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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Thursday, December 31, 2015

Coins Found

A misty rainy morning once again with a pretty good breeze and the temperature was 40 degrees.  I'm sure getting a lot of use out of my rain pants and slicker lately.  I don't ever remember a time when I had to wear them so often and I've been walking a good many years!!
This is the only picture I took this morning.
Walked around town again and didn't see anything out of the ordinary.  Very quiet like a Sunday morning.

No people or animals.
I walked 5.8 miles.

Total coins found this month - 14 cents.
  • 1 dime  
  • 4 pennies.
Total coins found for this year was $4.29
  • 6 quarters
  • 19 dimes
  • 6 nickels
  • 59 pennies
Total coins found on my walks since 1997 when I started saving them is $239.54
Least found in a year is  $3.60 in 1997.
Most found in a year is $23.89 in 2007.
That is just counting the coins - I've found some dollar bills and once found $20.
☂     ☂     ☂     ☂
It's been rainy all day and at one time there were a few snow flakes falling.

I got some ironing done.  I usually watch I Love Lucy when I iron but we just got a new television and I thought by the time I figure out how to get the DVD player working I would be done ironing. : )

I got a couple of coloring books for Christmas and this afternoon I colored a picture using colored pencils.   A rainy day seemed like a good day for coloring. : )
2015 sure went by fast, hard to believe tomorrow it will be 2016!!  I don't make New Years resolutions but will try to make each day a good one and be happy. : )

Only got 25 books read this year - a lot less than I usually read.
Book number 25 I just finished today and it was the Bible.  Each year I read it from cover to cover.  I've done that for many years and don't even know how many times I've read it, but every time I discover new things. Every time I read the last chapter of Revelation it always gives me the chills.

No church yesterday evening because tonight we will be ringing in the new year there.  We will watch a movie and then eat and play board games.  We are taking our Mexican Train game.  Should be a fun evening. : )  I'm bringing those Chocolate German Cookies I baked yesterday and Nellie, yes the recipe does call for a chocolate German cake mix.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year!
Thank you all so much for being my blogging friends.  Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and for all your comments. 

A happy day to you.
happyone : )
We meet today
To thank Thee for the era done,
And Thee for the opening one.
~  John Greenleaf Whittier

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Wednesday

Trish left a comment on yesterdays post and I just wanted you to read what she wrote.

"Thank you Happy One and your blog friends for praying for me! I'm recovery day by day! It was a blessing to know that I had a lot of friends praying for me! It was amazing tremendous encouragement with all the prayers, calls, messages, cards, food, visits, house cleaning and shopping from my friends. I seen God work through them! GOD is good ALL the time!Thank you so much for your blog and friendship! May God continue to bless you."
❤     ❤     ❤     ❤
 ☁     ☁     ☁     ☁
This morning I left my old usual time of 6:30 and it was of course dark but it was 46 degrees with no wind and felt mild.  I don't think we are going to have winter this year.  I may regret saying that!! : )

I saw a couple of rabbits hopping around in one of the cemeteries and that was about it.

I walked the town route again but made it a bit longer by walking up the road behind my house.  This road runs parallel to my road.
My walk today was 6 miles.
☁     ☁         
Baked another batch of the German Chocolate Cookies first thing this morning and put supper in the crock pot (pork chops and potatoes) and will just fix a vegetable later.
Finished the jigsaw puzzle too.

This is the finished weave-it baby blanket.
Now I will turn my attention to finishing the last scarf for Krista.  She had been so patient waiting for it.

I walked to the library this afternoon to return a book.  On line it said I couldn't renew it but once I got to the library they told me I could.  : )  I didn't even look around for more to read because I now have 3 books I'm reading.

Hope you having a happy day.
happyone : )
A happy New Year!
Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year.
~ Edgar Guest

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Shoes bring me luck : )

☁     ☁     ☁     ☁

Rained during the night and was VERY windy but by morning it had stopped. It was 38 degrees with foggy patches and cloudy.  Got a quick glimpse of the sun and blue sky just to let me know that it is still up there somewhere! 

There was a lot of tree debris in the roads from the wind last night.

I walked around town and mapped out a new and better route for my town walk.  I walk the 3 main roads and a couple of times around the cemeteries and ball park loop.  I can always add or subtract easily to this route when time is a factor.

