Beautiful Leap Day!

This is the Beautiful Sunset from last night, and it lead right into an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day. The temp got to upper 50's, bright sunshine, gentle breeze. I just couldn't have asked for a better February leap Day!

Back to the sunset -- I am blessed to live in a place that has some of the most amazing Sunsets. Even more blessed that my kitchen window faces the West so I can view the sight as I fix supper. Sometimes supper is moved back so I can go out to snap some pictures of the sunset. Then I print them out and tape them on the inside of my cabinet doors for those days when the weather isn't so good.

Leap Day - Our van turned 2 today -- 8 years ago we purchased our Dodge Grand Caravan on Leap day. Isn't Leap day powerful -- this one little day stuck right at the end of February every 4 years keeps the universe in order! What a powerful day!

....and there was sound!

Today I've added some of my favorite music. I hope it adds to your "Along Plum Creek" experience!

This really belongs in the group of "

Just How Can this Be?"

I went to a website, search for my favorite music, clicked a few buttons and my blog has music!

Isn't Modern technology wonderful?!

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss!

For those of you 'just too old to know' today is Dr Seuss' Birthday! I don't think you can think of Dr Seuss and not smile. It's just plain, simple fun and silliness. I'm eagerly anticipating the new movie "Horton hears a Who". If I were more creative I'd make up a rhyme in honor of the today but I'm just not the creative!

Today G got to have Wacky Wednesday in honor Dr Seuss'. He wore his shirts inside out with his under shirt on the outside. We spiked his hair into 3 horn like spikes. He was well pleased with his Wackiness. On the way to school he asked if at W's school did they know it was Wacky Wednesday and did they get to ever dress Wacky? When I answered no, I think the realization that maybe 'it's not so much fun being big' might of crept into G's little life!

Today go enjoy a bit Wackiness in honor of Dr Seuss!

Hump Day Up dates

This week G has been finding hubby right after school to wrestle. On Monday afternoon I heard G go into the bedroom and say "OK Ol' man are you ready for me?" then the tickles, giggles and f**ting started! yes, you read that right, much to this mother's dismay part of the wrestling match for G is the F**ting and how much he can produce! It must be a boy thing or at least it's a G thing!

Believe it or not Track pre season has started. W has worked out through the winter and now is enjoying the ease of the pre track workouts. He's not as sore or winded as his buddies! W will jump the long jump and the triple jump this year. This boy loves whatever sport he's in at the moment. When his into it there isn't any other sport he'd rather be doing. I love this about him. On the first day of track workouts - I got a text after the work out that simply said "I Love Track".

Hubby and I purchased a new van yesterday. We signed and signed but in the end we have to wait for a week for the van to be transported from Sheboygan! Hubby will have his van next week!

G has checked out a cook book from his school library and has been trying new recipes -- he has one success -- party punch (frozen lemon aid and cherry juice) and one dud -- S'mores. The rest of the family enjoyed the S'mores but G really just liked the Hersey bar!

What's for supper

Balsamic Roasted Pork Tenderloin

1- 2lb pork tenderloin

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 teaspoons chopped thyme

Pre-heat oven to 400

Spray a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray (cover well)

Place Tenderloin in pan, season both sides with salt and pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey mustard and thyme.

spoon mixture over pork.

Roast until internal thermometer reads (at thickest part) 160 degrees should take about 45 minutes basting every 15 minutes if possible. (I just turn my roast every 15 minutes).

meat may be pink in center but that's OK.

Let pork stand for 10 minutes before slicing in 1 inch slices.

I wait for tenderloins to go on sale and then stock the freezer up. This recipe has a strong Asia spice smell as the tenderloin cooks but the meat is just slightly Asia tasting.

Monday Morning Funny!

Simple Joy

This winter I've been watching birds! First the snowbirds (aka Junco), then the Cardinals came followed quickly by the Purple finches (in the picture) but this past week has brought special visitors tiny yellow finches. First the females and then a male with his bright yellow throat and chest. I've been shocked by the huge female woodpecker once or twice also! I feed them on my back deck so I can watch them while I'm on the computer. I can't find my bird book so my Joy is extended to taking pictures of the birds, sending them to my friend who in turn sends the pictures to her 'bird experts' in Oklahoma for proper identification! So I'm just spreading my JOY.

Saturday of Hoops

Our Saturdays these days are full of Basketball.

The morning started out with W's game -- he was excited because this opponent was suppose to be worst in the league. We we got there W's team was 10 points down! (gasp) A couple of their players got the time wrong so there weren't any subs until they showed up (the last 10 minute's of the game). W's team won by 4 in the last few minute's. W would like to let you know that he made the shot in the picture for 3 points!

Next was G's game and it's 2nd half of the season so they are moving into learning more rules. In the past they have just played on when the ball goes out of bounds but starting this week they now have out of bounds (well, most of the time). G's game has improved this season. He can be quite the rebounder when he wants to be.

Last Chance Friday.

Friday seems to be my last chance to get things done without anyone around. So yesterday I pulled more wallpaper off and cleaned the new tiled bathroom floor for the last time before I seal the grout. Which should be happening right now but I'm here writing to you! I wished I would have taken pictures of the before and after of the wall paper but forgot. I have only the border left to pull off. Still don't know what color the walls will be but it will be GREAT when it's done.

