Temptation

Spot views our tree as a constant source of temptation. There is no tinsel left on the bottom third of the tree, as she can't leave it alone. I understand how she feels. Holiday time seems to bring a temptation for me, as well. Every year I am tempted to scale back what we do, but I can't bring myself to do it. I love the giving part, the finding of the perfect present, the anticipation of the opening of said gifts. I love the baking of cookies and other goodies. I love trying new recipes and sharing the results. I love the decorating. I love sending and receiving cards. Sure I gain a little weight, get writers cramp and a bit higher electric bill, but January comes quickly and life goes back to normal. We turn off the tv, turn on the holiday music, eat some cookies and get lost in conversation as we bask in the glow of the tree lights. It's good not to give into temptation, isn't it?

I have been catching a lot of flak for my last post. All of the writing classes I took, back in the dark ages, told me that the first thing on a list wasn't as important as the last thing. That's so the reader is left with that as the final thought. So to you family members that who have so lovingly given me grief over listing my husband/your father as the last N on my list here are some raspberries, both from me and from the pipecleaner lizard found in your tree.

I requested a letter from Kay at Prairie Quilts & Kolaches for this meme. She assigned me the letter letter is "N" for St. Nicholas. It was his Holy Day when she assigned it to me. I am supposed to list 10 things I LOVE that begin with the letter assigned.

1. Nativity Scenes

2. Nikon Cameras (it's bad, we have 3 of them)

3. Nightfall, especially when we are siting in the treehouse in the summer.

4. Nieces

5. Nephews

6. Navel Oranges

7. Nutcrackers

8. Bird Nests

9. Nature in all her seasons

10. The most important, my husband, Nestor.

If you want to do add this to your blog, leave a comment and ask for a letter. It's a lot of fun, if you want to try it.

Public Service Announcement

Thanks Barb for the Heads up on this!

Want some FREE Christmas tunes? Amazon has one each day for the whole month.

Have You Ever?
Just for grins and giggles.
Copy this list and put it on your blog.
If you've done it, bold it.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (and DisneyWorld!)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied--most of the time
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (not that I'm proud of it, but I have)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

I'm Alive

Whew! It's been more than a week since I've been here. We had Thanksgiving, then the wild after Thanksgiving shopping mess, and I've got one of those cold/flu bugs. It's bad when I go days without even wanting to look at the computer. I'll be back to my normal soon, I hope. I'll catch up with everything then. Hugs to all, Sharon

I am so ready

I'm ready for Thanksgiving. I believe it's my favorite holiday. I enjoy the cooking, the sharing and the anticipation of the meal. There will only be 4 of us at table this year, but the meal will be shared for days. We'll trade leftovers at work, and hopefully get together with friends to share turkey sandwiches at the end of the weekend.
Gone are the days of the huge family gatherings. Our family is spread all over the place, and so many now have their own families. It's hard to get together, but we will still share the meal. Phone calls will be made, with descriptions of all the food, new recipes, and laughs over who left the giblets in the turkey. Pictures will be taken and emailed around the globe, we'll even talk and see friends over the internet using webcams. We'll talk of our many blessings, plan for getting together and reminisce. We may not all be at the same table, but we'll share the meal. That is something I am Thankful for.

That time of year

The weather has turned blustery and cold. The treehouse has few leaves left. We can now see the neighboring houses. Thoughts turn to warm soups, spicy chili and crockpots full of casseroles.

It's also time to start thinking of the holiday goodies I want to make. It's been a long time since I've had help as willing as the guy in the picture! (Sorry, Son) I always have great thoughts of all I want to do, all I want to bake and then reality sets in. There are a few must do's, and those have gotten fewer over the years. New goodies have been added as our family has grown. It's not Christmas without Mice, or fudge so decadent I have to hide it from myself. Espresso Brownies, homemade candy, and spiced nuts. Wedding cookies, cathedral window cookies, rum balls. Grandma's cough drops need to be started this week. They are vodka soaked cherries. She'd eat one, start coughing and need another one to stop coughing! LOL

I need to go pull out the recipe file and start planning. What are you in the mood for?