No one else out this morning.
The horses down by the Drane house didn't even come over to see me.
I walked 5.5 miles.
☁     ☁     ☁     ☁
Pastor Leatherman's father is visiting for a couple of weeks and we picked him up and brought him along for bowling day.  There were nine of us this time.  The lanes were crowded today.  We usually have the place pretty much to ourselves but this week with all the kids off of school and no snow to go skiing they must have all come bowling.


My new bowling shoes must have brought me luck because I bowled pretty good.  My scores this week were
  1. 129
  2. 148
  3. 161
in that order.   I think 161 is my highest score since we've started bowling again.  My highest all time high score is 185.


I baked another batch of the German chocolate cookies for the kids on Sunday.  I need a half batch more for the kids and will bake them tomorrow and save the other half for New Year's Eve.

I will be finishing a weave-it baby blanket this evening.  Will post a picture tomorrow.
No ice cream for me tonight - I'm going with a piece of pumpkin bread this time.

Hope your day has been a happy one.
 happyone : )

Comment Replies:
Deb and Adam - I like to do jigsaw puzzles on line as well and do them at
Jigidi Puzzles.   Lots of puzzles to do there and you can make puzzles out of your own pictures.  That's what I like to do.

FurryGnome - Yes, they do sometimes let water out of the reservoirs.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Shoes and a puzzle

I took this picture of the Youghiogheny Lake Reservoir
the other day on the way to Uniontown.  
I've never seen it so low.
I've zoomed in here and you can see a couple of people on 
the old road before the reservoir was there.
☁     ☁     ☁     ☁

Not quite as warm has it has been at 38 degrees but still not winter cold.  It was a cloudy morning with a good breeze.

I got up late at 7:00 (I've done that a lot lately) so got a late start at 7:15.  It was starting to get light so I didn't have to stay in town by the street lights and I walked the Farm Loop today.  The cows at the dairy farm were all in the barn and none of the other cattle were out in the fields at the other farms either, at least none that I could see.


I took a little detour off the farm loop and walked up this gravel road. It's called Distillery Lane and there used to be a distillery on the road but it burned down years ago.  There are a few houses along the lane and it dead ends at a farm. Then continued on the farm loop and back home.
I walked 5.5 miles.


☁     ☁     ☁     ☁
Still looking for a pair of bowling shoes and today we went down to LaVale where there is a Dunham's Sport and I'm happy to say they had them there.  There were quite a few different kinds but only one of them in my size.  They weren't my first choice but I got them because they fit and were comfortable. They are white and pink.  While I was there I noticed that Under Armor walking shoes were on sale so I picked up a pair of them too.  I like to have a spare pair on hand.

This afternoon I got a good start on this weeks house cleaning and worked on the first jigsaw puzzle that we got for Christmas.  It's the first of 4 and this one has 750 pieces.
I'm sure I'll be working on the puzzle a bit more later on after ice cream time.  

Hope your day has been a happy one.
happyone : )
Approach the New Year
 with resolve to find opportunities hidden in each new day.
~ Michael Josephson

Comment Replies:
Eileen - Thanks, but my moon shot doesn't compare to the ones you take!!

Diana - My camera is just a point and shoot too and it doesn't usually take that good of a picture of the moon.  I just got lucky!

Adam - Technically you are right, it is the same source of light.  But wasn't it clever of God to give us the moon as a big reflector so we can have a source of light at night too.  : )

John - No, Ken didn't get anything from Santa for his train layout.  He has been working on it though the last couple of weeks.  I'll have to take more pictures and post them. 

Sunday, December 27, 2015

The changing sky

I don't usually post pictures of my walk on Sunday but this morning the sky was amazing and so diverse and changed so fast.  I took the morning moon picture first but all the rest were taken within 15 minutes.  I couldn't pick a favorite so posted them all. It was awesome to be out there looking at the sky and these pictures doesn't due it justice.




And God made two great lights;
the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the night:
he made the stars also.

