Nittany Inspirations

2011-11-13T01:03:00.000-05:00

We Are Like Glass

Deut. 6:8 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Glass is the reminder of the strength and fragility that exists in every one of us.
Like glass, we are beautiful and luminous.
Like glass, we are fragile and shatter without care.
Like glass, we are also strong and powerful.
Like glass, we shield and protect those around us.
Like glass, we are reflections of our past.
Like the sands of glass, we can come together, help each other and accomplish amazing things.
Take care of the beauty and strength within yourself and within everyone around you.

I am linking this to the blog, Spiritual Sundays. Click on their name to view the posts.

Sixth Photo Tag from Mid-Atlantic Martha

2010-04-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

Martha at Mid-Atlantic Martha just tagged me a whole ago. I thought I already responded, but I found this post under my drafts, so I guess it didn't get posted. Be sure and visit Martha's blog. I'm sure you will enjoy it. I'm supposed to post the sixth picture in the sixth folder. Then tag six other people. (That's probably why it didn't get posted.) So I'm just going to ask everyone to participate if you would like to post a photo.

This is a photo of me, (Were you all wondering what I looked like?) and my two step-sisters, Norma and Nancy.

This is a wonderful amazing story of how we met. My mother and their father had been married for over 30 years and we had never met. We had moved from our home to a new town 2 hours away. I thought, here I am not knowing a single soul.

I got a phone call from Norma, saying that she needed my help with the Mom and Dad. (Long story I won't go into here.) Anyway, it turns out that Nancy lives in the next town down the road from me and Norma lives not too far away either. In fact, Norma worked in the same block that I did and we often had the opportunity to have lunch together.

Who would have thought that I would have found family in this new town I moved to? My mother has since passed away. Dad is living in assisted living near Norma.

This picture was taken on father's day when we all took take Dad out to dinner.

Another side story, not related to this picture: I was hosting a clam bake at my house. When I went to introduce my neighbors to Dad, the neighbor took one look at him and said his name. They worked together 50 years ago. Small world, isn't it?

Bedscapes and Beyond - April 2010

2010-04-12T18:26:00.000-04:00

I'm featuring two nurseries this month. I love the murals. One is a soft color that can grow with the baby.

This mural has bold fun colors, sure to make baby happy.

To share your bedscapes, make sure your post is up before you link up. Leave a comment. Thanks.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

2010-03-23T21:00:00.000-04:00

I'm linking to Susan's Outdoor Wednesday at a Southern Daydreamer. To see other outdoor posts, click the link.

Harrisburg hosts a St. Patrick's Day Parade. I didn't know there were so many bagpipe groups or Irish dancing troupes in the area.

I think those curls are so cute.

Day of Caring - Part 3

2010-03-10T22:16:00.005-05:00

I'm linking up to Tablescape Thursday, hosted by Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. Click on the link to see other tablescapes.

I've posted about our church's Day of Caring, where we acknowledged the dedication of caregivers of the disabled, when our church was transformed into a spa and tea room. Click here for the first post.

We hosted 60 women. Here are some tablescapes that were done at the luncheon. Each table hostess was responsible for bringing her own table setting and centerpiece. Aren't they lovely?

Inside the napkin on the table above was a small tube of hand lotion as a favor.

I love the bishop hat napkins.

Click here to see the table which I hosted.

St. Patrick's Day Tea

2010-03-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

I'm linking to The Silken Purse. She is hosting Wednesday Tea For Me and Thee. You must check it out. It's a beautiful blog with beautiful photos.

Welcome to my St. Patrick's tea. The Irish really love their tea, and are amoungst the most frequent drinkers of tea around the world. I'm serving Twinnings Irish Breakfast tea. It is best taken with milk and sweetened to taste to bring out the best flavor.

I'm letting it steep in my Mother's antique green teapot.

I found this set at a yard sale last summer. I picked up a set for two for $3.00. I thought the pattern had a celtic design.

A perfect accompanyment to the tea are these new Girl Scout cookies, Thank You Berry Munch, out for the first time this year. They have cranberries in the cookies. Yum.

I have been looking for a pot to keep the lepracons gold. Goodwill had this little ceramic pot last week. The chocolate coins are perfect.

The centerpiece is a small shamrock plant with a decorative wooden pick.

The tablecloth was purchased at TJ Maxx.

Bedscapes and Beyond #5

2010-03-08T19:30:00.002-05:00

Since I only have two bedrooms, and most people only have 3 to 4, I think this meme goes better with a monthly linky party than a weekly party. Therefore, I will link up for the second Tuesday of every month. The link will be up actually the second Monday evening.

This bedscape is from an open house. Euro shams serve as the headboard. They match the coverlet. Crisp white sheets and pillow cases complete the bedding.

I love this little white decorative pillow.

The walls are a similar color as my own bedroom. I love the gauzy cheesecloth bed curtains. I'm still out on having them puddle on the floor. The look fine, but I have visions of them getting sucked up in the vacuum. lol

I love the molding and the large baseboards.

To link up with your own bedscape:

First, post your own bedscape.

Click on the title of your post, not the title of your blog. That's what people call your permalink.

Click on "Your Next" and enter your name and/or blog name. Then enter the url you just copied of the post.

Be sure to leave a comment and create a link to my blog. Thanks so much.

Day of Caring - Part 2

2010-03-04T07:05:00.004-05:00

Thank you Susan for hosting Tablescape Thursday. To see other tablescapes, go to her blog at Between Naps on the Porch.

I posted about our church's Day of Caring earlier this week. We had a lunch for ladies who were care givers to their disabled family members. I was a table host. This is my table, along with other tables set for the event.

The church supplied the tablecloth. I took my Franciscan desert rose china, grandmas flatware and my silver piecies.

I put iced tea spoons in my Princess House glass holder.

Fresh flowers surround a pillar candle, as well as the tapers and tiny votives.

I you are interested in holding a day of caring, email me and I'll send you the planning notes.

Bedscapes and Beyond #4

2010-03-01T18:57:00.006-05:00

This lovely bedroom in pink and white is by designer Phoebe Howard. It's all girlie without being too childish.

To link up your own bedroom bedscape, submit your own post first. Enter your information at the bottom. Don't forget to leave a comment here. Thanks.

Day of Caring

2010-02-28T21:39:00.007-05:00

This past Saturday our church hosted a day to recognize and honor the women who are caretakers to disabled family members. There were 60 women from all over the surrounding communities who attended. Refreshments were served during registration, services in the morning, followed by a luncheon. Then the pampering began. The church was turned into a spa.

In between spa sessions, the tea room was open. I have been collecting tea cups and everything to go with a tea. I was delighted when asked to supply items toward this day. It was a lot of work, but I had so much fun. About half of those tea cups are mine. I brought in tea pots, too, which were used for decoration.

I supplied scones and cucumber sandwiches. Many other delicacies were donated by church members and commercial bakeries.

Spa services which were being offered included makeup application, full and chair massage, and manicures.

Hair was cut and styled. Foot soaks, hot paraffin treatment for the hands. Outside volunteers were detailing cars.

I hosted a table during lunch. These women were so deserving of this special day. One young mom at my table has a child with autism. Another woman cared for her elderly husband and another had many foster children with special needs. I was the one who received the blessing of serving.

I will link to Mosaic Monday over at Little Red House. Click on the link to see other mosaics.

I will also have Bedscapes and Beyond meme up tomorrow night for the party on Tuesday.

Bedscapes and Beyond #3

2010-02-21T21:14:00.003-05:00

I attended a Women's Retreat earlier this month. It took place in a rustic lodge. I though this log look furniture was perfect for a woodsy lodge. I had the bottom bunk. The rooms were all configured with a queen bed and the bunk beds. Every room had it's own bath. The lodge was just built and opened in January.

To share your bedscapes:
First post your photos.
Then click on the title of that specific post, not the title of your blog.
Click on the http: address at the top. This is your permalink to the bedscape post.
Then go to the link at the bottom and enter your name and link.

Don't forget to comment and visit all the other posts. Enjoy and get inspired.

February Cloche Party

2010-02-19T07:20:00.002-05:00

Marty is hosting a cloche party at her blog A Stroll Thru Life. Click on the link to get tons of inspiration.

I only have two new cloches I acquired since the last party. The top is a bell jar. The bottom photo is a bee skep I just found at Salvation Army for $1.99. I have been eyeing these at Hearth & Plow, but didn't want to spend that much. I can't wait to put in my flower bed.

Bedscapes and Beyond #2

2010-02-15T19:53:00.010-05:00

My guest room has very pale blue walls. Bedding is chocolate brown and aqua blue.

Sorry I'm late posting. I really do have company tonight. My step sister is staying over in the guest room. She lives out of town and yet another snow storm is here. I gave her a warm throw, turned back the covers for her....

... and put out a pair of slippers.

My bedding came from K-Mart. The oil painting over the bed was my mothers. The colors match perfectly. Lamps from Marshalls at $28 each, including the shades. Decorative pillows from TJ Maxx.

The end table was purchased at a flea market for $15. It was an ugly green with wooden knobs. I painted it a dark brown and put nickle handles on it.

The end table on the other side was a Target item donated to the thrift store. The bottom is a file cabinet.

Drapes from K-Mart on nickel rods.

I love the trim on the pillows.

The large mirror was my aunts. I know the gold finish is out of style now, but it is very old and I didn't want to change it out. DH gave me the vase with the faux pussy willow for my birthday. He did good.

An antique olive wood offering plate holds potpourri.

I purchased this at TJ Maxx. I don't know why my walls look beige in this photo.

This frame was being thrown out at work. I knew I could use it. I purchased a roll of wallpaper at a thrift store. I used some of the wallpaper to cover cardboard magazine holders. I though the brown went well in the room so I framed a section of wallpaper.

Please share your bedscapes, too. Once you post your own bedscape, click on the title of your post, not the title of your main blog to link up.

