Happy Easter

Another Couple of Blocks

 Two more plaid Churn Dash blocks :D

My very first Delectable Mountains block---I loved making this using Patchwork Posse's tutorial.  Now I want to make more of these.  :)

The furbabies so want to romp and play outside.  Bayley 'reads books that are written by the wind' and doesn't mind the wind and cold at all.  He has tons of fur---Marlee, bless her little heart, has short hair and freezes.  But she snatches every opportunity for a quick run outside and back in by the fire, lickety-split.  :)

Happy Vernal Equinox Happy Spring

These photos are from last year---there is not a sign of a Redbud blossom yet, nor a Swallowtail, and the Tree Swallows are shivering on their perches. 

The calendar says it's Spring...everyone says it's Spring...our temperature this morning of 24 deg with wind chill factor of 18 degs says it is COLD.  My Tree Swallows are all huddled up trying to keep warm, wondering why they didn't wait another month to come 'home'.  :/

Did YOU Know?

Kelly, at Pinkadot Quilts, had this posted on her blog, and she said I could share too.  :D 
This one really is fascinating.

THIS IS THE ONLY TIME WE WILL SEE AND LIVE THIS EVENT

 Calendar for March 2013

March

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

This year March has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This happens once every 823 years.

New Feed Readers

I'm trying out a couple of new feed readers in light of the fact that Google Reader will be 'extinct' come July.  One of them is 'Feedly' and so far I really really like this one.

The other one is Bloglovin.  I like it too for different reasons.  I'll claim my blog on it for now, but either one will work if you follow my blog.

 Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Happy St. Patrick's Day

National Quilting Day

Today is National Quilting Day ---   I want to thank Paula 'The Quilter' for mentioning Feedly.  I've switched my blog roll from Google Reader and I think I am going to love the format.

It's also a GORGEOUS morning, 58 degs. and the sun is shining.  Lots of wind for today and possible thunderstorms this afternoon.  I am going to play with fabric part of the day and play outside part of the day.  My soul is longing for open windows and doors and sunshine and warmth.  Another storm is brewing to the West and we have weather predictions for more cold next week, but we will squeeze every bit of sunshine and warmth from the next couple of days.  :)

Bayley had to go to the vet for an Adequan shot yesterday.  These shots usually give him some immediate relief.  He does seem a bit more comfortable this morning.  I will have to put him back on the leash for potty breaks for a few days.  These shots really do work miracles, but the big problem with them is that they make him feel better and he overworks that little leg too soon.  Luckily he is a sweet, compliant little hound, for the most part, and doesn't mind the leash---he doesn't like the harness, though.  LOL  He runs to hide when I go to put that on him.  Oh well, as my Momma used to say---it hurts me more than it does him.  :)

The Tree Swallows came 'home' last Friday.  They have staked their real estate claims and are in the process of getting ready for babies.  My heart always dances when the Swallows return.

Happy Quilting and Happy St. Paddy's day--tomorrow.

Various and sundry

I've made a start on Plaid Churn Dash blocks

Such a sleepy baby

I can seeee you

He's such a funny pup---he's sound asleep LOL

I have fourteen of these little baskets now

I have been sewing a tiny little bit the last week or so--- I made one of the Churn Dash blocks last night and the other three today.  The little baskets I just pick up and stitch when I HAVE to get a quick sewing fix.  This crud that Randy and I have both had just lingers; we're past the sick sick but we both are just draggy and not quite up to snuff.  :)  This time change doesn't help us feel like jumping out of bed at o'dark thirty and doing jumpin' jacks either.  :/

Today has been a gorgeous sunshiney day but cold and windy.  It is sooooo wonderful to see the sun; we feel like we have been living in outer Siberia this Winter.  

Bayley's leg is giving him trouble again.  Poor little fella just limps around.  Not a thing we can do about it to totally fix it.  He has an appointment for tomorrow evening to get an Adequan shot.  That will give him some relief for a while.  He has arthritis in his little leg where he had surgery when he was only 6 months old.  It's something that he will have to cope with from now on.  He'll be four next month.  So hard to believe he and Marlee have been with us almost four years.  They are precious.

This lasagna was SCRUMPTIOUS---I'm making it again tonight for dinner.

Easy Skillet Lasagna
Terri McClure of Hilliard, Ohio, shared this recipe with us. She writes, "My husband often requests this recipe, and sometimes, he even helps prepare it! Tastes great with ground turkey too."

1-1/2 T. olive oil
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
16-oz. jar spaghetti sauce (I used Bertolli's Olive Oil
              and Garlic)
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and cut in half
12-oz. container small-curd cottage cheese
4 slices mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté green pepper, onion and garlic until tender; drain. Transfer to a bowl; stir in spaghetti sauce and browned beef. In skillet, layer 1/3 of sauce mixture, half the lasagna noodles, half the cottage cheese, 2 slices of mozzarella and half the Parmesan. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sauce, making sure to cover all noodles. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before uncovering and serving. Serves 4.

