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

Translate

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Happy Am I

We sang this song in church this morning and I just love it.
Love the catchy little tune too. : )

Happy Am I

Happy am I.
Jesus is mine for ever,
Never to leave.
Always in each endeavor
Leading me on
In a life ending never:
Giving a smile every mile, 
Happy am I.

Happy am I.
All of my sins for given,
What a great day.
Life is now worth the livin';
One of these days
I'll be enjoying heaven;
Now that I know Upward I'll go,
Happy am I.

Happy am I.
How can I help but shout it?
Every day 
Telling the world about it;
Jesus is real
Only believe,  don't doubt it:
Then you will be Happy like me,
Happy am I.

Psalm 146:5
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help,
whose hope is in the Lord his God.

A blessed Sunday to you.
Thanks for all the well wishes yesterday.
Seems lots of us were getting married 44 years ago. : )

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Busy day, short post

☀     ☀     ☀     ☀
Another basement walk.  Icy and cold in the morning but it did warm up later in the day and some melting going on now.

I've had a busy day cleaning and cooking getting ready for our friends coming over in just a little while now for dinner and playing Mexican Train.

Here sits Mr Snowman in my chair.
Today is our anniversary.  : )  44 years! 

A happy day to you.
happyone : )
Chains do not hold a marriage together.
It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads
which sew people together through the years.
~ Simone Signoret

More marriages might survive if the partners 
realized that sometimes
the better comes after the worse.
~ Doug Larson

Friday, January 29, 2016

Cake, soup and a book

This ends my snowy pictures series I took from last week.
☃     ☃     ☃    ☃
I really thought I'd be able to walk outside this morning but it was not to be today.  When I got up it was snowing like crazy and blowing sideways so another walk in the basement today.

I baked a Yum Yum Cake this morning for tomorrow. The recipe is my grandmothers (moms mom) and the only recipe I have of hers.  She was a good but plain cook and didn't cook from recipes so I am happy to have this one.  It is kind of a like a fruit cake. 
 Yum Yum Cake
  • 12 oz jar of mince meat 
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup Crisco
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups raisins
Boil ingredients for 3 minutes in saucepan.
Cool
  • Add 3-1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
Mix
Pour in greased angel food or bundt pan and bake in a 325 oven for 1 hour.

I also made some broccoli cheese soup but have to make more because I don't think one batch will be enough for 8 people so will make another one tomorrow.  I got the recipe from blogger friend Debby.


Finished reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. 
Harold gets a letter from a dying friend and walking to the post office to mail a letter back, decides to keep on walking and deliver the letter in person.  The book is about his journey.  Thing is it is 500 miles away. The book takes place in England which added to the reason why I liked it.  I thought the book was excellent.   It was a book club book and I'm looking forward to hearing what the others thought of it. 

Seems my office/craft room is once again quite a mess so I'm going to straighten things up again.  Hard to keep this room neat.

A happy day to you.
happyone : )
Courage is not the absence of fear,
but rather the judgement that something else
is more important than fear.
~ Ambrose Redmoon

Sorry I can't remember who, but a while back someone asked if we would be putting insulation in the cabin at Happy Trails and the answer is yes we are. 

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Vintage Chick Bowl and Spoon

☀     ☀     ☀    
Cold and dark this morning so started the day walking 4 miles in the basement.  Walked the other 2 before lunch. The one thing I don't like about winter is that there are days when I just can't take my morning walk.  It's warmed up a bit and the snow is melting.  I'm pretty sure that tomorrow morning I'll be back to walking outside.

Spent the morning doing housework.  Not my favorite thing to do but I do like seeing everything shiny and clean. : )

Looking in the cabinet downstairs this afternoon I came across this little bowl and spoon that were mine when I was a baby.  A neighbor of my grandmother's made this cute little chick bowl for my first Christmas.  Don't know where I got the spoon from but it is a Campbell's soup spoon. 
It was only a few years ago that I noticed first was spelled wrong.
(frist) 
Read more of my book this afternoon.  I'm loving this book and will tell you about it once I finish it.

