tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11248461292372068162012-02-16T07:25:48.438-05:00ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.comBlogger1101100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-28610274172612871252012-02-08T15:26:00.003-05:002012-02-08T15:31:19.187-05:00

Just a quick update on one of my past posts where I mentioned the light therapy box.I sent back the Suntouch Plus light box. I discovered it's a 'blue light' box, and blue light has been shown to be hard on your retinas, and can lead to Age-related Macular Degeneration. Can actually speed it up by 10 years. The article suggested 'white light', so I ordered and rec'd the BoxElite from Northern

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-32365914956132585722012-02-07T12:02:00.003-05:002012-02-07T12:13:51.819-05:00

That was close. I almost signed back into Facebook today. I looked at my index card for my password, and noticed the date. 7/13/09. Wow! I didn't realize that it had been that long since I had deactivated my account on Facebook.Today was tempting. My aunt has since joined, and my best friend has pics of her new hubby on hers. My step-kids and nieces are on there too. But do I really want

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-76243091790357054412012-01-31T10:59:00.003-05:002012-01-31T11:10:40.802-05:00

So I was making these Cranberry Seed Muffins just now. And they call for sunflower seeds and pepitos, among other things. I've had 2 packages of sunflower seeds for a few months now in my cupboard, as it doesn't say refrigeration is needed. I used the open package first, measuring my 1/3 cup and stirring it into the batter. Then I noticed a stronger odor than normal. Great. They are turning

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-39325850677806818392012-01-30T14:16:00.008-05:002012-02-08T15:26:09.457-05:00

(Above: My lap buddy, Max, who follows me around every night until I sit down and put his favorite blanky on my lap for him to sit on.)Sorry, people, I am SO lax at posting lately! No excuses. Otherwise occupied with not so important stuff, like web surfing and reading other people's more exciting blogs. Did have company over Christmas, my parents were able to come down after all, even though

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-2402165212413056972011-11-30T10:39:00.005-05:002011-11-30T11:48:49.521-05:00

(The branches are usually at least 6 feet off the ground under this oak tree!)Well, much has happened since my last post. I did promise to do better about posting, and seemsI got worse instead. Here goes another try at doing better. :0)I'm sure most of you heard about our big snow storm here in Connecticut Halloween weekend. Oh yeah. It was a doozy. We rec'd 12", but I read one area rec'd 32

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-85437509968162087122011-11-16T09:35:00.001-05:002011-11-16T09:35:30.330-05:00

http://agecoext.tamu.edu/resources/market-outlook/livestock.html Interesting article on meat prices and hay prices this year.  They certainly have gone up! Carando spiral sliced hams were ON SALE at $2.69 lb. yesterday at Stop N Shop.  Regular 3.99 or something like that.  $23 for a ham, on sale!  That’s outrageous!  Seems last year I got it for $1.99 on sale.  I am hoping for a better sale

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-6359379097280804612011-09-27T07:38:00.004-04:002011-09-27T19:18:09.488-04:00

Enjoying a good cup of coffee this morning. Part Peet's Major Dickason's and part 8'oclock decaf. I really like Peet's, and the 8'oclock isn't bad either, bought it on sale. I drink 1/2 decaf coffee now, and find I actually feel better! It was getting to the point it took more coffee to get the same effect, and I was also feeling more tired. Groggy in the mornings. Now, not sure if it's

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-26334289638483121122011-07-26T13:16:00.003-04:002011-07-26T13:20:36.466-04:00

If you love vintage crochet and knitting patterns, then this site is for you! Wow. I found this site today, and what lovely vintage patterns. Check out 'Baby'. What sweet and adorable little crochet bonnets and hats. Makes me wish I knew how to do fine crochet. I can do regular crochet, nothing fancy, mind you, but my Grammie Betts has made beautiful doilies, tablecloths, ornaments and

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-50258924307229036822011-07-25T12:53:00.003-04:002011-07-25T13:24:32.310-04:00

I am so thankful for the rain today. It's been one hot week. Topped out at 102F last Thursday, although my husband's truck registered 107. I know it's been as hot or hotter elsewhere in the nation, but that was plenty hot for me. I really don't like the heat.Now today, it's about 75, overcast, and starting to rain. It smells like rain. I love that smell! And for once, I have all the fans

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-62787706474980359322011-04-01T10:05:00.011-04:002011-09-30T17:14:54.152-04:00

I try to keep things pretty light on here, but in view of recent events, perhaps I will share what I've been thinking about for the past several months.The disaster in Japan has brought it back to the forefront. My heart aches for the Japanese as their lives have been turned totally upside down and I can't imagine what I would do if the same happened to us. If you are like me, many of you are

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-49650118546224109732011-03-25T09:24:00.007-04:002011-03-25T10:29:46.201-04:00

Sigh. It's that time of year again. Madly trying to find a homestead to buy. At least one that we can afford. I'm sure you've heard me lamenting how expensive it is here in the northeast. Oh yeah. Especially here in CT.Yes, there are some places less (not much, and if you include the extra cost of gas, doesn't really save much), but that involves about 1 to 1 1/2 hrs travel to work for my

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-5441409781859375732011-03-16T09:33:00.003-04:002011-03-16T10:00:54.485-04:00

I've reminded myself this morning that I am allowed to be happy. Yes, I am. At least for this moment in time. I am reminding myself once again, because I seem to forget. No matter my troubles or concerns, I must allow myself space to just be happy. To smile at everyone or no one at all. To take a deep breathe, turn up the corners of my mouth, clear my mind, and just be. To think happy