Back Tab Drapes Tutorial

2010-02-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

I'm linking up to Smiling Sally's Blue Monday, and to Susan's Metamorphosis Monday. Thank you ladies for hosting. Click on the link to see other posts.

I have another pair of drapes which have tab on the back. I found these blue drapes at the Thrift Shop. Since I have the sheers on the same pole, I didn't want to use rings in the blue drapes. I have another pair of drapes which have a tab on the back, as opposed to the top. I though that would work for these. This is how I created tabs on the back.

I already had this wide ribbon and I purchased a tube of E-6000 glue.

I cut six pieces of ribbon just a little longer than the top of the drapes.

I glued them on the back over where the pleats were. Leave some space for the pole to go through.

Just slide them on a drapery rod. Voila! No need to buy rings.

Valentines Day Table

2010-02-11T00:44:00.007-05:00

I'm linking to two parties. Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie is hosting a Valentine Party. Susan is hosting Tablescape Thursday. Click on the links to take you to see other posts.

I layered my table with a red tablecloth and a white crocheted table cloth. White chargers, white dinner plates, red napkins and white salad plates were used at the place settings, as well as my everyday Oneida flatware and glass water goblets. I also used white candlesticks, with red tapers.

The little Pier 1 love bird salt and pepper shakers look perfect on the table.

I made this heart at the ladies retreat this past weekend.

For my wedding, the theme was calla lilies. A friend gave me this little heart-shaped ceramic box with calla lilies along with her wedding gift to me. It always reminds me of my wedding day.

At Christmas I called this an angel. For Valentines Day, I'll call it a cherub, holding a little heart name tag.

I hope to replace this candle with some flowers on the 14th.

UPDATE: Feb 14th. I got my flowers from DH.

Sugar cookies for dessert. DH rolled them out and baked them. I decorated them. I picked up this server at the thrift shop.

This is a sparkly heart wreath on my front door. I purchased it at CVS.

I also purchased those little conversation hearts, and had them in a little apothecary jar. However, they all disappeared. I guess I need to buy that candy at the last minute. I couldn't even run out to the store and get more since we are snowed in today. Have a happy Valentines Day.

Winter Wonderland at Womens Retreat

2010-02-10T09:23:00.005-05:00

I'm linking to Susan's Outdoor Wednesday party. Go on over to her blog, A Southern Daydreamer to check out other outdoor photos. I bet we'll see a lot of winter scenes today.

I have been away a lot these last couple of weeks. One of the events I attended this past weekend was a women's retreat sponsored by our church. On Friday we left at the beginning of a snow storm. By that evening and the next day, we were snowed in at our lovely lodge. We had a wonderful weekend of fun, food and fellowship. These are some photos outside of the lodge.

This is the caretaker's house, taken from the lodge.

The caretaker's dog, Sofie, liked to romp in the snow.

Bedscapes and Beyond #1

2010-02-08T20:18:00.005-05:00

I recently painted my bedroom a calm taupe. Before that it was red. I needed a nice calm room. The room has hardwood floors. I had leftover carpet remnants which I used as area rugs. The small cream table was purchased at a thrift store. The lamps were inherited from my aunt. The metal piece over the bed has been painted many colors. I spray painted it cream and then glazed it brown. I posted the finial before. It was purchased at a thrift store and repainted and glazed.

The above is what my bed looks like right after I make it. Below is two minutes later.

To share your bedscape, click on the title to that particular post. Copy the link into the box, not your general blog address. Please leave a comment and a link to this meme. Thanks so much for sharing.

Bedscapes and Beyond Tomorrow

2010-02-08T07:17:00.002-05:00

Don't forget to link up to the party. Mr. Linky will be up this evening.

Seven Crazy Things About Me

2010-01-24T00:19:00.006-05:00

Jennifer from Sanctuary Arts passed this award to me with the requirement that I tell 7 crazy things about me. She has a wonderful blog with great tutorials. Here are my facts:

1. Does anyone remember McCrory's 5&10? My grandmother was housekeeper for the McCrorys, the people who founded the chain. They also farmed and my father and grandfather worked on the farm. My parents lived with my maternal grandparents on theMcCrory estate when I was born. Our family isn't wealthy, never were, never will be, but they were exposed to fabulous wealth. I learned to set a formal table when I was in third grade.

2. I used to bite my fingernails until a few years ago when I had some dental work. Now I can't. Who knew?

3. I have the nicest neighbors in the world. We met most of them when we walk our little dog around the block. We moved into our house one May, that August we had a cook-out with twenty people attending. My next-door neighbor said, "How do you know so many people? I've lived here 32 years and you know more people than I do." -- Just introduce yourself.

4. I have been homeless. I lost my home in a fire in 1979. I was a single mom with 2 grade school children. I stayed with friends, in a motel for three days, and then with a pastor and his family for 2 weeks until I got a home. The home belonged to a realtor I went to church with and she let me move in even before it closed. What started as a tragedy, turned out to be such a blessing when not only friends and coworkers, but casual acquaintances, and even perfect strangers provided me with clothes, housewares, love and prayers.

5. Last fall, I decided to let myself go gray and I quit coloring my hair. I was at the supermarket, putting three bags of groceries from my cart into my car. A woman in a minivan next to me, rolled down her window and asked me if I needed any help. I said, no thanks. Then I thought to myself, why did she ask me that? To my uttermost shock, I realized she asked me that because she though I was old and not up to lifting a bag of groceries. I am now coloring my hair again.

6. I don't sleep. My typical night's sleep is 4 to 6 hours.

7. A bonus. Click here to read 10 more facts which I posted before.

This needs to be passed along. So pick up the award and tell 7 crazy things about yourself.

A New Party - Bedscapes and Beyond

2010-01-23T23:05:00.002-05:00

I'm having a new party - Bedscapes and Beyond.

I heard the term "bedscapes" and it reminded me of the popular party where bloggers love to show their tablescapes. Nobody is having a party where we get to show off our beautiful bedding, all those handmade quilts, our lovely sheets, decorative pillows, etc. Well, I thought I would fill this much needed niche. I will give everyone time to spread the word and come up with a post. The first bedscape will be

Tuesday, February 9th.

I'll put the link up the evening before. I would appreciate it if you would post my badge and lets get the word out so we can have fun and get some ideas. Master bedrooms, childrens rooms, nurserys and any other bedroom pictures beyond the bed is OK.

Denim Floral Tablescape

2010-01-21T00:22:00.005-05:00

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch hosts Tablescape Thursday. Click on the link to see other tablescapes.

Everything you see here, except for the flatware, was purchased at thrift stores. I started with a pale yellow tablecloth. The china pattern is Denim Floral by American Atelier which has blue and white floral and gingham.

The photo above shows the table set with nice big soup bowls on the dinner plates.

The photo below show a salad plate on the dinner plate. Sorry for the glare. I wasn't even using flash.

Cobalt blue votives, match the blue goblets.

Look how those napkins match the floral trim on the china.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T03:17:00.002-05:00

Wishing all my blogging friends a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Blessings to all.

Extreme Sheep LED Art

2009-12-22T18:41:00.005-05:00

View this extreme sheep LED art. Although these LED lights aren't on greens, they are LED lights and I think you will be amazed to view this short video. I'm linking to Susan's Outdoor Wednesday. Click here to see other outdoor/Christmas decorations.

I do have my own Christmas decorations posted. Just keep scrolling down to see those as well.

Christmas House Tour

2009-12-19T23:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my home. Come on in and I'll show you around.

My tree has a poinsettia theme. I have a poinsettia star on the top, silk poinsettias and ribbon with a poinsettia design.

I also have the tree full of crystal icicles which I have been collecting for years.

Can you believe, I found this electric fireplace at a yard sale for $40. I have a ceramic village on the mantel. An appliqued quilt is hanging above the fireplace.

My nativity set is displayed on top of the entertainment center.

DH loves the nutcrackers. I had the center one and just purchased the two tall ones at a thrift shop for $2.00 each.

This is my angel collection. I didn't intentionally set out to collect angels, most are gifts. I realized that I did have a small collection, so I displayed them together.

I purchased the angel below at Macy's in NYC.

When the candles are lit, this little brass chime tinkles. Luckily, I found that when placed on the window sill, the heat from the baseboard heater activates it.

My dining chandelier has three different garlands and more of the crystal icicles.

In the photo below I have two different garlands over the china cupboard and a cute wooden snowman.

Moving into the kitchen, I put a garland over the kitchen cupboard.

We were snowed in today, so I spent the day baking. I made snickerdoodles, chocolate-peanut butter fudge, scones, and wonderful little loaves of a festive cake that Prudent & Practical posted on Foodie Friday.

Christmas Tablescape

2009-12-16T23:05:00.006-05:00

We had another couple over for dinner Wednesday evening. I set the table in a Christmas theme. The red tablecloth was just purchased at Target for $10.

The silver chargers were found at a thrift store for 25 cents each. Flatware is my everyday Oneida.

The plates were at Salvation Army for about $3.00 for the service for four.

A salad bowl was included in the set.

Coffee mugs were included, too. The glasses with holly were also thrift store finds. They were Arbys Christmas collection 1986.

I had this little tea light holder for years. I have also been collecting Christmas napkin rings. I like having a mismatched assortment.

Fresh greens are arranged in the silverplated bowl which is also a thrift store find. The candle sticks, thrift store again. Candles were from a yard sale. I have had those little figurines for decades.

I have three layers of garland around the chandelier. Hanging from the fixture are crystal icicles.

This post is linked to Tablescape Thursday. Go on over to Between Naps on the Porch to see Susan's beautiful tablescape and all the others who have joined her party.

Santa Collection

2009-12-07T22:16:00.006-05:00

Susan from Thoughts from over the rainbow is hosting another Deck the Halls party. Click here to go check out other Christmas decorations.

I have a few Santas I have collected. Above is my traditional red Santa. Below is one wearing an elegant white coat.

