“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts

Monday, July 4, 2016

Summer's Here



Summer's here and it's already July! Where has the time gone? Hope you are all enjoying this wonderful time of year and getting out there and having a ball. With all the bad stuff that we hear about every day, I think we owe it to ourselves to enjoy life as much as we can! So whether it's reading a book in your hammock or kayaking down a river, I hope you are doing it!

It's been busy around here. Trying to catch up on all the gardening the house maintenance and all the rest seems to take longer with each passing year. I'm not saying I'm getting old but it does seem to take more time and effort on some of these projects!

I hope my Canadian friends all had a wonderful holiday, we in turn are celebrating our Independence Day here on the 4th of July.  We don't go out to the fireworks every year and this year we will skip because my husband has an early morning departure on business.  So it will be a quiet night in watching the celebratory events on television.








Below are some photos from last year. We go to a park next to the large Lake Minnetonka.  It's somewhat of an effort to get there. Parking is crazy and the closest you can usually get is about a two mile walk, dragging your lawn chairs. Once there we claim our spot and just hang out.




Here's the lake shot taken about 8:30 PM, it was a bit overcast but a bit of a pinkish sunset is visible. What you are seeing in the background is not the other side of the lake, but an island in the middle of the lake. Lake Minnetonka is really quite large.

The rest of the shots are of the fireworks display. They are always fabulous and last about 30 to 40 minutes.




















 This last shot is the big finale! It's always impressive.




So that's the end of the fireworks. Hope you enjoyed them!






The first and the last images in this post are 
both vintage and in the public domain.



You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, 
not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House 
in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw 
Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. 
You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. 
~Erma Bombeck



See you all soon! ~ Diane




Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Snow Day . . .

Guy Noir loves the fresh-falling snow! I couldn't resist making a little slide show of him walking around the yard investigating what might be under all that fluffy white stuff! I'm hoping this is my last post of snow until next winter. I am pretty much ready for it to be spring! Got to dash, I'm still trying to work on my "To Do" list and have been able to cross off a few things, but still more work needs to be done! ~~ Diane



Monday, December 3, 2012

Santa, Is That You?

Out and about this weekend, I spied what I thought was Santa on his off time, in a storefront window.  He didn't have on his fancy red suit, but he did have the holiday colors of red and green. Hm..mm... maybe this is how Santa dresses when he is shopping for vintage items. Or perhaps this is an elf, gnome or impostor! On closer inspection now I'm not sure. What do you think?



He was hanging out at this vintage clothing store. I get why Santa would like the vintage clothes, you know he's kind of retro and all.

We had been at an Irish Pub called The Anchor Fish and Chips and they had these kind of cute Christmas decorations. I took a couple of photos but they turned out really blurred. I sort of like the effect though. This was before I sampled the beer too, I'm blaming it on my camera.  Maybe I should have approached Santa and asked for a new one in my Christmas stocking.. I didn't want to bother him. He looked deep in thought.







The bowl in the middle has a couple of birds and faux snow with some ornaments, the one on the right has a little church.  I can't even tell what the one on the left is, I think pine cones.  After we had our delicious lunch we walked by a few more artsy shops and saw these murals and amazing metal birds.  I think they are supposed to be egrets or herons.



On the wall behind them was a mural and this cool wizard guy!


On our way back to the car, we passed by the Bologna shop again and the Jolly Elf was still there, guess he was stocking up on his winter wardrobe. I swear I saw him checking out a vintage Hawaiian shirt. I would think he would be busier at this time of year.  He does have all those elves though.

      Happy Monday, Let the Holiday Rush Begin!


Saturday, July 14, 2012

Little Guy is Growing Like a Weed...

Our little Guy Noir is growing so fast. At this age he is growing in length and he is quite a string bean! His tail is extremely long too. I read that this is normal for this stage in growth. We love his name Guy Noir, but we have also come up with a few nick-names too, such as Whirly Gig, Brat Cat, Devil Cat and several others.




