Walking is the perfect way of moving if you want to see into the life of things. It is the one way of freedom. If you go to a place on anything but your own feet you are taken there too fast, and miss a thousand delicate joys that were waiting for you by the wayside. Elizabeth von Arnim

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Saturday, May 31, 2014

A visit

Another picture from yesterday in the fog.
Old Shed
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It was 50 degrees this morning and sunny.  I walked the farm loop.  Some cows were down near the fence.
I walked around town too. The rhododendron are all blooming now and this is the biggest one I think I've ever seen.
A very quiet Saturday morning and didn't see anyone else out.  Only the cows and this farm cat enjoying a bit of sun. 
Went around one of the cemeteries the loop behind the ball park and back home.
I walked 6 miles.
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Thank you all for the birthday wishes and kind words. : )

My son David and the two grandkids drove down from NJ and got here about 9:30.  We had a nice visit today.  We had grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch and ate them outside on the deck under the umbrella.

Japhy stands in one of the trees in the back yard while Scout stands on a milk can which you can't see.
We all had a turn playing with the paddles and ball, trying to keep it up in the air as long as we could.
Here David and I are having a go.  If you look closely you can see a little yellow ball between us.  It is a little closer to me.
We will be having the sweet potato chili and corn bread for supper later, and of course some birthday cake.  David and the kids are over at the playground for a little while so I thought I'd quick write a post and publish it.

It's been a fun day with more to go.
Hope your day is happy and bright.
happyone : )
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Every child comes with the message that God 
is not yet discouraged of man.
~ Rabindranath Tagore
Three Thankful Things
  1. David
  2. Scout
  3. Japhy

Friday, May 30, 2014

The Cake

Foggy Morning
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62 degrees this morning and foggy.  I walked through town and up Barn Sale Road which is where I took the picture on the left here.  It is quite a hill to walk up but nice coming down.  I saw good number of goldfinches and two bobolinks along this stretch.

It was kind of neat walking in the fog.  I could see the sun trying to get through the fog and at times I was walking in a patch of filtered sun surrounded by the fog.  It was like the sun was a spotlight and it was shining on me as I walked.  Really cool.

I walked around town some too.  It was a quiet morning and so nice to be out walking.  Behind the ball park I spotted this on the ground and snapped a picture of it.  It seemed appropriate to take a picture because today is my birthday. : )

I walked 6.2 miles.
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The cake Ken made yesterday was my birthday cake and oh boy what a cake it is.  He has made this for me, more years than I can remember and it is just as special every single time. Dark chocolate and it has four layers.  In between the layers is chocolate pudding and strawberry jam.  Look at the good stuff oozing out.
Then it is covered in real whipped cream.
Lunch today was birthday cake.

In stead of going out for dinner I chose to go out for breakfast at Annie's Kitchen here in town to have a birthday chocolate chip pancake.  That's some pancake isn't it? And yes I ate the whole thing. : )
While we were at Annie's in walks Kathie (artist from yesterday) and her husband.  We talked for a bit.  She is one of 30 artists from around the country that have come to the area to paint local scenes and are having an event in Cumberland this weekend.  I would love to go but don't think we will have time this weekend, but will try. They are leaving the area on Monday. 

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 I walked to the library to pick up another book that was on hold for me.  Susan was working there today and introduced me to another librarian who has just started working there.  A young woman by the name of Krystle who seems very nice.

The fog burned off by lunch time and after lunch I went outside do to some work in the yard and garden.  Planted the rest of the plants.

Back inside to make some Sweet Potato Chili and baked some Corn Bread and Chocolate Chippers for tomorrow.

Now I'm off to mow the lawn.  I'll be around later to visit you.
Hope your day has been sunny and bright.
happyone : )
If you're wondering how old I am now - I don't mind telling my age - it is 63.
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A birthday is just the first day of another 365 day journey around the sun.
Enjoy the trip.
~ Unknown
Three Thankful Things
  1. Made it through another year - happy and healthy
  2. Birthday Cake
  3. Cards and one from an unexpected friend

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Thursday

Took this yesterday.  
When I was a kid we would hold a buttercup under our chins. 
 If it glowed it meant you liked butter.
Field of Buttercups
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62 degrees this morning and cloudy with fog and the feel of mist in the air.  I walked the Farm Loop and saw the usual birds, cats, and rabbits.  Walking along I saw a beagle coming down the road towards me on the opposite side of the road.  When he got to me he kept right on going with his nose to the ground.  He was on the trail of something!!!

 I can see some tiny spouts of things starting to grow in some of the fields now.