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-9290930204985843022011-03-15T09:44:00.003-04:002011-03-15T09:59:32.351-04:00

but has been roaring ever since. At least here in the northeast. Rain, rain and more rain. Flooding of the Farmington and Connecticut rivers. Oh the joy...At least the snow is disappearing. I thought it would take until the first of May, with the record amount of snow we received this winter, but with 3 - 5 inches of rain, it's amazing how fast it can disappear. We were away up north for a

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-73458097885691435482011-01-11T21:10:00.004-05:002011-03-15T10:03:43.899-04:00

Seems I'm getting a rather late start on my first post of the new year. Hmmm....that doesn't bode well, does it. Oh well. On we go.We are hunkering down for our second major storm - the first being one being the day after Christmas, arriving on my parents coattails, as it were. They are calling for 12" - 16" and wind. I pulled of two pitchers and one bucket of water. It would be nice if we

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-45816249023633731602010-12-24T17:14:00.003-05:002010-12-24T17:19:49.951-05:00

To all of you, I wish you a most wonderful and blessed Christmas! "...May the Lord bless you and keep you,May the Lord make His face shine upon you,and be gracious unto you,May the Lord lift up his countenance upon youand give you peace." Numbers 6:24

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-91444775535552657902010-12-23T08:35:00.006-05:002011-01-03T10:37:24.024-05:00

As I made my raspberry chocolate coffee this morning, I was remembering a time past, about 17 years ago, when a hurting lady needed friendship so very badly. It was an extremely difficult time in our lives. We had just lost our business, moved out of our community away from family and friends, and was trying to start over. The shame and humiliation was overwhelming.We had no home or money, so

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-33502075401403737542010-11-24T09:19:00.002-05:002010-11-24T09:40:34.264-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day! I can smell my pumpkin pie baking in the oven, a request from my dear hubby. It's such an easy pie to make, really, and the Libby version has been a staple of ours for years. I cheated on the pie crust though. I can make my own and it's better than the store-bought, but was in a hurry, I guess. I will make up a batch before Christmas and store it in the freezer, so I

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-24686419699249536272010-10-21T09:43:00.006-04:002010-10-21T10:22:11.163-04:00

It's a cool damp misty foggy New England kind of day today. I have been out with my camera taking pictures. Not sure how they will turn out, but I think I wore my knees out trying to get different angles. I love taking pictures, as the 5000 plus photos in 'My Pictures' file will attest. I'm sure there are more, but that was at last count some months ago. Time to weed out the bad ones and save

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-90164805002733175262010-10-08T15:13:00.004-04:002010-10-08T15:20:10.953-04:00

I so wish I could have gotten a picture of this. While on the back deck looking out towards the woods, I happened to see Tramp, the neighbors black and white cat, heading down the path into the back clearing. He had his tail up, which is unusual for a cat on the prowl, and I thought I saw something dark disappear ahead of him.I ran to get my nocs, and lo and behold, here's Tramp, rolling on the

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-32983959585452388292010-10-08T09:25:00.007-04:002010-10-08T10:17:10.150-04:00

The rain has finally moved on. It was wonderful - we needed it so much after such a dry summer. You know, it's kind of sad hearing people complain some about the rain, when we've been SO desperate for it. The crops have suffered, the farmers have been anxious and stressed, we've probably stressed our local water supply by all the sprinkler systems that watered every week regardless of the

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-53384564985620743842010-10-06T14:09:00.006-04:002010-10-06T14:55:01.406-04:00

I awoke in the middle of the night this past week, again agonizing over something that happened at a recent event, which I could do nothing about. It seemed to be tormenting me, and no matter how I turned it over in my mind, I couldn't change it. In my frustration, I talked to the Lord about it. Upon doing so, it became real to me again that I wasn't alone anymore, and told Him how very grateful

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-19744536121512808122010-10-06T09:05:00.007-04:002010-10-06T10:25:37.561-04:00

...As you can see, it's been very dry here. My poor flower bed is dilapidated looking. It did so well at the beginning of summer, with gorgeous red lilies. But now everything is falling over. :0(It's been a long hot dry summer. And it seems I've been dry on words too. Apologies to all who have been checking periodically. Hopefully now that rain has finally come, the creative juices will be

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-47869935628787672612010-08-17T13:23:00.001-04:002010-08-17T13:28:48.727-04:00

I finally started canning this past weekend. I started with one of my favorites that I haven't made for probably 3 years now. Mrs. Smith's Famous Peach Red Pepper Relish found in Fare For Friends cookbook. The recipe was actually given to me by a former landlady who we became close friends with. It is delicious served with chicken or pork, and also on crackers with cream cheese. Delightful!

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-57149610361973998462010-08-02T12:54:00.002-04:002010-08-02T12:59:58.346-04:00

How to Make Pretty Pincushions - CraftStylishWhat sweet little pincushions! Tiny little pincushions made with the caps of 1 or 2 litre soda bottles. Some of the embroidery stitches used on these pincushions are explained as well. I can't wait to try one of these - they look addictive. :0)See this and more at www.Craftstylish.com.

