Cucumbers & Pickles

Planting seeds is not something that has worked well for me in the past.  God smiled on my attempts this year- I've been picking a good number of green beans & cucumbers, and the Zinnias that came from the seed saved from last year are better than the plants that we bought this year!

Mom's first jar of 2019 Pickles! "Lunchbox Spears" from 'The Joy of Pickling'  

20' of cucumbers...probably planted too close together =) .  I have picked 14 so far!

  Listen to Peter, Paul & Mary's 

"If I Had a Hammer"

-listen HERE!

Hot Day - Cool Pool or Froggy would a wading go!

I took the cap off the water jug this almost-noon time, filled watering cans etc, and splashed in the cap.  I came back 20ish minutes later, and this little Gal was visiting the little wading pool!  Made me smile!  =)

Big picture, for perspective- my pool vs. her pool:

       Keep cool, you guys~ it's 106 (index of 109) out there today!

Fun Summer project: new Pillowcase

Makes me smile~ this fabric is "Pixie Noel" by Tasha Noel for Riley Blake Designs.  The beautiful rick-rack is some of the last of my Wrights American Made stash.  I wish they realized that more colors to chose from does NOT make up for poor quality.

 Some of my Summer reading:

Tulips and me...

...go way back.  In Abilene, we grew red tulips around our trees in the front yard. (In the front, so we children would not pick them, lol!)


Did you know:
1) Texas-Tulips (tulip fields) is in Pilot Point???
2) Tulip bulbs are chocolate candy to Moles...we can only grow them in pots or wire cages around here.
3) Tulips are originally from Central Asia. (During the 1500's, Europeans became plant explorers, and went out and found the tulip...and made it what it is today)
4) Mary Brown Stewart imported a few of the tulip bulbs from Holland in 1906; her mail-order business took off with orders from garden clubs in the Northeast. Mrs. Stewart's small business has flourished into a booming industry! In 1998 more than 40 million bulbs left the valley, many of them sold to Holland.
5) The Tulips have lots of festivals too- here are 2:  Washington HERE and Kansas HERE. 
6) The SONG "Tulips From Amsterdam".

Language of flowers~ Tulip: 

Tulip (General)	Perfect Lover, Fame, Flower Emblem of Holland
Tulip (Red)	Believe Me, Declaration of Love
Tulip (Variegated)	Beautiful Eyes
Tulip (Yellow)	There's Sunshine in Your Smile

Easter 1988
(Mom sewed her dress, and that is our neighbor Scotty's house behind us.)

Daffodils and me...

...go way back...and I'm happy to report that my main Daffodil beds had not the 27 flowers I thought that they would have this year, but 32!!!  I am quite happy.  =)   (I brought 14 of them inside for a nice big vase full, made me feel quite frivolous and elegant.)

Did you know:
1) There are Daffodil Festivals? Old one HERE  or new one HERE.
2) Daffodils came to the Puyallup Valley around 1925 to replace the area’s dying hop industry. 
3) Daffodils are from Spain and Portugal.
4) 1955 was the beginning of: "The American Daffodil Society" (info about daffodils here)
5) Gloucester County, Virginia held the title "Daffodil Capital of America" in the 1930s and 40s.
6) DO NOT eat daffodils. They are toxic/poisonous. (HERE)

Joshua & me  at Papa & Grandma's in spring 1988...we were allowed to have 2 each.

Language of flowers~ Daffodil: Regard, Unequaled Love, You're the Only One, The Sun is Always Shining When I'm with You

Mom and me in March 1988 at Papa and Grandma's house.

 

"Mount Rainier forms a backdrop for daffodil fields of the Puyallup Valley" ~1944
Click HERE for more Vintage Daffodil Postcard fun!
Hundreds of acres of bulbs in the valley around Mt. Rainier....

Food on Friday: Sausage, Ricotta, and Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells

 Mmm...My friend Selena shared this recipe with me, and I made it (with help from my Folks) for my dear friend Elizabeth's belated Birthday dinner!
Sausage, Ricotta, and Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells get the recipe over HERE at CravingSomeCreativity.   Keep reading for my changes/tweaks!



Changes/Tweaks:
~I had to use both a 9"x13" and a 8"x8" (but did not put any cheese on top of the little pan, because I ran out--we'll have to add it when we eat it).
~I added 1/2 a large sauteed onion to the sauce layer- so glad we did (cooked in burger drippings).
~I used 1 -24oz jar of Organic pasta sauce.
~The pasta we bought was a 12oz box, and it was plenty.  (I followed the cooking instructions on the box of Barilla pasta: Boil uncovered for 9 minutes- no testing needed.)
~We added 1/2 teaspoon Salt to the filling- so glad we did.
~We used HEB's mild Italian sausage, and added 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes- another time I'd put the flakes in the sauce, or use spicy sausage.  (We found that it is hard to find flavored sausage that does not contain MSG...)
~Another time I think that I'd half again or double the Spinach.
~The filling needs more Garlic & Salt- it just disappears. We'd also add Black Pepper & dry Parsley next time.
~I think that a little more Mozzarella, and a little less Ricotta would have been good.

What a crazy dish to make- I burnt my fingers and was very stressed, but it was worth it!!!

It was good~ we all had seconds, and cleaned our plates... =)

2 weeks until Valentine's Day!

I could not sleep a wink last night~ I had the "night before xmas" jitters...only 2 weeks until Valentine's Day!!!   I've been waiting ever so long for Valentine's Day to come back again!!!
Remember~ Valentine's Day is for friends, family, children & the young at heart...not just the love birds!  
What will you do this year???   Maybe:
~Buy some candy, package it up...maybe tie comic children's Valentines to them...hand them out to old folks in the grocery store???
~Have a non-Valentine's Day game night?
~Bake some quick breads or cookies, and give them to your neighbors, or friends?
~Give comic children's Valentines to all (or most) of your friends?

 

A past post you may like to read: 

 http://adrienneand.blogspot.com/2014/08/whatever-wednesday-thinking-about.html

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(I'll share this post on "Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson")

Happy (snail) Mail Day!

            Remember when you were a Kid? 

When getting the the mail was an exciting thing to do, because you may have gotten a letter from your pen-pal, or an unexpected note or package from your Grandparents?

Are you willing to send some "magic" to one (or more) of your friends or relatives? 
To step out and say:
                              "I'm thinking of you"
                              "I miss you"
                              "I'm sending a smile/hug"
                              "I care"
                              "Be encouraged"
                              "Get well soon"

(I'll share this post on "Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson")

 Go on, and make someone's day!

Musical Monday: "Old Fashioned" -Adam Davidson

...I'd rather walk (in a relationship) than have to run (from a relationship)...


     ...a good old fashioned friendship building love to last for me and my pretty girl...

(embedded below or listen to it HERE)

 

It has always been my thought that marring a friend was the way to go-- 

--friendship turns to love. 

(Don't you love these sweaters???)

My first Mug Rugs

 

front of rug #1

Have you ever made a Mug Rug?  I wanted to for 2+ years, and intended to make one this Summer to send in my Mug Swap gift I sent to Val....but that did not happen....

front of rug #1

....I finally made not 1, but 2 Mug Rugs!  They went with the Turquoise Fiesta cup & saucer...

back of rug #1

....and are a wedding gift for Elisha Ann--I hope that she likes them!

front of rug #2

front of rug #2

front of rug #2

front of rug #2

(I may share this post on "Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson"

I just love her blog, especially around Valentine's day!)

Food on Friday: Gluten Free & Paleo Baked Doughnuts (recipe too!)

Question: If you bake a Doughnut in a Whoopie Pie pan, instead of a Doughnut pan, is it still a Doughnut???

They were so good...Get the recipe & my notes HERE!

Happy Eating!

~Adrienne

Whatever Wednesday: Warm Fuzzies

A brand new still-in-package 100% Wool blanket is now mine. And for only $50!

I have been keeping my eye out for a Queen size wool blanket for a while now, because I'm tired of my Full size being too small (so small that it's drafty!).  The only problem was that the largest that e-bay seemed to have, was Full, and to buy a new Queen size any where else was super expensive (around $200).

 I'd kind of given up looking, and while out shopping with friend Sarah, lamented my problem to her...a few weeks later (and very late at night...or was it super early in the morning?!) I thought to check e-bay again...God was smiling, and showed me the most gorgeous pink blanket that is not just Queen size, it was King-Queen, and "buy now" for under $50- shipping included!!!!   I was ecstatic, but I did not buy it, left the page up, and went to bed...and prayed hard that if God meant it to be mine, that it would still be available when Mom got up, and that it would be in good condition (thinking of moth holes).   

While I was waiting for it to come in, I could not help worrying a little over what it may smell like (moth balls/perfume laundry smells)...I need not have worried, because I already knew it was a God thing that I found it, that it was affordable and that it was not sold by the time Mom was able to check it out and place the order.  Guess what!?  It had been stored in a Cedar Closet!!!!  Happy sigh! =)

I love hugs from God- I don't know if I don't get many, of if they are more often, and I'm just not paying attention to and enjoying  the ones I get...


 The other thing that makes this a nice blanket for me, is that it is the exact same color (and probably age) as the fluffy pink acrylic blanket that I got for my twin size "big girl" bed decades ago.  =)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's pink....my guy (should I ever have one) will just have to get over it.  =)

Food on Friday: Vegetable Soup

"Tyce's favorite game today is making us vegetable soup for lunch, over and over  ;)  do you recognize the apron? He loves it! It made the entire thing fun!"  ~Allison

 Way to go Tyce~ you'll be a big help to Mom & Dad, and make some very lucky girl a happy wife someday!  I'm thankful that you have such a good example of a real man who is a good husband & father.  =) 

I love to know (or find out) that what I sew (or make) is loved & appreciated.  Isn't my little cousin SO cute?!  

Whatever Wednesday: I like to color

This picture came from a Dover coloring book.  I colored it with good colored pencils, but really, I'm just as happy to be coloring a children's coloring book with crayons!

Do you like to color?

Whatever Wednesday: Tiny Hamster's Tiny BBQ

Have you ever seen a "Tiny Hamster's Tiny BBQ"?   Make sure that you turn the sound on!

Friendship~

I love friends, family & cake!   

Thank you God, I have some of the best friends!

I love making new friends...

Do you like making new friends?

This is little Daniel Pebbles~   don't you just love that hair?!   =)

Mother's Day Lunch

Today was our third annual "Tuesday-before-Mother's Day" ladies lunch at Luigi's.   Except that we had to move it to the Thursday before Mother's Day, because the Hunters were busy on Tuesday. =)

(This lunch is not a Mother/Daughter lunch....any Mothers and any Daughters were invited to come!)

  Some of the gang from lunch today (there were 12 of us total) 

 (thanks Sarah Hale for taking the photo for us!)