Coming back to the main road instead of turning right to head back to town, I turned left.  There is a house down that way but you can't see it because it has a long driveway through the woods. There is a sign that says it's a B & B and now there is a for sale sign there.  I walked there to get one of the brochures hoping to see a picture of the house.  There was a picture but just of the outside in black and white and only had three bedrooms and didn't mention anything about a B & B.  I don't usually walk down this far because the road is quite curvy and I have to walk on the shoulder.  I turned around here at Bear Creek and headed back home.
Once I got back to town I only had to walk around town for less than a mile to walk 6.2 miles.
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Went to Sherry this morning to have my hair colored and cut - just an inch trimmed off.  That went well so I've had a good hair day.

I didn't get a chance to bake anything yesterday to take to Cherry Hill today and felt bad when someone asked me what I baked for them this week.  One of the residents has taken a liking to me and likes to sit next to me.  She told me  I didn't have to wait for Thursday and could come visit her any time I wanted.  When I get there and when I leave she gives me a hug. : )

I read after lunch and didn't do much of anything else.
The day started cloudy and since mid morning there's been a light rain on and off.  Weather report said we would see the sun today, but so far nothing.  It will probably come out just before it sets.
Oh well, its been a nice day anyway.
Hope your day has been a happy one.
happyone : )
Words of wisdom are spoken by children
at least as often as scientists.
~ James Newman
Three Thankful Things
  1. A field of buttercups
  2. A good hair day
  3. Ken's baking the cake - explain tomorrow

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

The Garden Project

Fence among the buttercups
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60 degrees when I walked this morning and it was cloudy.  Walked down the main road toward HT but only went about a third of the way before turning around and heading back to town.  Ken passed me in the truck going to HT to pick up some things we needed for a project we worked on today - a little more about the project later.

Once I got back to town I walked up and down most of the streets in town.  Over by the post office I came across an artist starting to paint a picture.  Of course I stopped to talk to her for a while.  Her name is Kathie and she is from Tennessee.  She gave me her card and I went to her website and wow she has painted some fantastic pictures.  You can read about her HERE.
After talking to Kathie I headed back home.
I walked 6.2 miles.
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Right after breakfast we left to get started on our project for the day.  We didn't waste any time getting to work on the Garden Project by the radio station building at church.  The before pictures are on yesterdays post.

We first cut down to a stub a huge type of yew shrub and got all the weeds out.  Here I am in the process of weeding.
Weeds are gone here and some plants set out waiting to be planted.
We ended there and had a lunch break.  We went to Happy Trails to pick up some stones to make a little path,  a little bench made out of cement which we made years ago.  Ken's dad used to make them out of left over cement from projects and called them Italian Benches.  We started doing the same thing. : ) 

Also stopped at the house to pick up a bird bath and dig up two rose bushes and two ornamental grasses to transplant in the church garden.  Then back to church to work on the garden again.  We worked a couple more hours on it.  After we got done planting, a thunder storm came along to water it all for us.  Here I am looking over our handiwork.
This is the almost finished project.
The only thing left to do is give the fence a fresh coat of paint and put down wood chips which we are going to make with our chipper up at HT.  When that is done and the plants grow I'll take another picture for the Final After picture. We were really surprised that we got all this done in one day.  We are tired but feel good.

Hope your day was a happy one.
happyone  :  )
In the spring, at the end of the day,
you should smell like dirt.
~ Margaret Atwood
Three Happy Things
  1. Meeting Kathie
  2. Making the garden
  3. The rain watering the garden

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Shopping

Farm - early morning
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Rained hard last night and I heard some thunder too but it had stopped by morning when I walked and it was 60 degrees.  Some sun at first but about 3 miles into my walk there was a light shower.  Just enough to cool me off.  Dried off pretty quickly.

I walked up and down the two hills behind my house house, through town, up Barn Sale Rd, back to the main road and went up toward Happy Trails.  Then back to town around the two cemeteries around town and home.

A bunny was on the side of the road and started walking up the road trying to get away from me.  He  stayed on the road just in front of me until we came to the dead end, then he ran into the grass and stayed there.  That's when I took his picture.
 Two people stopped to talk to me this morning.  One by the library.  She was dropping books off and said hi and that she sees me walking most days.  She is a walker too and the doctor told her, to keep your mind active while walking you should do math problems in your head.  Like multiplying three numbers like 345 x 579.  I told her I have enough trouble doing math problems with a paper and pencil. : )

The other by the post office.  I was walking through the parking lot and he too told me that he sees me most days.  Asked the usual questions and told me he walks and rides his bike and takes pictures along the way.  He lives up around the Farm Loop. 

