go to her house to see decorations...I went to see my grandma and enjoy visits with her during the holidays. Maybe she made one kind of Christmas cookie....pecan cresents. Those cookies are remembered today...buttery, tender cookies chocked full of pecans. I can visualize her old wrinkled hands forming those cookies. Arthritis didn't stop her. As I think now...maybe I wouldn't have remembered her cookies... had there been plate fulls. We would listen to carols on the radio, play a game of Rummy, and drink milk and eat those wonderful cookies.

We went to the pool yesterday in the morning. It takes us about 15 minutes to get there.It was really a good time. The pool is huge and we are among the handful of early birds who come several times a week. A class was going on in the deep end, while a handful of seniors were in the shallow part. Now, I vowed that I wouldn't do this....but the devil made me do it. A dear old man came into the pool area. He was very thin and had on a wet suit and a snorkel apparatus. He went into the pool and snorkeled for a few minutes and then left.  That's all I'm going to say :)

I see smoke coming out ot the chimney across the street. It must be cold out. We have frosty roofs this morning. The leaves are all gone and everything looks like it is in waiting for the next big weather system. We didn't get the bad storms over the weekend, just wind and rain. Those poor people in central Illinois. I can't imagine how it would feel to experience nature's wrath and then have to look at the destruction all around. I hope that they get the help they need, but the kind of help that they will get will never replace the loving family treasures and lives that they lost.

The old farmer's almanac says that  winter will be a bit milder this year. Tell that to the squirrels who are gathering and hiding so many seeds this year. Speaking of seeds...I have been trying to get rid of the old seed in the back feeder and putting the new in the front one. Guess where there is more activity? The front one of course. They know the difference. This morning I've seen cardinals, gold finches (in their drab winter wear) busy little chickadees, nuthatches, purple finches, various sparrows, and one blue jay. Mr Squirrel was here too in his new winter coat. His tail outlined with white fur...very bushy... since nesting is over. The chickadees are here right now....flitting back and forth to the ash tree. Looking up at the window... as if to say..."Please come out and fill the feeder, Balisha" So, I guess I had better stop this post and do what they want. I'm a pushover for a little bird.

Bye, Balisha



7 comments:

Vicki @ lifeinmyemptynest said...

You have made me remember it is time to start filling the bird feeders - I love seeing the birds come this time of year :-)

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Your cookies look like a recipe we both love, brown sugar crescents, absolutely wonderful, makes my mouth water just thinking about them. :-)

I'm getting in the mood to decorate for Christmas, not sure what I will do this year, time will tell. After Thanksgiving, I can think about it more.

Love and hugs to your and your dear husband Balisha ~ FlowerLady

Judy said...

Love this post! Makes me smile!

Margie's Musings said...

Busy, busy, busy! Balisha, you are always so busy! And everything you do is so beautiful or delicious...or both!

lynne said...

I really understand your feelings about tapering down holiday decorations. It isn't so much that we're sorry to cut back, more about the fact that it symbolizes a change in our lives.

Sharon said...

Your food posts always sound so good! One of my family's favorite holiday treats are my pecan balls - light flaky balls made of butter, flour, and ground pecans baked and then rolled in confectioner sugar. The recipe is from when I was a girl.

I have ordered our wreath but that's as far as I've gotten in thinking about decorating.

debra @ HOMESPUN said...

Boy do those cookies ever look good :)

I went to Home Depot yesterday to get some more suet and seed...they are going through it all so quickly. I must have every sparrow in a 20 mile radius going through my seed :(