Veterans Day

I am a proud granddaughter, daughter, wife, sister, cousin and niece of military veterans. Today is the day we thank those that have served our country. It doesn't matter whether you agree or disagree with the current war or any in the past. These honorable people served OUR country to help protect OUR values and OUR rights as laid out in OUR Constitution. If you know a Vet, take the time to thank them or place a flag at the marker of a loved one to show you remember their service to OUR country.
Thanks Pop-Pop, Thanks Dad, Thanks Nestor, Thanks Kirk, Thanks to the rest of you as well. I Love you all.

Fall Clean up

We folded up the hammock and stand this weekend. It's always kind of sad when we start to winterize the treehouse. We use it all 4 seasons, but only keep a few chairs and the fire pit out there over the winter. The leaves needed to be swept from the deck, and the grill was moved closer to the house. We'll use that over the winter as well, it's tradition to grill in the snow.
The birds are feasting more these days. Hummingbirds are still around, we'll have them at the feeders until Thanksgiving, and I'll take them down in early December, in case of stragglers. I enjoy watching the winter birds come back. As soon as the bears hibernate I'll put out suet and fruit feeders. I've learned my lessons well. We've had too many bears up on that deck to rush the season. I work near bears every day, but when they are on MY porch I freak out. Go figure.
I'm working on my decorating scheme for the front porch. Christmas is near, but we don't set out any decorations until after Santa arrives at the end of the Macy's Parade. I've been itching to get into the Christmas closet, but know once I do, it's all over!
We're due to have a freeze tonight. I need to go cover some plants. Stay warm!

Don't you just love this face?!!
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The Day After

I don't want to get into any great political debate. I believe that my politics are my own. I do believe that whomever is in the Office of President is to be respected. It's not a job I would want. I am not a deeply religious person, but I am a prayerful person. I heard this statement this morning on the radio. It was evidently on a church sign, somewhere in the south.

"It doesn't matter who is in the White House. Just remember that I am still in charge.
My name is God, and I approve this message."

Election Day

This is the last of the zinnias. We grow them in a half whiskey barrel on the deck of the treehouse. They are one of my favorite flowers, and enjoy their many colors. When we lived in FLA we had them in the front flower bed, and one of our favorite people had a small, just learning to walk littler people. He loved smelling the flowers, and always got to pick some for his mom. One day he turned around too fast and sat down, right in the middle of the bed. We spent the entire summer smiling at the perfect butt print in the middle of those zinnias. He's 13 now, and I'm sure he'd be mortified if he realized I was writing about him. I don't think his Mama will tell him.

We got out to vote, early this morning. The 3 of us were in line before 7. Since we live in such a rural community, we are talking a county of 25,000 and only 3 traffic lights, the polling places were less than busy. Ours had only 4 voting stations! It was said that more than 40% of our county had voted early, so the poll workers weren't quite sure what they were expecting. We were back home before 7:30. Our soon-to-be daughter (in-law) was finished before we were, so we all met back here to have coffee and some breakfast. It was kind of surreal, having all that extra time before we had to head off to work. It was nice to just hang out and watch the contents of the refrigerator get inhaled by a growing boy.

I hope you got out to vote. I'll leave you with my favorite quote from Benjamin Franklin

"Where Liberty Dwells, there is My Country."

Thank you to those who work so hard to ensure my liberty.

Journey Part 2

The rest of the journey begins in Helen and ends back at home.

This is Helen, GA.

A side road.

Our Street! Home is just around the corner!

The weather has been perfect, and we've been enjoying the treehouse. I'll add pics from there tomorrow.

Journey Part 1

The colors have finally hit peak. Let me share my journey to work, in pictures

This is the view from the driveway. Kinda makes it hard to go to work, huh?

This is along Alt. 75

One of the more gentle curves.

This is the beginning of the Chattahoochee river. Yep, I'm driving.


One of the curves into Helen.

Brrr

We had snow flurries on Tuesday, yesterday didn't get warmer than 52 degrees and this morning it's below freezing. It's still October!

Windy Day

I tried to capture the wind that was blowing fiercely today. I swear whenever I had the camera focused the wind would stop! Suffice it to say, the wind was blowing pretty danged hard. Hard enough for us to have a wind chill, hard enough to make driving these mountain roads a bit difficult and hard enough to keep me off the treehouse. It's gonna be COLD tomorrow morning - we are expecting our first freeze. Brrrrr Makes me want to head back south, not really. Guess I'd best go get some winter clothes out.

Saturday

We got Dad home from the hospital Friday afternoon. He was weak, but his color was great. It's amazing what blood flow will do for ya! Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers. I know they were all heard!