I just got this kitchen Santa this past Saturday at a church bazaar. I only paid $3.00 for him.

This is a ceramic gingerbread house.

The ceramic cupcake holds little spreader knives. Since we like cheese balls during the holidays, I will be putting these to use.

This star is made out of garden bamboo stakes sprayed silver. I did not make this, but the decoration committee at our church did. I though this was such a cleaver idea, I thought I would share.

Sunday night a group from our church went caroling. This darling sleigh is parked on the porch of a nursing home we went to. I'm sure Santa has a lot of goodies in there for the nice folks we visited.

Deck the Halls - Gingerbread House

2009-11-30T21:25:00.005-05:00

Susan over at Thoughts from over the rainbow is hosting a Deck the Halls party. Click the link to go to other holiday decoration posts.

I have not started decorating for Christmas yet. I believe I should have Thanksgiving over before I start on the Christmas. However, my little grandson remembered decorating a gingerbread house last year and asked me if we could decorate another this year. Of course, that was our first Christmas project.

The two smallest cousins worked on the house all by themselves while the adults checked out the adds for sales.

The hard part was not eating all the candy before it went on the house.

I'll post more next week.

Alan Grant Poem

2009-11-22T08:59:00.005-05:00

I would like to thank Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays. You must click on the link to take you to other spiritual posts. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

The Difference

I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day;

I had so much to accomplish that I didn't have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me, and heavier came each task.

"Why doesn't God help me? I wondered.

He answered, "You didn't ask."

I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on gray and bleak.

I wondered why God didn't show me;

He said, "But you didn't seek."

I tried to come into God's presence; I used all my keys at the lock.

God gently and lovingly childed, "My child, you didn't knock."

I woke up early this morning, and paused before entering the day.

I had so much to accomplish, I had to take time to pray.

-Alan Grant

My Favorite Things Party - November 19

2009-11-18T21:11:00.000-05:00

Melissa at 320 Sycamore is hosting My Favorite Things party, just like Oprah. What a good idea, Melissa. I love to be able to be tipped off to things you all love, especially if I can afford it. Not having Oprah's income, I like that real people are listing their favorite things. Click on the 320 Sycamore link to check out everyone's favorites. Here are some of mine.

1. Debbie Meyer Green Bags. They really work and pay for themselves by absorbing and removing the ethylene gas which causes fruits and vegetables to spoil. You can buy these in stores, on TV or at http://www.greenbags.com/.

2. Chenille socks. OK, Oprah beat me on listing them, but whey really are wonderful. The plusher and longer the better. Don't make the mistake in getting the really short ones as they come off.

3. Chicken Marsala at Carrabbas Italian Grill - This is a chain with over 200 locations. If you have a Carrabbas anywhere near you, go there and order their chicken marsala. It is my favorite restaurant dish in the world. We went there last week. Kerri was our waitress. I thought I took a picture of the Chicken Marsala, but when I went to upload it, it wasn't there.

4. Stash Chai spice black tea with a spoonful of Splenda and a splash of French Vanilla Creamora. Yum.

5. Velvet covered clothes hangers are on my favorite list. They really keep all my tops secure and they don't take up as much space as the plastic ones.

6. Is there anyone out there that hasn't tried these? They certainly are magic. Things I have tried to clean and though they needed painting or just thrown out certainly have become cleaned. The only thing you have to watch out is that they clean too well, so don't rub your wall too hard or the paint will come off.

Of course my most favorite things are intangible items. Blessings.

To cut an onion.

2009-11-11T23:00:00.000-05:00

We often talk about simplifying our lives. Ads will tell us that if we purchase their product, our life will be easier. Others say that eliminating the unnecessary stuff we have will make our life simpler. I thought about this the other day when I went to chop an onion.

Cutting an onion is something I may do two or three times per week. I will grab my chef's knife and a cutting board and chop the onion. I have other options in my kitchen for doing this job. However, even if I choose to use another implement, I still must cut the ends off and take the outer papery skin off.

The Vadalia chopper is my mother-in-law's favorite. She said how much she liked it, so I went out and purchased one, too. I had a very hard time pushing the top down through the onion, so much so that I had to step on the top. That's not my idea of how to use a kitchen utensil. Perhaps it will work better with another type of food. I'll keep it for a little while longer and give it another chance. Again it's taking up room and it's not the easiest thing to clean.

I like a mandolin when I need a lot of nice thin slices. This is a keeper, but I don't use it that much.

The hand chopper is used when I need a lot chopped.

I do not have a food processor. I found it took up too much space and was more work to clean than it was worth, so I got rid of it.

Do you like gadgets or have a lot of utensils? What do you use?

The BBQ Song

2009-11-06T13:00:00.003-05:00

This is different than most Foodie Friday posts, in that it's not a recipe, but an ode to southern barbecue. You'll be glad you watched. Enjoy.

Click on the Designs by Gollum's Foodie Friday link to see actual recipes.

Second Time Around - 11/3

2009-11-02T21:31:00.009-05:00

I'm showing my 2nd hand treasures. If you would like to see other bloggers 2nd hand treasures click the link to go to A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words.

The best find in a long time was this tripod, on half price day. I only paid $3.00 for it. There was a case and a lens, too.

My step-sister collects cobalt blue bottles. I think these are very unique. The horseshoe one on the left was only 25 cents. The guitar shaped one on the right was only 97 cents.

I think this candle and candleholder is perfect for fall. Both for under $3.00. The beads are attached to the candleholder.

The tea cup and saucer for 90 cents.

What thrilled me was that I already had two of these napkins. Now I have enough for a setting for five. They are Pier 1. I think I paid only a dollar or two for all three.

A pumpkin Wilson cookie cutter I got half price for 15 cents.

These wooden candlesticks need some spray paint. The pair was only 49 cents.

Melissa from Melissa's Heart and Home is having a give away in commemoration of her 1 year anniversary. Go check it out and wish her happy anniversary.

Christmas Doll to Halloween Doll

2009-11-02T14:04:00.005-05:00

I had two animated dolls which were exactly the same, except for dress color. I only used one in green as a Christmas decoration. I saw all the cute Halloween witches in the stores and thought that I could transform the doll in the dark blue dress into a cute Halloween witch.

I cut off the white fur trim. I purchased 1/2 yard of Halloween fabric at Joanne's for the skirt. I picked up a toddler witches hat at the thrift store and took it in to fit the doll.

A 10 cent plastic pumpkin was put on the candle. The holly sprig on the candle was replaced with a spider.

I made her a little broom using a bamboo garden stake and raffia. I think she make a pretty Halloween witch.

To see other transformations click on the links below:

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch - Metamorphosis Monday

Thrifty Decor Chic - Before and After Party

Halloween Tablescape

2009-10-29T01:27:00.000-04:00

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch hosts Tablescape Thursday. Click her badge on my sidebar to see other tablescapes.

I purchased the tablecloth, basket for the centerpiece, table runner (which is bunched up under the centerpiece), the plates and the goblets at thrift stores.

The basket is layered with raffia, beaded gourds, dried corn and silk maple leaves. I love the ghost candles. I don't know how much longer they will last since I do burn them when we eat.

Look at that comical paper cat looking on.

The candlesticks were my mothers. I spray painted them black and wiped off the high points so the silver shows through. That jack-o-lantern is a napkin ring I slipped down over the candle. There is a ghost napkin ring on the other candle. The little ghost figurine is a favor from a banquet I attended.

The ceramic pumpkins were my mother's. The individual little pumpkin soup toureens were hand-made (not by me) in a ceramic workshop.

Mens Retreat

2009-10-28T08:31:00.008-04:00

Susan at A Southern Daydreamer is hosting Outdoor Wednesday. Click the link to view other outdoor posts.

Our church held a winter retreat for the men. The men spent one afternoon walking in the woods on the grounds of a local church camp.

A beautiful stream. This is how they crossed it.

At the top of the mountain, there was time for meditation and reflection.

Jumping for joy.Brr, it was so cold the lake is almost frozen over.

Then it snowed.

Tortellini with Mascarpone Sauce

2009-10-22T20:00:00.001-04:00

Michael at Designs by Gollum hosts Foodie Friday. Click on her blog title to view other foodie posts.

This week I am featuring Tortellini with Mascarpone Sauce, which is a recipe I created from a favorite restaurant dish.

This dish is quick and simple to make and best of all, delicious.

Ingredients:

8 oz. spinach tortellini, cooked

3 Tbsp. butter

8 oz. mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup milk or half & half

4 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/3 cup pine nuts

2 cups chicken breasts, shredded (optional)

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, add mascarpone cheese and heat only until melted. Do not boil. Add milk and butter. Stir until smooth, then stir in Parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Continue heating until sauce thickens. Stir in chicken and pine nuts. Pour sauce over cooked tortellini and toss to coat.

This can be made as a side dish or with the addition of shredded chicken, as the main entree.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk

2009-10-21T00:21:00.005-04:00

I would like to thank Susan from A Southern Daydreamer for hosting Outdoor Wednesday. Click on the link to see other outdoor posts.

The outdoor activity that my step-sister and her family attended was a walk for the American Cancer Society. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is more than just the name of a walk, it describes the progress in the fight against breast cancer. It was held this past Sunday, which was a cold, rainy, miserable day. However, the rain didn't stop these people.

My step-sister, Nancy, is in the pink hat and holding the sign. Nancy should have added her own name on the list. She is the most humble, unselfish person I know.

Making Strides is not a race; it is a celebration of survivorship, an occasion to express hope, and a shared goal to end a disease that threatens the lives of so many people we love.

The man in the orange hat is Nancy's husband. The lady in the black coat is my other step-sister. The other ladies are Nancy's friends. The team was called Mann's Angels.

The man pushing the stroller is Nancy's son and her 3 grands. One cute little girl and twin boys.

Have you had your mammogram?

Fall Wall Decoration

2009-10-19T01:00:00.003-04:00

I would like to thank Susan from Between Naps on the Porch for hosting Metamorphosis Monday. Click on her link to see what other bloggers have done and get ideas of what you might do.