We are going out to get a bite to eat for supper and then stopping to pick up a few ingredients I need for my baking tomorrow. 

A happy day to you.
 happyone : )
Courage doesn't always roar.
Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day
that says I'll try again tomorrow.
~ Mary Anne Radmacher
Comment replies:
Melanie - You can learn all about weave-it squares if you scroll down past the posts and click on the link Weave-its.  There are a few pictures of some of the afghans I've made there too. 

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Yummy rolls

☁     ☁     ☁     ☁
Another day of walking in the basement.  The usual 6 miles split up during the day.

Got a pot of chili started in the slow cooker first thing this morning and some dough for rolls in the bread machine.  This it the start of making the food for Saturday for our hosting of Mexican Train game night.

The rolls came out ever so good.  As you can see in the picture we ate one.  Actually we are going to eat them all I'll make more for everyone on Saturday.  : )
Thanks Kim for posting about these delicious rolls.
 I picked out the colors and started the next weave-it Baby Blanket.  Not sure of the design yet but it will be with these four colors.
I went outside for a while in the afternoon just to get some fresh air.  Put out more bird seed.  We don't usually see deer in our yard.  I think they came around for the bird seed because they couldn't find anything else to eat with all the snow.

Got some reading in today too. 

A happy day to you.
happyone : )
Wherever there is a human being,
there is an opportunity for kindness.
~ Seneca
Comment replies:
Alica - picture yesterday is more of a lane that a road.  It dead ends up at the cemetery and at a farm.

HennyPenny - I wish walking kept the pounds off but I still have to watch what I eat!!  It's a never ending battle!

Robin - We've had cardinals, chickadees, a downy woodpecker, as well as the crows by the feeders. 

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

My Tuesday : )

Heading up to one of the cemeteries
☁     ☁     ☁     ☁
It warmed up this morning to walk outside but the plows are still out making the roads wider and only a few people shovel their sidewalks.  Seemed saver to walk in the basement.  Walked 3 miles first thing in the morning and the other 3 miles later in the day.

It was bowling day and this time there were only 4 of us.  One couple is in Florida for the winter and Trish and Bettye went to Florida to visit them. 
Bowling scores today were, 143, 151 and 108. 

After bowling we went food shopping at Walmart.  Had to get some more bird seed too.  We set the game camera up outside by the feeders and during the night we saw that the deer come and eat the bird seed.

Finished the latest jigsaw puzzle after supper.  
Not starting another one until Sunday because we're having some people over Saturday for a Mexican Train game night. 

Finished the latest weave-it baby blanket too.  Haven't picked out the colors for the next one yet.  I'll do that a little bit later.
I'm off to read some of my next book - it's a good one!!

Looking forward to my ice cream.  Last night I had plain vanilla but added some chocolate syrup.  Tonight I'm having chocolate chip mint.

Hope your day has been a happy one.
happyone  : )
There's more to the truth than just the facts.
~ Unknown

Monday, January 25, 2016

Monday

For the next few days I'll be posting a snowy picture 
from my Sunday afternoon walk.
Isn't that sky amazing!!!
☀     ☀     ☀     ☀
Yesterday afternoon I put on my boots and went for a walk.  Though cold it was a beautiful sunny day.  The sky seemed an extra deep blue and it was just gorgeous outside.  So nice to walk outside.

Cold and icy this morning and walked 3 miles first thing this morning in the basement.  Finished the other 3 miles throughout the day.

I finished reading my book - only book number 2 for the year so I'm already behind if I want to read 50 of them.  The book was Innocence by Dean Koontz and I thought it was very good.  Addison lives alone beneath the city streets.  Gwyneth lives in seclusion trying to stay away from enemies who will kill her if she is found and a bond forms between them.

The new knitting project that I started is not going well.  It is a pattern for fingerless gloves and I just can't get the hang of knitting on DPN's.  I've tried quite a few other times to use them and I think it is time for me to give up with the DPN's.   I've moved on to knitting an afghan for myself for these cold winter nights.

Ken and I've been working on the latest jigsaw puzzle and should be done soon.  I have three others waiting to get done this winter.