I walked 6.4 miles.
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After breakfast and our morning routine we left for LaVale.  Ken had to make an appointment for his bus drivers license at the MVA - it's the first week in July.  Stopped at the mall and I had another look around Christopher & Banks.  I came out of the store with FOUR new things - all on sale.  Two blouses.
Finally I found a dress.  : )  I love this classic poke-a-dot dress.  This white sweater I picked up too.
Next stop was the shoe store.  Ken got a pair of hiking boots and I got a pair of shoes and a purse.  I needed a light color for summer.  : )
We had lunch and then later stopped at Rita's for a gelato - first one of the season.  We both had cherry ice and chocolate custard.

Another stop was at a nursery that my neighbor recommended.  It was way off the beaten track.  Lots of good stuff there and reasonably priced so we got these things here in the truck.  Some flowers, a couple pepper plants and some sage.  

Some of the flowers are for our yard but some are for church.  Pastor asked us if we would be interested in doing a little project to spruce up the area around the little radio station building that is on church property.  We said we would be happy too. 

Here's a couple of before pictures.  I'll also be posting in progress pictures and the what we end up with.  I feel like we are doing a Home and Garden show. : )
Well, I guess I've gone on long enough for this post. 
Hope your day is sunny and bright and that you smiled often.
happyone  : )
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Let the rays of your heart shine
on all who pass by.
~ Terri Guillemets
Three Thankful Things
  1. Good shopping finds
  2. Having a Rita's not TOO far away
  3. Finding a great nursery

Monday, May 26, 2014

One Fine Day

I'm proud to be an American,  where at least I know I'm free.  And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. ~ Lee Greenwood
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44 degrees this morning and sunny for my walk around the Farm Loop and one of the cemeteries and then around town a bit.

I know I've taken this picture of the barn I walk past before, but it is one of my favorite spots I just couldn't help taking and posting another one.

Just past the barn a woman was standing and she started talking to me like she knew me but she didn't seem familiar and then she said, "I wont' be driving past you today."   Then I realized it was the woman in the red car who waves to me almost every morning.

Farmer Bill was watering some plants and I snapped this picture before he saw me.  I stopped and we chatted a bit.
Saw a few rabbits, killdeers, red winged black birds, geese, and quite a lot of pigeons.  I think they live in one of the barns.  The chickens were out roaming round and all the barn cats that live by the chickens were out sunning themselves.  I counted 7 of them.

What a beautiful morning to be outside.  It doesn't get any better than this.
I walked 6.2 miles.
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Last night at church Pastor and his wife Kathy invited us over their house with a few other couples for a BBQ today.  When asked what I could bring she said a dessert (She knows I like to bake) so I baked some Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes this morning.  A new recipe for me.  You can get the recipe HERE.
They have a peppermint patty in the middle of them.  You can see how it's done by the picture.
Baked and ready to eat.
While I was in the kitchen I also made some Spinach and Bean Soup which is one of Ken's favorites.  It tastes better the next day, so we will have that tomorrow for supper.

Ken went up to Happy Trails for a while and I stayed home getting a few things done around the house.

We left at 3:15 with cupcakes and cookies in hand to go to the BBQ.  We had a wonderful time.  There were 12 adults plus a few kids.  Lots of good food, conversation, laughs, a few games of Corn Hole which I played for the first time today.  You have to toss bean bags into holes in wooden things.  You keep score kind of like horseshoes.  It was a lot of fun.  You can see the wooden things in the picture. The weather was perfect and they had a nice shady back yard.  Oh by the way the cupcakes were a hit.
Hope your day was a happy one.
happyone : )
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Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friend.
John 15:13
Three Thankful Things
  1. Being an American
  2. Not only having a great Pastor but to have him and Kathy as our friends too.
  3. A beautiful sunny day
Comment Replies:
Anonymous and Furry Gnome - Thanks for putting me straight about the May Apple.  I will look for the little apple on them later in the season.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Worry Stopper

