Around Here

Yesterday was Sunday.  I went for a walk through the woods.  Even though it was bitterly cold.  I was sweating coming up Butterfly Hill.  It's funny how a short walk to see what's going on in the woods can be just what I need.  I even found mushrooms growing.  Most of the creek was frozen on top.  The sound the water makes bubbling through under the ice is relaxing.  One more day towards Spring is the way I look at it.  I know what's hiding under the leaves and snow.  It's still amazing... just like this.....

literally

Hello friends and Merry Christmas!  I have recently found a few likes at the library.  It excites me so.  My favorite new passion is for Christy Jordan's southern cooking cookbooks.  I just got Southern Plate over the weekend from the library and have already made five recipes out of it.  All of them turning out fantastically.  I have to share that tonight I made the squash casserole and steak and milk gravy.  The casserole was awesome but when I drizzled the gravy over  broken up white bread it truly brought back memories of my Mom making gravy with supper.  Oh the way that tastes is shear heaven on a plate.  If you are in a bit of a cooking rut... making the same things mainly because you can remember all of the ingredients by heart and make the dish without a recipe... not that that ain't good... it may be time to shake it up back to your roots.  Grab one of her.  You will not hate yourself I promise.

I've also taken to watching Modern Family in my kitchen nook.  I've seen several seasons sitting here on the counter.  I think Phil is just about my favorite character.  I do love them all.  Sometimes I wish I could remember some of the funny stuff they say and apply it to some conversation to make someone laugh but I never can.

M.C. Beaton... not long ago I was really into reading the Hamish MacBeth stories by M.C. Beaton and still am!  BUT... recently, while browsing the author's books for something centered around Christmas, I checked out on of her Agatha Raisin mysteries instead of my Hamish ones.  I lack finishing the last chapter right now and even though Christmas is just this weekend I will still love the next one I have ready for pick up right now.

The author, Christy Jordan, is apparently good friends with the author of the other cookbook listed... The Southern Bite.  I can only assume at this point what this one is about.  Hopefully it will be just as good as hers and every bit as inspiring.  I love a good cookbook that gives new life to ingredients I normally have on hand.

Botanical Style... I really can't wait to gawk over the pictures in this book.  I forgot until tonight that I had it on my wait list.  I can't remember what blog.... wait... yes I can... nope.. wrong.  I thought it was THIS one.  I love her gift guides.  Anyway.. maybe it will at least inspire me to water my plants more and give them more love.  It's like this.. I've had some of them for so long I think they are old enough to water themselves.  At least Juanita lets me know when she's thirsty.  I have seriously had that plant for twenty three years.  There's a picture of her HERE oh and apparently I forgot at some point that her name was Lola... I've called the dang thing Juanita for the last four I know... HERE she is getting a new pot.  What an oddball!

I seriously hope you each have a wonderful Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!! 

Around Here

What a beautiful fall.  Shaun says it's my kind of fall because it's unseasonably hot.  He's right.  These days I am all for taking a walk with Kate after work, going bare foot, opening the windows and taking the T-tops out of my car.   

Chief.

Tommy loves this weather too.

Can you find the teeny frog?

I have begun calling the little pond by our house Black Pool.  The water is always dark and it's Katie Bug's swimming pool when I don't want to walk her to the bigger ponds.

And I found these on my camera from the summer.

Oh summertime... how I will miss you.

This is the quilt that I started last year... 2015.  I finished it this summer.  It doesn't have any batting or anything... just a top layer and a bottom layer of fabric.  It is the perfect weight for summer. 

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A laundry visitor.

Not too clear but what a grin!

literally on hold at the library

Coming soon to a library shelf for me...

Well hello again!  I was just on the library website, making my requests, and thought... I used to share this stuff with my blog peeps. So I thought I would right now. 

Ghostland by Colin Dickey is a compilation of ghost stories so I've heard.  I am fourth on the list so it looks doubtful that I will get it before Halloween.

We were eating at Cracker Barrel the other day and I thumbed through Ree Drummond's cookbooks there.  So instead of buying it "yet" I will test drive it from the library.  I have loved her recipes and spunk for several years.  I'd love to see her cooking show but alas we don't have cable or fancy TV.  I'll just have to read all about it.

I have gotten hooked on M.C. Beaton's, Hamish Macbeth series... bigtime.  I first checked out "Death of a Witch" and luckily it kept my attention and I finished the book in a couple of weeks.  I like to take my time.  After I finished that one I checked out another one.  That one was Death of a Kingfisher.  I'm now on Death of a Scriptwriter and will pick up Death of a Nurse this week. 

When I was browsing for more Hamish Macbeth stories I noticed that they made a television series.  I have watched the first two seasons and will pick up the third series this week.  It is all based in a village in Scotland and the author does very well at writing in the accents.  I have found myself using words like "dinnae" and "thon".  If I start answering people with "aye" we might should worry.

Have a wonderful week!