It was a rainy and windy drive home, and was well after dark when I got here, so no treehouse for me.

Today was a blue sky day, with cool temps and a light wind. Too bad I had to work, while everyone else got to play!

Change of plans

Well, the day didn't go quite as planned. My Dad has been suffering from chest pains and was admitted to the local hospital on Monday. They were going to do a heart catheritization to check the bypasses he had a number of years ago. He had a stent put in earlier this spring, and we didn't even consider that to be an issue. Surprise! The local hospital discovered a problem and could not do what was necessary to fix it, so he was transported to a much larger hospital in another town. As soon as I got the call that it was more serious, I got in the car and headed north. I picked up Mom and we made it to that hospital about the time he went into the cath lab. The original stent from spring had failed, so they put in a new one, making essentially a stent sandwich. If this one fails, then it's another bypass. Ugh. I'll be here until tomorrow at the soonest, the nurses and doctors feel that he should be released to go home tomorrow, and if it's early enough in the day I'll head home, hopefully with some sunshine left in the day to sit in the treehouse.

It's a day off in the Fall! The treehouse has become more colorful, it's a sweater weather kind of day and I have my handsome guy to share it with. It's true - it doesn't get any better.
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Who turned off the heat??!!

Wow! I knew it was gonna get cool, but I wasn't expecting to wake up to 31 degrees this morning! We hadn't prepared. No annual burning of the dust. No hose bib covers. There was frost on the fields. I had to scramble to find a jacket so I didn't freeze in the car. The day warmed up nicely, so I left the jacket in the car. Hmmm, somehow I don't think I'll be happy with that decision in the morning.

Fall

Fall is quickly coming to North GA. I was sitting in the treehouse this morning, with my cup of tea, and I noticed the amount of yellows and reds in the leaves. A cold front is coming this weekend, high 60's for the daytime and low 50's for the nights.

We took a ride out to a pumpkin farm when our friends were in last weekend. Even though we are in a drought, it was still amazing to see all of the colors, sizes and types of gourds. We won't get a pumpkin to carve, too many years in south Florida cured that! If you wanted to have a carved pumpkin on your porch, you carved it and put it out on Halloween, because by the next morning the heat would make it mush. I love the colors of Indian corn and was playing around with exposures. I like how that picture turned out.

It's time for the evening glass of tea on the porch. Take a beverage of your choice and go enjoy your porch, stoop or seat in the yard. It's good for your soul.

Propane tank is upright!

Thank you Yonah Propane! They got here before 8 am on Friday, and by 8:20 we were in business! These guys know what they are doing, and do it well. Thankfully our full tank of propane only lost 5%, it could have been much worse. The front hill looks like normal, again.

Treehouse is back to normal, and we all smell better since we can have hot showers!

A bad Day

Propane tanks should be upright, right? Imagine coming home and discovering that your newly filled tank had decided to roll down the hill. A fitting broke, and LP was leaking out. We had company coming. We were able to get to the shut off valve to stop any more from leaking out, but that meant no hot water, nor cooking. Company was arriving, via motorcycle from Virginia, in a few hours. The propane company couldn't get out to help us until this morning. We offered water warmed in the microwave for a touch up bath and toasted bagels for breakfast. Thank heavens for longstanding, understanding friends.

Sunny and happy looking, isn't it? We discovered this growing in the front yard growing all by its lonesome. Isn't it amazing that one seed dropped by one bird can become something as beautiful as this?

I've been too busy to enjoy the treehouse this last week. I am tired and can hardly write a sentence tonight, so I will end here for tonight and will be back tomorrow.

Tuesday

This is the view from our living room sofa. It's a warm day today, in the 80's! Tomorrow and the rest of the week will be 10 degrees cooler, and by end of the week our overnight temps will be around 40! AAAAHHH! I'm not ready for that.

I sat outside in that rocker talking to a dear friend in Nebraska. As we were chatting I was buzzed by hummingbirds. Iris and I got to talking about mosquitos and how they manage to sting/bite/annoy in the worst places. I explained to her about the plastic bags filled with water mosquito repellant we find here in the south. I think she may try it next year, hopefully her neighbors will understand that it was a nutty friend that convinced her to try it.

