ST. PATTY'S AND A BEAUTIFUL SATURDAY

What a marvelous day it was!



The luck of the Irish came early this year…After all, Wednesday isn’t a real plausible day to celebrate on, so the town held the parade today...



One year, it was almost called off because of insurance…Or lack of attendance…Or some such thing…



This year, however, proved to be three times longer than last year…And the crowds were great…



At first, I didn’t think that the littles would end up getting any candy…

As the fire truck drove by, the fireman said, “We can’t; it’s against the rules.” Against the rules to give out candy at a parade?...

Now THAT would just not have been right!

The real deal...And the new rule (I just hate rules sometimes...Well, a lot of times)...Is that they can no longer THROW the candy…But, they can still come and individually hand it out...

The little people ended up making out alright...



It was, indeed, a green kind of a day…







There were green beads…



Green shoes…



And green-colored clowns…



After we said goodbye to our beautiful daughter, mama, papa, and family…





We ran home, got Dog, and took him to get some exercise…


I enjoyed the exercise as well! It was such a beautiful day…



Then, it was time to ride!

How lovely it is when the weather warms up…

And the scenery is good…



I mean…And the scenery is good…



We rode all over town...Here and there…

DS was at work, and we stopped and saw him...I shopped Glocks and a .38 Special...

Diamonds and guns are my favorites to look at when I go in…

DH looked for a leather jacket, but they had just had a sale, and the selection was slim…

While there we met the CUTEST little dude! He was “fwee” years old…His daddy had a bike “just like” ours (because it was black ;)…And his daddy had a helmet “just like” mine…

That little lad was absolutely adorable! I could’ve taken him home!

Babies and Puppies...There is nothing like 'em!



Can you tell the generational difference here?



Like father like son…Well, not so much…;)

I think this is El’s fourth bike, and he has always gotten these rocket-types…He has ridden ours but prefers his style.



DD, on the other hand, has wanted our exact bike (even before we got it) for a long time, which is unusual for her age.

We went helmet shopping at Cabella’s…





Just kidding...

We did go helmet shopping at Cabella's, but we didn't look for Spiderman...

I love the way there store is decorated…







It was getting pretty chilly by the time we headed home, so we stopped at a wonderful little coffee shop along the way...



And got two specials…

Irish Crème Steamers…Mmmmmm

The air was crisp, and the mugs of hot sweet goodness went down so smoothly…



We sat outside…

And just relaxed…



The fire was so mesmerizing…

It just calms the spirit…

I remarked to DH that I could do this every day…He said twice a day…



Once home again, Hubby fixed the oven…

It had been going out for awhile, and I was just limping along with it...But rather than buying a new one, we thought that we would save money and just purchase an element…

One element…



For $150! Is that crazy or what?!

There was an adorable vintage-looking stove/oven combo (ours are separate) that I would have loved!

It didn’t have any frills…No self-cleaning oven…No digital time clock or buttons (read "less to go wrong")…And it was gas to boot, which I prefer…For only $300!

So, by the time the other element goes out...And I think that it may be already...We could have purchased a whole new unit for the same price…

Oh well…One week and $150 later…I at least have a working oven again, and for that I am thankful…



While he worked, I whipped up a quick little meal…

I had some thawed chicken breasts that needed to be cooked…

I had been planning on making enchiladas (kind of like last week when I just happened to ask DH to bring in the frozen turkey from the garage freezer so that I could cook it up and the oven decided to go on the fritz…;)…

So, without an oven, I par-boiled the chicken breasts, seasoned them with salt, pepper, onion powder, and chicken bouillon granules, and cut them into chunks…Being that I was on a short time-frame, this made the juices infuse the meat nicely and more expediently...



They cooked in the seasoned broth, which I then served over some quick-cook brown rice...



I buttered and peppered the beans, and it made for a fast and tasty little meal.



I’ll most likely make my enchiladas tomorrow, then, with the left-over turkey I’ve been keeping…

We had to run out one more time for necessities…Milk, bread, and the like, so loaded up Bob Dog, and off we went…

Had to stop for a tasty treat milk shake…Don’t know why I’ve been craving them so much lately, as I’m not generally a big ice cream eater…



While we sat in the car and ate our treats…Dog ran (or rather meandered around the car wondering why we weren’t coming out…

Then home again…Home again…Sweet sweet home…

And so that was the end to our perfect day!

Have a wonderful Sunday, and I pray that we will all make it a blessed Sabbath…

SNOW FUN AND MONDAY'S CHORES

NOURISHMENT—FOOD INTAKE

Two Outta Three Ain’t Bad…

BREAKFAST…

Egg McMuffin
Hashbrown patty

From…

Well…You know where…

LUNCH

Green Salad

Mixed greens
Pear slices
Purple grapes—Halve
Bleu Cheese crumbled
Pecan bits (Roasted in oven then sprinkled on top)
Poppy seed dressing

From…Dear Daughter's House

DINNER

Acorn Squash—Oven cooked topped with real butter and pepper
Carrots—Steamed with butter and brown sugar

From…Me own house!

