New Cookbook Out by "Barefeet In the Kitchen"

I follow a lot of cooking blogs, and one of my favorites just published a cookbook. She posted a sample recipe today and it looks and sounds so good you can almost smell it. http://www.barefeetinthekitchen.com/2016/08/sheet-pan-chicken-green-beans-potatoes-recipe.html

I hope you will give it a try. There is also a way to win one of her new cookbooks at the bottom of the above link. Her recipes are super simple, delicious, and quick to prepare.

Lots of things in my life have changed since my last post, but I will save all that for an upcoming post. Let's talk again soon. (much sooner than I have been posting) ;)

Dramatic Changes

I can't believe it's been a year and a half since I last posted on here. What a lot has happened in that time.

No, I haven't gone back to glassworking (lampwork made with a propane torch), or done much with my other arts, but I am thinking more about art and trying to get my house in shape to be able to work on jewelry more and get my brain back in painting mode.

My brain has also been cogitating on the idea of writing some sort of fiction piece based on some of the crazy things that have happened in my life. Maybe it has more to do with the fact I am now 61 and thinking more about past accomplishments (few and far between), and interesting things that have happened. I think my granddaughters and soon to arrive grandson might enjoy reading some of the things that have occurred, without naming names.

My beautiful boy, Baby.

My 17 year-old kitty Baby had his nose put out of joint a couple months back when I added an adorable little silky beauty, named Sally, to our lives. Baby was so put out by her being in his house he pretty much refused to come back indoors. This really suited him fine since summer was his favorite time of year. Back when I first moved into my home I wrote a bit about the "fun" of moving with cats, including his refusal to stay indoors, in spite of the fact he was an indoor cat. Over the past few years he had determined he liked the outdoors far more than he liked being a "house cat."

The sweet silky  little girl, Sally.

Nearly four days ago (now) he vanished. With him being 17, I knew he was not going to be around much longer, but I had hoped he would be kind enough to let me know when he was departing. His vanishing precipitated my ex-son-in-law coming over and shining a very bright light into all the spaces under my house. He was nowhere to be found. Not knowing is the worst thing imaginable, although I would not have liked to find his body, I would just rather know what happened. We have many wild animals nearby including bald eagles, coyotes and raccoons.

Take good care of our momma!

He never wandered far from home. The biggest distance I had seen him go was about 1/2 block well after dark, I was sitting at my daughter's house chatting with her in the car, and he came looking to see what was holding up his dinner. He was the best boyfriend I ever had, and I have grieved him for several days. Today I find I am at peace with whatever the outcome will be. If he has gone off somewhere and died I know what joy he brought into my life and how loved and spoiled he was. If he has wandered away, and decides to return, I will of course welcome him with much love and more spoiling. I know he hated Sally being in his space, but he had also come to accept her as a part of our lives. He knew he had not left me alone, but with a new little love who will take care of me for him.

Playing

My daughter is working on her teaching degree and gets a student discount on computer programs through her university. She let me work in Adobe Photoshop6 yesterday and I had fun. Wait until I really get going. In the meantime you can see a photo of my granddaughter, Cassie, I tweaked a bit, as well as one of my sweet 15.5 year old kitty, Baby.

Burgers, grandkids and fun!

As you can see by the photos, my grandgirls have fun wherever they go.
They are naturally energetic, outgoing, and LOUD!
My daughter says her home is never quiet, but on days when the girls' friends are around the decibel level is even higher. She says it wouldn't be a big deal, except she is now taking college courses online and trying to think with the kids going full bore isn't even a remote possibility.

So, in order to induce food comas and a bit more peace and quiet we take them across the street where we live and visit one of our favorite hamburger "joints," Hwy. 101 Burger
The girls have a fascination with writing on the tires which are used as table bases and advertising, with paint markers. You will see many I "heart" Vance, the owner of Hwy. 101 Burger, and many instances of Cassie loves Shayla, Neena loves everyone, etc.
From the first time we took Cassie to Hwy. 101 Burger, she fell in love with the owner, Vance. Who can blame her, he really is a very sweet guy. She even had her last birthday party there. She and Vance are in the planning stages of their first holiday party, complete with a free gift exchange and food for all the kids in attendance.

Not only are there amazingly good, hand-formed burger patties, but the best fries in town! He hand cuts all the fries, and hand forms every single burger patty. Several days a week there are optional add-ins like bacon, jalapenos, and pastrami. Needless to say we pop in there for a bite quite often. The prices are reasonable, starting at $5 for a burger, fries and a drink.
If you ask Cassie where she wants to go out to eat, it is either a pancake day, or a burger day. On burger days, there is no choice in her mind, or ours.

Our lunches or dinners spent at Hwy. 101 Burger may be any assortment of our family members as well as various kid-friends of our sweet girls. When you want to go somewhere with reasonable prices and darned good food in Lincoln City, Oregon, you can't beat Hwy. 101 Burger! Tell Vance my friend Cassie told me to stop by!

My granddaughter is an internet star!

My granddaughter Athena and her cousin Kat went to Kumoricon 2012 in Vancouver, Washington last week. My daughter Tess and I made Athena's costume, and we thought they looked great. Little did we know that a lot of other people did, too. One fan even posted this photo of them on their photo-blog. I thought I would brag about her and share the photo with you. You totally rocked it Athena!

Pictures from Rita

Click here to view these pictures larger

Eric the "Mad Scientist"

My oldest granddaughter, Athena, is really into Steampunk. Knowing this I looked high and low for something for her birthday this year. I found a fabulous pair of authentic vintage welders goggles in the original metal case for a relatively reasonable price. I intended to give them to her on her birthday, but of course "lost" them temporarily. Trust me on this one, that is super easy in my house. I have a "collecting" problem, not exactly hoarding, but very nearly. When I found them again, I called her to have her stop by so I could present them to her. She fell instantly in love with them, and toted them home. She left them sitting on the front of the hand-made hutch that used to be in my mom and dad's house, but now lives at my daughter's home. A week or so ago my son-in-law, Eric, walked past the hutch and noticed the little metal case and wondered what was inside. Upon opening it he put them on, just to try them out and see what they actually were. My daughter snapped this great photo of him, Eric the "Mad Scientist."