Taken with a flash..... look at those long hairs sticking out!

Overall though he is very cute and loves to torment the adult girl cats. So far Aunt Dot and Granny Gin have held up alright under Guy's onslaught of terror! They are not afraid to correct his bad manners and he is starting to catch on that they do not like being jumped on and bit!


Dot in a moment of relaxation.




Wondering what is on the other side of the door.






Sorry for the blurry pictures! He won't stay still and I have an old camera!




He only remembers his sweet momma and brothers and sisters, who apparently had no problem going along with the rough housing. My girls will not be apart of that. They will play along most of the time, but when he gets too rough they let him have it! It only takes a hiss and a swift smack down with one paw to set him straight!





Guy inside his playpen.


The playpen is located on the screened porch where he can get fresh air and watch the birds and squirrels.


Here is his view, there is a goldfinch at the feeder in this photo.



The playpen has come in very handy. At first Guy was in there several times a day so the girls could get used to him. Now I mainly use it if I need to keep him safe and not underfoot when I am working in the kitchen cooking or when bringing in groceries from the garage. He thinks there is something fascinating out on the garage and tries to dash out there.  He is settling in quite well now and enjoys playing with his toys and chasing the girls.  He also loves to look out the windows on the porch and watch the birds.  We are all having a ball with this little bundle of energy!





Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Let's Spring into Summer!


Summer is here and let's not waste another moment!  We have a head start in most parts of the country because of our extra warm spring, so kick back and enjoy. The lazy, crazy, days of summer are right now!  Here are a few of my own images and some from Pinterest to get you in that summer mood!

Stop! Smell the roses!
My roses


















Click on the image below and learn how to make your very own radish wreath!








Learn to see the beauty in everyday things.







Summer is about easy entertaining.







Source: google.com via CraveCute on Pinterest


I have not tried this, but it is just so gosh darn pretty! 


Martini & Rossi Torino Sangria
1 (750 ml.) bottle of Martini & Rossi® Extra Dry vermouth
2 cups (16 oz.) cranberry juice cocktail
½ cup (4 oz.) brandy (optional)
½ cup sugar
2 cups (16 oz.) sparkling water
2 oranges, thinly sliced into wheels
1 lemon, thinly sliced into wheels
1 lime, thinly sliced into wheels

Combine  Martini & Rossi Extra Dry vermouth, cranberry juice, brandy and  sugar in a large pitcher; stir until sugar is dissolved. Chill until  ready to serve.









This is so good! Want more options? Replace the bacon with cooked diced chicken. Add your favorite shredded cheese. Change the pecans to walnuts, sliced almonds or sunflower seeds.


Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2  (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
  • 1 pound fresh broccoli
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup sugar

  • 1/3 cup diced red onion
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
  • 8  cooked bacon slices, crumbled


    1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a  shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant,  stirring halfway through.
    2. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
    3. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets  into small pieces using tip of a paring knife. Peel away tough outer  layer of stems, and finely chop stems.
    4. Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl;  add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and  chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.







Try a new activity, ride the waves.... maybe not on flying fish, but wouldn't 
that be something!




My Impatiens and Begonia
























                        Above all...



          Source: s-u-n-s-h-i-n-e-soul.tumblr.com via CraveCute on Pinterest

              Just Have Fun!



Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Weird and Wonderful

Yes, I am veering into some weird and wonderful territory today.  I saw this commercial the other night on our local TV station and I just had to see if it was on YouTube and of course it was, so you get to see it here first! Normally I skip through the commercials but you will see why I did a double take on this one. It has two things I can't resist, cute animal puppets and a catchy tune.

Disclaimer: I do not endorse playing the lottery or gambling. Neither do I endorse playing with animal puppets, sitting at the computer all day watching YouTube videos or playing with banjos. 
It is a free country, do as you wish!




The following was borrowed from YouTube.

