A cool walk and chocolate cake

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Another cool morning - this time 44 degrees.  The sun was out again and some low hanging clouds settled in a few places too.

I walked down through town and around two of the cemeteries and then headed down towards HT.  Passed up the turn off and then came back to town and home.

A couple of rabbits ran across the street in front of me and a man was out walking his two little dogs.

Ken passed me on his way to Ron's who is our neighbor at HT and gave me a toot. : )  He went to help Ron dig a ditch to bury some pipe.

I don't know what these little blue/violet weeds/wildflowers are but think they are very pretty and there are quite a few of them growing by the little town pond.

A nice crisp morning walk. : )
I walked 5.5 miles.

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Finished up a couple of things around the house that I didn't get to yesterday and then I decided to make a chocolate cake.

My friend Connie told me that the recipe on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa is a good one so I tried that.  I already have a couple of very good chocolate cake recipes but you can never have too many. : ) 

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup boiling water

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla on medium speed for two minutes.
Stir in boiling water - batter will be thin.
Pour into two 9 inch round pans and bake 30 - 35 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean) in a 350 degree oven.
Cool completely before icing.

I used a 9 x 12 inch baking pan and baked it for 35 minutes.

Strange that there was a light spot in the middle of it which looks like a butterfly or bow tie to me.  : ) 

The icing I used was also on the back of the can.  Yummy it is very good.

Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting.

 1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter.  Stir in cocoa.  Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating after each on medium speed to spreading consistency.  Add more milk, if needed. (I didn't)
Stir in vanilla.  Makes about 2 cups frosting.

If you are a chocolate lover this cake is for you.

I had a tiny little taste and despite that light color in the middle of the cake it is I one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever tasted. 
No ice cream for my snack tonight.  It will be a decent sized piece of cake.  : )
If you're reading this Connie, Thanks for letting me know about the recipe. 

I mowed the lawn this afternoon.  I'm wondering if it will be the last time for the year.  Then I starting cutting down the dead daisies in the front yard.  I filled up one large garbage can.  Still have a lot to go but feel good that I got a start on it.

Then it was rest time and I sat on the porch and did some reading. 
It's been a good productive day again and that makes me happy.
Hope your day has been a good one too.
Life is Good.
happyone : )

Some things have to be believed to be seen.

~ Ralph Hodgson

At home cleaning

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It was 48 degrees this morning and once the sun came up it stayed out in a pretty blue sky.  Though it was on the cool side this was my perfect walking weather.  I like the feel of the cool crisp air with the sun on my face.  It just doesn't get better than that. : )

I walked my around the town route.   I'll have to take a walking picture tour of that route some day like I did the Farm Loop.

Thought I'd see a few of people out walking or running on such a pretty morning, but just saw one person running and he was someone that I've never seen before.

The horses were out at the pond by the Drane house.  They didn't come over to me but did turn around to take a look.

By the time I got home it had warmed up to the mid 50's and later in the day it was in the 60's with a beautiful bright blue sky.
Walked 5.3 miles.
Found a penny. : )

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 Though I wanted to go to Happy Trails with Ken today I stayed home and did some house cleaning.  I was outside hanging clothes up on the line when I noticed my neighbor right behind me picking apples from the trees but it was the wrong neighbor.  : )  It was Ron, our neighbor at HT.  I went over to talk to him and he told me that Bob, our neighbor here said he could take all the apples he wanted.  Ron picks up the apples and feeds the deer. 

I got a good deal of my housework done today and then read awhile out on the front porch.  I'm reading the second book in the Outlander series.  I'm about half done.  I started it a while ago but had to put it aside to get the book club selections read first.  Glad to get back to the Dragonfly in Amber.

We ended up going out for pizza at Brenda's for supper this evening.  They had stopped with the half price pizza on Monday and I thought now that Labor Day is over they might go back to it, and sure enough they did. : )

Well that's it for today.
Hope your Monday was a happy one.
happyone : )

It is a happy talent to know how to play.

~ Ralf Waldo Emerson

Wonderful Word

Oh, Wonderful Word

Oh, wonderful, wonderful

Word of the Lord.

True wisdom its pages unfold;

And though we may read them a 

thousand times o'er,

They never, no never grow old.

Each line hath a treasure,

each promise a pearl,

That all if they will may secure,

And we know that when time

and the world pass away,

God's Word shall forever endure.

Oh, wonderful, wonderful

Word of the Lord!