URI and Sinus Recipe We've been using this for the last couple of months,

and it really really works.  Randy has terrible sinus problems, has had surgery a couple of times, and we were preparing for him to go through it again.  This has kept him away from the ENT for the last few months.  I have also been using it two to three times a day lately fighting off the nasty URI that has been going around.  I am sooooo glad I came across this recipe.  I QUADRUPLE THE RECIPE USING 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tsp. ginger, 1/4 c. vinegar, 1/4 cup honey and 1/2 cup water.  Sometimes I add in a bit of cinnamon and cloves (not always).

I copied it straight from the blog that I found it on and am giving boocoos of credit to her.  

February 7th, 2012

Home Remedy

Today’s post is a bit of a departure. It is not focused on food or drink. There’s no stunning roast or plate of pasta. No cooling beverage. No beguiling dessert.
And yet, there is a recipe.

An easy one, too, using four items found in most pantries:
Apple Cider Vinegar,
Honey,
Ginger,
and Cayenne…
plus some water.
And, so quick to put together, so beneficial,
I had to share it with you. Pronto!

Combined, I learned from Maggie, that quartet of pantry ingredients creates a potent remedy to some of the ails of winter: Sore throat, hacking cough, tight congestion.
Combined, they turn into a curious orange syrup that can cut through the croup.
And, the taste is really good!
Like you, we’ve been trying to duck the dreaded cold germs: wash our hands, eat well, get enough sleep, stay warm. Sometimes even the most valiant efforts get foiled.
I first mixed up a batch for Bill over the holidays, when he caught a cold accompanied by a strangling cough. The Remedy went right to work, acting as both a calming agent and expectorant.
So, last month, when I felt run down, tight with a tickle in the throat, I shook up a little Remedy. A spoonful or two seemed to break its hold, suppress the devilish tickle.

Just last night, Bill came home after a long workday. His voice was spent, and he had that dull, woozy feeling you get when the onset of a cold is trying to make its way into your head. He snatched up the little bottle, gave it a vigorous shake, and poured a tablespoonful. “Ahhhh. This is the Good Stuff,” he said.
I’m not saying it’s a cure-all, or some homeopathic miracle drug. But it did a mighty fine job taking the place of store-bought cough suppressants, expectorants, decongestants…
Wouldn’t you rather have a dose of spicy honey-cider syrup from a little jar mixed up in the kitchen than any of those bottles lurking in the medicine cabinet?
I thought so.
Stay warm. Stay healthy.
Take good care. And, if need be, take your remedy.

MAGGIE’S COUGH REMEDY
¼ teaspoon Cayenne
¼ teaspoon Ginger
1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar (an organic one, like Bragg’s, is preferred.)
2 Tablespoon Water
1 Tablespoon Honey (use a locally produced raw honey, if possible.)
Dissolve cayenne and ginger in cider vinegar and water. Add honey and shake well. Take 1 Tablespoon as needed for cough. Hoo-wee.
Note: This is potent albeit watery syrup. It also doesn’t dissolve perfectly. Always shake well before using.
If you make this in small batches as the recipe is written, there is no need to refrigerate.
If you prefer, you may refrigerate this. It keeps as long as you need it. I like to make small batches (it is so easy to mix up.) and use it up in a just a few days.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE: This remedy and dosage are for adults. I have no personal experience giving this to children, and cannot recommend it for children. Many have reported on this site (see comments) that they have had great success administering the remedy in smaller doses to their kids. This is those parents personal choice, which I respect. If the remedy has helped their family, I am grateful. But it is not my recommendation.
Moreover,
Honey should NEVER be given in any form to children under the age of one year, due to the risk of infant botulism–hence the remedy should never, under any circumstances , be given to an infant.
All best wishes for good health and speedy recoveries,
Nancy       http://nancyvienneau.com/blog/articles/home-remedy/

March Came in Like A Lion

                          Reflections

                         Marlee is afraid of the wind

It is cold, and windy, and grey, and we are sooooo ready for some warmer weather and sunshine.

February flew by like the haints of hell were on it's heels.  Randy had a big 6.0. birthday on the 9th and I was lucky enough to celebrate my big 5.7. birthday on the 26th.  :p

We've both been battling the upper respiratory crud, but happily, we are both on the mend. 

Yesterday was spent trying to get a new printer up and working.  The technology today requires college prep classes to figure out how to make it do even a third of what it's capable of ...  :/

I'm doing a bit of sewing every day.  I'm trying to develop the habit of at least 15 minutes a day.