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-72510457081759193012010-07-12T08:52:00.003-04:002010-07-12T09:43:37.534-04:00

Well, we finally got a bit of rain. And a bit is about it. .69 inches to be exact, according to weather.com. We were so happy to see it that my DH and I sat out in the garage and watched it rain. Funny how it can just relax a person. The cool breeze created by the falling rain and the sound of it falling just soothes my soul. It’s like we’ve been holding our breath for weeks, just waiting

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-61823960012382518002010-07-08T09:10:00.004-04:002010-07-08T09:38:06.619-04:00

It's been one hot summer so far. And we are just getting started. This thought alone is enough to depress me. I don't mind warmth, even a few days around 90. But over a week of upper 90's and low 100's with not much relief in sight is just too much. All next week in the 90's too. And this is just the beginning of July!Coupled with the fact that I can't remember when we last had measurable

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-46029328728266527852010-05-26T09:37:00.006-04:002010-05-26T09:59:04.280-04:00

(Instead of pics of ant carnage, I decide a couple of nice ladybugs would be better. :0))Help! I'm being invaded!I came down this morning for coffee and opened a cupboard door, and oh my word! Several ants scattered into the dark recesses of the cabinet. As I opened more doors, it became apparent to me that I had been invaded overnight. Yes, I'd seen what I now believe were a few scouts the

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-20246114204221045762010-04-20T13:31:00.004-04:002010-04-20T13:42:18.284-04:00

Fuzzy Festival! “Come one, come all, to our annual Fuzzy Fest! For about one week only, during the week of April, you will be entranced by the number of fuzzies floating delicately on the breeze, drifting, drifting, into small clumps, lining the edges of one’s driveway, deck, flower beds. These fuzzies are a mystery, no one knows from whence they came. So come and dance among these

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-4205973721329924072010-04-08T09:39:00.005-04:002010-04-08T10:25:46.043-04:00

It was 90F yesterday. Yup. You read it right. Quite unusual for CT this time of year. Seems we broke a record set back in 1963 or so. It's going to be cooler today, thank goodness, only 78. I don't believe we got below 60 last night, maybe even warmer. We will be in the low to mid 60's next week, much more normal for this time of year.Some people will have loved this. Not me. It's just

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-67809975827955634412010-04-04T09:03:00.005-04:002010-04-04T13:20:33.333-04:00

A blessed Easter Morning, celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.Wishing you all a wonderful day!

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-80136936243751697172010-03-11T10:34:00.009-05:002010-03-11T11:45:09.422-05:00

(Max snoozing in one of his favorite places.)Is this really my 100th post? Wow. I should have planned something to celebrate it. What could I have possibly rambled on about for 99 posts? I'm sure it must have been important stuff, right? Like, how tall my flowers are now. And now. How about now? Ok, maybe not quite that bad.It's been a long slightly depressive winter for me. I didn't get

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-25464746362656362342010-02-16T09:06:00.008-05:002010-02-16T09:56:17.151-05:00

Sorry I've been neglecting my blog so much. What is it with winter anyway? Seems I just don't have the wherewithal to think of anything interesting to post about. I sure hope that changes soon! While I am having my coffee this morning, I am catching up on the bloggers that I follow - I feel like I've missed so much!It is snowing today. We haven't had that much snow this winter. Funny thing,

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-49377920521158915932010-01-20T09:58:00.003-05:002010-01-20T10:14:58.491-05:00

It's been too long since I last wrote on here. We had company over Christmas and I must have talked myself out!Also, I have been spending most days on this computer looking for at housing. We are gearing up to buy a house (yippee!), hopefully by April, when our lease agreement here expires. It's been difficult, because we've been vacillating between buying a house here in CT or buying one in

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-81878746112037239632009-12-21T13:54:00.004-05:002010-01-06T12:24:39.785-05:00

it only deposited about 4 inches of snow here in central CT. Eastern MA and RI got nailed, though. Up to 20 inches in the Cape. We didn't really get the winds this far inland either. I guess this isn't a bad thing, LoL.What is it with the holiday blues? I was all psyched up in November. I had nostalgic sentimental fantasies about how wonderful it was going to be here for Christmas this year

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-65220171527167241012009-12-19T11:46:00.004-05:002009-12-19T12:01:42.946-05:00

It's that time of year, especially for New England. A nor'easter is working it's way up the seaboard. We are forecasted to get 7 - 12 inches, but could be locally higher. They are saying it could be near blizzard conditions on the Mass coast and RI. Wow...Usually, though, we don't get these kinds of storms until after Christmas. But the last couple of winters have proven otherwise. Seems

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-29824277978053227762009-12-11T22:09:00.002-05:002009-12-11T22:19:33.215-05:00

Welcome Abigail Julienne! Last night, a small bundle of blessing arrived in our family. I now have a new niece! After many hours of labor, she arrived, weighing 7 lbs. 6 oz. After a long and difficult labor, her exhausted mom and quite stressed dad are very glad she's here. She is fine in every way.I can't wait to meet her! My brother is going to email pics as soon as he gets a chance. I'm

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-47363649326259847442009-12-09T10:09:00.003-05:002009-12-09T10:26:00.577-05:00

We received about 6 or 7 inches early this morning, now followed by ice pellets. Perhaps rain a bit later today. Lovely. I filled a few containers with water just in case the power went off, and turned up the heat a bit more than usual. Today is not the day to skimp on heat. That way it will take longer to lose heat if the power should fail. And it seems that happens more often than not

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-54786102385837866892009-11-11T16:03:00.003-05:002009-11-11T16:05:44.894-05:00

Today, I simmered the turkey carcass (isn't that an awful word?!) to make stock. It will make a nice turkey soup. I also made the Stovetop stuffing. Since we eat our biggest meal at lunch time, it was no big deal that I didn't get it done yesterday. Plus I didn't have it until my honey brought it home last night from the store on his way home from work. (Did I mention we are a one car family