Don't you love it when you read a post that gives you inspiration. Well, Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick posted a fall decorations she created. She has a beautiful blog with a lot of lovely and practical ideas. If you haven't checked it out, you must go over.

This is my tin sconce as it looked when I purchased it at the thrift store. Yuck.

This is what it looked liked once I spray painted it a rubbed bronze and put a couple of fall picks in it that I picked up at Michaels. They spray paint was the most expensive thing that went into this.

When looking online at QVC, I saw this Valerie Parr Hill wall sconce for $75.00. Anyone who paid $75 for this must not be crafters or bloggers.

E-Mail Humor

2009-10-17T10:00:00.009-04:00

I just want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails and blog posts over the past few years. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery.

I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.
I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.
I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking ones nose (although cell phone usage may be taking the number one spot).
Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of trans fats I have consumed over the years.
I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom.
I must send my special thanks to whoever sent me the one about poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.
I now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.
I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel or have them put lemon slices in my ice tea without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.
I no longer drink Coca Cola because I use it to remove toilet stains.
I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas.
I no longer have any money, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.
I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.
I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's Novena has granted my every wish.
I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put 'Under God' on their cans.
I no longer use Saran Wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.
I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.
I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.
I no longer receive packages from UPS or Fed Ex since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.
I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army.
I no longer drive my car because I can't buy gas from certain gas companies.
I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.
I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.
I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.
I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face... disfiguring me for life.
I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt.
I can't ever pick up $5.00 dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.
I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the brown recluse and my hand will fall off.

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician .

Oh, by the way..... A German scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read e-mail or blog posts with their hand on the mouse. Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

Buckwheat Cakes

2009-10-15T20:00:00.001-04:00

Did you know that Buckwheat Cakes are a seasonal food? Restaurants that make the real thing have them only during the cooler months. The taste is a little sour and is just wonderful. They have become a winter favorite in our house.

You must start this recipe the night before, but it's well worth the wait. They have yeast and are left to ferment overnight. Make the batter in a large bowl, because it will rise. You can save some of this as a starter for the next batch, like with sourdough.

The batter is thinner than regular pancakes and they don't brown as much. Flip when the bubbles pop and leave small holes.

Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups buckwheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 packet dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tbsp. brown sugar (divided)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. oil

1. Combine flours and salt.
2. Soften yeast in warm water; stir in Tbsp. brown sugar.
3. Stir this liquid into the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Be sure to use a large enough bowl to allow plenty of room for rising.
5. Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.
6. The next morning, stir batter, then add remaining sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
7. If you want to use a starter for the next batch, reserve 1 cup of the batter. It will keep several weeks in the refrigerator.
8. Fry the remaining batter on a lightly greased/sprayed griddle as you would regular pancakes. They will be a bit thinner and will not get as brown. Turn when small holes appear on the cakes.

To use starter:
When you are ready to prepare the recipe again, place all of the starter in a large bowl. Add:
2 1/4 cups of warm water
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups buckwheat flour
Stir until smooth. Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature, as before.

Serve with butter and maple syrup. Some folks eat them with applesauce.

I wish to thank Michael at Designs by Gollum for hosting Foodie Friday. It has become my favorite meme to contribute to and check out all the wonderful recipes. You can too, by clicking on the link.

My 100th Post! And the winner is ....

2009-10-15T10:32:00.005-04:00

This is my 100th post! As customary among bloggers, I had a give-away to celebrate this event. Today I let a random number generator select the number; and the winner is ...

Katherine at Yellow Rose Arbor.

She is a wonderful christian lady who has the nicest blog. She has been a follower for awhile and always leave such nice comments.

You must go over to http://thingsienjooy.blogspot.com/ and congratulate her. She won the mini toile picture frames, a nibble plate and a candle warmer.

Autumn Flowers

2009-10-14T07:38:00.011-04:00

Outdoor Wednesday is hosted by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. Check out other outdoor posts by clicking on the link.

These photos were just taken. I can't believe that some of these flowers are still blooming in the middle of October.

Don Juan climbing rose.

Impatients

Phlox

Iceberg Rose

Clematis

Mums

Seeds were planted last year. Only the one came up this year and didn't bloom until this week. I think it a cosmos.

Snapdragons and marigolds provided color all summer.

Sedum - Autumn Joy

The morning glories were a surprise which self seeded from seeds I planted last year.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2009-10-08T19:18:00.006-04:00

Michael Lee at Designs by Gollum is hosting Foodie Friday. Please click on the link to see other posts for wonderful food and recipes.

The weather is getting cooler and that means soup in our house. Today, I am sharing my recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Ingredients:

2-3 Tbsp. oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

6 half chicken breasts

2 cans Rotel tomatoes w/chilies or chunky salsa

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 qt. chicken broth (I used the broth that I boiled the chicken in.)

2 Tbsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more to taste)

juice of half lime

Garnish:

tortilla chips

Mexican cheese, shredded

sour cream

Instructions:
Boil chicken until cooked. Once cool, shred chicken.

Saute oil and garlic in oil.

Add chicken and remaining ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low up to 8 hours.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips, Mexican cheese and sour cream.

I don't like my food very hot, so for you folks in the southwest, you may want to spice it up a bit. This is a very hearty soup that will serve as a meal.

Purple and White Tablescape

2009-10-07T20:00:00.002-04:00

Go over to Between Naps on the Porch where Susan is hosting Tablescape Thursday to see other tablescapes. Click here.

I went to Salvation Army and found the purple placemats, then went over and saw the purple goblets. I though, this will make a pretty purple tablescape.

I got the white places a few months ago at a thrift store.

The goblets are Home Interior.

A few days ago, my MIL let me take some flowers out of a large arrangement she had. I pulled out the purple flowers and ferns.

My MIL gave me this tea pot. It has a Bible verse, Psalm 126:3, around the top.

Autumn Roadtrip

2009-10-06T23:27:00.008-04:00

This past weekend, we had to go to upstate New York to attend the funeral of my husband's uncle. It gave us an opportunity to visit all the family. He was a veteran and had a military funeral. It was very impressive.

The following day we took the dog for a walk at Otsiningo Park. It is a county park in Broome County, near Binghamton, NY. It sure was a beautiful fall day.

These trees haven't turned color yet, but the geese seem happy.

I enjoy looking at the geese, but they leave a lot of goose poop to walk around. lol

On Sunday, we went to a fall festival at Sky Lake, a Methodist retreat. The leaves were at their peak here.

I love how the colored leaves are reflected in the water.

The colored leaves are a lot further along here than in Pennsylvania.

We watched some folks make apple cider.

There were crafts, food and music, too. This pretty bird sure could talk up a storm.

We left to go back home on Monday. On the way back, we stopped so I could take a shot of this railroad bridge.

This post is linked to Outdoor Wednesday, which is hosted by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. Please click on the link to see other outdoor posts.

I'm also having a give away for my 100th post at http://nittanyinspirations.blogspot.com/2009/09/100th-post-give-away.html
Become a follower and leave a comment. Good luck.

Over The Top Award and Survey

2009-10-05T21:14:00.013-04:00

I received an award from Mevely at Respice, Prospice. Thanks, for honoring me. However, in order to claim it, I have to fill out a survey. Here are the rules:

1. You can use only one word
2. Pass this along to 6 other bloggers

3. Alert them that you have given them this award

4. Most importantly ....Have fun!

Here goes! ...

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse

2. Your hair? Dyed

3. Your mother? Heaven

4. Your father? Heaven

5. Your favorite food? Crablegs

6. Your dream last night? Forgot
7. Your favorite drink? Tea

8. Your dream/goal? Cruise

9. What room are you in? Office

10. Your hobby? Blogging

11. Your fear? Alzheimers

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Retired

13. Where were you last night? Ma's

14. Something that you aren't? Athletic

15. Muffins? Pumpkin

16. Wish list item? Job

17. Where did you grow up? Country

18. Last thing you did? Showered

19. What are you wearing? PJs

20. Your TV? Old

21. Your pets? Bichon
22. Friends? Bloggers

23. Your life? Content

24. Your mood? Down
25. Missing someone? Grandma

26. Vehicle? Nissan

27. Something you're not wearing? Watch

28. Your favorite store? Kirklands

29. Your favorite color? Yellow

30. When was the last time you laughed? Today

31. Last time you cried? Funeral

32. Your best friend? Lela

33. One place that I go to over and over? Refrigerator

34. One person who emails me regularly? Neighbor

35. Favorite place to eat? Carrabbas

And now, I'm to pass this award to 6 other bloggers and look forward to their answers:

1. Katherine @ Yellow Rose Arbor

2. Ceekay @ Thinkin' of Home

3. Sheila @ Note Songs

4. Gloria @ Happy to Be

5. Cindy @ Applestone Cottage

6. Kathleen @ Cuisine Kathleen

Foodie Friday - Apple Walnut Pan Cake

2009-10-02T00:01:00.003-04:00

Michael at Designs by Gollum is hosting Foodie Friday. Click on the link to see what other yummy things other bloggers have created.

This is one of the easiest cake you will ever make. I have been making this for 35 years. You don't need a mixing bowl. It is very moist and doesn't need frosting.

Ingredients:

1 20 oz. can apple pie filling

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350.

Dump apple pie filling into 9x13 pan.

Combine dry ingredients and sprinkle over apples.

Mix eggs, oil and nuts. Pour this over flour/apple mixture.

Stir until blended.

Bake 40-50 minutes.

This is good served with a dollop of Cool Whip.

Click on http://nittanyinspirations.blogspot.com/2009/09/100th-post-give-away.html to enter my 100th post give away.

100th Post Give Away

2009-09-30T16:00:00.009-04:00

I started blogging this past January. I don't post every day, just when I have something to share. Well, I've have almost 100 things to share. I should hit my 100th post sometime this month.

