Happy Sunday

First, the banana bread.

It had to cook a little longer than I thought.

But it was YUMMY!

I guess they loved it.

This is what it looked like this afternoon.

(It will be gone before bed tonight...)

This might be my new favorite food.

I found it on one of my favorite blogs I follow every day.

http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2012/08/spicy-noodles-204-recipe-102-serving.html

She calls it Dragon Noodles.

In the comments lots of folks said it was like Pad Thai - but I've never had that.

It is seriously easy and delicious!

I made a double batch last night to go with dinner.

And then I made another double batch today for lunch (and lunch tomorrow).

The girls are coming online.

Red doesn't lay.  And Blondie hasn't started yet after her molt.

But the other 5 each gave me an egg today.

Good thing too!

The neighbors told me they have been saving cartons for me.

Today while we were at church, they dropped them by the barn.

There are probably 200 egg cartons!

Better get to work girls!

Big World

It's a big world out there!

Especially when you are a tiny little baby.

The newest girls are one week old.

So it was time for them to meet the great outdoors.

Tiny, up front, is FIESTY!

She'll jump at and peck your hand.

We'll work on that.

Their wing feathers and tiny tail tufts are coming in.

Here's a glimpse of what we call 

Chicken TV.

Now I'm baking the first banana bread I've made in YEARS!

It just came out of the oven, so not sure how it will taste.

But it looks pretty good!

I started out using Sister Myrna Stanford's recipe, but realized it called for

sugar but didn't give an amount.

So I called Mom.

Who discovered she doesn't have a banana bread recipe with her in Tucson!

Which reminded me I have a recipe box full of recipes in the cupboard.

And presto!

There was HER recipe!

So I'm sure this will be delicious!

(I added walnuts... Mom's recipe doesn't call for them, since Nancy is severely allergic)

Not Fair!

It's not fair they don't make cute stuff for old people.

I saw this the other day.

I WANT IT!!!

Too bad it was a size 6.

In little girls.

Cute though, eh?

Merry Christmas!

We did it a little backwards this year.

With Jim and Sabrina leaving last night to take the train to North Carolina

to spend the holidays with her Mother,

we decided to "have Christmas" yesterday morning.

We got up and opened presents.

Everybody was pleased with what they gave and received.

Kyle finally grew a beard.

We decided he looked like Yukon Cornelius (or whatever his name is)

from the Rudolph movie.

He said it was so warm, it instantly fogged up his glasses.

I realized (too late) that I didn't take any other pictures of the family!

Sheesh.

We certainly had a good time though.

We've been working on the annual puzzle.

This one took HOURS.  

The grass was a real pain in the neck.

I finally gave up, so Kyle took it as a personal challenge.

And he got it done!

We took a break, and then started another.

This one was smaller and easier.

We got smart and did the boring brown first.

LOL

This is as close to a puppy as we are getting.

Thank goodness!

(And the "peeps" are growing - looking good!  Some of them are getting wing feathers already!)

Last night Jim and Sabrina left.

Catching their train by the skin of their teeth.

(He was working on a banner for a client)

Rod had to go deliver fuel.

So it was just Kyle and I at the annual

Santa on the Fire Truck event.

The town downsized it a little this year.

A police car leading the way,

A fire truck,

The the Marine Rescue unit with Santa and his elves.

Another fire truck tossing candy

and a final police truck.

They were pretty deadly with that candy.

Just about took Kyle out!

But we picked up a nice bunch of peppermints to give to the horses.

We finished up with fajitas at Chilis.

And then home to play Dirt 3 on his XBox.

I hope you are all having a wonderful day with family, friends, and loved ones.

Have a Merry Christmas!!!!!

Early Christmas!

Wee!!!

Rod surprised me with an early Christmas gift this afternoon!

4 Super Cute little 2-day old 

Buff Orpington chicks!

This is what they will look like when they grow up.

But for now, they look like this!

Excuse my finger... it's hard to take pictures/videos inside a small Rubbermaid tub.

Visitor

I guess while I was out of town

we had a visitor.

Right in the house.

Like, in the living room.

Buddy

He likes to stand on the patio.

And then he falls asleep.

There's a roof, so it's nice and shady.

Sometimes I even turn on the fan.

But I guess the other day he wandered right on in!

Maybe he saw the Christmas tree and thought it would be ok.

Whatever.

Sabrina shooed him back out again.

I have always been afraid he would come in and crack my tiles.

But my floor is fine.

Silly boy!

Speaking of silly boys...

The dogs have some new friends...

The neighbor's hogs have started getting out of their pen.

They like to run up and down the fence-line with the dogs.

He (the neighbor) was out hunting and came upon these two tiny

female baby hogs.

So he picked them up and stuck them in his pocket!

Look at them NOW!

They are pets - not bacon.

Yet.

What Are You Listening To?

I'm really enjoying listening to Christmas Music this year.

I found a radio station that plays mostly older music.

Andy Williams

Anne Murray

Bing Crosby

Dean Martin 

(was he drunk ALL the time?)

But I was thinking...

I remember those old Firestone albums

Mom and Dad had.

Wasn't there a Julie Andrews Christmas album?

How come nobody plays that?

She has such a beautiful voice.

And a gratuitous picture of "what's for dinner"...

I don't know what the bottom guys are all about.

But I can't get rid of them...

Done for 2012

I'm sitting here,

waiting for my two

Yup, two

students to finish their final exam.

And then I am DONE teaching for 2012!

2013, here I come.

February 1, 2013

will be my 14 year anniversary.

It's a good thing I LOVE teaching this class!

