Don't You Agree?

This garden gate would look stupendous in the back yard, don't you think?

Perhaps we can find a spot for this chair

and this one

but this one is a must.

Then we could toss these about the place

here and there.

And then Miss Bella needs to

have her own tuffet,
of course.

A few rugs

for Riverside?

Ring-a-ling, do ya hear what I'm saying?

All of the lovely items above were found in the latest MacKenzie-Childs catalog. Deep sigh.

Stormy Day, Beautiful Sunset

We had rain all day in Middle Tennessee yesterday with lots of wind. We even lost a shingle or two off the roof last night! The hub will be glad to hear about that! I've been wanting to change the roof since we bought the place, lol.

I lallygagged all morning after having my scone with clotted cream and pear butter. Then I ran my errands, in the rain. Went to Costco and got some stuff for the freezer and then started on Amy's birthday "page." You'd think I could have done it the day before and set it up for first thing yesterday morning so she could enjoy it before the end of her day, but that's never how I think. It's always "Oh dear, let's get going on this before the birthday is over." I'll always be a step or two behind, but that's ok. It's me.



After deciding I wanted to use some of my old photos of Amy from our childhood for the "page," I went up to my old negative file and of course, there were no photos, only proof sheets and negatives, of her. Then I remembered, my new printer actually prints from slides and negatives!! OMG. How cool is that? You can only imagine how many slides and negatives I have. Endless amounts, I tell you. This is going to be lots of fun. The photos I used yesterday of Amy was a sitting she did for me when I first started photography class and my assignment was natural and incandescent lighting. The exposures weren't that great since I was just learning, but it was so much fun going back and looking through them--bad exposure or not. She is just too pretty. Always will be. There are even some shots of my mom! How fun.

The night before last, I made BBQ chicken on the stove. It turned out good. It was the first time in a long time (other than Sunday Supper) that the teenager was home for dinner. It was nice having the four of us at the table again. Mom has been going to bed by 3 p.m. (no lie) so she's never up for dinner. I guess she gets up about midnite. As I told a friend the other day, as long as it doesn't bother her, there's no harm done. It's not like she has to get up and go to work or anything, right? Bless her.

BBQ Chicken

• Boneless chicken breasts
• 1 T oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 C ketchup
• 3 T molasses
• 3 T cider vinegar
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 2 T Worcestershire
• 2 T maple syrup
• 1 t chili powder
• salt and pepper

1. Add oil to skillet and heat.
2. Salt and pepper chicken.
3. Brown both sides of the chicken and then remove, a couple of minutes on each side.
4. Add onion with a pinch of salt and cook about 5 minutes.
5. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over onions. Mix well.
6. Add chicken back into the skillet, cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes.

You can also add some hot sauce or peppers to the mixture if you like your BBQ sauce spicy. I put in some cayenne pepper, but I think it would have been better without it. Everyone else liked it though.

I got a message from my brother that he will be going home soon! I am so happy for him. I bet he is ready to get out of that hospital bed and home to his cats. That was such wonderful news. Jim phoned this morning and said he was on his way to visit him at the hospital and I'm waiting to hear back from him. Yay!!

Happy Birthday Amy

Robin's Sweet Tweets

You all have to go visit Robin over at Bird Tweets. She has started a blogging series with cooking videos. Now, that is just way too creative. Good going Robin.

You're absolutely going to love this gal. Watch out Mawtha, Rach and Paula. There's a new kid on the block.

Famous Kid Sauce

The hub and kid make this for us four or five times a year. It is the best sauce ever, EV-ER!!

Can't give you the recipe, because then I would have to . . . well, you know. Actually, I don't even know the recipe, so I'm safe.

We had a lot of gravy and sausage left over, so I'm going to make lasagna one night. That is, if the teenager doesn't come in an devour it all in a sitting.

Doing Things

Well, some of us are, some of us aren't. Obviously, the cats have the day life off. (Even my cats know their feng shui in the study--yin and yang (Bella and Dave)!)

I finally got all the Christmas stuff down into the basement. It's all haphazardly put away; but that is for another day . . . far far away. I'm now on my way to clean off the dining room table--aftermath from cleaning the study. Round and round we go.