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-70528865923973066642009-11-10T18:07:00.001-05:002009-11-11T15:51:03.389-05:00

...at least, not officially. However, since our local Stop N Shop were selling turkeys at .47/lb. this week, we couldn't resist purchasing one. A 12 lb. turkey for $6.00. How could we not?I did have my doubts while still at the store on my ability to get it into the freezer when arriving home. I was right. It would not go in.So yesterday was our turkey day. I roasted the turkey, made mashed

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-76735197599052373322009-11-07T10:04:00.006-05:002009-11-07T13:03:33.456-05:00

I am compelled to write about a subject that has concerned me many times in the past. Last summer, while on vacation up in Maine, we toured quite a few back roads.On this particular trip, we saw quite a few horses in various fields. What struck me most, and saddened me, was seeing them kept in what could be loosely termed as 'pasture'. (some didn't even get this, but that is for another post)

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-71123713484569048662009-10-30T09:53:00.006-04:002009-10-30T17:15:04.344-04:00

Good Friday Morning!I got an email today letting me know about a give away over at Prairie Flower Farm. She is giving away the sweetest window, pictured above. If you haven't already visited her, go on over. Or you can click on her button here on my blog.And while you are there, skip on over to her other site, Peace Creek Collections, where she has the most adorable Clothespin Bag available

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-50025951410665607062009-10-28T10:35:00.022-04:002009-10-28T11:24:28.420-04:00

Today I am going through and deleting old forwards in my email program. I do this periodically, especially after I've sent them, to keep things neat and tidy.I have separate folders for emails from family members and special friends to keep their emails for rereading later. I like to have them for a reference, and also, for sentimental value.This is especially true of my father's folder. (Mom

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-46435785786648892202009-10-17T14:48:00.004-04:002009-10-22T14:20:49.228-04:00

I found a pattern for a beautiful poinsettia wallhanging today while shopping at my local Stop and Shop. I bought the magazine, because there was no way I was going to remember all the directions to making one. I had a pattern I thought I could modify, but you know, when a magazine is 6.99, and has several patterns in it, and one pattern is more than that in a quilt shop, it made sense today to

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-86480171464627414732009-10-16T12:50:00.002-04:002009-10-16T12:53:37.991-04:00

Wool PincushionsFound this sweet little pincushion on the Better Homes and Gardens website today. It's adorable! There are several other patterns available for free download. You can find them here.I can't wait to make these!Shared via AddThis

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-43744818487318239452009-10-12T14:11:00.007-04:002009-10-12T22:07:41.420-04:00

Chickadee at my bird feederI was just remarking the other day that I hadn't seen any Juncos or White Throated Sparrows yet. We always get them at the bird feeders in the fall, working their way from further north. I always enjoy the Juncos, with their bellies dipped in white paint, and the white throated sparrow, with his 'Here Tom Peep-i-tee Peep-i-tee Peep-i-tee' call. At least that is what

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-68408803706769356352009-08-28T09:30:00.011-04:002010-03-15T22:41:10.665-04:00

I tried a new bread recipe this week in my breadmaker. I combined a couple of recipes and added to them. The bread turned out really nice!Here's the recipe:WHOLE WHEAT BROWN BREAD WITH BRAN1 2/3 Cup Milk2 TB Butter1 1/2 tsp. Salt3 TB Molasses2 C. White Flour2 C. Whole Wheat Flour1/2 - 1 C. 100% Bran Cereal2 TB. Unprocessed Bran2 tsp. Sugar2 tsp. Active Dry YeastMeasure milk and butter into 2

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-88391534923221872132009-08-20T10:03:00.007-04:002009-08-23T13:20:27.170-04:00

I am celebrating today. A knock at the front door announced the arrival of my hubby's passport. Woo Hoo!!!We had to apply for a Canadian passport from here in the U.S. to Gatineau, QC, where the passport office is located. The paperwork was much more extensive than applying for a U.S. passport.I downloaded the required paperwork off the Internet, filled it out, had it notarized, and made a

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-36969881637011193422009-08-08T21:55:00.008-04:002009-08-08T22:16:17.346-04:00

East Grand Lake - northwest endI am so excited!!! We've rented a cottage on East Grand Lake. We are going up north Labor Day weekend for a week.We've talked about this for years. We've hemmed and hawed, because we just didn't want to spend the money when we could always stay with family. But this year, we were late in applying for our passports, so we can't go across to Canada. And my hubby

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-27902694244511634572009-08-04T13:06:00.006-04:002010-03-15T22:37:44.162-04:00

I recently wrote an article on eHow entitled: How to make Oatmeal Brown Bread with your bread machine. I didn't actually include a recipe, as you are going to use the Oatmeal Bread recipe that came with your machine. This way, if your machine only uses 1 to 1 1/2 lb. loaf recipes, my 2 lb. loaf recipe won't overflow your bread pan. The oatmeal bread recipe needs to contain honey. To find out

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-52511806089110301332009-07-29T16:35:00.003-04:002009-07-29T16:40:03.904-04:00

(Max, my beloved and very spoiled cat)This is a call for recipes for CHEWY Pumpkin Bars! I have searched the internet, but have yet to find a recipe for this. All of them seem to be the 'cakey' version. They are nice too, but lately I've been fantasizing about bars that resemble peanut butter bars in texture. You know, the nice chewy moist kind?Is there a pumpkin bar like this out there? I'd

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-7561354770268862592009-07-20T21:13:00.015-04:002009-07-22T13:08:16.664-04:00

...and we haven't had a major heat wave yet! Yay!!!! It's actually not been bad, really. Usually, we've had 90's by now, maybe even upper 90's.I know there's still time left in July, and August could bring us some really hot days.I'm hoping not. I don't like intense heat, and even more, I HATE to sweat! I really dislike the tacky feeling I get when the temperatures are soaring, and the

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-36338059254195168502009-06-30T09:32:00.008-04:002009-07-22T13:23:13.240-04:00

Good Morning! And it was a rather early one at that. My stepson and his wife and our two grandchildren got up at 5AM to leave this morning to head back to Maine. I must admit, I said my good-bye's last night, as 5AM is kind of rough for me. That was fine by them. So we hugged and promised to see one another soon before we headed up to bed.They had arrived on Friday night, about midnight.