I'll be starting my next book in just a bit and then the usual nice evening at home with ice cream, knitting and a little television.

A happy day to you.
happyone : )
How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose,
if there were no winter in our year.
~ Thomas Wentworth Higginson

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Blue skies

Took this picture in the church parking lot this morning.
Can you spot the crow?  Off center to the left a bit.
☀     ☀     ☀     ☀
Every month my church tries to memorize a Bible verse.  We say it at all the services for the month and by the end of the month, the hope is that we have memorized it.
The one for January is one I've learned a while back and is one of my life verses.

Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength :
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.

A blessed Sunday to you all.
Jesus loves you.
happyone : )

Comment Replies:
Nellie:  No, things don't come to a standstill here when the snow comes.  It is just something people deal with living here.  There are not all that many roads to clear off up here! : ) 

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Snow Snow and Snow

☃     ☃     ☃     ☃
I walked 3 miles in the basement while a load of clothes was in the washer before breakfast and never went back for another walk.

We spent a lot of time walking around the house and looking at the snow from different windows and was amazed at how much snow kept coming down.

Ken went out in the morning to clear off the driveway with the snow blower for the first time today.  He was out there a couple of hours.

After lunch we both went outside and Ken cleared the driveway once again and I shoveled the front sidewalk but mostly just walked around taking pictures.  Here's one Ken took of me standing in the snow.  The last time I measured there was 29 inches and it is still snowing.
When I first went outside I put on the pair of snow shoes that Ken got at an auction, tried walking in the snow and immediately fell and couldn't get up.  It was pretty funny and Ken had to help me up. 
Looking up main street from in front of my house.
 The back yard
The picnic bench 

Maybe we should have flown south!!
I got my wish for a lot of snow. : )  I like it and it sure is pretty but it can stop any time now!! 

Hope your day as been a happy one.
happyone : )
Winter came down to our home one night
Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,
And we were children once again.
~ Bill Morgan, Jr.

Friday, January 22, 2016

Cozy inside

☁     ☁     ☃     ☃
No time for blogging yesterday.  Was at church all day for the regular monthly day of Fingerprints.

Both yesterday and today were very cold mornings again so more walking in the basement.  I got all six miles in yesterday walking two different times.  This morning I walked 4 miles and in the afternoon I walked another 2.

Late morning we went up to Happy Trails to make sure all was good up there before it started snowing again.  So I got to walk around up there for a little bit.  It was really cold though so we didn't stay very long. 

Here I am all bundled up, face mask and all.  : )
A heavy snow started falling about 12:30 and is supposed to continue for the next couple of days with 25 inches expected but we shall see.  Finally we are getting a decent amount of snow. : ) 

The current puzzle has been completed.  I think I'd like to live in this house. : )  Love that porch.  I'll probably be starting the next puzzle later.
This afternoon has been nice and cozy inside by the fire.  I've done a little reading and plan on making some weave-it squares and starting a new knitting project a little bit later.  Homemade pizza is the plan for supper.

Hope your enjoying a happy day.
happyone : )
 He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summertime
will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter.
~ John Burroughs
Comment replies:
Kim - I like making the chicken for the soup in the slow cooker because it comes out so tender.  I first brown the chicken in a frying pan with cooking spray sprinkled with paprika.  Then put it in the slow cooker.  I add a little water to the frying pan and scrape up all the brown parts and pour it in the slow cooker over the chicken. It cooks all day until I'm ready to make the soup.

Eileen - No, Wisp is about 8 miles farther down the road.  The snowy scene is from the overlook about 5 miles off 68.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Chicken Soup

Stopped at the overlook today
 on the way home from Grantsville this afternoon 
and took this picture.  
It's about 3 miles up the road from our house.
☁     ☁     ☁     ☁
Another very cold morning so no outside walking for me.  Back down to the basement for my walk.  I go down the first thing in the morning just as if I was walking outside.  This morning I walked 4 miles and then in the afternoon I walked another 2 miles.
I have 6 piles of blocks with 4 in each pile.  One block represents 500 steps and after every 500 steps I move a block and when a pile is done I have walked 1 mile.  Here I've walked 4 miles with 2 left to go.  It seems to go by faster if I do it this way.  I have tried walked on a treadmill and just don't like it.  This works best for me if I can't go outside.
☁     ☃     ☃     ☃
I made some bread this morning and put some chicken in the slow cooker for Chicken Noodle Soup for supper tonight.