I can't tell you how much your friendship means.

In celebration of this event, I'm having a give-away.

I have been collecting some nice things I thing you would like.

Would you like a set of black and white mini toile picture frames?

How about a cute plate for nibbles?

Or would you like a candle warmer? You could win all of them.

To be eligible for my give-away, you must be a follower. You will get another entry for every comment you leave between now and my 100th post. Good luck.

Today, October 1st is my birthday, so instead of receiving, I'm giving.

Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD

2009-09-29T23:58:00.006-04:00

Susan at A Southern Daydreamer is hosting Outdoor Wednesday. Click on the link to take you her blog so you can check out other outdoor posts.

Today I'm sharing photos of my visit to Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland. If you are sight-seeing there, this is the place to go. This photo is the Light Street Pavilion. There are two buildings full of retail shops and places to eat.

Across the harbor is Hard Rock Cafe.

The Lightship Chesapeake:

Baltimore has their own version of the World Trade Center. That is the tall building on the left. You can take the elevator to the top for a view. The other tall building on the right is one of the offices of a company where I used to work.

I am standing in front of the Maryland Science Center looking toward the harbor. The science center has a planetarium and an IMAX Theatre, as well as other science exhibits. The science center was my favorite.

This is an unusual lighthouse.

The USS Constellation. It is open for tours.

Probably the most recognised feature of Inner Harbor is the National Aquarium.

In addition to seeing the fish is a small dolphin show and a 4-D Immersion Theatre. There is a rainforest type room where I took this photo of the parrot.

Metamorphosis Monday - Porch Table

2009-09-27T18:06:00.005-04:00

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch hosts Metamorphosis Monday. I got a new table for my back porch. Click on the link to see how other bloggers have changed something.

This was my before. I just used a TV tray table.

I found this table at the thrift store. I never did take a before picture of it. It was very scratch and marked up. I knew I wanted to paint it. I was torn between off white or black, but ended up painting it yellow spray paint so I thought I would try that. Not too bad.

I added a basket of magazines and simple games. My grandsons, who think all games have a joystick, spent an entire afternoon playing Pick Up Sticks, marbles and dominoes.

Sightseeing Saturday - Central Park NYC

2009-09-26T08:20:00.012-04:00

Christine at Christine's Home and Travel is hosting Sightseeing Saturday. This is my first link to that meme, but I have enjoyed seeing where she and other bloggers have been. I know you will too, so click on the link and check them out.

The employee's group in our office had a one-day bus trip to New York City last fall.

I wish I would have worn a pedometer. We sure did walk a lot.

The bus dropped us off at Rockefeller Center. You should have seen the line for the show at Radio City Music hall. It went around the block.

Our first stop was at Trump Tower. There is a place inside where you can get an affordable lunch and find clean restrooms.

I wanted to go to go shopping, but DH wanted to go to Central Park. He is an avid hiker. I teased him and said you are the only person I know who who go to NYC to take a nature walk. lol

Driprock Arch:

Bethesda Terrace Fountain:

We watched the model sailboats on the conservatory water.

Our final destination was the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

After walking to the museum, we then had to turn around and walk back. We stopped at the Carnegie Deli for something to eat. It is a little hole in the wall place, packed with people. Honest to goodness, this is an actual corned beef sandwich they serve.

We ended up ordering something half that size and still shared it. DH had a piece of their famous New York style cheesecake for dessert.

A last look at Times Square and then it was time to catch our bus back home.

Foodie Friday - Advise Please

2009-09-25T11:34:00.006-04:00

This is a little variation on the usual Foodie Friday post where bloggers share their wonderful recipes. You can go to that post, hosted by Michael of Designs by Gollum, if you click on the Foodie Friday link. I've already shared the recipe for my Cinnamon Raisin Scones at http://nittanyinspirations.blogspot.com/2009/07/cinnamon-raisin-scones.html.

I love this recipe and make it a couple times a week. In an effort to be more heart healthy, I have used Splenda Blend and omitted the sugar topping.

Now, I purchased my first bag of whole wheat flour. I hate the result. The uncooked consistence was much dryer and not sticky like with AP flour. Once baked, it tasted like flour.

I'm asking you expert experienced bakers for advise on how I should adapt this recipe, still using the whole wheat flour to taste like the scones using AP flour.

You can either comment or email me at nittanykzm@gmail.com, whichever you prefer. Thank you.

Thrift Store Purchases

2009-09-24T05:00:00.000-04:00

Leigh at Tales from Blogeritaville is hosting Thrifty Thursday at Blogeritaville. Click on the link to check out what other bloggers are are finding.

I went to Salvation Army and Goodwill this week. I got a lot of great finds.

OK, I know at $20 this is probably a knock-off, but until I know otherwise, I am happy living in a state of denial and will assume this is the real deal.

This wire basket is almost perfect for holding apples. It only needs to be spray painted black.

These apples won't stay in here long. I'm going to bake a pie today.

The hurricane candle holder before. You know what I'm going to do.

Black spray paint to the rescue.

I liked the form of this finial, but not the dull black color.

Step 1: Spray paint an off white color.

Step 2: Put a brown glaze over it. I had to daub it on to get it into the crevices. I then wipe most of it off and some of the glaze stays in the crevices and makes the surface a cream color.

Finished:

My best deal was this small table. The previous owner had already painted it a creamy off white and saved me a step. It fit perfectly in my living room.

At @2.97 for a set for four, I thought that it was a great deal. The tops of these goblets are a soft iridescent blue, which compliments my good plates.

Outdoor Wednesday - Boiling Springs, PA

2009-09-23T10:59:00.006-04:00

Susan at A Southern Daydreamer is hosting Outdoor Wednesday. Click on the link to check out other outdoor posts.

The town of Boiling Springs is situated near the halfway point of the Appalachian Trail, and a regional office of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is located in the center of the town. My husband is an avid hiker and often hikes a portion of the Appalachian Trail. His destination is Boiling Springs. He will call me on his cell phone to pick him up and take him back to his vehicle where he started his hike.

Known as the bubble, the spring is formed by natural artesian springs. It is a beautiful peaceful area in the middle of this small town.

Fall Party

2009-09-21T21:47:00.008-04:00

Rhondi at Rose Colored Glasses today for a Fallen Party. Click on the link to pop over to see other fall decorations.

Welcome to my home. This wreath is on my front door.

My living room has this arrangement on the coffee table.

This candle is on the end table.

Lets go into the dining room. I put a fall table cloth on the table and brought out this large leaf bowl with beaded gourds.

The dining room opens into the kitchen.

I got this little guy at a craft fair a long time ago.

I picked up this little tin holder at the thrift store and put in some silks I had.

My MIL gave me this plate. It has a matching server.

This is the candle I posted the other day that Linda from Over the Fence gave me in the Pay It Forward give away. If you want to participate just leave me a comment that you are interested. The first three people will receive a gift from me. Go to http://nittanyinspirations.blogspot.com/2009/09/pay-it-forward.html for more information.

Mosaic Monday - A Visit to the Zoo

2009-09-20T20:22:00.006-04:00

Mary at Little Red House is Hosting Mosaic Monday. Click on the link to see other mosaic collages. Last week we went to the Jersey shore. The weather was so terrible that we never got to the beach, but we did manage to visit the zoo between showers.

Yipes, I'm glad that alligator is behind a fence and that we don't have any of those in Pennsylvania.

My favorite bird is the flamingo.

Check my post below for my Pay It Forward give away. All you have to do is be one of the first three people to say you want to participate.

Pay it Forward

2009-09-19T16:58:00.010-04:00

"You don't pay love back; you pay it forward."

Linda of Over the Fence was was asking for people to participate in a “PAY IT FORWARD” and I said I would love to. The expression "pay it forward" is used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead.

The first 3 people who leave me a comment saying you'd like to participate will receive a gift from me sometime during the next year. In turn, they will post a Pay It Forward on their blog and send a gift to three people who agree to participate. You never know when the gift will arrive in the mail. It's a lot of fun trying to find out what people like so you can send an appropriate Pay It Forward gift. It can be bought or handmade and doesn't need to be expensive at all.

I have been collecting wonderful charming things that I can use for the give away ever since I knew I would be a recipient of Linda's Pay it Forward. Well yesterday, I opened my front door to find this package on my porch.

Thank you, Linda, for this wonderful gift. What really surprised me was that Linda personalized this especially for me. The card on this reads "There could be no friend as faithful as her dear Caesar." It has a picture of a lady holding a Bichon Frise. My own Bichon is named Caesar. That, just thrilled me.

Inside the package was this Yankee Candle in Pumpkin Spice. I hadn't gotten my fall candle yet, so this is so perfect. It smells just yummy.

In addition to the candle, was this cupcake looking item. It was so cute, I thought I would put it in a cloche. Then I realized it was a pair of those warm chenille socks. Again, it was personalized, because I have posted a few times that I am always cold and wear sock to bed.

I'm wearing these warm comfortable socks as I type this.

There was even a handful of candy thrown in for good measure. Thanks again Linda.

Linda is a writer. You all must go to her blog Over the Fence and read her posts. They are so well written. She expresses things so eloquently. Linda, you must write a novel. I know it will be a best seller.

Foodie Friday - Cucumbers in Sour Cream

2009-09-18T00:30:00.004-04:00

Michael at Designs by Gollum is hosting Foodie Friday. Click on the link to go to other food posts.

Our church picnic was this past Sunday. I made cucumbers in sour cream as my contribution.

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tsp. salt

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

8 oz container of sour cream

1 Tbsp. vinegar

1 tsp. chives, chopped

1 Tbsp. dill weed

1 Tbsp. sugar

Peel and slice the cucumbers.

Sprinkle with salt and chill for at least 30 minutes. Pour off the accumulated water.

Add the remaining ingredients. Chill.

While we had many pasta salads, brownies and beans at the picnic, this was the only cucumber dish.