Published on Apr 3, 2012 by drnicolaswill

Written & Art Directed by the Will Brothers :: It's the Minnesota State Lottery, the Lucky Lotto Jug Band and former Minnesota Twin Bert Blyleven letting everyone know that every time you play the Minnesota State Lottery, you give back to Minnesota. It's true! For every $1 spent on lottery tickets, approximately 24¢ goes to our great state. Over the years, players have helped the Lottery raise more than $2,000,000,000 — and this number grows every day!

Lyrics:

Let's play for ...

Our lakeside pads and fireside stories,
A bag of chubs for some fishing glory,
A venison steak by a big great lake,
And landing a 50-inch northern pake.

Here's to keepin' the rivers clean and runnin'
Our prairie lands and big Paul Bunyan.

Didn't they knock ol' Paul to the ground?

Nope, he's up in Bemidji so he's still around.

Let's play for ...

The beavers, bears and muskrat babies,
The lucky men and happy cute ladies,
The owls and birds and Delano,
Fish and squirrels and a deer named Mo.

Ole Mississip and lady slippers,
Healthy parks and city hipsters,
Clean lakes and rhubarb pies,
The lonely loon who cries.

Whoooooohoooo.

Let's play for ...

Every game the Lottery has,
For the cities, out state and open lands
Minnesota's got back 2 billion, you see,
Because you play the Lottery.



Learn more at http://www.mnlottery.com/where_the_money_goes/
http://www.thewillbros.com

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Sharing Some Good Things Today

I am sharing two things that make for a wonderful day. They make life interesting and fun, they both nourish us and help us to grow in many ways. These two things couldn't be more different and more alike! What the heck am I talking about? Friends and Food. Today this is what I am sharing, some friends wonderful blogs and some fun and tasty food.



Let's take a peak at the food part first. Sorry, if you are on a diet folks. 
Put this recipe in your file for next month!

Soda Cracker Cookies (recipe below)



Next I would like to thank Barbara from March House Books Blog for a wonderful award. It is called the Liebster Blog award. She tells me that Liebster is German for dearest, beloved or favorite.  I am delighted that she picked my blog as one of her Liebster blogs! The rules are to pass on the award to five other blogger favorites that have less than 200 followers. Let me introduce you to some of my favorite blogs and their owners.

Shana at  Creating My Sanctuary, Christine at  Golden Lilly Crafts
Amanda at  Interpreted By Me, Jenny at  Jenny Igloo, and Geneva at  My Heart's Song.


I am sure they would love it if you would stop by for a visit!
Make sure to visit Barbara's blog as well. Thanks again Barbara!


          

  Congratulations to all of you!




Now it is time for the food part of my post. I found this recipe in a vintage cookbook called North Country Cabin Cooking. This is one of those kind of strange but utterly delicious and simple recipes that are sure to be a favorite.  So first lets look at a picture of this yummy concoction.


If you love caramel-toffee, chocolate, nuts and a bit of crispiness, you will love these!
                

Soda Cracker Cookies

12 ounces chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter  
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped

35 soda crackers (saltine crackers)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup butter


Set the oven for 400 degrees. While it is heating prepare the ingredients.

Line a 10 x 15 baking pan with foil. Spray the foil with non-stick spray. Place the
crackers on the foil. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, on very low heat, melt the one tablespoon of butter and
add the chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. Set aside.

In a small saucepan melt one cup of butter and add the brown sugar.
Stir and boil the brown sugar and butter for 2 minutes. Spread over the
crackers.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. When crackers have been removed from
the oven and the bubbling has stopped, spread the melted chocolate on top.
Sprinkle with the chopped nuts, press down slightly into the chocolate.

Cool for about an hour. If you can't wait that long the pan may be put in freezer
for faster cooling. Cut or break into serving-sized pieces.

Recipe adapted from North Country Cabin Cooking, Garlic Press, Hopkins MN.


Linked with Tasty Tuesday at Nap Time Creations