Veteran's Day

Please take a moment some time today to remember the veterans! The veteran's in my family were my grandfather-NAVY, my Uncle Bill-AIR FORCE, my Uncle John-ARMY and POW of the Korean War. I will be thinking of them today. Also thank you to all the service men and women who are fighting for our country today and who have fought for this country in the past! God Bless America!!

I found this poem online and would like to share it with you:

Heroes
By Jared Jenkins


In war, there are lives risked and lives taken
Men and women giving their best to defend what they love
They defend their country
Their honor
Their people

Some call them soldiers
Others call them heroes

Our veterans have risked their lives for us
They have lived through hell and fought with honor
Many have killed
And regret doing so

For every life, there is a soul
For every soul, there is a life
For those who have died, we show great appreciation and remembrance
For those who live, along with them live the horrific memories of battle
Some, memories of defeat
Some, memories of victory

Our veterans were more than soldiers
They were, and still are heroes

Holiday Blogger Book Swap!

I've decided to join again on the Holiday Blogger Book Swap! Last year it was so much fun receiving my book and sending a book to someone I didn't know! Here is how you can find out more, but hurry the sign up ends 11/14/10:

http://holidayswap.wordpress.com/2010/11/05/welcome/

Thanksgiving Project Blankets

Most of you know I have been knitting 2 blankets for a Thanksgiving Project. My youngest daughter, Jennifer works for Olive Garden and they are giving Thanksgiving gifts to 5 ladies in a group home. Now these ladies do not have much and Olive Garden has decided to make a really nice Thanksgiving for these ladies! This week the 5 ladies are coming in for a special dinner and then they will be presented with 5 baskets filled with all sorts of things. Jennifer took it upon herself to knit 2 blankets, I knitted 2 blankets and my friend, Patty knitted a wrap. I finished the last blanket on Monday night. While I was glad to finish the blankets and start some of the Christmas presents I'll be giving this year, it was very rewarding to know that these ladies will have something of their very own!

Here is the finally products that I made:


This throw/blanket turned out really well I think!


This picture came out a little blurry, but you can still see it. The colors are a blend of green,turquoise and a little gold thread. Very pretty and really warm!

I hope the ladies enjoy their gifts and God Bless them!! Happy Thanksgiving ladies!!

Homemade Chicken Soup and Eggplant Parmesan

As most of you know I've been battling this cold that seems to be lingering! I have had it since last Tuesday night. It is getting really old now! Yesterday I thought I would make some homemade chicken soup to get rid of the cold once and for all! I love homemade chicken soup-it just reminds me of when I was little and my Mom or Grandma would make some for me when I wasn't feeling my best. The smell of the chicken soup filled the house along with the beer bread I was baking too! John and I had it for dinner last night and I had it for lunch today. Hopefully it will make this cold go away!


Here is the soup in the beginning before simmering it on the stove. I chop up celery, onions, carrots, the leaves from the celery, parlsey, garlic power, ground salt and pepper. First I boil the chicken breasts and then take them out when they are cooked all the way through. Then I put all the chopped veggies in. When they have simmered and become tender, that is when I put the chicken (which I have ripped or cut into small chunks) back into the soup pot. I then add angel hair pasta or spaghetti noodles (breaking the pasta into three sections). When the pasta is tender I turn the pot off and let sit until dinner.

Recipe for Beer Bread:

3 cups self-rising flour
3 tblsps. sugar
1 12 oz. bottle or can of beer (any kind)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the above ingredients together (by hand) and put in a greased loaf pan. Let rise for 15 mins. Bake in the 350 degree oven for 1 hour. About half way through cooking take a pastry brush and brush on some soft butter. Also do this right before you take it out of the oven. It is so easy and so good!!


Here is the completed soup and a piece of the beer bread. Just a note the beer bread usually isn't this dark in color. I only had 1 can of Guiness Stout in the house so it made the bread brown.



I also made Eggplant Parmesan yesterday. My boss had given me 2 eggplants from his garden, so I made Eggplant Parm for our dinner tonight. It was so nice to come home and not have to cook!

Beautiful Sunday Walk

Today John and I took a walk around the townhouse complex we live in. It was cool and breezy but I needed some outside time. Even though it was cool there were so many beautiful things blooming and growing. The sky was such a beautiful Carolina Blue! Here are some of things we saw on our walk:


We have 2 beautiful pink camellias growing by our front door. I posted pictures of them before, but I had to post a few more!


This is such a gorgeous Camellia. I love the buds but this full open one is just gorgeous! They look as if they are made of tissue paper!


This little bud was just starting to open.


We have a rain garden in the center of the complex and these red berries were so brilliant in the sun.


There are several paper bark birch trees in the rain garden. I just love the trunks on them!


This is the last of the beautiful red roses the HOA has planted around here. This is just a gorgeous red (the colors in all my photos have been untouched).


We have pine trees that line the back driveways and I couldn't resist the pinecone in the pine boughs. This would make a great Christmas card!


Some pretty trees in the center rain garden and the lovely blue sky again!


We have alot of winter pansies all around the complex. I just love these little blue pansies, so cheerful!


I don't know what variety grasses these are, I just call them pink fountain grass. I love to see this shocking pink color especially when the sun hits them-just gorgeous!


All the ornamental grasses were waving in the breezes today. They are so gracefully.




This picture came out a little blurry, but I posted it anyway because if you look closely there is a lady bug on one of the ornamental grasses! She was just swaying in the breeze.

Well I hope you liked taking my walk with me. There is so much beautiful out there and I'm so glad I did go out (even with my cold) to just soak up some sunshine and see all of nature's beauty!

Silver for the holidays!

With Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner I've been thinking about the things I need to take care of-one being my silver. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas I use my husbands grandmother's silverware. Time to polish that. I was also thinking about decorating with some silver pieces I have collected over the year. Off to the internet I went for some ideas and here are so lovely pieces of silver I thought I would share with you today:


I just love the little silver teapot place card holders! I'm a tea drinker but I think everyone would love these.


Wouldn't this silver grouping look beautiful on a sideboard in your Dining Room!


Lovely silverware.


Don't forget to add silver, glass or white mirrors to your holiday decorating! They are really gorgeous for this time of year.


I just love this little tea cup with the little silver forks.


Don't just store your silverware in a drawer out of site, bring it out into the open by storing some pieces in a pottery urn.

Or in a cut glass cup




Silver that shows a little age or tarnish is wonderful to use in decorating for the holidays.


I have always tried to put a glass candle holder with some silver pieces on the mantel to add just enough sparkle for the holiday season!


I love this Dining Room setting! Very simple but yet elegant! The silver candlelabras add just enough sparkle for your holiday meal!


This silver branch candlelabra really makes a statement! I would add some greenery and some berries for the Christmas holiday.


Napkins rings are always a just little extra item you can add to your holiday table. These silver ones are very elegant and old-world looking.





Don't forget to add some beautiful silver mecury glass ornaments to your tree or put some greenery in a bowl, place some silver ornaments and some red berries on twigs and you've got a beautiful arrangement.

Last and not least don't forget to bling yourself out!!

Holiday Reading Challenge 2010

I have decided to jump on the Holiday Reading Challenge 2010 bandwagon! I love reading holiday books, so this one was right up my alley.

The books I know I'll be reading are:

1. The Snow Globe by Sheila Roberts
2. Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber