January BK Pictures

 Betsy at her dance class and Kyle helping his dad. 

Kitchen News & Thank You's

I have the best mom in the world.   This blog began as a way to send her pictures from the garden, but it's grown into a letter for a whole bunch of people that I love and some I don't even know.  Thanks for stopping by to visit. Here's a little e-mail exchange we had recently:  



Sometime before Christmas
To:  Kynda
From:  Mama
Hi honey. . . put some $ in the BK account and some to pay on your cook-top.  I want to own at least a part of one burner so Mark can make me chili on it.  I love you all Christmas and every day.

Sometime after the New Year:
To  Mama
From  Kynda
I cashed your check this morning, so your burner is all paid for :) thank you so much!

I love you mama--past heaven!

So the kitchen is changing again.  New cooktop and new PaInT :)  Mark, also known as TBHITWWW, has painted the cabinets for me. . . again.  And I don't think he's ever said ".  . and this is the last time . . . "  I told you he's the best :)

I am blessed.  Thank you, thank you to the universe and its Creator.

Orchid 2013

 

This is what can happen if I go downstairs to clean up my space.  I might find an orchid determined  to bloom despite my neglect.  And I might find a little better container than the crappy plastic thing it came in, along with some leftover wire and  ribbon.  I need to go down there more often!  I hope it will like its new home in my office at work . . .

Christmas Flower Review

A few flowers from this year's Christmas holiday.  

These went to V and to Tami.

This little birdy went to work with me.   

The rose is drying now and it still looks pretty. 

And a little bud vase for the kitchen.  

It's almost the new year.  

Time to start thinking about flowers for 2013 :)

Pink Christmas

I'll Be Careful

He's so funny!  He knew that I was going to caution him about jumping off the porch, so he was heading me off before I even got started.  "I'll be careful."

I'm so thankful for Betsy & Kyle.  I can't wait to hold them tight again.  So sad for all those grandparents who lost their beautiful babies in a Friday morning kindergarten class.  Sending them love and strength for healing. 

Betsy in her Great-Great-Granddaddy's Hat

This hat belonged to my granddaddy, Raymond White, also known as Great-Grandma Peggy's dad.

We'll have to ask my mom to tell us where this was taken.  That looks like a fancy bench he's sitting on.  He played the guitar, although I don't remember hearing him play.  Maybe because TV had come along by then, and he loved TV.  I do remember watching Andy Griffith with him and counting the change from the filling station every night. 

 Mike has the guitar now and I know he treasures it.  Granddaddy's hat has been hanging on my walls for years--since way before my boys were born.  But Betsy was the first one who said she wanted to wear it.  She looks so cute in it!  Wish he were here to see her.

'Bye November

Took these beautiful tulips to work with me and so many people asked if I grew them!  I wish :)

Handmade by Peggy

 Mama's primitives went to The Farm last weekend and they looked so cute!

 I'm thinking they'll all get new homes for Christmas :)

Jessica Reid Photography

November Saturday Project

Two months ago, I stopped at Greenview and bought daffodil bulbs and pansies, just because I was feeling sad  and  wanted to treat myself to a little garden therapy.   They've been sitting, waiting patiently ever since. . .

The weather was gorgeous today, so today was the day!  Two different kinds of yellow daffodils and purple & orange pansies, planted in a pot, and tucked into the compost pile..

Mark covered them over with more leaves so they'll be snug for the winter. The first of March, we'll dig up the pot  and hopefully we'll have a nice bulb garden  for spring :)

Photography by Rachel Jones

Vote!

We voted this morning.  I am thankful that I live in the United States.   Not that I think we're perfect, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.  And even tho I've been worried about possible threats to my freedom of choice lurking out there, I am thankful that as a woman I can walk into the polling place and cast my ballot freely. 

This photo was taken at Henry Ford Museum where we visited last summer with mama and PJ and Jeff.  I will have to ask my mama what mammy and grandma told her about getting the right to vote. 

Plentiful Pins

Pinning pinterest pins on paper over on The Farm's blog.  

Keep those pins coming! :)

Isaac & Kynda's Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

A long time ago, when Isaac was young, he and I made chocolate chip cookies together over and over--trying to get them to come out soft and chewy instead of hard as brick bats.  What's a brick bat?  I don't know, but I heard my great-grandmother use that saying when I was a little girl.  I assume they used to call bricks "brick bats".  But maybe there was such a thing as a bat made out of brick??  I will have to ask my mama to see if she remembers.

Anyway, the point is, Isaac and I came up with the best-ever recipe for chocolate chip cookies.  It's pretty simple.  Take the toll-house recipe off the bag of chocolate chips and make 3 changes.

1)  Half the butter.  One stick instead of two.
2)  Twice the chocolate chip cookies.  You knew this was going to be included, didn't you?
3)  Use at least two kinds of chocolate chips. We used to use one bag of milk chocolate chips and one bag of semi-sweet.  But now the grocery store also has dark chocolate chips.  So use some combination of dark&milk&semi or dark&milk or dark&semi or semi&milk, etc.  You get the idea.
4)  There is a fourth rule, but it's not really a change to the recipe.  It's just a cookie-baking rule--don't bake the cookies too long.  There's a fine fine line between underbaked, just right, and hard-as-brick-bats.  In my oven, it's 9-10 minutes at 350.  The edge of the cookie is just turning golden brown  and the middle still looks just a tad gooey.