Last night, the hub and kid took me to the movies. We saw Cloverfield (or as I call it, Cloverleaf, for some stupid reason). I loved it. I enjoy going to the movies, it's just that I never, ever (hardly) go. I don't know why. I can't seem to put my finger on that one. I enjoy every movie I see; well, just about. Take The Rugrats Movie (c1998--kid's 8th birthday)out of that general statement, please. Ooooooof! Anyway, the kid was so excited about this movie because we once stayed at The Essex House and had a view of the two towers that fall against each other like dominoes (the two tallest towers in the pic), in the movie. He ran home and looked it up on my trustworthy blog to make sure. "I knew it!" He really got a kick out of that. If you like being scared, you'll like this movie. Just remember, it is filmed by a hand-held camera (ala Blair Witch), so don't sit too close to the screen or you'll regret it. Oy.


I used my rose sugar this afternoon; and I'm not sure I like it. That taste if fine. It's just that I prefer not to have little thingies floating in my tea. Call me weird.

The hub and kid are busy in the kitchen making their infamous Italian sauce. It smells so good in here. I'll post about that when it's done. Can't wait. This is the first sauce made in the new kitchen. I guess that means it's officially broken in. We all have cooked in it now.

Ok, I'm off to tackle the table. Really.

One World, One Heart Event

Giveaways! Giveaways! That should get everyone's attention.

Lisa, over at Heart of the Nest is starting up her second annual One World, One Heart giveaway extravaganza again this year. Everyone in the blogging community is welcome to join in all the fun. I think I missed out last year and just did my own giveaway after it was all said, done and over with. Leave it to me to be behind. I'm not an early bird kinda person.

But, with all that being said, I am trying to be a little more organized this year. So, I thought I would go ahead and post about it, advertise a little and get as many people together in this blog world. It's a nice way to get to know new people.

I will post this again on February 13 and pick a name (perhaps even two as my record shows) on February 14 from both posts. Also, Lisa says you have to have a blog in order to put your name into the hat. Them's the rules.

I don't know what I will give away yet, depends on where the hub will be traveling and what he will be bringing home (last year was Belgian chocolate). Perhaps only local things will go into a goody box. Something homemade, maybe? Depends on who wins and what I learn about them in this fun process. Who knows. Three weeks is a long way away, for me anyway.

Click *here* to see who is giving away and more info if you are interested in doing your own giveaway for One World, One Heart. C'mon, you all know it's better to give than it is to receive. Let's see how many folks we can get involved! Spread the word.

All you really have to do is put your name in the comment thingy. I always enjoy meeting the new folks that visit that I haven't met yet. That's the point in all of this.

Ok, now off with you! Let's get this thing rollin'!

Spring?

Nawwwwww. But I don't think I'm the only one thinking SPRING!

Look at the onion and garlic I cut up. (Always cut this green part out as it makes things bitter if you use it.) They are just as anxious about spring coming up as I am!

And you can see, I found another spot for my springy tea cups atop the stove.

Caught Up

I think after this posting, I will be completely caught up. I think. I always feel behind when I have post photos from a trip. I get all messed up in the scheme of things and feel totally discombobulated. Hopefully, this will do it from the DC trip.

The above is the Metro whizzing by. We don't call them subways in DC, just FYI. I rode it for many a year. In fact, when I was going to secretarial school in 1981, I was walking to the metro after school. My station was Foggy Bottom/GWU. As I walked by George Washington Hospital (across the street from the Metro station), I noticed the Presidential limousine there and for some reason I distinctly noticed the bullet hole in the back door window. By the time I got home, it was all over the news that Reagan had been shot. It all was kind of scary because it wasn't that long before that John Lennon had been murdered. And where are we today in gun control? Gawd, don't even get me started. (Boy, I am just full of side notes these days, aren't I. Or is it just a rambling mind?)

After Jim and I had our Tapas, walking back to the car, he pointed out The Hotel Monaco which is housed in the old F Street post office building (from my heyday). You know my love for boutique hotels, so I had to walk through. I had to contain my squealing, let me tell you. I want one of these green chandeliers--like I have a place to put it, lol. Loved the color scheme, and I'm not a green person. I just wanted to find a good magazine and sit by the fire and warm up.

This funky little nook faced the fireplace. The pillows reminded me of big fortune cookies!

The day before I left, Jim and I went to lunch at another favorite, The Peking Gourmet Inn, again in Falls Church. I actually took the above picture when the hub and I were there in 2006. This is a must while in DC. There is no better duck to be found in the area.

Yes, we had duck. To tell you the truth, I could do with some right about now. It's lunchtime.