Life in the 1500s

2009-09-09T00:10:00.001-04:00

The next time you complain because something isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some interesting facts about life in the 1500's:

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it, hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance way. Hence the saying a "thresh hold."

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper crust."

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a "wake."

In England, the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a "bone-house" and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer."

Now, whoever said history was boring. Educate someone and share these facts with a friend.

Spiritual Sundays - See You At the Pole

2009-09-05T19:45:00.000-04:00

Thank you Ginger and Charlotte for hosting Spiritual Sundays. Click on the link to visit their blog for other spiritual inspirations.

See You at the Pole™ is a student-initiated, student organized, and student-led event. That means this is all about students meeting at their school flagpole to pray—for their school, friends teachers, government, and their nation. See You at the Pole™ is not a demonstration, political rally, nor a stand for or against anything. See You at the Pole™ is scheduled annually on the fourth Wednesday in September, which is September 23 in 2009.

Sharing your faith at school is not always easy. See you at the Pole brings people of all faith together and laying aside all of the labels and groups for one day, to simply engage with God in prayer and connect with follow Christians in unity around the school plag pole. It's a chance to connect and pray with others at the start of the school day. A way to say "God is important to me" and you'll discover He is important to others too.

This year’s See You at the Pole™ theme is very simple—ENGAGE:

GO AND PRAY... 2 Kings 22:13a

ENGAGE your school

ENGAGE your community

ENGAGE your world . . . for His glory!

See You at the Pole™ is a great place to

ENGAGE God,

ENGAGE with other believers, and

ENGAGE His heart for your campus . . . in the name of Christ.

See You at the Pole™ connects believers together at the beginning of the school year, so you can stand strong together throughout the year.

Matthew 18:19-21 - “I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you.” (CEV)

To learn more about this program click here to go to their website.

Tablescape Thursday - Backpack Picnic

2009-09-02T21:15:00.001-04:00

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch is hosting Tablescape Thursday. Click the link to take you her blog and other tablescapes.

I didn't set out to do a tablescape. My DH and I to a walk around a lake at a nearby nature preserve. We packed a picnic and, of course, I had my camera with me. Some friends of ours gave us this backpack picnic "basket" as a wedding gift. We use it a lot. One compartment has the plates, utensils, tablecloth, napkins, glasses, cutting board, corkscrew, even little salt and pepper shakers.

Another compartment holds the food. We just picked up a hoagie, grapes and chips at the supermarket.

There is even a small outer pocket for our water bottles. If we were so inclined, there is a holder for a bottle of wine which attaches to the side.

We carried this to where a small picnic pavillion was located with four picnic tables and had our lunch.

Lunch Cruise on the Pride of the Susquehanna

2009-09-02T02:08:00.013-04:00

Susan at A Southern Daydreamer hosts the popular Outdoor Wednesday. Click the link to see other outdoor posts.

During lunch, my husband took me on a river cruise on the Pride of the Susquehanna paddle wheel riverboat, which is docked in Harrisburg, PA.

The river is very wide. What looks like the other shore is actually City Island. There is just as much water on the other side of the island. City Island is a recreational area with a minor league baseball stadium, miniature golf, carousel, horse drawn carriage rides, batting cages, arcade, playground, food huts, and a concrete swimming beach.

If you turn around you see the skyline of downtown Harrisburg. There is a lovely park that runs along the edge of the river. A sidewalk and steps go down into the water. There is also a sidewalk along the top of the bank. Many of the workers take their lunch break walking along the river.

Here is our state capital building.

We are going under the bridge.

Many small crafts cruise the river and stop on various islands to swim or fish.

The cruise was a great way to spend an hour. They have dinner cruises, too. Maybe we'll come back for one of those.

Spray Painted Live Flowers

2009-08-30T20:17:00.008-04:00

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch is hosting Metamorphosis Monday. Click on the link to see other changes.

I mentioned about spray painting growing flowers in my garden in an earlier post. A lot of folks were interested in how I did that.

The problem with perennials is that they don't bloom for a very long time. They turned all brown and brittle.

This is a can of Design Master florist spray. Remember those prom flowers that were sprayed a color to match your gown? This spray is translucent enough for fresh flowers or layer it on flower pots or urns for a more opaque look. You can get the floral spray at florists or craft stores. Here is a link to Design Master web site. I've had a can of white for a number of years.

I held a piece of cardboard behind the bloom to prevent overspray.

Here is the after. Granted, it's not as lush and full as the live blossoms, but it's not brown. It will withstands rain and will stay on until I cut it down in the fall.

Tech Support - Installing a Husband

2009-08-30T08:20:00.000-04:00

Chari at Happy to Design is hosting Sunday Favorites". It is a meme designed to give bloggers a chance to share a favorite post from the past. Click the link to check out some other oldie posts. This was first published January 29, 2009.

I received this email a couple of times, and I though it was cute, so I am sharing.

Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slow down in overall system performance -- particularly in the flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0.

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5. It then installed undesirable programs such as NFL 5.0, NBA 3.0, Golf Clubs 4.1, and NASCAR 500.0. Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail. Signed, Desperate

Dear Desperate:

First keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an Operating System. Please enter the command: 'I Thought You Loved
Me.exe' and try to download Tears 6.2 and don't forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update. If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5. But remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1. Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will download the Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT install Mother-in-law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources). Also, do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0 program. These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Food 3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Good Luck,
Tech Support

Rooster Party

2009-08-27T21:15:00.005-04:00

Barb at Bella Vista is hosting a Rooster Party. I thought this was a wonderful idea, and may even have done it, if she hadn't.

This is a Technique casserole I purchased from QVC. I think it looks more like a chicken than a rooster.

I got the little black rooster lamp at Cracker Barrel for about $15. The ceramic candy dish rooster on the right was purchased at Ross. I got my daughter one just like it only bigger which is a cookie jar.

I keep this spoon rest on my stove.

A small ceramic rooster, I got at the thrift store for a few cents.

This is a little rooster with real feathers, I keep outside on my porch.

Red Squirrel Garden

2009-08-25T23:00:00.001-04:00

Susan at A Southern Daydreamer is hosting Outdoor Wednesday click on the link to view other outdoor posts.

This is my one of my neighbors gardens in our development. We have many neighbors with spectacular gardens which have been featured on garden tours. How about this for a tiki hut/bar?

There are many hosta beds and garden sculptures.

Everywhere you look is something to see. Here is a lovely water feature.

Ah oh, we caught this little guy peeing in the pond.

A fountain in the side yard.

Succulent garden:

A home made water feature made from flower pots:

Follow the path to the more formal section of the garden.

This is the largest fountain and pond.

Another pond and sculpture:

Around every corner is something else to see.

The elephant fountain is spraying water on the turtle. The fish are real. I'm not sure if they are koi or gold fish.

Like the sign says, Grandma's Secret Garden. This adjoins the rose garden, however, the roses were done blooming buy the time I took these photos, so I did not include that. In June, they are certainly lovely.

These are the newest sculptures. These children depict baseball, basketball, football and soccer.

I hope you have enjoyed the garden tour. Whenever we have out of town guests visit, I always take them to visit this garden. It's just half a block from where I live. The bar sure is raised in our development as far as gardens are concerned. I'll have to post another garden in a later post.

Dining Room - Lessons Learned

2009-08-24T21:00:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Jen of Sanctuary Arts at Home for hosting this monthly meme, Make Over Open House. Click here to check out other make over open house posts. This month, I'm showing sharing my dining room make over.

I took this picture to post on Craig's List. No takers. I ended up selling my table and chairs it at a yard sale for $25. There was 6 chairs. The table had two leaves which extended it to seat six nicely. The chairs were beginning to fall apart. The table top was Formica which took a lot of abuse.

Here is a before photo showing the whole room, which open up into the kitchen and living room.

Since we remodeled the kitchen (click here to see that post) I wanted to go with off white French Country ladder back chairs. After looking in every furniture store and online, I finally found the perfect set.

The price was right. Then, the saleslady asked if we wanted it delivered for $40.00. Well, we had to have it delivered. Then she asked us if we wanted the seats sprayed with a stain protection for $65.00. I though, wow, that’s a lot of money and for around $5.00. I could buy a can of Scotchguard and spray the upholstery myself. Did I want the top of the table protected from water marks, etc. for $135.00? Again, I though that I could buy a quart of polyurethane and put it on the table top myself.

The table was delivered and they set it up. I think it looks gorgeous. I took the chairs out on the porch. I protected the wooden backs and legs and sprayed the seats with Scotchguard. Perfect.

I purchased a quart of polyurethane and a brush. I was careful not to over stir the poly as to get air bubbles in it. I brushed the poly on in the direction of the wood . Oh, oh, this wasn’t going on even. It was puddling up. There were blotches and splotches, and brush marks and brush bristles in the poly.

The directions in the poly said to give it a light sanding and to apply another coat. I took a sandpaper sponge and went over it. It hardly did a thing, so I took our electric sander and sanded the top. Then gave it another coat of poly. It still looked awful. I ruined my brand new table.

I called my daughter on the phone and was crying to her about my plight. Should I sand it again and give it another coat? NO! she said. “Don’t touch it. Call an expert and get them to fix it.” I realized that was good advice.

Our pastor does wood refinishing as a hobby, and I called him. I told him what I did and he said not to sand it, but to use a paint/stain remover. He even gave me a gallon of the stuff he uses. The one thing that was in my favor was that everything except the top was painted a creamy off white color. I only had to deal with the top.

I worked all evening until past midnight getting it off. Even the original stain was off. Here it is now down to the bare wood. I already had the china cupboard and the top didn’t exactly match the cupboard. Now, that I need to restain it, I can get a better match to the cupboard. So, that part is lucky. However, I’m scared to death to touch it. I’ve have a vinyl tablecloth on it for months.

Moral of the story: If you are offered the option of having the store protect your furniture, go for it.

