Pickled Okra, An Easy Food Preservation Project!

Susan's Homemade Vanilla Extract! An Easy, Fun Project!

Here's an easy project for you. Remember to shake your bottle at least once a day for about a month, and then occasionally. Buy good ingredients. 

What Lies Beneath The Rock In The Crock?

 Today we carried the kraut crock out of the basement and opened it up. Great Fun!

Sunka Blessed Our Lives For A Year

 Sunka came to live with us last year as a Midwest Schipperke Rescue Lifer after Peg Gross passed away. He was past his fifteenth birthday and had health problems, but he fit in well at our home and enjoyed being part of a Schipperke pack. He has been declining slowly and began slipping more quickly the last few days, but still eating, drinking, and napping between outings in the dog yard. He was unresponsive this morning and we said goodbye to Sunka today.

Sunka had fun living with us, and liked to paddle in the water bowls. He played with chew toys and loved Charley Bear treats. You had to watch your fingers when giving one to him. Jack knew Sunka was slipping away and he spent yesterday and this morning lying next to him.

The Last Gladiolus

Let's celebrate these Glads with a little Joshua Rifkin and the Gladiolus Rag!

We Are Loving Our Baby Buzzards!

 It is great fun to sneak into the barn and have a peek at these little guys!

Did You Sow Your Turnips?

 Days are growing shorter, you better plant them soon!

Forty-Six Years!

Our rings still look pretty good, because we haven't worn them often. We've kept them tucked away because of the risk of degloving a finger, plus not wanting to damage them when working. We can put them on, but getting them off again is a challenge.

 

We Remember...

...Lloyd Bentrup, the uncle we never knew, mortally wounded July 24, 1944 as he served on the USS Colorado.

Buried at St. Joseph, Missouri with a brother and his parents.

His Mother's flowers still honor his memory.

The Piano Guys: All I Want For Christmas Is You (Lego Version)

 Here's a fun one; requires watching!

A Merry Christmas Treat!

A good friend called today and had treasure for us. Her husband found three big clumps of oyster mushrooms and  they gave one to us! Susan separated them, cleaned them, and sauteed them in ghee. We had 1/2 of them with Christmas Eve dinner, with pork loin and a salad with the last of our garden tomatoes. The bedtime treat will be fruitcake bars made by Patti. There are just enough for one more Christmas.  Thank You Sally and George! Merry Christmas!

A John Prine Christmas, John Prine

Silent Night All Day Long, John Prine

O Come All Ye Faithful at Westminster Abbey

Merry Christmas From The Family

I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

I Saw Three Ships, The Piano Guys

Good Christian Men Rejoice, London Philharmonic Orchestra

Angels We Have Heard On High, Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Bring A Torch, Jeanette Isabella, Mannheim Steamroller

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, John Prine

Away In A Manger, Emmy Lou Harris

Adeste Fideles, Luciano Pavarotti, Montreal 1978

Yuletide Songs by Brassman Bart

Carol Of The Bells, Rousseau

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Christmas Day 1961

Some Children See Him, James Taylor

Santa Baby, Eartha Kitt

O Holy Night / Ave Maria, Lexi Walker - The Piano Guys

What Child Is This? Lindsey Stirling

Merry Christmas Darling, The Carpenters

Angel Eyes, Emmy Lou Harris

I'll Be Home For Christmas, Anne Murray

It's A Marshmallow World, Dean Martin

Christmas Time's A Comin', Bill Monroe

Jingle Bell Rock, Bobby Helms

Where Are You, Christmas, Faith Hill

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, Brenda Lee

Blue Christmas, Elvis Presley

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, Andy Williams

Silver Bells, Dean Martin

Christmas In Prison, John Prine

 "Sweeter than saccharin at a drugstore sale." We miss you, John Prine.

Just In Time For Thanksgiving! Our Pumpkin Patch Escapade!

Just in time for Thanksgiving, we broke open some pumpkins and Susan has been cooking them. A pie went into the oven tonight! Watch the slide and video show to see the results of Susan's pumpkin patch. Pumpkin Pie recipe is at the end of the video! Alternate title and description! My Wife Planted A Pumpkin; You Won't Believe What Happens Next!