I've borrowed a recipe from a friends blog. http://tamiskitchentabletalk.blogspot.com/2008/09/caramel-apple-spice-cookies.html

I am off to bake these, but without the kisses, as I can't find them around here. I'll let you know how they turn out, and if you try them let me know whatcha think, and I'll pass the comments to Tami.

This is what I worked on over the weekend. I had both days off and I told nobody about it. I computered very little, and spent most of it on the porch with book in hand. If I wasn't reading, we were watching football. All of our teams games were televised and all of them won! I putzed with decor, did minor cleaning and didn't even cook an actual meal. I so needed the downtime, and realized how ugly I had become. It's not a good thing to be in the retail environment and be anti people. I went back to work today, for a very short day. The area we live in is experiencing gas shortages, so there's not too many people traveling. Nestor not only had to wait in line for over an hour to get 10 gallons of gas, it was 2 counties over. Thankfully my tank is full, and my commute is very short.

Tree leaves are changing colors, and we're expecting cool temps later in the week. This transplanted Floridian still has trouble with the cold weather, but thankfully compared to most areas we have mildish winters. Snow lasts a day, we don't spend much time in the 20's and I wanted seasons, so we can't skip winter.

The birds are eating up a storm, getting ready for colder weather. We surprised a small black bear in the driveway this morning, or maybe we surprised each other. No harm done, but the driveway got "watered".

Dishes need to be done before I settle in to watch DWTS. I'll post some fall pics tomorrow.

Wow

I've not seen anything like this before.
Tell me what you think.
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/ftp/multimedia/waffleweddingx/publish_to_web/

I spent a little time this afternoon working on my front porch. The grain bin to the left of the door is new to me. I found it by way of a friend that sells "juntiques". I got it before it was prettied up and aged for the Atlanta market. It's perfect for the small gardening tools, extra birdseed and the assorted stuff that winds up on the porch. I'm working on the other side of the door a bit at a time, I'll post a pic later. I've started changing the indoors from spring/summer to fall as well, cleaning as I go. No, it's not a proper fall clean, but the house feels and smells better.

I spent some time at the library today. I am hooked on Emilie Richards Shennendoah Album series. The common thread is quilts in a small rural Virginia town. They are gentle reading, no profanity, sex is left to the imagination and the characters draw you right in. I've read a number of her other books a well, and I go out of my way to search her writings out. I also spent time in the children's section. No, I don't have any children at home, there's no grands on the horizon, but we do have a grandnephew that we love spoiling with books. He's only 10 months old, but I like to keep current on kids books, so when I find them on sale or markdowns I can add them to his bookshelf.

Supper is waiting to be made, as I sit here enjoying the newest cardinal pair feed. The poor male still has some of his baby feathers, but his bride loves him as he is, she's happily feeding him the best bits of sunflower seeds she can find. I guess maybe I'd best get moving on supper, feeding the best bits to my guy.

Monday, again

It was sooooo slow at work today, so I decided to shut down the store 2 hours early. Bad for my paycheck, but good for my soul.
It's a coolish day, windows are open and the treehouse is abuzz with hummingbirds, butterflies and a host of other winged creatures. I can feel my batteries recharging.
I made a soup in the crockpot yesterday that was a definite keeper. We grocery shop once a month, so we are down to the "what am I gonna do with thats". I tossed together a half bag of Italian meatballs, a bag of frozen soup veggies, a box of chicken stock and a can of diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano. I added salt and pepper, as well. It simmered all day, and about 30 min before we wanted to eat I tossed in a quarter box of pasta and left it to cook. I grated some Parm over the top when I served and WOW! Very filling, and oh so good! We had some garlic bread, but it wasn't necessary.
What is your best throw together meal? I need to get out of my cooking rut.

A Day off

I've had a true day off! I've not gone off the porch, talked to anyone from work and not done any house work. Doing nothing is exhausting. I needed this day.
Let me catch up on the last few days.
Tuesday I went to visit the folks in NC. It was a short visit, but the time spent together was good. We took a ride to a favorite place, Manual Woodworkers and Weavers in Bat Cave, had a nice lunch of BLT's on a rare treat of white squishy bread, traded stuff and just hung out. I took no pictures, as it was misty, drizzly gray and rainy.
Wednesday was back to work, where the day dragged on. I did get some work finished on some presentations I'll make to various bus groups about our facility, so the lack of customers wasn't so bad.
Thursday was errand running before a few hours at work. I'm glad I got finished early, as an exhaustion migraine bloomed and I was out of commission for the rest of the day.
Friday and Saturday were work days and I hate getting out after dark. Thankfully Oktoberfest is only 7 weeks long this year!
The treehouse was busy today with birds. I have no idea what some of them were, but I know we saw them in the spring, so this must be the fall migration route. Nestor and I hung out in our chairs, looking at the changing leaves and just catching up. Peekaboo sunshine, woodpeckers and a light breeze sent me inside for slightly warmer clothes and a pair of socks. I love Fall! Our football teams game wasn't broadcast here today, so we savored more time outside. The perfect day!