Spedie Fest, Binghamton, NY

2009-08-12T09:50:00.012-04:00

The first weekend of every August, the town of Binghamton, New York hosts the Spedie Fest. This is a festival named after their famous sandwich, the spedie. I already posted about this sandwich and the marinade. Click here to go to that post.

The main feature, is the hot air balloon launches which, weather permitting, take place every morning and evening of the festival. Seeing the whole sky filled with colorful balloon is an awesome site. You can purchase a ride. Perhaps someday I will.

There is food, crafts and music. The Marshall Tucker Band performed on Friday.

In the evening there was fireworks.

Susan at A Southern Daydreamer is hosting Outdoor Wednesday. Click the link to see other outdoor posts.

Cape May, New Jersey Shore Mosaic

2009-08-10T00:01:00.000-04:00

Mary at Little Red House is hosting Mosaic Monday. Click the link to go to here site and look at all the other mosaics. Thanks for hosting, Mary.

These photos were taken at the shore at Cape May, New Jersey. Some were at sunrise and some were at Sunset Beach at sunset.

I switched from using Picasa to Photoscape. I like how the pictures are bigger. Thanks for all you bloggers who gave me tips on how to do this.

Fire Hydrant Collage

2009-07-13T00:01:00.004-04:00

Mary at Little Red House is hosting Mosaic Monday. This is my second mosaic. Click the link to go to here site and look at all the other mosaics. Thanks for hosting, Mary.

I work in downtown Harrisburg, PA. During my lunch hour, I sometimes go for a walk. Artists are currently painting the fire hydrants. I enjoy looking seeing all the pretty and whimsical hydrants. I think my favorite is the puppy. Look at that cute black nose.

Bible vs. Cell Phone

2009-07-12T07:15:00.002-04:00

"Sunday Favorites" is a Sunday meme which Happy to Design has created. to give bloggers a chance to share a favorite post from the past. This was my second post, I ever did. Click her link to check other Sunday Favorites.

Since it was originally linked to Charlotte and Ginger's Spiritual Sundays blog, I'm also linking to their meme again. My boss sent me this email.

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several time a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible? Oh, and one more thing: Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

Ice Cream Social

2009-07-11T11:54:00.000-04:00

Suzy from Kitchen Bouquet is hosting an ice cream social. Ice cream is my favorite dessert, so you can be sure I'm going to check out every single post. You can too, if you click here.

I made home made ice cream for my grandchildren while we were camping over the 4th. I have a Donvier ice cream maker. It is so easy to do.

First you put the metal cylinder inside your freezer for 24 hours. There is a liquid that freezes and eliminates the need for ice and salt.

After you cook your milk and egg mixture, you refrigerate the ingredients overnight, too.

The fun part is when you turn it. The grandkids took turns turning 2 or 3 turns of the crank every few minutes. It turns pretty easy. After 20 minutes you have homemade ice cream. We just made the French Vanilla flavor.

The Donvier is also good to make slushies.

My First Mosaic Monday

2009-07-06T00:49:00.004-04:00

Mary at Little Red House is hosting Mosaic Monday. I have never created a mosaic before, but I have seen all of you create them, so I though I would try. These are photos I took of flowers in my garden.
Click on the link above to go to her site where you can view other mosaics. This was fun. I might try again.

Honest Scrap Award

2009-07-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

I received the Honest Scrap Award via our gardening guru Tootsie. (I think this is more of a tag than an award.)

The rules that come with this award say that I have to list 10 honest and interesting facts about me. I guess that’s why this award is called honest scrap. I also have to pass this on to 8 other bloggers.

Here are my 10 facts:

I used to live in State College, PA. State College is in the shadow of Nittany Mountain, which is pictured on my blog header. State College is the home of The University Park Campus of Penn State University. No, I did not attend University Park; however, I did attend the DuBois Campus of PSU.

The coolest fact: I have Top Secret government clearance.

My husband is younger than I am. I think he looks like a geeky George Clooney.

My weirdest physical trait: I don't have a uvula. That's that thingy that hangs down the back of your throat. I had it removed in an ultra sound procedure. I used to snore, now I only purr. No way, I was doing that C-Pap thing.

I am an only child.

I lost my home in a fire in 1979.

I hate to exercise. Other than gardening, my only exercise is walking around the block.

If necessary, I can type 70 wpm.

I'm cold most all the time. I sleep wearing socks.

I had braces on my teeth as an adult.

The hard part is deciding who to pass this on to. Tootsie tagged me a while ago and although I though it was fun to answer, I deliverated over to to give it to. I spent hours researching who already had it vs. who didn't. Who I already tagged on something else vs. who I didn't. Then I saw where someone just told everyone to pick it up. You can do that? What a wonderful idea. So that's what I'm going to do. We would love to know more about you, if you don't already have this, please pick it up and leave a comment so I will know that it got out to 8 other bloggers.

Cinnamon Raisin Scones

2009-07-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Designs by Gollum hosts Foodie Friday. If you click on the link you will find all kind of wonderful things to eat.

I have been making scones lately. In my quest to find the perfect scone, I've made raisin scones, cranberry scones, pecan scones and my favorite cinnamon raisin scones, which is what I'm sharing with you today.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup raisins

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg

cooking spray

1 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups. Level with knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a bowl, cut in cold butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles course meal. Stir in raisins.

3. Combine 1/2 cup milk and egg, add to flour mixture, stirring until just moist. Dough will be very sticky.

4. Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead lightly 4 or 5 times with floured hands. You may need to add flour to handle it. Pat dough into a 7 inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut dough into 8 or 10 wedges, leaving it in the circle. Brush with 1 tablespoon milk; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with butter and/or preserves.

Train trip to Philadelphia

2009-07-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

This is the building where our company has an office. It is in Center City, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I took the train to go there for training. I love taking the train.

This office occupies many floors in this building. I had a nice time, meeting my counterparts and learned a lot. It's time to leave.

I walk a few block from the office to the Amtrak 30th Street Station. There it is up ahead. I walk across the bridge to the train station.

Here we are inside. Isn't it grand.

I don't have much time before my train leaves. I don't want to miss it.

I find a seat. Some seats face forward and some seats face backwards. I want to make sure that I get a seat that faces forward. Look, they even have plugs so people can plug in their laptops.

The train pulls out of the station. Good-by Philly.

This is a Septa Station. Since it is late afternoon, most everyone is getting off.

We travel through the suburbs into the countryside. My favorite part of the trip is when we go through the beautiful farmland of Lancaster County.

Further on down the line we look out to the left. There is the Susquehanna River right along the tracks and Three Mile Island.

There are the cooling towers of the power plant. Do you remember what happened March 28, 1979? If you lived in Pennsylvania, you remember where you were and what you were doing. Where were you? Whew, that was a close call.

Three Mile Island is in Middletown, just south of Harrisburg, so we are almost at our stop. I better get my stuff together.

The end of the line. We arrived at Harrisburg and disembark. I have to walk two blocks to the parking garage where I parked my car. I'm glad it's still daylight outside.

Did you enjoy the train ride? The next time you have to go on a trip, why not consider the train?

Stop over to see Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. Susan is hosting Outdoor Wednesday. Thank you Susan for hosting one of my favorite memes.

Sand Artist Ilana Yahav

2009-06-23T21:15:00.001-04:00

Dixie from French Lique is hosting Wordless Wednesday. Click the link to go see the other photos. This week is Bloggers Choice.

Let There Be White

2009-06-22T22:00:00.001-04:00

Kathleen at Cuisine Kathleen is hosting a White Tablesetting Event, called Let There Be White. This is a celebration of the beginning of summer. Thanks Kathleen for hosting. Click on the link to see other white tablescapes.

I moved my bistro table from my porch out into our garden. Doesn't it look romantic?

I had such fun getting together all my white for this setting.

I layered a round tablecloth with a crocheted doily. White plates and soup bowl were added. Lace linen napkins were folded to show off the lace corner. Glass goblets, glass votives, and my every day flatware were my only non-whites.

The Target S&P birds were invited. A small milk glass vase holds impatients, begonia and shamrock flowers.

My Target birds were the most expensive thing on this table. I visited a couple of large yard sales last weekend. The white tablecloth-25 cents; glass goblets-10 cents; milk glass vase-60 cents. White dishes were an earlier thrift store purchase. I've had the doily and napkins for ages. Flowers were picked from my yard. This was so much fun to put together. It turned out better than I expected. Thanks for visiting.

A Cloche Party

2009-06-18T21:15:00.000-04:00

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life is Having a Cloche Party. Click the link to go see what other bloggers are displaying in their cloches.

I purchased this dome and stand at a thrift shop. I believe it once held an anniversary clock. I found the crystal knob at a yard sale for 10 cents. A dab of Gorilla Glue and I have a cloche. I display it on my end table in my living room. I found the little perched ceramic bird at a thrift store.

This was purchased at Ross on the clearance shelf. It was missing the post. When I was given the sales receipt, I saw that it was identified as a cupcake holder. I set it on a post I had to give it the elevation.

Inside is a candle in the ceramic container with lid. I think it is cupcakeish.

This is a cheese dome I got at a thrift shop. I place it on a glass plate I already have. I am displaying a fake bird nest.

Do apothecary jars count? A little salt for a base and a sea shell.

I have only had these for a few months, so I have not had the opportunity to change it out seasonally.

Here are some photos I found on the internet that have inspired me.

Courtesy of Country Living Magazine.

Courtesy Department 56

Magazine Holders from old Express Mail Boxes

2009-06-15T00:01:00.001-04:00

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch hosts Metamorphosis Monday. Click on the link to take you to view other posts where people changed something.

Now that there is no DHL courier service in the US, our company has dozens of express mail boxes that would normally be thrown out and end in the landfill.

Our office library uses magazine holders for various reference material. These magazine holders are normally very expensive. I used the old express mail boxes and turned them into magzine holders.

Measure the height you need which will fit into your bookcase or just trace the outline of a magazine holder you already have on to an express mail box.