And God set them in the firmament of the heaven
to give light upon the earth,

And to rule over the day and over the night,
and to divide the light from the darkness:
and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:16, 17 and 18

A blessed Sunday to you.
happyone : )

I am happy to say that Trish continues to improve and she was at church this morning.
She thanks you for your prayers. : )

Saturday, December 26, 2015

11 Bears

☂     ☁     ☁     ☁
I had a dream last night that I was walking along the Farm Loop and I counted 11 bear along the way.  Eight of them were in the fields with the cows and just looked up as I walked by.  Then there were three right at the edge of the road up a tree and I got a little nervous that I had to walk right past them.  All of a sudden one of them came out of the tree and started chasing me.  Then somehow  I was riding a bicycle and I got away and that's when I woke up.
☁     ☁     ☁     ☁
I woke up at 6:30 and it was another dreary rainy morning and just didn't feel like getting up so I turned over and went back to sleep and got up at 7:30 so had a late start walking at 7:50.  It was 50 degrees with a misty rain and breezy.  Thought about walking the Farm Loop because it was light out, but after my dream thought I'd better not. : )  It might have been a warning of some kind.

Walked first to the library and dropped off a book in the slot and then on to the post office to drop off two Netflix.  Next I went around the ball park loop, and the two cemeteries.  Here's a couple of bunnies I pass on the way to the cemeteries.  They used to run and hide when I talked to them, now they just stay there.  The black and white one is the one who escapes once in a while.


Next I headed over to the small industrial park and walked around there.
Another quiet morning walk and didn't see anyone else out walking.

Didn't see any bears either. : )

I walked 5.9 miles.


☁     ☁     ☁     ☁
We went to Uniontown, PA where there is a Dicks Sporting Goods store so I could buy a new pair of bowling shoes.  The ones I have now are about 30 years old and are starting to come apart.  I didn't get them though because they no longer carry bowling shoes in the store.  You can now only by them on line, which seems crazy.  I'd like to try them on first.  So no new shoes for me.
It was still to go for a drive and we had lunch out at Subway.

The puzzle is coming along pretty good, the border is all done and some of the inside as well.  Not enough yet for a picture though.

It's off to make dinner and then our normal evening at home.
Hope your day was a happy one.
happyone : )
Be at war with your vices,
at peace with your neighbors,
and let every New Year
find you a better man.
~Benjamin Franklin's 1755
Poor Richard's Almanac

Friday, December 25, 2015

A little walk and Merry Christmas

I wasn't going to walk this morning but then I decided I would just go for a short walk because I wouldn't have felt right if I hadn't walked at all.  It was 45 degrees and foggy and I just had a 3.3 mile walk around town.

As you might expect it was very quiet and I just saw a few cars pass by and one man walking his dog. 

 ✩     ✩     ✩     ✩
We had banana pancakes for breakfast with whipped cream and then Ken and I opened up our presents.  Here's our loot.  : )
As you can see Santa brought us some jigsaw puzzles again this year and in just a little while I'm going to start one of them.
✩     ✩     ✩     ✩
A very Merry Christmas to all of you and your families.

Thursday, December 24, 2015

A warm rainy walk

☂     ☂     ☂     ☂

Once again I had to wear my rain pants and yellow slicker as I walked. Another dark rainy morning but this time it was even a few degrees warmer at 54.   It rained for most of my walk but the rain stopped for the last mile.

Walked no special route all around and up and down all the streets in town and also around the two cemeteries and ball park loop.  Looking forward to when it's a bit lighter so I can walk the Farm Loop.  It is just too dark up that way now and there are no street lights.

A man in a pick up truck stopped to ask me where the library was, but other than that didn't talk to any one else.  Pretty quiet around town on the Christmas Eve morning.

I walked 5.8 miles.
☂     ☂     ☁    
Did a few things around the house and late morning we went to the store to pick up a few items of food.

This afternoon I finished reading X by Sue Grafton.  It was okay.

We're having BLT's for supper and then will head out to church for a Christmas Eve service which is at 6:00. 

Hope your day was a happy one and you're all set for tomorrow and your Christmas is a relaxed and joyful time.
happyone : )
A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;
It makes no noise at all,
But softly gives itself away.
~ Eva Logue

A few of you mentioned the 'boring' area sign on yesterdays post.  It was a road work sign to let you know they were were drilling holes (boring) and they were letting you know you were out of the area.  They were not working yesterday and I don't know why they were boring the holes.  But I did like the sign. : )

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

A day out

Passed this tree on my walk this morning and thought it looked like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.  I wanted to take it home and decorate it. : )
     ☂     ☂     ☂ 

Once again this morning it was a warm 50 degrees.  Just cloudy with wet roads when I first started out but after 2 miles it started raining.  I had my rain pants on but not my rain slicker so walked back home and got it and continued with my walk.  A bit of a breeze kicked up too.

