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, March 31, 2018

A ride to Uniontown

 🌷     🌷
The rain has stopped.  This morning it was 33 degrees and cloudy
when I started walking but it wasn't long before the sun was shining.

Had my usual walk all around town, the cemeteries, and the ball park loop.
Saw this escaped birthday balloon stuck in the bushes.
I thought of my daughter Debbi because it is her birthday today.
Fishing season must of opened this weekend because there were
quite a few people around the town pond fishing.
I counted 22 people.
Lisa was out running and we stopped for a little chat.
Stopped down by the barn to see my horse friend but she didn't come
out of the barn this time.
🌷     🌷
We went over to Uniontown, Pa today and
picked up two toilets and a pedestal sink for the new house.
While there we had lunch at Five Guys. 
Don't remember the last time we were there but sure do love
their French fries.

Dropped off the sink and toilets at the new house.
That's about all we did today.
It was a nice sunny day in the 50's.

Life is Good
Count your blessings
happyone  💕

"When Jesus comes, the shadows depart."
~unknown, inscription on a Scottish castle wall

Friday, March 30, 2018

Baby Blanket

This picture is from a few years ago.
Thought it would help remind me that spring weather will be here one day soon.
 Woke up a little later than usual.  It was a dark, misty, and rainy morning 
and 42 degrees when I left the house a little after 7:00 in my
rain gear again.
Walked around town up and down the streets and around one of the
cemeteries and the ball park loop.
A quiet morning around town.
Didn't see any one and didn't see any animals either.
Only walked 4.3 miles this morning.
My feet were wet (just wore my regular walking shoes)
and I was getting hungry.
 Hoping tomorrow will be a sunny day.😊
🌷     🌷
Ken had already left to have breakfast at Denny's with a friend
and then to get a trailer load of gravel for by the new house
when I got back home from walking.
I made myself waffles for breakfast.  It had been quite a while
since I made them and it was a treat to put a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Got some of that housework done I put off.
And then finished sewing the baby blanket squares together.
Ken got another load of gravel on his own and then later in the afternoon
 I went with him for load number 3. 
 It is sitting in the driveway here at the house and tomorrow
he'll go dump it and spread it around with the tractor.

Almost time for supper so off I go.

Life is Good
Count your blessings
happyone  💕

When we put our cares in His hands,
He puts His peace in our hearts.
~ unknown

Thursday, March 29, 2018

At the house and a new calf

A warm temperature of 54 degrees this morning and no wind.
Didn't look like it was raining so just wore my regular walking
clothes but when I got outside realized that it was misting.
Back inside to change into rain clothes and by the time I was outside again
the mist had stopped.  
So I had a nice walk with no rain.

My first 3 miles I walked around the industrial park and then 
walked back through town.
Went around the ball park loop and one of the cemeteries a couple 
of time, through town and back home to complete my 6 miles.

No people about but did see lots of birds, a couple of
rabbits and the geese.
🌷     🌷
We came home last night from church with 3 more boxes of tracts 
and got then all counted out and ready to go.

Went over to the new house again to look around.
Dave is just about done with the stone for the gas fire. 
The stones are wet so they will be a little lighter when they dry.
I can just picture the gas stove sitting in there.
Here in the bathroom sit the his and her vanities.
A calf was born the other day to one of our neighbor cows.
Such a cute little thing.
For a while I watched him running and jumping around having a fun time.
Did some reading this afternoon when I should have been doing
some cleaning, but I'll do that tomorrow.
Life is Good
Count your blessings
happyone 💕

Peace is not the absence of affliction,
but the presence of God.
~ Unknown

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Tracts

A rainy and foggy morning so left the house all decked out in my rain gear.
It rained the entire time I walked.
Good news though that it was 48 degrees and when I got home it was 50.

The same walk as yesterday, up and down all the streets in town,
and around the cemeteries and the ball park loop.

Walked down to the barn where my horse friend, Star lives.
 She saw me coming down the hill and trotted out of the barn again to say hi.
I talked to her and petted her and when I turned to go she trotted
back in the barn.  Think it's pretty cool that she comes out to see me. 😊

No one else out this morning.
Walked 6 miles
🌷     🌷
I thought the Forgotten Cookies I made yesterday were very good
and like that they are only 25 calories.  Very light and airy.
Ken didn't care for them.
🌷     🌷
Every April in our church is tract month where as a church our
goal is to hand out 30,000 of them during the month of April.
Today Ken and I had a box of 5,000 which we counted out into groups
of 10, put a rubber band around them and then put 10 
of them together with  another rubber band so we had groups of 100.
This is the tract.
A double click will let you read read it better.
We will return these that we did today and pick up another couple of
boxes tonight when we go to church to count out before this weekend.
🌷     🌷
It's been a rainy day all day but I'm just happy it is warmer
and it isn't snow.
Read some more this afternoon and also got some more
squares sewn together.  Hope to have the baby blanket finished by tomorrow.