These days I don't bake cookies very often.  Too many calories.  Despite watching our blood sugar, we're also watching the scale creep up in the wrong direction.

When I bake these best-ever cookies, I think about Judson and Isaac when they were little.  I am so proud of the grown men they have become.  And the sight of Betsy smiling with  chocolate smears on her face--well,  I am blessed beyond blessed.  

Post Funeral

Family is good medicine when you're sad.  And Betsy & Kyle are the best medicine ever.  We laughed and had a good time together.  Except when Betsy fell off the merry-go-round.  Then we were just thankful that she was okay and we could kiss that boo-boo and make it feel better.

And it was so good to see Judson and Isaac together again--it's been a long time.  Hopefully not so long for the next visit. 

Saturday Flowers

PJ & Jeff & Mama sent this beautiful vase to us for Warren's funeral.  There were lots of pretty flowers that gave us comfort and beauty at a very sad time.

A little broken heart from Betsy & Kyle.  When I went to funerals as a little girl, I remember there was always a small broken heart pillow in the casket.  I don't know if they are done much anymore, but I love it and I know Warren would have too.

11-2008

9-2012

Warren Lee Canada

 

We are sad, but relieved that his struggle is over.  Warren loved us all so much and we will miss him every day.  Thank you to Rachel for taking this picture just a few short weeks ago while she and Judson and the babies came to visit.  I am so proud that both of my boys came back home to visit with Warren as soon as they learned the news of his illness.

And thank you to my mama and PJ and Jeff who inspired us to take one last trip to the Cozy Dog.  Warren hadn't wanted to go anywhere, didn't want to eat much of anything.  But the minute someone said something about going to the Cozy Dog, he was ready to go. . . In his pajamas. . .  Well, why not?  We had a great time and made another sweet memory.  Here is the obituary:

Warren Lee Canada, 75, of Springfield, died at 4:15 pm, Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at his home. He was born January 13, 1937 in Karnak, IL to Ray and Lois Laverne Smith Canada. He married Vivian A. Hausman on September 4, 1959 at Metropolis, IL and she survives.

Also surviving are one son Mark (Kynda) Canada of Springfield; two grandsons, Judson (Rachel) Jones and Isaac Jones; two great grandchildren, Betsy Helen and Kyle Warren Jones; two sisters, Earline Welton of Ann Arbor, MI and Brenda (Tim) Atchinson of Jackson, MI; a special sister-in-law, Lydia Canada of Ann Arbor, MI and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

His parents; three brothers James, William and Robert Canada and two sisters, Mildred Holshouser and Margaret McMullen preceded him in death.

Warren was a U.S. Army veteran serving during the Korean Era. He was a member of the First Baptist Church. He loved golfing and played almost daily after retirement. He was on a bowling league and was an avid Cub and Illini fan. He formerly was a fast pitch softball pitcher for the Baptist Team.

He retired from Borden Chemical Company in Illiopolis on June 1, 1999, after 29 years of service.
Visitation: 5-7 pm, Friday, October 12, 2012 at Staab Funeral Home.
Funeral Service: 7 pm, Friday, October 12, 2012 at Staab Funeral Home with Chaplain John Nelson officiating.

Burial will be at 11 am, Monday, October 15, 2012 at Woodville Cemetery, in Kevil, KY.
Memorial contributions may be made to Land of Lincoln Honor Flight or to Memorial Home Hospice.

Wednesday Goldens

I loved our visit with Joy and Rosie, my sister PJ & brother-in-law's two rescued goldens.  G Dog was just saying to me this morning that he had a great time with them and can't wait for them to come visit again.  But he said no thank you to a road trip to go see them in Michigan.  He gets a little carsick, you know.

Our lives these days are mostly affected by how my father-in-law is doing.  If he's having a good day, things are not so bad and we're holding up okay.  Tired, but okay.  If it's a not-so-good day, it feels pretty overwhelming.  And we're even more tired.

This morning, G Dog and Lilla woke me up at 4:30.  Yes, 4:30.  That's breakfast time, don't you know? So after breakfast--their breakfast, not mine--I drove over to see if Warren might be up.  Not a light on in the house.  Hoping they got lots of good sleep last night.

Okay, now on to my breakfast.  Cottage cheese with blueberries?  Protein drink with frozen strawberries?  Well, maybe I'll just have another cup of coffee.  G Dog says he'll have some coffee too.

Have a good Wednesday :)

Kentucky Lake 2012

We love vacationing at this house in the fall.  We've spent a week here almost every year for the past seven years.   Fishing wasn't quite as good as in past, but we were glad to have a few days away.  Kind of hard to really enjoy a vacation  with Mark's dad being so sick.  We ate at our favorite places--the Dinner Bell and Patti's.  And  Judson and Rachel are so close now.  Only an hour up the road, and we were hanging out with Betsy & Kyle in their new house. We're back home safe and sound with our G Dog and Lilla and a few more days of vacation before going back to work.  Life is precious.