Walked up and down and all around the streets in town.  Around one of the cemeteries and the ball park loop.  Didn't see anyone else out this morning.

An uneventful but still a nice walk.  One nice thing about this warm weather is that I haven't missed one single morning of walking due to icy or cold weather.
Walked 5.3 miles.
☂     ☂         ☂
Toady we decided to take a ride out to Washington, Pa (about 2 hours drive from home) to check out an antique mall that is located inside a mall.  That may sound like a crazy idea with it being so near to Christmas but surprisingly the mall was not that busy.  It seemed just like a regular shopping day. 
Lots of great stuff to look at in the antique mall but just bought one thing, these cute vintage Mr and Mrs Santa S & P shakers.  Here they sit on my hutch.
We walked around the mall and went in and out a few stores.  At Joanne's  I bought two huge skeins of yarn in different shades of blue.  With the white I already have I'm going to knit the last ripple scarf!!  This last one is for Krista who has been waiting patiently for hers. 

Had a nice lunch out and stopped in at another antique store on the way home near Morgantown, WV.  
 On the way there we were amused by this sign and stopped to take a picture. 
It was warm in 65 degrees this afternoon!!! That's about 35 degrees warmer than normal.
No Wednesday night service at church tonight because it was changed to tomorrow for Christmas eve.

Maybe this evening I'll start the last scarf, and I already hear that bowl of ice cream calling me. : )

Hope your day has been a happy one.
happyone : )
Let Every Day Be Christmas
by Norman Wesley Brooks

Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving are not to be put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself.

Peace on Earth, good will to men,
kind thoughts and words of cheer,
are things we should use often 
and not just once a year.

Remember too the Christ-child, grew up to be a man;
to hide him in a cradle, is not our dear Lord's plan.
So keep the Christmas spirit, share it with others far and near,
from week to week and month to month, throughout the entire year.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Winter?

No this picture is NOT from today but one taken last year when we had snow in the winter.  Looks like we WON'T be having a white Christmas this year. 
     ☂     ☁     ☁

It was a very warm 50, yes 50 degrees this morning! All traces of snow are gone today.  There was a light misty rain falling on and off during my walk.  Walked pretty much the same route as yesterday.  Around town, a ways up Sale Barn, down toward HT, around the cemeteries and the ball park loop.

The guy was doing his 5 times jog around the ball park loop and I saw another woman who I never saw before and stopped to say hi.  She is from St Louis and in town for Christmas visiting with her son and his family.

Walked 5.7 miles.
     ☂         
After breakfast I baked a batch of Pumpkin Breads for the neighbors.  I really like this recipe because I can make 7 little loaves at one time. : )

Went to the library to drop off the cookies I baked yesterday and then continued on to the bowling lanes for another fun day of bowling. : )
Today my bowling scores were:  143, 149 and I don't know how a 119 got in there. : )

A nice quiet evening at home this evening.  Reading, knitting, a bit of television and some chocolate chip ice cream.
Hope your day has been a happy one.
happyone : )
Christmas, my child, is love in action.
Every time we love,
every time we give, it's Christmas.
~ Dale Evans Rogers
Comment Replies:
Betsy -  If it is just snow I just wear my hiking boots.  If there lots of ice I wear ice grippers over my shoes.  I this THESE.

Monday, December 21, 2015

One last shopping trip

☁     ☁     ☁     ☁
Yesterday on my walk it was 21 degrees but this morning it was back up to 34 degrees.  A cloudy morning and most of our snow is already gone.

I walked around town until it started to get light and then walked down towards Happy Trails and back with a detour up Sale Barn Rd to say good morning to the cows. : )
Back in town I walked around both cemeteries a couple of times and then around the ball park loop.  The guy I see once in a while was back walking his 5 loops around there too.

One house I often walk by have a few dogs tied up outside and all of them bark at me as I pass by. They also have rabbits, goats, and chickens.  Today it was very quiet walking past.  All the animals are gone and the house is now empty.  They sure packed up and moved fast!!

I saw a couple of deer out by one of the cemeteries.
Walked 5.7 miles.
☁     ☁     ☁     ☁
I left soon after breakfast and headed down to LaVale to return a sweater that I bought at Kohl's that was too itchy.  Went to a couple of other stores and ended up at the mall.  I got Ken a couple of Christmas presents and picked up a turtle neck top for myself. : )  It was regular $30 and I got it for $10.49.
I thought the stores would be packed with Christmas shoppers but it seemed just like any other day.  I was back home again at 12:00.  Wrapped Ken's presents and put them under the tree.