Enjoy your evening.

Life is Good 
Count your blessings
happyone 💕

Been taken for granted?
Imagine how God feels.
~ unknown

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Home today

This morning I had a nice walk all around town, up and down all the streets.
It was 32 degrees and though there was a little wind, it wasn't anything like yesterday.
For the most part it was just cloudy but with 2 miles to go
I started feeling some rain drops.  Very light rain and I didn't even get wet.

Walked around both cemeteries and the ball park loop.
A man was running around the loop.  Have seen him before
but don't know his name.

At the cemetery on top of the hill I met the Pastor of the church
in town.  In the above picture you can see the steeple to this church
in the distance on the right.
He told me he sees me walking most every day and we had a nice
little chat.  

It started raining a bit harder once I was back home.
Hopefully the rain will take care of the rest of the snow.
🌷     🌷
Something smelled good when I walked in the door.
It was cherry tarts that Ken had made us for breakfast.
He does that once in a while and it is always such a nice surprise.

The temperatures stayed near 32 degrees,
and the rain landing on the trees gave them a light coating of ice.
Thankfully the streets were just wet.
Temperature started rising and the ice melted and it is supposed
to continue to get warmer this evening.
It is now 36 degrees.

I made some cookies this afternoon.
 They are called Forgotten Cookies and my mother gave me the recipe
years ago and I never made them until today.
They go in a 350 degrees oven which you turn off as soon as you put
the cookies in and then leave them in there for 8 hours.
So I can't taste of them yet.
I'll let you know tomorrow how they turned out.

Did a little reading and sewed more squares for the baby blanket.
The sewing of the squares always takes me longer than I think.
That's it for today.

Life is Good
Count your blessings
happyone  💕

"The sun does not shine for a few trees, and flowers,
but for the wide world's joy.
The lonely pine on the mountain top waves its sombre boughs and cries,
"Thou art my sun."
And the little meadow violet lifts its cup of blue,
and whispers with its perfumed breath,
"Thou art my sun."
And the grain in a thousand fields rustles in the fields
rustles in the wind, and makes answer,
"Thou art my sun."
So God sits effulgent in heaven, not for a favored few,
but for the universe of life;
and there is no creature so poor or so low that he may not
look up with childish confidence and say,
"My Father, Thou art mine."

~ Henry Ward Beecher

Monday, March 26, 2018

Mantel and a peek at the kitchen cabinets

Had a nice 6 mile walk this morning.
It was 27 degrees and very windy but it was very nice to see the sun
come up and feel it on my face.

Walked through town, up Barn Sale Rd part way and then
down toward Happy Trails.  Turned around walked back through town.
Walked around one of the cemeteries but didn't go around the one
up the hill.  Thought it would be just too windy up there in the open.
The ball park loop just has snow on the part down by the trees so walked
around there today.  This was the only snow I had to walk in and
it was crunchy so not slippery.
There must not be any school today because I didn't see any buses.
Maybe spring break?

I pass by this old shop in town most mornings that has been closed
and looking just like this since we moved in 4 1/2 years ago. Don't know
how long it has been like this and would love 
to go inside and look around.
Years ago it was the general store in town and Rosy owned and worked
there.  I've heard stories about her from people who used to go
to the store when they were kids.
Apparently Rosy was quite a character and dearly loved.

A bird house along my walk that waits for it's residents to arrive.
 No one else about this morning.
🌷     🌷
Yesterday afternoon we went up to Happy Trails and walked around in the woods.
Went inside the new house to look around to see what has been done.
Ronnie put up the mantel on Friday.
It is an old rustic beam from an old barn.
It is perfect and exactly what we were hoping for.
  Ken went up to the house site this morning after breakfast to
get some more work done on the walls he's making with the
rocks.  We have an unlimited supply of rocks on our property.
Here's the wall he's been working on.
I've been home today getting stuff done around the house, not
just work stuff by fun stuff too.

We went to Monday half price pizza day at Brenda's for supper.
 Afterward we stopped up at the house again to look around.
The wood floors were delivered and so were the kitchen cabinets.
They are all in boxes yet but here's a peek at the cabinets.
Home now for a relaxing quiet evening at home.

Life is Good
Count your blessings
happyone  💕

"Some stand on tiptoe trying to reach God to talk -
you try too hard, friend -
drop to your knees and listen, He'll hear you better that way."
~ Terri Guillemets

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Ice Puddles

Walked my usual walk all around town, up and down all the streets.
Up Barn Sale a ways again and down towards Happy Trails and back
to town and around town again.
Walked 6 miles
Very quiet on this early Saturday morning and didn't see any others
out walking.
Geese all around the town pond and a couple of Mallard ducks there too.
Saw a few rabbits hopping about too.