 Matthew 6:33&34
  
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; 
and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: 
for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. 
 Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 
 ~~~~~~~~~~
Seek first the kingdom of wealth,
and you'll worry over every dollar.
Seek first the kingdom of health,
and you'll sweat every blemish and bump.
Seek first the kingdom of popularity 
and you'll relive every conflict.
Seek first the kingdom of safety,
and you'll jump at every crack of the twig.
But seek first His kingdom and you will find it.
On that, we an depend and never worry.
~ Max Lucado

A happy and blessed Sunday to you.
God loves YOU.
happyone : )

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Another day outside

Old Stairs
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44 degrees this morning and cloudy when I walked.  Felt like rain in the air but it never did and the sun ended up coming out once I was back home.

Walked a couple of blocks in town over to the post office to drop off a Netflix in the mail slot.  Then continued on my walk around the Farm Loop.  Stopped for a chat with Farmer Bill.  His bees are doing nicely and he will be selling the honey from them.  I look forward to when I can buy some.

I was going to say it was a quiet walk but it was really wasn't if you stopped to listen to the sounds.  I could hear lots of birds chirping and singing,  some geese honked flying over head and a dog barked in the distance.  The rooster was telling everyone to get out of bed, some cows mooed and the sound of a farmer on his tractor at work in the field.  Nice country sounds to listen to on my walk.

I took a detour down this lane here.  There are a couple of houses along here but the lane dead ends into a driveway.
I also took Spear Road and walked up past that old tree for a bit before turning around and getting back on the farm loop.  I saw lots of these weeds along the road which I thought were trillium but when I looked it up on line when I got home it didn't quite look like that. They only had three petals on the flower.  Maybe this is just a different variety? 
Since I took couple of detours I got my miles in without having to walk around the cemeteries.

I walked 6.7 miles.
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Back outside in the yard again after breakfast - time to mow the lawn again, but as you know I like to mow the lawn.

We took some more shrubs out of the front yard because they just looked too crowded and I'm going to plant something colorful between the shrubs that are still there.

Last year the cone flowers grew very tall and leaned over the walkway so we put these couple of low fence sections there to keep the flowers off the sidewalk. The shrubs we took out were on the other side of the walkway.
Ken planted 10 tomato plants in one of the planter boxes and I planted Dill, Parsley, and Basil in the other one.   I'm still going to plant another herb but will buy it already started and not by seeds. Didn't take a picture because all the plants are so tiny and they wouldn't show up very good.  I'll take one when they grow a little bit.

Our neighbors Ron and Connie were outside working in their yard too, so I went over to say and hi and have a little chat.  They also go to our church.  

After the yard work was done we both sat in the swing for a while enjoying the beautiful day.  Just look at this sky.  It was 70 degrees too which made it perfect.
That's been my day so far.
Hope yours is sunny and bright.
happyone : )
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If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy,
if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move  you,
if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand,
rejoice, for you soul is alive.
~ Eleonora Duse
Three Thankful Things
  1. The sounds on my walk
  2. A day of work out in the yard
  3. The beautiful sky

Friday, May 23, 2014

Dirt and more dirt

Lilacs by the Barn
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This morning there was a mix of sun and clouds and a temperature of 42 degrees.  I walked around the Farm Loop, the two cemeteries and the loop behind the ball park.

I saw Evalena out early this morning at 6:30 already shaking out some rugs getting her housework started.  Stopped for a little chat with her.
Another lady was out walking her dog.  I've seen her a few times now but don't know her name yet.

This is Farmer George's farm with a field that looks ready for planting.
This is part of his farm too and I don't know what, but something has started to grow.  This is across the street from the above picture and you can see there was a low cloud on that side.
Another great morning for a walk.
I walked 6.4 miles.
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Our neighbors were having a yard sale so after breakfast we walked over.  I got a picture frame for 50 cents and Ken got a tool case for 50 cent.  They were giving away free kittens and I ALMOST came home with two of the cutest little calico ones.

Spent a lot of time outside in the yard.  The dirt that Ken brought back from HT yesterday had lots of roots and stones in it, so Ken made a sifter and we sifted the dirt for the raised garden boxes.  It takes a lot more dirt than you think to fill one of these up.  We still have a ways to go here.
After lunch Ken went back up to HT to get some more dirt.  I stayed home around the house.  I planted some more marigolds in the front yard and did some more weeding and then when Ken got back we continued getting the dirt ready.  We worked until 4:00 and got both garden boxes filled.  We were tired after that and didn't feel like planting any of the plants and will probably do that tomorrow.  It is a good feeling have the beds ready for planting though.
Here's a little bunny we having living under our deck.  I'm sure there are more under there too but this guy is just a little one.
 This is where he goes in and out under the deck. 
Ken is up at HT cleaning out the truck and putting some things away.  I'm off to fold clothes and then make some Soft Shell Tacos for supper. Then plan on having a nice quiet evening at home.  A little reading, knitting and watching television later tonight with a bowl of ice cream.  Not sure which kind yet. : )
 
Hope your day has been sunny and bright.
happyone : )
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Gardening is cheaper than therapy
and you get tomatoes.
~ Unknown
Three Thankful Things
  1. My clothes line
  2. Being able to have a garden
  3. Having a choice of ice cream flavors for my snack tonight 
Comment Replies:
Vee - Marinara for me, meat sauce for Ken.  Italian Vinaigrette on my salad.
Suz - I looked up Parrot Tulips and yes you are right.  Thanks. : )