Jerry joins the party

When I arrived at my in-laws house to celebrate Christmas, I noticed that the Jerry Garcia doll was missing this year. They said he was napping upstairs and didn't feel like coming down. I let it go, but eventually people started to miss him and he was finally brought downstairs. Jerry Garcia has been a guest at my husband's parents home for years, ever since they won him in a Dirty Santa game. It was a gift my husband had brought that year. This is my neice Kim and my nephew Tim hanging out with Jerry, who looks like he's having a pretty good time. The next photo is Kim with her mom, Helen, my husband's sister. I love my husband's family and consider myself really lucky after hearing other people's in-law horror stories. Sorry, Char. But you know it's true.

Winner Announced for WGG#4

I know I'm posting early, but it's only an hour and besides, it's already been won. This week's winner is HELEN, who was the first to answer with the correct guess of a SWEET GUMTREE BALL. (Or Sweet gum tree seed pod, which is what it is). Helen's first guess of a sticky ball from a Sycamore tree was incorrect, but her husband BOB set her straight. (Bob is big into gardening). Helen lives in NJ and works in Philadelphia. She's also my sister-in-law but that doesn't prevent her from winning any contests that I hold. If I didn't include my relatives, I'd hardly have anyone playing, so it's all good.

Now you may remember Helen from one of my very first posts, and her daughter Kim from hanging out with Jerry Garcia. And Helen, I had no idea you even read this blog! So, welcome to my world. I hardly get to see ya, so it's good to have you along.

I'm posting the Big Picture here, as well as what a sticky ball from a sycamore looks like. The farm drive here is lined with big old sycamore trees and over the holidays, I took this photo with my zoom lens and posted it for New Year's Day. I'd rather walk on a sycamore ball in my bare feet rather than one from a sweet gum. Ouch!

What’s for dessert tonight

When my husband and I were out shopping in Amish country yesterday, I picked up something that I haven’t bought for years.

Chocolate wafers. They’re in the bulk section of the grocery store we visited.

And then I came home, decided to hell with the diet, and made these.



I used frozen yogurt rather than ice cream, hoping that would help in the battle against too many calories.



I used to make these all the time when our boys were young. I’d fill them with Breyer’s vanilla ice cream, and for special occasions I’d use their favorite: chocolate chip mint.

Or was that my favorite?

My memory plays tricks with me sometimes.

They’re darn good with Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia Fro-Yo, too.




And they’re extremely simple to make. If you can’t find chocolate wafers, Keebler chocolate graham crackers work just fine.



I always smooth out the edges because I’m such a suzy homemaker.

Not.



They’re best eaten a day or two after making them. That way, the ice cream seeps ever so gently into the wafer, making it the perfect texture for biting into.

Is there a simple treat that you like to make?

Until tomorrow, then . . .

Things that made me smile today

My husband calling me to dinner and sitting down to a yummy surprise. (I have this at the top of the list because it means that much to me).

Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia Fro-Yo.

My air-conditioned oasis of a living room. (It went up to 102 today).

My frog and turtle sprinklers. (See, I told you I had a froggie).

Jack Johnson singing this song. (Today was the first time I heard it).

George. Every day.

How great I looked when I tried on my bathing suit this afternoon.

That last one was a lie. I just wanted to make sure you’re still out there.

You’re still out there, right?

 

Being able to take a photo of my cat this afternoon, who was too hot to get up and run away. (For a change).

Rescue Me is on tonight.

Knowing that in just 8 days, I’ll be spending a long weekend with good friends that I met through blogging.

I am so looking forward to that.

And that’s my list for today. I may have more before the night is through.

So what made you smile today?

I want a perfect soul

I come up the driveway after a long day at work, stopping once to remove a tree limb that had come down. When I get to the top of the drive, I see George coming from round back, to take his place as greeter when I open the car door.

In my youth, I would never have thought I would actually be comforted by the simple daily rituals of arriving home, making a fuss over a beloved pet, putting away all of my things and hugging my husband. At hearing me say ‘time to get changed’, George heads up the staircase to wait for me at the top.

If you’re looking for excitement, you’ve come to the wrong blog. It’s quiet here at the manor house where we live as caretakers.

He knows what comes next when it’s time for me get changed out of my work clothes and into my walking clothes.

I think rituals like this calm him, too.

But he’s getting just a little bit impatient with the photo session (I can tell).

I wasn’t happy with the photos at the top of the stairs. The light was much better at the bottom, where the first and last photos were taken. I think it’s important to know where the good light is in your house.

I made these mini ice-cream sandwiches for dessert tonight, getting the idea here. I found them on Dessert Stalking, although mine are low-fat. I took two of my husband’s ‘healthy cookies’ (his words), and 2-3 Tbsp. of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia Fro-Yo.

I don’t believe my husband’s claims about the cookies being healthy. But the frozen yogurt is low-fat, so that should count for something.

I hope your day is a sweet one. Until tomorrow, then . . .

This song came on the radio today and I was immediately taken back to the first time I ever heard it, back in 2000 while driving to school (work) with my sons who were in middle and high school at the time. When we got to school, it was still playing so we sat in the parking lot to finish listening to the whole thing, turning it up loud. (And you know how I like to rock out in the school parking lot). When we got home that day, Shaun looked it up on the internet for me using some of the lyrics. I can’t help myself. I just like it is all.

UPDATE: Something is up with the comment section on this post. Maybe it will all work itself out but what’s going on is it’s saying there are a certain amount of comments but when you click on the comment button, it says there are two and that’s all that’s showing up. Anyone else ever have this problem? I tried posting again and it seems to be fine. But this one is messed up. Why is Blogger such a devil?