Took a couple pictures of some more of those ice puddles that I like.
For some reason this one reminds me of a big foot.
It was 16 degrees this morning and it was nice to see the sun come up and 
stay out once again.  Very still out too, no breeze.
🌷     🌷
Made pancakes for breakfast and then we out to the Sherwin Williams 
paint store and picked out the colors for the new house.
 I'll keep you guessing until I can show you the rooms as they get painted.
It is just unbelievable how many colors there are to chose from.
After a while you just want to pick any color just to get it over with.  😊
Still I love the colors we picked and look forward to seeing the walls painted.

After lunch Ken went up to the new house site and I stayed home and
finished up my housework for the week.
Then read and sewed some squares.

In the morning I made the Dill Sauce for the Salmon Cakes so it
had the whole day for the flavors to blend.
Made the Salmon Cakes for supper.
It was the first time I've ever made Salmon Cakes and I thought
they were very good but Ken is not that crazy about sea food anyway
and thought they were just okay.
A salad and baked potato topped it off nicely.
Recipe Here.

Life is Good
Count your blessings
happyone  💕

"Most people wish to serve God - but only in an advisory capacity."
~ Unknown

Friday, March 23, 2018

Sunny Sky

21 degrees this morning when walking, NO snow falling from the sky and no wind
and the sun came out. 
I even got to wear my regular walking shoes.
Still couldn't walk around the ball park loop or the cemeteries because
I still encountered icy spots like this.
But there were many places that were clear.
Walked through town and up Barn Sale Rd passed the sleeping cows
on the hay.
Walked down toward Happy Trails, back to town and up and down
the streets.

My very long shadow. 
Our insurance agent passes me walking once in a while.
I always know it is her because while others just give me toot of the horn,
she gives a toot, toot, toot, toot,toot on her horn.
I heard all her toots today. 😊

Nice to see sunny skies for two days in a row.
Walked 6 miles
🌷     🌷
Did a few things around the house.
Finished all 70 squares on the current baby blanket and now just
have to sew them all together.  That should take me a couple of days.

In the afternoon we went up to the new house to take a look.
Ronnie was working on the mantel by the gas fire.
A real nice old rustic beam.

Then we walked around Happy Trails.
 A look through the trees at our cabin in the woods.
I was planning on making the new recipe for Salmon Cakes from
the Carrot Cake Murder book for supper.
Then reading the directions over again I realized that the Dill Sauce
recipe that goes along with it had to sit refrigerated for at least
4 hours.  So decided to make it tomorrow and we went out 
to Subway and picked up a sub.

Well, I'm off to get some of those squares sewn together.

Life is Good
Count your blessings
happyone 💕

"When people choose to withdraw far from a fire,
the fire continues to give warmth,
but they grow cold.
When people choose to withdraw far from light,
the light continues to be bright in itself
but they are in darkness.
This is also the case when people withdraw from God."
~ Augustine

Thursday, March 22, 2018

A sunny day

This morning the temperature was 22 degrees and I am happy to say
that no snow was falling from the sky. 
My walk was a cloudy one but the sun did come out later in the day and
we had a nice sunny day.

Walked around town where I could as some of the streets were
still icy.
Stopped at the library and dropped off some books 
and also stopped at the post office to put some mail down the slot.

Only walked 3 1/2 miles because I ran out of time
and we had to leave the house to go to church
for Fingerprint day.

We've been there all day and got 5,000 Romans books put together
and cut.  Didn't count all the people but there must have been at
least 20 people there working.

Before coming home we stopped up at the new house.
All the crown molding is now done and the ceiling painted through the house.
We stayed for a while just walking around in the house and planning
where to put all our things.

That's about it for the day.  It's been a busy day and 
nice to be home to enjoy the evening.

Life is Good
Count your blessings.
happyone  💕

"God's promises area like the stars;
the darker the night the brighter they shine."
~ David Nicholas

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Enjoy the day

Went walking this morning a little later than usual at 7:30.
It was 25 degrees and not snowing yet.
I was limited to where I could walk because the main road through town
had no shoveled sidewalks and there were snow plows around.
Both cemeteries and the ball park had snow too deep for my snow sneakers.
So I walked up and down the two roads that run parallel to the main road.