Did a few things around the house and then we went out to do a few errands.
Worked on the latest puzzle a bit.  Always have one out during the winter months.

Dropped off a book at the library and got the next one to read for the book club.

Not many birds around the feeders lately except for the crows which I like to watch but today a downy woodpecker stopped by.
This afternoon it started snowing again and it's still coming down - just another 3 inches or so.

The Chicken soup was a good choice for this cold winters day.
I thought I had posted the recipe before but can't seem to find it so I guess I didn't.
Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1-1/2 cups cubed chicken
  • 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1-1/4 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
  • 1 Tablespoon parsley
Saute carrot, celery and onion in butter until tender.
Stir in broth, chicken and seasonings.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat.
Add noodles - cook for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley

That's my day so far.  We are headed out in the snow to church in just a little bit.
Hope your day was a happy one.
happyone : )
He who gives when he is asked has waited too long.
~ Sunshine Magazine

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

South Carolina Trip

Walking down a road in South Carolina.
52 degrees
☃     ☃     ☃     ☃
This morning was even colder than yesterday at 0 degrees with snow flurries and windy too.  So another basement walk today.  3 miles in the morning and 3 miles after supper.
It stayed cold all day with a high temperature of 7 but at least the sun was out.
☀     ☀     ☀     ☀
Met some of the ladies at church this morning to make more baby blankets.   That was from 10 - 12 and while I was doing that Ken went to Walmart and did the food shopping.  Picked me up and we then went over to the bowling alley which is just a few blocks from church.  We had lunch there and then bowled.  There were 7 of us today and we bowled 4 games this time.
Not great scores for me today but not such bad ones either:  125, 130, 103, and 123.
☀     ☀     ☀     ☀
I have posted about the Fingerprints ministry that we are part of at our church, which puts together the book of Romans in different languages for the missionaries to give out.  Last week we went to South Carolina to the Beacon of Truth which is where the books are published as well as a wide variety of gospel tracts.  Us and two other couples from our church went there to work at putting not just the book of Romans together but the whole Bible.  We traveled there on Monday and worked Tuesday through Friday.  We had such a great time working, talking, eating, and we sure did a LOT of laughing.
These huge rolls of paper (that's me standing by them)
are what the Bibles are printed on and runs through this press.
Then in this room there are 36 sections of the Bible that have to be collated.  We walked around this table many many times.
You can also collate them on this round table.  You just sit and as the table moves around in a circle you just take them off.  Not many people can do it though because the moving table makes you dizzy and nauseous.  I stuck to walking around the table above and was able to get some steps in at the same time. : )
After they are collated they are checked and weighed to make sure all the pages are right.
Next the books go in the binder machine to get the covers put on.  Here is Ken working on that machine.
Then the books go to the cutter machine to make the edges neat and tidy.  As they come out of the machine on a conveyor belt two people stand on either side and put the books in boxes (18 to a box).  Caroline and I did that part.  We felt at times a bit like Lucy and Ethel at the candy factory. : )  The boxes get taped up and they are ready to go.
Here's the finished Bible.
It was so neat to see how everything gets done and it is amazing how much work gets done with just a few people.  It was a great experience to be part of and we look forward to going again another time.
We put together 3,433 Bibles.

Just about ready to sit in my chair and make some weave-it squares and watch a little television and of course have some ice cream.  Tonight the flavor will be Chocolate Marshmallow.

