Mummy....Daddy......oh nooooooooooooo

True to form, the pear tree has shed most of it's leaves in just 2 days!

Pear Tree

Our flowering pear tree is always the last one to "turn" in the fall....it is always beautiful.

But the leaves stay like this only for a few days - then they'll be history!

Turkey

I found a photo of the turkey just now on my phone that I had forgotten....

I know my sis will just page past this one :-)

I was planning on taking more photos but just got to busy!!

I used a recipe that my high school friend, Michelle, posted on Facebook.  It's Christina Ferrare's
recipe that she apparently did on the Oprah show many years ago.  It's basically dijon mustard, lemon juice and soy sauce.  It turned out fine, but I'll say it was nothing special!  Pretty though!

Thanksgiving

I can't believe I didn't pick up my camera much during the holiday!!! Sharon was knitting while we were all chatting....and the conversation turned to our pretty sweaters that Teresa made for us many years ago... Which lead to me retrieving the said sweaters for a little show and tell....aren't they gorgeous?

And very, very warm!

I've put these photos up on FB, but they're all I took!!



Debbie and Granny and a flash of a schnauzer!

And, amazingly, all three dogs, calm for just one moment..... 

A wonderful holiday visit!

Vegan bites for Thanksgiving

My sweet sis sent me a link to a fabulous vegan "Wellington" - I thought seriously about making it for Richard and Miranda for Thanksgiving.  But, it absolutely exhausted me reading the directions!  Doesn't that look great? 

It did look yummy, and I might make it some time in the future.  I did print out the (very long) recipe and have it in my recipe box.

In it's place, I opted for something simpler - mushroom dumplings of my own design.

Ingredients -

Crescent rolls - they're vegan!
Earth Balance butter replacement
Onion
Mushrooms
Sage, Basil, Thyme

Just sauteed the the mushrooms and onions - added the spices at the end.

I rolled out 2 tubes of crescent rolls and cut them into squares.

Then spooned a little bit of the mushroom mixture onto the dough squares.

And pinched it together to make a dumpling.

All ready to go into the oven.

All done!  After cooling, I put them in a ziploc and into the freezer.  Will pull them out and reheat them for Thanksgiving.

Triple Choc

I've been doing some pre-Thanksgiving prep....

this is fresh out of the oven today -  Triple Chocolate Cheesecake.  Well, it's just double so far.....

It's cooling now in the fridge....then to the freezer for a few days.  I'll put the third layer on when ready to serve - a simple mixture of melted chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream for a fabulous drizzle!!!

Trip of a lifetime

Tickets are booked!!!!  Were lucky enough to score First/Business class tickets on American/Quantas/Hawaiian Airlines for the entire trip, including those 15+ hour legs....

Once-in-a-lifetime "bucket list" trip end of summer next year!!  (beginning of Australian spring).

It will be almost 6 weeks - 40 days -  all one-way flights - here's the map (I did different colors because all the crisscrossing in one color was very confusing):

And here's the list of the major points - 

Charlotte to Sydney

Sydney to Darwin

Darwin to Melbourne

Melbourne to Adelaide

Adelaide to Cairns

Cairns to Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland to Honolulu

Honolulu to Charlotte!!!

I'm so excited!!!  Can't ya tell??

Lovely trees driving to Siler City.....they'll soon all blow away though!!  (it's a slow news day at the WOK if this is all I've to to offer!!)  Have a great day!

Circa mid-1980's Photo Collage

I had this photo collage.....it's been in the guest room for many years.  I'm not really even sure when I put it together, but it must have been when we lived off Lake Boone Trail in an apartment in Raleigh.  It's a hodge-podge of photos, I have no idea why I chose these particular photos!

But, I've noticed that some of the photos are getting faded, so I decided to do something about it.  Plus the frame and mat are pretty chintzy!  (the "mat" was just a single ply piece of paper with cut-outs).

I carefully scanned each of the photos and uploaded to Shutterfly.  For $19 they made a nice photo poster.  I put my original photos back in a photo album so they won't fade anymore.  I'm pretty happy with the results! 

If you're interested in each photo - read on - I'll tell you what I remember about each one!  Starting at the top left hand photo.


Competing in an event with Ajax....