NOURISHMENT—KEEPING FIT

Dog and I went for a fun walk…I TRIED to park alongside a park…Well, I for CERTAIN would have gotten stuck…Once a day is enough!



So…I parked by one of my favorite stores...Went in and asked if I could park and

walk…

And, of course…They said “Yes”…

So…We walked...Or I walked...And he ran…

Ran through belly-high snow...

In and out of the drifts...

And across the road for even bigger banks…

He had so much fun!



That snow gives a great work-out!

One nice benny of parking at one of my favorite stores…Well…I wasn’t going to…But, I did…

I bought me a WONDERFULLY INTENSELY-FRAGRANCED Salt City candle…

Mountain Vineyard…It’s burning now and beautifully filling the room with its aroma…



MONDAY’S CHORES

Early Morning

Washing

The washing is now done…

Evening

Fold and put away wash. Prep ironing.

Let the folding begin!



So…Speaking of getting stuck…(As I was earlier)...



Yes...Once again...We got more last night...



As I was trying to make room for another car in the driveway…

I tried to park on the street…I KNEW I shouldn’t try it…Because of the last time(s)I parked there...Well...That didn't turn out so well!

But I had too…And…

Well…I’m back in the driveway! Ha! I’m tired of getting stuck, so that’s where I’m stayin’ for now.

A SHORT-TERM GOAL…And I guess one that is actually part of my long-term Organizational goal…Is to finish putting my Serengeti room back together.

BE MORE ORGANIZED

Two or three years ago, DD #1 and I…as a surprise for DD #2…Redid her bedroom while she was out of state. We thrifted, we self-made, we used discounts…And…We came up with a pretty awesome room. I wish that I had taken before pictures but didn’t. At any rate, the room had been painted an ugly light turquoise, by the previous owners, which I am sure was decades old and just gross.

We decided upon an African theme, as DD #2 is very much into wild cats and animals and the out-reaches of the continent. We pulled together National Geographic’s pictures from thrift stores and other assortments, which we thought to be appropriate for our/her room.

It was so much fun! The little people played and amazingly stayed out of the wet paint!

The irony of the whole thing was that the paint that I picked out, simply because I thought that it represented Africa, was coincidentally named Serengeti! How apropos!





DD liked her room and stayed there until she moved away again. Back yet a third time, this time with her boyfriend, they moved in and stayed with us for over a year, and while here, it was her boyfriend’s room. When they left, I let her take her daybed and a few other things that she needed. So with the room sort of changing and losing some its original elements, I have wanted to put it back into the Serengeti room that it once was.

This is a Hindu picture that, although not African, just seemed to fit...



So…Slowly…And as I have had time…I have been dusting and organizing. Tonight, while I talked to Mom for 45 minutes, I dusted and washed off shelves, statues, masks, and candle holders. I smoothed the tall candles by rubbing the outsides with a soft cloth. I usually do something while I’m on the phone. Gramma was always that way, and I guess it just rubbed off on me. This way, I can kill two birds with one stone…Have a nice conversation with someone I love and also get to accomplish something worthwhile.



Are these inspiring or what...? Wow, I am simply amazed at this wonderful Earth...





In not too long, my room will be finished and ready once again…For relaxation with a nice hot cup of herbal tea…Ahhhh

CONTINUE TO IMPROVE MY HEALTH WITH...BODILY
NOURISHMENT

This doesn’t fall into bodily nourishment in the form of sustenance but rather exercise. My exercise is two-fold…

First fold…I turn many normal activities into exercise. In other words, I attempt to incorporate exercise into each day.

I almost ALWAYS take the stairs regardless of the number of flights it is. The times I don’t are if I am on a tight schedule and didn’t leave enough time for myself or if I have too much of a load to carry up or am with one of my grandbabies (they love those elevators you know).



I park a distance from the store when shopping, giving me extra healthy steps to take.

I tighten various muscles when doing regular activities…This helps to tone them.

Second fold…I try to walk at least four times a week. My excuse is that my pup REALLY needs exercise…He’s a devil to deal with if he doesn’t get it! So, if I have just a short break while working, or if time doesn’t allow for a long walk, we’ll do a 15-minute brisk walk. I try to shoot for at least 20, as this way your metabolism has actually had time to get pumped up. Other days, I get a good half-hour walk in, and still others, we are able to do 45 minutes. Regardless, some is better than none!



I’ll have some new organizational goals for this week…Hopefully to be posted soon!

Have a great Monday All!