Hope your day was a happy one.
happyone : )
It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing
because you can only do a little,
do what you can.
~ Sydney Smith

Monday, January 18, 2016

Back home and blogging

A couple of rotting apples still hanging on the tree.
Took the picture last week.
 ☃     ☃     ☃     ☃
I'm back and ready to get back to blogging.  During my break we drove down to Florence, South Carolina.  Left on Monday and came back Saturday.  Kim and I have been blogging friends for years and since we were passing right by her exit on our way to Florence I just had to stop and meet her.  We met her and her husband at a Chinese restaurant, The Lotus at 1:00.  We arrived first by a few minutes and when she walked in the door we hugged like old friends. : )  So nice to finally meet her and Brett in person.
We had a delicious meal and had our server take a picture of the four of us.
 Kim and I brought each other a few goodies.  She knows I like ladybugs and gave me a round box with ladybugs on it and inside were homemade banana chocolate chip muffins which were delicious.  Wasn't long before they were all gone.  Also in the box was a small white vase, a bird, and blue and white boy and girl.  I love everything.  Thanks so much Kim. : )
Meeting Kim was like meeting an old friend and we had a wonderful time and all too soon it was time to say good-bye. 
☃     ☃     ☃     ☃
No outside walk for me this morning.  It was 5 degrees, windy, snowing and icy, so first thing this morning I walked 3 miles in the basement.  Before lunch I walked another 1-1/2 miles and now I'm off to walk another 1-1/2 miles before supper after I'm done here.

Back home and back to housework and got a good start on this weeks work.
Just before we left for SC we finished the jigsaw puzzle and this morning I took it apart.  I also started another one.  Just a little one this time and should be finished in no time.
After lunch I got on a few layers of clothing and went outside.  It was 12 degrees and windy so was only out for 1/2 hour.  Shoveled a little snow and put out bird seed and by then my hands were cold.

I'll tell you about our trip to South Carolina and what we did tomorrow.  See you then.
Hope your day was a happy one.
happyone : )
A laugh is a smile that bursts.
~ Mary H Waldrip

Friday, January 08, 2016

A nice long walk and a break

☁     ☁     ☁     ☁
Up and out of the house at 6:45.  The temperature was 28 degrees with no wind at first but it kicked up a bit later on.  I watched a beautiful sunrise as I walked along but then it turned cloudy.

First walked over to public works to drop off the water bill.  Then walked all over town a couple of times and down past the turn off to Happy Trails and back to town.  Made a loop around the cemeteries and the ball park.  I was happy to get a nice long walk in to make up for the lack of a walk yesterday.

After the 5 mile mark I get that extra energy and could walk all day, but there are things to do and places to go and besides I was getting hungry. : )

Walked 8.1 miles.
Found a penny.
☁     ☁     ☁    ☂
Our son David gave us a gift certificate for Christmas and today we went to Red
 Lobster in Uniontown, PA and had a delicious meal on him. : )

While in Uniontown we went to the mall and walked around.  It was the first time we've been to that mall.  While there I got a new purse which I didn't need but got anyway.  I have a thing for purses and when I get done here I'm going to move into it.  Also picked up a couple more jigsaw puzzles which should keep me busy for the rest of the winter!!  The puzzles were so cheap we couldn't pass them up.





Also made a stop at Michale's and I bought a quite a few hanks of Carron Simply Soft yarn which was on sale.  This should be enough for the next bunch of baby blankets that I will be making.
I can't wait to finish the one I'm working on now so I can make another with these beautiful colors in my basket of yarn.



 Ken gave me these beautiful blue plates for Christmas and he hung them up on the wall in our bedroom today.  We saw them in an antique store months ago and he went back and bought them for me.  They are pretty big at 18 inches across.
My mom gave me the windmill you see in the picture quite a few years ago.  As the blades turn it plays an old Holland song.  My mom and I were browsing around an antique store one day when she was visiting.  As we walked by I recognized the tune as one my mom sang to me when I was little girl.   She knew I really wanted it but didn't have the money so she bought it for me.  Thanks Mom. : )

 I plan on making some weave-it squares, finishing the blue scarf I'm knitting for Krista and if I have time, read.  I have a goal of 50 books to read this year and I should have one read by now.

That's it for today.
A happy day to you.
happyone : )
This is going to be my last post for about a week or so.
Taking a little blogging break.
Be back soon.