Two classes (sometimes 3) per month

Times 12 months

Times 14 years

Is a LOT of insurance!

(And a lot of times to tell the same joke/story over and over and over and over....)

PS - they both passed.
Great way to end the year!

Private Tutor

I started my class this morning here in Winter Garden

with 5 students.

(As required by the company...)

At the end of the first hour, one lady left.

Her son had a court appointment at 9:30 and she needed to be there.

Then her husband has surgery and she needs to be there.

And she has 30 hours of continuing education due for another license.

She only has this week to complete it.

So.

She left.

Then there were 4.

At the end of the second hour, another lady left.

She is studying to be a nurse.

She is taking her finals starting today.

She had a major exam at 10:00.

So.

She left.

Then there were 3.

At the end of the first session, I discovered one student

was the Regional Vice President's husband.

He was only there to round out the five so we could have class.

But he has NO interest in joining the business or getting a license.

So.

He left.

Then there were 2.

It's lunch break.

Anybody care to wager on whether / how long the others will last?

Sigh.

I'm not a big fan of holding class the weekend before the weekend before Christmas.

But it is what it is.

As long as I have one... I'll keep teaching.

Private Tutor anyone?

*********************************************

In other news...
My chicken coop made the "cut"!

We are number 2 on "The Art of Doing Stuff".

One of my favorite blogs.
Written by a Canadian - she has hosted many TV shows in Canada.
I don't know her.
But I love her blog.

Check it out!

http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/readers-chicken-coops-your-photos/

History in the Making

Today is the VERY LAST TIME we will ever see a duplicate number in the date.

Today is 12-12-12.

There will be no 13-13-13.

So let’s make this historic day special.

SMILE at everyone you meet.

Wish them a Merry Christmas!

I don’t often take pictures of the sunrise.

I don’t often have my camera with me in the mornings when I feed.

But this morning I brought it along (iPod) so I could listen to music.

But WOW what a pretty sunrise!

I was out there a little early (with the mosquitoes) decorating the front gate.

Looks festive – if I do say so myself!

We have lights on the front fence

(white only)

But the gate was looking a little sad.

I usually have silver garland, but last year I threw it away.

It was looking OLD.

So.

Happy 12-12-12.

And

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Committee Member

I'm now an official member of our Committee.

Had to do my Oath.

There was no spit involved.

But there WAS a plate of chocolates...

(We have a great Town Clerk!)

Sounds like they have some big plans for the trails and greenways

in our little town.

It will be interesting to see where this goes.

We have our first "work party"

January 5.

Of course, I'll be out of town.

But Rod is going to be my "Alternate".

Meanwhile, the Chairman would like to see the trails from the back of a horse.

(He's walked, and ridden a bike, and seen some of them from 

his kayak... but hasn't ever ridden a horse back there before.)

I'm thinking about inviting him to ride CJ out there with me

over the Christmas break.

We'll see.

Meanwhile,

Kyle and I went to WalMart to get the week's groceries.

Picked up some fresh mushrooms and sirloin steak.

He fried up the mushrooms with some fresh garlic in butter.

They were AWESOME.

The steak, on the other hand, will likely be fed to the dogs.

Not sure they'll be able to eat it though.

It was possibly tougher than shoe leather.

Sigh.

The salad was good though...

Jupiter?

The girls are   S L O W L Y  coming back online.

Sometimes when they start laying again

their plumbing needs a little reworking.

And sometimes you get interesting looking eggs.

Case in point...

It appears Rocky thinks she is Jupiter!

Check out her rings...

In other news.

On Friday, on my way down to Boynton,

I saw this truck ahead of me on the highway.

Doesn't it remind you of the Flintstone car with the

giant hunk of meat on the roof?

Had a good class this weekend.

Passed everybody but one.

That's pretty good!

Tomorrow night I have my first 

Trails and Greenways Committee meeting.

But first I have to do my "Oath of Office".

They take this stuff seriously in my town.

Hopefully I don't have to spit and then shake hands.

Coming Back On Line

We have 8 chickens in our little herd.

(Yes, I know chickens are flocks...

but we refer to the girls as "herd-o-birds")

They have been going through a fall molt.

Which means nobody was laying.

Last week I got ONE egg.

Then two...

Today we are up to FOUR!

Tonight I let them out to free range in the pasture for awhile.

Aren't they pretty?

Ta Da!

So.

I would like to introduce you to the newest member

of the Town Trails and Greenways Committee.

ME!

I'm FINALLY doing my civic duty.

By serving on a town committee.

I'm kind of looking forward to it.

I'm the only female on the board.

And it looks like I might be "the horse person" on the board.

Our town is a rural town.

As you enter town, there is a sign.

Welcome to the Town of ____________,

An Equestrian Community.

But we also have a pretty large bike presence.

Our trails are great for biking.

And for years and years we have coexisted with no problem.

Recently, they closed the trails directly behind my house and made them bike only.

Ha.

I still ride Andy back there now and again.

The BIG bike guy is my neighbor across the street.

He is also on Trails and Greenways.

This is going to be fun.

***************************************

In other news.

I should probably mention.
I left the church.

**************************

A couple of weeks ago, Rod and I attended our annual Tithing Settlement with the Bishop.

Church lets out at 12:30.
Our appointment was at 3.

So we went home and ate some lunch.

When we returned, the Bishop was in the Clerk's Office.

He turned to me and asked if I had left the church.

I said
"Well, just long enough to get some lunch...."

He said...

Well, Rod's membership records state he is married to a non-member.
So I was just concerned you had left the church.

WHY am I always the last to know these things?????
(The Clerk is working on it...)