Wasn't walking very long and the first flew flurries started falling
and before long it was snowing fast and heavy.
I was thinking how weary I am getting of all this snow when I stopped
walking over by the pond and just listened to the quiet and saw once
again the beauty of falling snow.
Spring weather will be here soon but for now I'm going
to enjoy this beautiful snowy day that God has given me.
As usual didn't see anyone else out walking.
Saw a couple Robins and the Killdeers again.
Only walked 3 1/2 miles today.
🌹     🌹
Ken fixed the snow blower and outside we went again and cleared the
driveway.  I guess I'm a bit crazy but I like shoveling snow.
Ken went inside the house after the driveway was cleared
but I stayed outside.
Cleared my swing off and sat there swinging and watching it snow.
Then walked around the yard.
I went underneath the pine trees.
It looks so pretty and cozy under those big trees.

 Also made a snow angel.
Once back in the house I got some work done and then read.

Life is Good
Count your blessings
happyone  💕

Weave in faith and God will find the thread.
~ Unknown

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Happy Spring

This picture was taken the other day when we went to Whispering Pines.
This morning it was 32 degrees and a though the ground was wet there
was some freezing rain falling.
I started out with my umbrella but there were gusts of wind and after
having my umbrella blow inside out a couple of times I went back
home and dropped it off. Then headed out again.  
I soon had a coating of ice on my coat.
The temperature headed a couple of degrees downward
and things were started to get a coat of ice on them so
this time I headed home and stayed there.
Managed to get a 4 1/2 mile walk in.
 Didn't take any pictures while walking.

The freezing rain didn't last very long and before long it was snowing.
This is out my front window.
 We got about 6 inches of snow and it is still snowing.

Ken was out snow blowing the snow off the driveway and I was
shoveling.  The snow blower broke and I ended up shoveling the driveway.
Nothing major was broken and Ken can fix it.

Sure hard to believe this is the first day of spring.

Decided to do some baking and made the Red Velvet Cookies
from the recipe in the book, Carrot Cake Murder.
 The cookies were very good though a bit time consuming to make
and what a mess I made of the kitchen.  I seemed to have batter
all over the place.
You can find the recipe on my recipe blog.

Off now to make Tacos for supper.

Life is Good
Count your blessings.
Happyone 💕

"Let God's promises shine on your problems."
~ Corrie Ten Boom

Monday, March 19, 2018

A day of sushine

A nice calm morning for walking and the temperature was 26.
First walked over to the laundromat to hang up a couple of flyers 
on the bulletin board for church events coming up.
Then walked through town and up Barn Sale Rd a ways.
The cows were all lying down in the hay, 
guess they were having a bit of a lie in this morning. 
 Walked down towards Happy Trails and then turned around and walked
back to town and up the hill to the cemetery.
The sun was just coming over the mountain when I got there.
 The other cemetery and the ball park loop still has snow on the
path and since I was just wearing my regular walking shoes didn't walk there.

Saw a half dozen Red Winged Blackbirds and three Killdeers.
No other people walking about.
Sure enjoyed walking in the sunshine.  😊

Walked 6 miles
🌷     🌷
Took advantage of a sunny day and washed the sheets and hung
them outside on the line.
Temperatures went up in the 50's this afternoon.

 Ken left after breakfast to get some work done on the driveway
up at the new house while I got to work here at the house.

Finished reading Carrot Cake Murder and have copied
a couple more recipes from the book.
When I try them I'll add them to my recipe blog if they come out good.
Red Velvet Cookies, Black Forest Brownies, and Salmon Cakes.

David joined us for half price pizza at Brenda's for supper.
Home now for a nice evening at home.
Hope the weather report is wrong but a day of ice and snow
is predicted for the next two days.
 
Count your blessings.
 Life is Good
happyone  💕

God understands our prayers even when we can't find the words to say them.
~ Unknown

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Baking Cookies

A chilly 16 degrees this morning at 6:45 when I left
on my morning walk.
It was very still out with not even a breeze.
I watched the sun come up.
Took this picture a couple of minutes later.
Walked straight through town and up Barn Sale Rd a little ways,
then down toward Happy Trails, turned around and went back to town.
 I was able to walk around both cemeteries today.
The snow had melted enough that it wasn't too deep for my snow sneakers.
Part of the ball park loop is in a lot of shade so the snow there was 
still too deep.
Nice being able to walk in the sun in again, though it did
disappear behind the clouds once I got home.

Icicles hanging at the library.
Look how thick the ice is on this little branch.
I'm surprised that the branch didn't break off.
Walked 6 miles
🍀     🍀
 By lunch time it was snowing again.
It was kind of dreary outside this afternoon so I thought I'd
try one of the recipes from the book, The Carrot Cake Murder that I'm reading.
But first had to run to the store for white chocolate chips.
The cookies are called Viking Cookies.
Recipe can be found on my recipe blog.

We stopped up at the new house to look around.
The heat is now on.
Crown Molding was down in the basement on saw horses with
the first coat of paint on.

Just going to make some grilled cheese sandwiches for supper tonight.
Then have a nice quiet evening at home.

Life is Good
Count your blessings and have a happy day.
happyone  💕