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-84474903666969305122009-06-09T12:31:00.023-04:002010-03-15T22:35:50.748-04:00

This is my version of a favorite sandwich from the restaurant 'Southside Two', in Caribou, Maine from long ago. I used to go there for lunch with my best friend Sandy. I don't know if they are still open, but I see from a quick search on the internet, that there is a 'Frederick's South Side'. Maybe the same owner?Today, some 16 years later, I recreated it to the best of my memory. I think I

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-69774408163821125002009-06-02T16:46:00.008-04:002009-06-17T15:02:54.426-04:00

Sunrise Park, a local park we visited recently.May 19th was my last blog? I didn't realize it was that long ago. I have a couple of posts in draft mode, but they aren't a happy light subject, so it's taking me longer to write and edit them.In the mean time, just so you don't think I've fallen off the face of the earth (at least, not yet) I better write something on here today.What's new, you

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-65041914840309734952009-05-19T09:10:00.010-04:002009-05-19T09:39:44.418-04:00

I am knocking myself in the head this morning. Again. But it won't solve anything. Unless - knocking oneself in the head is like knocking on wood, and protects you in some way. Nah. Don't think so. Hasn't helped yet!Ok. The dumb thing I did. When I bought my computer from Dell, it was about one month before they came out with Vista. So, I got a free upgrade to order the Vista DVD. Which

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-20099761277584426702009-05-18T20:13:00.005-04:002009-05-18T20:32:13.477-04:00

Yum! Lemon Blueberry Muffins from Costco. These are really good. The streusel on top really adds to it. Since these are very large muffins, the way I like to eat them is to slice them into 5 or 6 pieces. Lay them on a pie tin or piece of tin foil, then put them in your toaster oven. Toast them at 300F on lower rack until they just begin to turn a golden color, approx. 5 minutes or so. Time

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-83880005084687212332009-05-18T18:01:00.008-04:002009-05-18T19:20:21.520-04:00

Words one dreads to hear, especially when one just went and filled window boxes and plant pots this past weekend. Darn. I also had put out my Goldfish plant, Mandevilla, and my flowering maple last week. They had actually suffered from a bit of sunburn, poor things. Gotta watch that next year. They were used to bright indirect light most of the winter from my dining room window.I brought in

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-55420975955652515962009-05-15T13:21:00.011-04:002010-03-15T22:39:54.006-04:00

(Angelique Tulips from my garden)The catbirds have indeed been courting under the maple. Usually it's back in the thicket where I can hear them, but not see them. They are such curious creatures, with their catlike sounds, but they also have quite a repertoire of songs and calls.I've also been hearing the trill of a thrush or two. I just LOVE to hear the thrushes sing. They have such

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-42575030142976614942009-05-04T13:13:00.005-04:002010-03-15T22:39:12.789-04:00

Bluets. One of my favorite harbingers of Spring. I found these tiny little things in the upper driveway, practically growing among the rocks. Poor babies. I transplanted into a safer area, along with several other tiny little clusters. I hope they like their new home.This is a short post, as my parents arrive today for a weeks' visit. I have been busy as a bee cleaning and getting

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-71595229622673170022009-04-22T16:25:00.005-04:002010-03-15T22:40:29.314-04:00

About a week ago, on a Saturday night about 9:30pm, while we were all relaxing in the family room, my DH and I in recliners, watching TV with Max on my lap, we heard a commotion on the back deck. It sounded like something disturbing the bird feeders hanging from the gutter by the back patio door. I move them there at night from their daytime positions along the deck

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-57193359406249457632009-04-20T09:09:00.016-04:002009-04-22T12:01:33.105-04:00

Well, my Mom had her double mastectomy in February. We breathed a collective sigh of relief when she came out of surgery and was doing as well as could be expected. My brother, his wife and Dad were there for the big day. I am 10 hrs away and was unable to be there in person, but I can tell you, I worried, fretted, cried and prayed right along with them.Praise God, she came through ok. She

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-24409668201597177922009-04-16T14:52:00.019-04:002009-04-16T16:04:50.512-04:00

I recently went through my button box - an old yellow tupperware container from the 80's. Remember the orange, yellow and green line? Yeeaahh... me too. Not my favorite colors then either. I thought I'd share some of my photos with you (while eating Gifford's Black Raspberry ice cream straight from the container! Yum! And no, I don't usually do this, but today it just seemed the thing to do..