The lamp that our Father above

So kindly has lighted to teach us the way

That leads to the arms of His love.

Its warnings, its counsels,

are faithful and just;

Its judgements are perfect and pure;

And we know that when time

and world pass away,

God's Word shall forever endure.

Oh, wonderful, wonderful

Word of the Lord!

Our only salvation is there;

It carries conviction down deep

in the heart,

And shows us ourselves as we are.

It tells of a Savior,

and points to the cross,

Where pardon we now may secure;

For we know that when time 

and the world pass away,

God's Word shall forever endure.

Oh, wonderful, wonderful, 

Word of the Lord! 

The hope of our friends in the past;

Its truth, where so firmly they

anchored their trust,

Through ages eternal shall last.

Oh, wonderful, wonderful 

Word of the Lord!

Unchanging, abiding and sure;

For we know that when time 

and the world pass away,

God's Word shall forever endure.

 ~ Fanny Crosby

 

A blessed Sunday to you all my friends.

Jesus loves you, the Bible tells you so.

happyone : )

A day out

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58 degrees this morning.  When I first left if of course was still dark but it was cloudy.  After a while I felt a light drizzle and it drizzled for most of my walk.  Very light though and I only got a bit damp.  It finally stopped with a bout a mile more to go.

I walked my around town route.  The only picture I took this morning is the one above and it is the little pond down by the Drane House.  Nothing else caught my eye.

Very quiet early this Saturday morning and I didn't see any people about.

Saw quite a few geese flying above me.  Some going north/west and some going south, all making quite a racket. : )  It was like no one could decide on the best route to take.

Walked 5.2 miles.

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Even though it looked like rain we headed out to go to New Centerville, Pa for the Farmers & Threshermens Jubilee but the weather got worse so on the way we decided not to go and made a quick change of plans.  At the Jubilee last year was when we first saw a rock crusher and knew we needed one. : )  Today we stopped in at a country store called Country Charm and just had a look around.  They have lots and lots of decorating country things - I love it all. 

We continued on to Uniontown and went to the Hobby Lobby and had a look around there too.  Had lunch in Olive Garden and on the way back home stopped in an antique store that we pass many times but have never stopped until today.  Glad we did.  It looks like a little store but it is big once you get inside and wonder into all the rooms.  I found a couple little things that I bought.
A blue plate to put up with the rest of the blue plates in the kitchen and a cute little bird.

Here's a better picture of the bird.  Isn't he cute?!

When we got back home a did a little reading.  It's been a very nice day. : )

I've been knitting on my scarf project and got three more of them done.  This makes 6 of them.

Hope you have enjoyed your day too.
A happy day to you.
happyone : )

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station,

through which God speaks to us every hour,

if we will only tune it.

~ George Washington Carver

Comment replies:
Marianna - No, not exactly alter calls but our pastor does ask if your not sure you are going to heaven when you die and you what to know for certain, that someone will show you from the Bible how you can know. 

One daisy

Hangin' in there!  : )

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58 degrees this morning and a bit foggy when I walked.

It is dark now when I leave for my walk and I'm not sure when hunting season starts but I've started wearing my bright orange sweat shirt while walking so I will be sure to be seen.

I walked the Farm Loop and a loop around town.  In the picture off to the right is Farmer Bill's farm.  All quiet around the farm loop and the whole way only 2 cars passed by me.

I found the first coins of the month this morning - a quarter and a dime.  Pretty good for just two coins.
Walked 5.2 miles.

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Jesse, a  man from our church died Tuesday morning.  He was 90 years old and a kind and gentle man.   He had not been well for the past year and even though it was expected it was still sad, BUT we know he is now in Heaven, happy and well again.  This morning we went to his funeral.  Jesse would have been happy to know that at his funeral another was lead to the Lord and was saved. : )

This afternoon Ken went up to Happy Trails and I stayed home and got some garden work done.  Cut down all the cone flowers in the front of the house by the sunflowers and did some weeding.  I'll be cutting down the sunflowers there in the next day or so.  I'm going to dry the seeds and feed them to the birds during the winter.

When work in the garden was finished for the day, it was nice to sit on the porch and do a little reading waiting for Ken to come home.  Then we made nachos for supper and ate them sitting on the porch.

Hope your day has been a good one and you smiled often.
happyone : )

He who has faith has...

an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence,

calmness, and assuring trust that all will come out well -

even though to the world it may appear to come out most badly.

~ B C Forbes