Baked Chocolate Chippers this afternoon.  Half of this batch is for the cooks and servers at Brenda's.  We had had pizza there this evening for supper and dropped them off.  The other half are for the folks at the library.

At church last night my friend Bettye handed me a gift bag from her and Trish.  We three roomed together while we were in Lancaster.  In the bag was this cardinal for my bird collection.  I was so surprised and very touched and it brought tears to my eyes.  What dear friends they are. : )
Trish is still very sick but is a bit improved.  She was able to get up and take a shower yesterday.  I pray that she continues to improve and will soon be bowling with us once again.

So that's about it for today.  I'm still knitting and making squares.

Hope your day has been a happy one.
happyone : )
The pain of parting is nothing 
to the joy of meeting again.
~ Charles Dickens

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Isaiah

For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given:
and His name shall be called
Wonderful,
Counsellor,
The mighty God,
The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

In all the hustle and bustle as it gets closer to Christmas,
take time out to remember the reason we celebrate Christmas.

May you have a blessed Sunday.
happyone : )

Saturday, December 19, 2015

A day in the Kitchen

☃     ☃         

We got a bit of snow over night, about an inch or so and I got to walk in the snow.  It was 25 degrees with a bit of a wind.  A bit dark when I started out at 6:55 but it soon was light.  I saw the sun for a awhile and then it clouded up again after I got home. It snowed on and off in the morning and in the afternoon the sun came out.

I wore my hiking boots which is better in the snow than my walking shoes, keeps my feet dry. 

The town pond looked pretty with the early sun shining through the trees on the water.
Walked around town and up the hill behind my house.  Have turned around and going back down here.
Flicka lives up at the end of the hill and she looks nice and warm in her thick coat.
I saw lots of tracks in the snow, rabbits, deer, birds, and some little animals like squirrels or chipmunks.  

Pretty quiet around town this early Saturday morning.  So nice to be out walking.
Walked 5.2 miles.
☃         ☀        
I did some baking today.  The first Sunday in January is my turn for baking the cookies for the kids at Sunday school and I baked the first batch of them today.  Usually bake chocolate chippers but this time baked a different kind.  I haven't baked them in a very long time but plan on baking them a lot more often.  I forgot how delicious they are.  I got the recipe years ago from Kathy, my sister in law.  They are German Chocolate Cookies and you start with a box of German Chocolate cake mix.
Here's the recipe.
  • 1 box German Chocolate cake mix
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cut raisins
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 slightly beaten eggs
Mix altogether
Place spoonful on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
The picture is a bit washed out.  The cookies are actually darker than they look.

Also baked Welsh Cookies but didn't take a picture.
☀     ☀     ☀     ☀
The other day we went to Perkins to eat and I was in the mood for a chicken pot pie but they didn't have any of them left.  I've been craving one since then, so today I made one of my own for supper.
Chicken Pot Pie
  • 10 oz chicken broth
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots
  • 1 1/2 cup diced potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups mushrooms
  • 1 med onion coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 9" pie crust
  1. Combine broth, 1 c water, carrots and potatoes in med pan.  Bring to boil - reduce heat and summer 10 minutes.
  2. Heat oil in large skillet over med heat.  Add mushrooms and onion; saute till softened - about 5 minutes.  Stir in broth mixture and peas.  
  3. Whisk remaining 1/3 cup water into the flour until smooth; whisk into vegetable mixture.  Increase heat to med-high; bring to boil.
  4. Stir chicken into mixture and put in a 2 qt shallow baking dish.
  5. Roll crust to fit 1" larger than dish and place over filling.  Trim and flute edge.  Cut a scalloped round from center with cookie cutter.
  6.  Bake till filling is bubbly and crust is browned - about 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven.


Last night I started knitting on another scarf.  I have two more to make for the two women who didn't get one last week.  Worked some more on it this afternoon and plan to do a little more knitting this evening.

Hope your day was a happy one.
happyone : )
Tradition: sit with husband in a room lit 
only by tree lights and remember
our blessings outnumber the lights.
Happy Christmas to all.
~ Betsy Canas

Comment replies:
BettyC - Someone else has recommended these books to me also.  I have then on my list.  Thanks : )

Thanks everyone for your prayers for Trish.  Will keep you posted on how she's doing.