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-5686517978748624432009-02-13T12:03:00.010-05:002009-07-09T14:46:57.129-04:00

God's provisions. Things you need for the journey of life. For your journey with Him. I never thought of it that way before. The Holy Bible is full of God's provisions. Things that help us along the way. Shine the light where it's dark, protection where it's needed, help along the way. Insight and wisdom to help us grow and mature. Attributes He planted in us from conception.I've often

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-53144010712071726232009-02-11T12:08:00.004-05:002009-02-11T16:12:18.589-05:00

February 11 2009 was an absolutely beautiful warm day out, considering we are in CT. It is currently 56F. Going to cool off after tomorrow of course, but that's ok. It was so nice out, that I opened the back door and a couple of windows a crack, and turned off the furnace for a bit. Talk about smell wonderful outside!! I sure miss that spring smell in the winter.I opened the front window a

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-19324087625321297362009-01-30T12:47:00.006-05:002009-02-03T11:12:56.125-05:00

I knew I shouldn't have checked email that late last night. I could have just gone to bed, but no.Instead, I opened an email from my aunt. In it was the news that my mom was going to have a double mastectomy in February. Just about 2 weeks from now.I knew it was a possibility. Mom and I had talked about it some. She'd had the lumpectomy done late last year. The results suggested the

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-48967737964662822302009-01-16T09:46:00.009-05:002009-01-21T16:42:08.456-05:00

It was 1 degree F this morning! Cold! Especially for here in CT. It took the furnace an hour to warm up 10 degrees. I thought something was wrong, but doesn't seem to be. Just not used to being this cold here. I woke up at 4AM and started worrying over the pipes, even though this house is not quite 20 yrs old yet. How old does a house have to be to have a valid reason to worry over pipes

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-53463781335748723252009-01-11T09:54:00.013-05:002009-01-12T17:02:30.468-05:00

I was reading the news online this morning, and noticed an article about an Indiana family who had a daughter that was badly burned, but they refused to take her to the hospital. Two weeks later, they were reported, the daughter admitted (now in critical condition) and the other child taken.The daughter had been badly burned when her PJ's caught fire from their space heater, their only source of

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-11312982627314691712008-12-28T09:24:00.005-05:002009-01-05T10:31:07.079-05:00

Merry Christmas All!Yes, that was our tree this year. We cut it fresh about 2 weeks before Christmas just down the road at our local tree farm. The field was pretty picked over this year, it's very popular. A bit muddy, as the frost was starting to come out of the ground due to the warm day. My hubby picked this one out. I usually do, but he did such a good job. I don't like a tree overly

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-25533408142808209522008-11-28T09:37:00.023-05:002009-07-09T14:39:14.799-04:00

ORANGE GLAZED TROPICAL FRUIT SCONES (without the glaze)I baked these scones last month and boy, were they good! The recipe can be found in Pillsbury's Best of the Bake-off Cookbook, 50th Anniversary Edition. I didn't fill them with the spread, but they were still scrumptious. Now, these were more biscuit like, instead of granular. Depends on the type of scone you like, but these were very

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-20821489664141183592008-11-19T15:23:00.008-05:002008-12-16T14:14:37.346-05:00

I just realized that I haven't posted in awhile, and before you know it, November will be over with. The months are flying by. For those of you who are quite young yet (perhaps 20 or so years younger than me?) I realize that time sometimes crawls, but know this: the older you get, the faster it goes. At least for me it does. And time used to crawl!!I am wishing my life away as we speak. I

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-46194147681183309752008-10-29T13:09:00.006-04:002008-10-31T14:16:03.333-04:00

Did you ever pet a bumble bee? I did. It was a real cool morning, so this fellow was very accommodating....I just got my daily dose of Mitford. Actually, the first daily dose during lunch, followed by another at bedtime. Almost as good as an apple a day.I love Jan Karon's books on the Mitford series. I can identify with some, having lived in small rural towns at one time. I live in a

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-55753374041043009832008-10-10T11:27:00.018-04:002008-10-31T16:04:27.566-04:00

One of my favorite spots, about 1 mile from our house...I just love fall. I love the colors, I love the cool crisp air, the fresh scent of pines and falling leaves. I love being able to see through the woods again, instead of the jungle we have for summer. I love all the wild flowers and vines and things that have fully matured with their seed heads, and finding neat stuff growing in the fence

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-85147284934990538902008-09-27T14:22:00.012-04:002008-09-27T15:15:13.660-04:00

Farm pond at Kura's, West Suffield, CTI picked blueberries and raspberries here in August.I had a dream awhile ago in which I moved back to where I had grown up. (My family moved when I was 13 to another country.)In my dream, I was revisiting an old boyfriend.I discovered that, somehow, I'd had a baby when I was young which I didn't know about. (How weird is that, but you can do and be

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-84508382239499376012008-09-05T17:03:00.005-04:002008-09-09T17:08:15.999-04:00

Well. That's over and done with.--------------------------------For a few days now, when I went out my front door, or opened my living room window, this sickly sweet nasty odor came wafting in. I figured something must have crawled either under the front cement step, or under the bushes somewhere and kicked the bucket, so to speak.I looked briefly, but couldn't detect exactly where the smell was

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-50022055041700946962008-08-14T09:11:00.007-04:002008-08-23T08:14:42.241-04:00

One of many trips in front of my house on it's way to the tobacco barnsTobacco harvest has begun for this year. It's been hard on them, I'm sure, since we had rain nearly every day since the first of the month. I see the white buses down the road, with Jamaicans and Puerto Ricans here to help with the harvest. I noticed something different this year. Tractors have been going by with wagons

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-77630048960677713842008-07-07T16:09:00.016-04:002008-07-26T09:44:15.777-04:00