This week while helping unload the dishwasher "G" announced in a huff that he wished we didn't have a Dishwasher! So I got to tell him about the 'good ol'days" when his father and I growing up didn't have a dishwasher. How the process after supper was just as long as supper had been and sometimes as long as the supper prep had been. Then I told him that at Christmas we had to wait until all the dishes were washed until we could open presents! I don't know if this phased him but it gave us something to chat about until his 5 minutes chore was done!

Amazing outer space events!

"G' loves science, especially weather and outer space! Last night was so exciting for him. First was the lunar eclipse, he was so anixous for 8pm to get here so he could start watching. He was quick with leaving basketball practice, quick to eat all of his supper, quick to shower and quick to watch out the window. He wasn't disappointed the clouds held off for most of the eclipse. He made sure the entire family was aware of what was happening in the night sky.

His next excitement was concerning the military shooting down the satelite! He went to bed before he knew the news. His first question this morning was if the missiles had hit the satelite and what information was there about it. Unfortunetly, Good Morning America wanted to cover John McCain first thing this morning and waiting for the news of the missile was cutting into G's PBS's Curious George time!

Give your Rump a thump it's a Hump day!

I know it's not Wednesday anymore but I have to share the computer with hubby for a few more days and yesterday was his afternoon! Can you believe that he'd want to use his own computer? Doesn't he know I have a HUGE fan base that hungers for my daily postings? OK he's a good guy we'll forgive him!

W is getting over his cold, he didn't ever have a fever just a runny nose SO I'm thinking that it wasn't the nasty flu bug that is going around.

hubby is healing well, and should be going back to work for half days next week. He has been busy working a few hours from home and then shopping for new van via the internet. We'll see what comes of this search?!?

Just How Can This Be?

Just How can it be that my kitchen's island constantly looks like a tornado blew through? Early last November I set a goal to keep my island cleaned off. GREAT goal but who knew that it would be such a CONSTANT battle ~paper vs. me ~ with paper winning most of the time. Just how can it be that I can throw things away, deal with things, put things away and within next hour or two things are piled high again?

Just How Can this Be?

This morning I set out on the adventure of picking through the tornado's destruction once again, determined not be distracted (well, ok that happened a couple of times but I got back on track).

Here is the end result!

Surely the next tornado won't hit until after school.

But you never know with tornadoes!

What's for supper?

My Friend Rita invited several ladies over last week for a wonderful lunch, where she served these very tasty Chicken Balls. Tonight I'm trying to repeat Rita's Chicken Balls. Chicken Balls

1/2 stick butter (softened or melted)
1 8oz pkg Cream Cheese (can use light)

4-6 chicken breast cooked and cubed

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

2/3 cup chopped mushrooms

2 8oz refrigerator cans crescent rolls

3-4 tbsp spoons of melted butter

finely crushed corn flakes

combine butter & cream cheese, then add next 6 ingredients

Separate rolls to form 8 rectangles: press seams together

place about 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto each rectangle, fold up ends & press all seams together

Dip each ball in melted butter, then roll in corn crumbs

place on greased baking sheet

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes

Serve with Sauce

warm up 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup & 1/2 cup sour cream (can use light)

Rita recommends using a bit more chicken and trying them with a cranberry sauce, her favorite!

President's Day

G celebrated his President's Day by having a friend over. Our house was filled with Boy silliness! All sorts of video games, some basketball, lots of laughing, lots of just general Boy Noise!

W celebrated his President's Day by blowing his nose!

Snowy Sunday afternoon.......

Our Afternoon in the Snow started with building a snow person. I believe it's name was Snowy.
But Snowy's life was short lived as G quickly realized that if he knocked her over she would make a great fort. He then got busy building up his arsenal of snowballs. He worked and worked but somehow only accumulated about 6 snowballs! He and I then had a snowball fight. It was fun we both had a good time. I believe the lesson that G learned was 'his fort needs to be higher'!

What a difference a day makes.

Yesterday it was a calm but cloudy day. The weather man had said that it would rain all afternoon but nothing happened, so I wondered if the snow would come. Well it was sneaky and came in the dark of night! This morning I was awaken by G announcing that there was SNOW! and then the phone rang soon with the announcement that church had been canceled. I peeked outside to find a beautiful blanket of snow with HUGE flakes still falling along with all sorts of creatures attempting to survive in the snow. Skipper, the dog was shivering and huddled in the corner of the front porch, a variety of birds looking for food in my snowy bird feeders and then hubby and G saw 3 deer prancing around the back field. The dog got rescued into the somewhat warm garage, the bird feeders were cleared of the snow and refilled with tasty seeds and the deer, well they're off playing in someone else's field. I do think the snowy home looks more interesting but it was a bit more treacherous getting the 2nd picture.

Simple Joy

This past week was Valentine's Day and my boys surprised me with cards and these beautiful roses.

Jumping in........

I'm jumping in and doing a blog! I've thought and investigated starting a blog for a several months. I hope you enjoy a small looking to our lives!