Well, it's Monday again. Wherever did the week go??? It's not a Moanday, for a change. I have tomorrow off, and I'll be travelling north to Hendersonville to visit my folks. It's been about 2 months since I last made the trip, so I am looking forward to the visit, but not the trip. It's a 3 hour trip each way, but worth it to see Dad and Mom. I think my youngest brother will be there, as well. Say a prayer that he gets work soon.

It's dark out as I write this. The moon is full, so there is illumination. The deck boards on the treehouse are cream colored, so there is plenty of reflection. It's a time of reflection for me, so the brightness is helping me see things more clearly. Fall coming always does this to me. I am ready for the fall colors, the heartier foods, the time spent outside. An added bonus this fall is that my sister by heart and her husband will be visiting in late October. A 40+ year friendship is something to be nurtured, even if it's by email, skype and IM. We haven't shared a hug in more than 2 years, so I am beside myself hurrying the month along.

Spot is under my chair, head butting my leg. It's almost treat time and I think she wants my attention. I swear that cat can tell time! She hates daylight savings time, I'm certain she thinks we change the time just to annoy her. I'll type more tomorrow, and hopefully I'll have some pics from the trip to share.

We've had a bit of rain, finally. I am sitting at the dining room table watching the afternoon fly-in. The cardinal family is back. Baby is learning to land on the feeder but still hasn't mastered the food getting part. Mama rewards him with a few bits and they fly off to the oak tree to rest and try again. Papa is sitting on the end of the hammock chirping at his family, as if to say "Come on baby, I know you can do it!".

Spot is happily sitting on the chair watching the comings and goings. The chickadees love coming to the window sill to get a closer look. I think they know she isn't going to get them, but Spot sure tries. I think there is a permanent noseprint on the window.

A few leaves further down in the woods have changed to red. Fall is coming and I am ready for it. I've pulled out a bit of fall decor and the wreathes for the doors, but with it still being in the upper 80's it seems too soon. I've noticed the stores are full of fall candles, and the baking aisles seem to be bulked up, ready for holiday treats.

I've got a pot roast in the crockpot, with potatoes and carrots. It's nice to come home to the smell of supper. I think I'm going to settle into the glider and watch the next thunderstorm roll in.

Monday

I have a friend that calls Monday, Moanday, because Monday is the day she hears the most complaining. I'm in a Moanday frame of mind. It's my sort of day off, I only had 1 meeting and spent only an hour in the store, but I had too much stuff to cram into my day. The oil in my car needed to be changed, the tires rotated, a trip to the library - I forgot it was storytelling day with a blue million 3 and 4 year olds, a trip to the IGA, and the drugstore. I was not in the mood for being in the deep south, and my DC showed. Bless my heart.

It's been that kind of weekend. More on Monday.
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Something New

Well, this is new for me. Here I come, being dragged into the 21st century, and deciding to blog. Every morning and evening I watch the goings on off my porches and think about the day to come, or pondering over the events of the day past.

Our rear porch is about 12 feet from the ground, so I am at the perfect treehouse level. I am watching the birds fly in for their last snack before nesting for the night. The hummingbirds are dancing, not so patiently, waiting their turn at the feeders. A slight breeze is blowing and we can occasionally hear the local high school band practice. Life is good.

The view from the front porch is completely different. It's elevated, but not so much. We have a seasonal view of the Horse Range Mountains. The glider and a pair of rockers invite you to sit a spell. Rabbits are jumping all over the yard, it's almost time for the bear family to cut across the yard for their bedding down area at the back of the property. Evening is coming earlier, so the smaller birds are heading for their last bath of the day, then to their nests in the mountain laurel.

I don't yet know what this blog will become, but I think part of it will be partly made up of the goings on from our treehouse.