Purple Coneflower from my yard...July already! Where did June go? We are still house hunting. We looked at 7 houses this past weekend. I'm starting to think that maybe we won't find our dream home this year. (I say that with a touch of amusement, because my 'dream' home is way out of my price range. However, we are still looking for something that says 'Welcome Home'. Here's still hoping...~~~~~~

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-86786689986314714092008-06-30T14:53:00.002-04:002008-11-19T21:14:03.497-05:00

Welcome home, self.I've been away on a long trip, around the backside of the mountain. But I'm back now. For better or for worse, with all my baggage, pain, silliness, quirkiness, failings...It's me.I've been on antidepressants for 2 years, and depressed for more than 10. I've been off a couple of months now. At first, it was scary, to be without my 'happy pills'. Even though they weren't making

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-37275165120051227572008-06-04T12:35:00.006-04:002008-06-04T13:05:36.790-04:00

My beautiful German Irises that I got last year.Mid to upper 90's next week. I am just not ready for that. We've been enjoying 70's to low 80's, low humidity, and 50's at night. Great sleeping weather. Can leave the windows open and listen to the crickets and tree frogs, and hear the birds at the feeders in the morning. Likely have to put in the air conditioners this weekend, and now we'll get

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-51824369048397423092008-05-21T12:29:00.001-04:002008-05-21T12:32:21.778-04:00

I'm so enjoying my new playlist that I made at Playlist.com. I've only a dozen songs on there at the moment, but I listen to them every day. I plan to add more later today.I really love the song 'Held' by Natalie Grant. What a beautiful song. I'm so glad I invested in a nicer sound card and speakers for my computer that I bought last year from Dell. It's really paying off. Better sound that

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-63449686983721669542008-05-12T08:25:00.013-04:002008-07-16T14:31:00.204-04:00

Angelique Tulips, plus 2 pink tulips, from my flower garden.Wow, it's been awhile since I've been on here. Lots going on lately. My parents just left this morning to return to their home in NB, Canada. They arrived a week ago Friday for a week long visit and Mother's Day. It was a pretty good week weather-wise, things sure did green up. We mowed the lawn for the first time this week - probably

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-32744627028191145722008-05-01T15:50:00.000-04:002008-05-19T14:29:13.958-04:00

I got to the point a few years ago, after having moved many times, that I decided to start planting flowers where ever I was at that time. In this case, it was in Waterville, Maine. We rented the downstairs of an old Victorian. Big rooms, high ceilings, on a very small fraction of an acre in town. Very small. But the neighbor lady, Mrs. Frye, was so kind as to let me 'dig in her garden'.She had a

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-55073906239961891762008-04-04T14:08:00.008-04:002008-07-16T14:26:24.114-04:00

My old home in northwestern Indiana in the late 70's.Finally saw Al Gore's movie 'An Inconvenient Truth' this past week. It really got me thinking. The actual video and photo backed up of what he was trying to say and the graphs helped to clarify his statistics, making it basic enough so that most anyone could understand the issue. I'm glad it's a passion of his. Someone has to take this issue

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-42909617055514693392008-03-27T16:22:00.007-04:002008-03-27T16:53:43.329-04:00

Today was Luke Reid's funeral. He was 24. He died in a car accident on Easter Sunday with another friend.My mother told me about it this morning , wondering if it was the same Luke we knew long ago. And yes, turned out it was.The situation was doubly sad, because Luke's mother, Carla, a good friend of mine, had died from cervical cancer in 2003. She was 43.Carla was already divorced and remarried

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-39701576378695057522008-03-25T12:49:00.015-04:002008-03-25T13:17:23.872-04:00

LOVE this little red barn...In my email today, there was a recipe from Gooseberry Patch promoting their new book, Coming Home. One of the sample pages showed lilacs in a white vase on a small table, and in the background was a part of a screen door showing. In an instant, I could hear that screen door squeeking open, and banging shut on a warm summer day, while a breeze smelling of newly mown

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-25110899704009902832008-03-14T16:46:00.010-04:002008-03-25T20:09:01.013-04:00

Since it hit 60F today, and rain is forecasted for the weekend, I thought I better get out there and do some spring clean up. I raked out all the flower beds, and made nice big piles of dead leaves, twigs, etc for my dear hubby to pick up later. I'm sure he will be thrilled. :0)Autumn Joy Sedum peaking up through the groundI was wondering the whole time if maybe I was pushing it a bit, since we

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-25879733647382425252008-03-13T15:08:00.013-04:002008-03-25T20:12:57.457-04:00

Most of our snow is finally gone! Yipee!! Just a spot or two in the woods or deep shade. Still in the 40's, but warmer next week. That's what I love about CT. The winters are alot shorter than northern Maine, or western NB, Canada. My folks just got another 6 inches this past weekend, and my brother in northern Maine said they have gotten 17 or 18 feet total this winter. The most since the 1950's

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-65666226035094672412008-02-29T11:59:00.014-05:002010-03-15T22:36:30.584-04:00

More snow!! I was so hoping we were done with all that. But no, here comes another 4 -8 inches. Oh joy. Well, better now than mid March?? But that can happen too. Being in New England, one must be prepared for the unexpected in regards to the weather.The moon was absolutely huge last week. So beautiful.I did see part of the lunar eclipse the other night. Just a big orangy dark moon.What was it

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-43092333989820365712008-02-28T11:00:00.019-05:002008-05-21T12:26:50.968-04:00