Use a knife or exacto knife to cut out the corner. Scissors do not work as well. Now you have a magazine holder for free, and saved this box from ending up in the landfill.

You can go a step further and cover them so they look very stylish in your home office. You can paint your box, cover it in wallpaper, scrap book paper, old road maps, etc. Let your imagination be your guide. What do you already have around your house that you don't have to buy?

Click the link to check Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for directions to decoupage the boxes.

Two upcoming memes I am looking forward to:

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life is having a cloche party on June 19. I am getting ready to show you all my cloches. Be sure to add yours and check out the others.

Another event over at Kathleen's Blog, Cuisine Kathleen is Let There Be White on June 23rd! This is a celebration of summer. Lets all do a white tablescape with white flowers, white tablecloth's, even white food!

Share a Garden Sunday #2

2009-06-14T07:48:00.005-04:00

Artie at Color Outside the Lines is hosting Share a Garden Sunday. Thanks Artie for hosting this party. Click on the link to see other gardens.

Last week I showed you my side yard. Today I'm sharing my back yard, which is still a work in progress.

We planted three oak lead hydrangeas last year. Our back yard is very shady. They did produce blooms last year, but I'm tricky. Us girls enhance our appearance with makeup, why can't plants. Those two big beautiful flowers are silk. Told you I was tricky.

Astilbe and impatients line the back of the porch. An old metal fireplace screen helps fill in the concrete wall. The white flowers on the astilbe are real, but will soon turn brown. After they turn brown, I will take a can of florist spray and spray the flowers to give them color the rest of the summer. Take a piece of cardboard to prevent overspray. Tricky again.

This flower bed take more work pulling out than planting. I can supply the whole neighborhood with these yellow flowers. I don't know what they are called.

I just divided my lungwort. At first I didn't like this plant, but inherited it with the house. I do like that it will last a really long time as a cut flower. I've had potted plants that didn't last that long.

Grilled Salmon With Brown Sugar & Cracked Pepper

2009-06-12T19:30:00.000-04:00

This is a double post: Thanks to Debbie at Mountain Breaths for hosting Kick Off to Summer BBQ. Also, Designs by Gollum is hosting Foodie Friday. Be sure to stop by both of these blogs for tempting goodies.

My husband is the grill master in our house. He found this recipe in a magazine our supermarket publishes. Wegmans is an upscale supermarket in the New York and Pennsylvania areas. Check out Wegmans.com for other recipes.

We had this salmon with grilled vegetables. It is grilled on a cedar plank. This is good with a dollop of creamy horseradish sauce on the side.

We also put some zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes on a skewer, based with olive oil and put it on the grill, too.

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skinned

1 Tbsp dark brown sugar

1 Tbsp Cracked Pepper Blend

Cedar plank, soaked 1 hour in water

Directions:

Preheat grill on HIGH 10 min.
Combine brown sugar and cracked pepper together in small bowl; mix well.
Arrange salmon on cedar plank which has been soaked for 1 hour;

Rub brown sugar mixture evenly over fillets.
Place plank with salmon on grill; close cover.

Reduce heat to MEDIUM; cook salmon 12-15 min, until internal temp reaches 130 degrees. Check by inserting thermometer halfway into thickest part of salmon.

Remove from grill; let rest at least 2 min.

My Bathroom

2009-06-12T05:43:00.002-04:00

I would like to thank Kelly at Kelly's Korner for hosting Show Your House Friday. This week is featuring bathrooms. Click the link to check out the other bathrooms. My but there are a lot of folks already linked up.

When we moved into our house, the bathroom was really dated. It had 1960 baby blue tile on the walls. The grout was missing in the shower. A grainy oak vanity was added at some point. The linoleum was curled at the edge and a lot of dust and dirt accumulated there. The electric baseboard heater was all rusty. Sometimes, I felt dirtier after I left the bathroom. A remodel was in order. We didn't want to go to the expense of a total gut job. We kept the tub, toilet and vanity, since they were in good shape.

The blue tile was demoed and blue-board, which is resistant to water was put up. We installed a molded shower enclosure over the tub. BathFitter gave us a bid of $3,000 just for the tub enclosure. The one we purchased at Home Depot cost under $300.

I painted the grainy oak vanity and medicine cabinet a dark espresso brown. I swapped out the pitted chrome knobs for brushed nickel. This turned out way better than I imagined.

We also swapped out the faucets, towel bars, and toilet tissue holder and toilet handle for brushed nickel.

I decorated the bath to give a spa feeling with the orchid, reed diffuser and candles.

The roman shade is installed very high over the little window just covering the top trim in the window. Since the window is so high, privacy is not an issue.

We put in a curved shower curtain rod. Not only does it give more elbow room, but I was surprised how much it let the light in from the ceiling light.

My son-in-law installed the porcelain tile on the floor. I really, really wanted electric heating coils in the floor, but that was out of our budget. We just replaced the electric baseboard heater and installed new baseboard.

Keep on scrolling going down. I've also entered a couple of recipe memes today.

Purple Loosestrife - A Beautiful Danger

2009-06-10T06:08:00.003-04:00

Sometimes we are lucky enough to have volunteer plants in our garden. Or perhaps, we see a beautiful plant along the road and want to bring it home with us. I had a purple loosestrife in my garden when I bought my house. It looked really lovely, but I pulled it out.

While beautiful, purple loosestrife, known as the “purple plague,” (Lythrum salicaria) is an ornamental plant known for its purple-spiked flowers. Purple loosestrife was brought to New England as an ornamental plant in the early 1800s. Once limited to gardens in the Northeast, it now chokes wetlands across the country.

Purple loosestrife has the ability to produce millions of seeds which spread easily by wind or water. Stands grow to thousands of acres in size, eliminating crucial open-water habitat for species such as butterflies and rare amphibians, and ultimately change an entire ecosystem. Efforts to control purple loosestrife cost the U.S. economy an estimated $45 million each year. Purple loosestrife lacks a natural predator, such as a beetle that feeds on its roots and leaves, in the U.S.

If you find it growing on your property, simply pulling it up or using herbicides can work to remove it. Once a large population is established, however, it is extremely difficult to remove.

An alternative to Purple Loosestrife is Blazing Star, which has spiked, pink-purple flowers and is an important source of nectar for many native species of butterflies and other insects or consult your local nursery for other alternatives.

Another invasive plant:

I myself only discovered this while doing the post on the purple loosestrife:

Dames Rocket, above, is classified as an noxious weed. Some, including myself, may incorrectly call it wild Phlox, but Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) is a Eurasian biennial belonging to the mustard family. It was introduced to North America in the 1600’s and has naturalized itself in moist, wooded areas, but can also invade open areas. It may be sold in garden centers as a perennial and is often included in “wildflower” seed mixes. The plant’s 3-month-long blooming period and ability to set abundant seed have contributed to its spread.

Dames Rocket has 4 petals per flower, whereas Phlox has 5 petals per flower. I have cut these wildflowers and brought them home to enjoy thinking they were wild phlox. I'll just purchase the real phlox from the nursery and will enjoy the real deal instead of transplanting dames rocket.

Visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer to view Outdoor Wednesday for other outdoor posts.

Baby falcons are ready to fly

2009-06-08T10:10:00.004-04:00

I posted before about the Perigrine Falcons nesting on the roof of the Rachel Carson State office building in Harrisburg, PA. There is a falcon cam showing the family. Click here to view the falcons via slide show, live feed or photo gallery.

The five young eyases have physically grown and developed considerably. Soon, they will make their first flight attempt, known as fledging. Beginning on Monday, June 8th, watch and rescue staff will track the activities of the eyases as they take to the air, one at a time until all have fledged. Although the larger eyases have had the advantage at feeding times, the smaller, more agile ones may have the advantage in flight. The little male (white band) has been running up and down the ledge all week. He’s just waiting for his feathers to develop a little more before he makes his first attempt. At the other end of the spectrum, we see the largest female (green band) - she may not be as agile as the smaller birds and the watch and rescue team will watch her closely and respond if she ends up on the street or on one of the nearby parking garages. In any event, fledging is probably the most critical step in the life cycle of peregrines and success can help to ensure the long-term survival of these endangered raptors.

I've been watching the live feed all morning, and one just took off. How, cool.

Click here to see my prior post.

What kind of dog is right for you quiz.

2009-06-08T00:01:00.002-04:00

Martha at Mid-Atlantic Martha asked me why Bichons are such a good dog. Well, that response takes way to much explanation that a reply post would take. I'm sure everyone thinks their dog is the best in the world. Tell me about your dog.

If you don't have a dog and wonder what breed might be suited to, click here to take the quiz.

This is why a Bichon Frise is wonderful:

The Bichon Frise is a charming puffball of a dog with a white loosely curled coat, weighing in around 10-15 pounds. They are virtually hypo-allergenic and sheds little to no hair.

This breed should be trimmed for a rounded appearance every 4-8 weeks. The Bichon is identified by it's jaunty tail curved over it's back.

Show Dog Clip

The Bichon has a merry temperament. They are bred to be companion animals, crave human contact and are easy to live with. This charming, gentle dog is not a yapper. These bright little dogs are easy to train, but may be difficult to housebreak. They are naturally sociable and are happiest when they are part of a family that takes them everywhere.

This sociable trait also means that they are fine in the company of other dogs and pets and are excellent with children. They have an independent spirit, are intelligent, affectionate, bold, lively and self-assured. They are used as watchdogs and to perform tricks, this breed is competitive and obedient.

Bichon's at Dog Show

When given daily walks, the Bichon will be a very stable minded, trustworthy dog. The Bichon Frise can live in an apartment if it gets enough exercise, at least daily walks. They are fairly active indoors and will do okay without a yard. They do enjoy a good romp in a safe open area off lead, such as a large fenced in yard.

Some are prone to watery eyes, cataracts, skin and ear ailments, also epilepsy and dislocated kneecaps. They can be very sensitive to flea bites.