Our one and only "Family Portrait" - Mom can probably date it for us....I'd say about 1976.

Dated Oct 1978 -  I must have had a roll of b&w film trying to be "artsy".   Bacchus - he was probably 2-3 yrs old here.

Snapshot from May 1982 (date on back of photo is Oct 1982)

Polaroid of me on the pony Trouble with my dad.  I don't actually remember riding Trouble...he must have been "trouble"!

Note the faded circle - this shows the effects of exposure.

Carolyn's school photo - 9th grade

Duane relaxing in a john-boat.  We used to rent boats by the hour at both Umstead and Johnson Lakes...so I don't know which this was.  (Note the faded circle again). Dated  Oct 81

This was a view from one of the lakes....not sure why I added it to the collage!

Awww, I was so nice at the wedding!!  No "stuffing the wedding cake in the groom's mouth"!!!

Photo is dated April '81, but I'm pretty sure this is from our Myrtle Beach trip after Duane's graduation - which would have been July '80.  Funny how long it took you to send in your film for developing in those days!

I'm pretty sure this is my first grade photo...

Grove Park Inn - Duane's senior prom....1979.   I spent a week making that dress!

On the couch at home - back of the photo says Karen & Pepper  Fall '65.

This must have been from that same "artsy" B&W roll of film....I believe this is Ajax and Bill.  With some of Moody's cows in the background.

I was one photo short according to the Shutterfly format, so I had to add a photo.....so I picked this one.  Daddy's Massy Ferguson tractor - looks pretty new in this photo.

Sharon - school photo - but I assume it's 1982 or 1983?

Road trip!!! This was probably 1981-82 - we hopped in Walter's car and drove north one Friday night until we reached Manhatten.  This is about 6AM and we'd been up all night.  We were not too impressed at the time....we turned around and went home!   (Me, Walter and Alex Fisher - Duane must have taken the photo).

Photo dated Aug 1979 - not sure where, but I believe it's Aiken SC because there are no hills in the background!

Photo dated Sept 1978 - our living room - really not sure why Daddy has a bowler hat on, but I believe there is a similar photo of Mom with the same hat!

And really not sure why I put this photo in the collage, since I didn't know Duane at this point....it's Duane and Wayne Jones on a  Beta Club trip - look at those skinny legs!!  He thinks it might be at Salem, but he's not sure.

And my sweet Mom, who I seem destined to resemble!  This photo is dated Oct 1981 and I'm pretty sure it's in my dorm room at NC State. 

Good fun reminiscing!!

Deer in the back yard!

I noticed this buck right before I touched to door handle to go out this morning.  He's right at the edge of the concrete leading up to our garage.  He stood there for several minutes, looking this way and that.  I carefully took photos thru the basement door.  Finally, he slowly ambled away.

I went about my business, walking out the door.  I was really shocked to see a doe at the edge of the woods also!  She just stood and stared at me for a while, eventually prancing away.  They sure are graceful!

Attic flooring

Our attic is completely unfinished - it's just the ceiling joists with lots of insulation.  There were 1 foot wide strips of flimsy plywood in places that were (I assume) put there to accommodate the construction crew. 

I've used those strips of plywood over the years to (carefully) walk around up in the attic to put boxes of "stuff" that weren't really needed in the house.  Lots of the kids school stuff, toys, baby clothes, etc. 

I've wanted an actual "floor" up there for a long time.....up my new pull-down stairway.

Here's a photo of the rough attic area as Duane was starting to frame up the floor.

The house is about 50' long in this direction - he built up with nice 2X6" supports and insulated the floor. 

And I've put all kinds of "stuff" up there already....

 And here's one of my favorite parts - Duane wired it all up with nice LED lights!  The previous "hole in the ceiling" had a single bulb with a old-fashioned pull string.... very nice to have it all well-lighted!

One more painting post

I think this is it for painting for a little while......I'm rather tired of it now!!  

I just want to remind you again what the master bath looked like just a month ago.  I'm still giddy every time I go in there, it's such a refreshing change!!

 Before:

 

A nice blue to add some color to compliment the tile accents.

Other direction - before:

And the "after".   Last time you'll have to see our bathroom for another 20 years, I hope!!