We are finally preapproved. Now we can really search for a home. No more renting! Whoo hoo!This time of year, the housing market is slow. New stuff is trickling on slowly. Hopefully March will likely bring more.My wish list: In an ideal world, if I could afford it, I would love a farm. I envy those who are lucky enough to have an acreage in the country. I grew up on farms. The first one, in the

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-94301409600287592008-02-26T15:10:00.003-05:002008-02-26T15:14:56.167-05:00

Snowing again. Big fat fluffy flakes. The pretty kind. They are actually about the size of a silver dollar. Some are 2 or 3 connected together. The temps must be right around freezing. The weather front is supposed to last another day, rain and snow. I have nowhere pressing to go, so I think I will just snuggle in (in front of the computer, of course!) and enjoy. :0)PS: Oh! Big news item. We got

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-48017958305767619552008-02-25T17:21:00.010-05:002009-06-11T09:25:22.023-04:00

Wow. Seeing my old school's homepage and that hawk logo sure brought back alot of memories.We had such a great basketball team back then. We even went to state semi finals. Lost out to a big city team - maybe Indianapolis? We would have won the prize for team spirit though. We had tons of it!We would decorate the school hallways with posters and streamers, etc. before a big game.There was a

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-4860310079719671482008-02-22T15:41:00.010-05:002010-03-15T22:36:57.761-04:00

There is just something so homey and satisfying about the smell of freshly baked bread. I have a loaf in my oven just about ready to come out. It smells so good! And I'm not even a bread person, really.I have made homemade bread for probably 20 - 25 years. Shortly after I was married, my girlfriend's mom gave me her recipe for both brown and white bread. It was a 6 loaf recipe, which at that time

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-75439290769316555912008-02-20T10:11:00.011-05:002008-02-26T12:09:53.155-05:00

I thought I'd post the the lyrics to the video from Youtube that I have posted here on my page. This video is about how you can get distracted by the cares of life, and the wretched state we can get into before we look up is all too real. Seeing Christ represented as taking everything upon Himself for my sake reminds me once again how great His love is for me. It moves me deeply every time I

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-8253022870284760002008-02-12T09:03:00.013-05:002010-03-15T22:44:23.399-04:00

February....the joys of midwinter. Cabin Fever. That must be it. I must have a case of cabin fever. Feeling frustrated, unfocused, pointless, fat. Yup. Cabin fever.I went for a walk yesterday and nearly froze my legs off. That wind can bite! My husband laughed when I told him I went for a walk. 'Yup - picked the coldest day of the year to start her exercise program. That's my wife!' he said.Oh

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-86626556826903561272008-02-11T12:04:00.001-05:002008-03-25T10:37:44.674-04:00

I was browsing EBAY today, looking at farm prints for a birthday gift for my Dad, and came across this one. I immediately recognized it. Years ago, during a very hard time financially and otherwise, I found a picture on the back of a catalog which was a close up of a section of the original print. In fact, if I remember rightly, it was on the Watkins catalog.We were living in Florida at the time

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-37499885383306090512008-02-05T09:27:00.000-05:002008-02-05T09:34:33.923-05:00

Now there is something I haven't seen for a long time. Upon checking our local weather this morning, there is no sunshine in sight for a week! I mean literally not even partly cloudy. Rain and snow showers. Must be some front.One thing I liked about winters in CT is the fact they usually got abundant sunshine all winter. Yes, we get snow. But usually we get a big thump of it over a day or

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-39731766978505386762008-01-29T20:31:00.001-05:002008-03-25T10:42:49.921-04:00

I can't believe I finally found out the title to this book. I have been searching for this book for probably over 20 years.I had read "Black and Blue Magic" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder back in the early 70's, I think. It was about a clumsy boy who was supposedly descended from Houdini, who was staying at a boarding house for the summer, was really bored, and working there made his shoulders sore. (

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-75843480719100283142008-01-22T15:01:00.002-05:002008-03-25T10:44:25.231-04:00

I'm trying to get organized to do some sewing. I also want to get back into scrapbooking, and really make some headway on this. Plus, I am working on a cross stitch project most every evening for my mother. I really enjoy cross stitching. I finally got my older projects washed and ready for framing. The shocker was when I priced a small 6 x 8 project for framing. $80!!! I immediately decided to

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-21557554441635920052008-01-10T10:23:00.000-05:002008-01-10T10:45:11.727-05:00

It reached 60F the last two days. Great weather for January in New England! It won't last, of course. 50's today, 40's on the weekend - you get the picture. There are a lot of bare patches of ground now, which combined with the warm temperatures has given me a taste for spring. I thought in November I was ready for a long winter. Well, longish maybe. But I think by the time Spring really gets

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-28487186715976316512008-01-10T09:54:00.000-05:002008-01-24T15:55:37.890-05:00

Every year, we go up north to New Brunswick, Canada to be with our families for Christmas. It's a 9 hour drive each way if the weather holds. Below: The McDougall Family This year, the McDougalls' had a sing at the local Baptist church. All eight 'kids' were able to be there to sing. Mind you, the youngest 'kid' is in her 30's, the oldest pushing 60. Some of them play instruments, one sings in a

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1124846129237206816.post-86148013096630707542007-12-03T13:32:00.001-05:002007-12-03T13:37:12.959-05:00

I didn't think we had Redpolls here...but I saw three males on my back deck here in CT this morning. According to my bird book, they are much further north.It was kind of funny watching the birds this morning at the feeders on my deck. With all that ice accumulation on the rails, they had a tricky time of it. The nuthatches were especially comical slip sliding their way to the feeder. Yes, I

ctgardengirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732322284822522449noreply@blogger.com0