Merry {Belated} Christmas!

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas this year. We had a fabulous time with our family. Enjoyed good food and good company! I have lots to put on the blog, but I have to take the time to get Joseph's laptop (if he will get off it long enough) so I can post some pictures from my camera. I am so behind because I haven't shared any good pictures of the house, or Christmas decorations, or new furniture,or from Joseph's 30th birthday. So please forgive me!! Guess I need to get on that soon.

But I just wanted to get on here real quick and let everyone know that I haven't forgotten about my blog, it's just difficult to have a blog with no internet at home!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Yay! I got my tree up. And please excuse the poor photos because they are from my phone and I am doing this post at work, since I still have no internet! We got a monster of a tree this year in celebration of moving and the fact that the ceiling is so tall in the house that we needed a big tree. Here is a shot of my TV cabinet-turned-china cabinet.

The new house has a built in TV cabinet and it was easier to use that with all the wiring and stuff for the satellite, so that left me with our other cabinet to do something with. So I got Joseph to drop the top shelf down to the center and pulled out my Christmas china and did a little display. I thought it turned out ok.

And since I can't write a post without some mention of the doggies, here is Brutus and his new favorite place to stay:

He has decided that he likes it under the Christmas trees. I found his stash of toys in the skirt of the big tree when I went to water it yesterday. I guess he likes to chew up his toys in the beauty of the twinkling lights.

And last but not least, here is my little contribution to the museum this year.

I couldn't believe that the museum didn't have a nice, big tree and pretty decorations. And after going through the decorations, I knew that I couldn't let the Charlie Brown, mish-mashed tree be on display in the entryway. I'm talking old stuff that people donated after they didn't want it anymore. Ugly stuff. So for a few days this tree bothered me and bothered me just thinking about it. So, I ran down to Target and loaded up on some ornaments. Ha Ha. I'm crazy, I know! But I knew Target had some pretty blue/gold/silver ornaments that would look great in the museum, since the walls are painted a soft, light blue.

So that's about it for now with the Christmas trees. Hopefully, I can get Joseph to let me use his computer so I can upload some really pictures!!

Happy Holidays, Ya'll!

A Tasty Treat

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

I finally got around to making this recipe. I have seen Ina (my fav!) make this on her show a million times and it always looked good. I originally was gonna make it as a pre-dinner snack, but it was a little time consuming and so delicious and filling, that we just ate it for supper. I made four tarts. And let me say. These. Are. Fabulous! So here's how I did it: (to quote Ina)

Ingredients

• 1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
• Good olive oil
• 4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
• 3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
• 4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet)
• 1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
• 3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Directions
 Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.

Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

I'm still here!

I still have no internet at home, so I am just posting this really fast here at work to let everyone know that I will try and post some house/Christmas photos this weekend, if Joseph will let me use his laptop long enough to do it. But I do have my Christmas tree up and it's a big one! Stay tuned for pictures {hopefully!}

No Internet, Phones, or TV

Yep. My blog posts might be few and far between until we get internet at our new house. We don't live in a normal service area, so I am having to check on Satellite internet services. So if you don't hear from me for a while, you now know why.

In other news, we are {almost} unpacked. It was quite the ordeal and I am so thankful  to my father, brother, mother, and cousin for helping us move. They were such a big help and we couldn't have done it without them. But I'm thinking when we move again, we will definitely be hiring a moving service. I don't ever want to go through that again!!!

We are really enjoying all the space in the new house. I am especially digging my closet!! I even shared a small section with Joseph. Aren't you proud? The dogs are loving the big yard and getting to chase squirrels to their hearts content. We did invest in a wireless fence for the boys. We didn't do an underground fence, but we got a system that transmits the perimeter via radio frequency. And it works. I was upset the first day when we put the shock collars on them and they got shocked. Mommy over here was not happy! I about cried. But it only took one or two shocks for them to realize that when they hear that beep they better turn around and go back closer to the house. The system is perfect. It gives the dogs about a 1/2 acre area in which to play around the house. And the best thing is that it is portable, so whenever we travel, we can take it with us and keep the little pups safe and sound.

That's about it for now. When I get things settled and unpacked, I will take some pictures to share. We are doing our Christmas card photos this weekend. Due to the move, we had to cancel our session with our photographer to take "real" pictures, which was supposed to happen this past Saturday. Boo! But I have faith that my cousin, Stacey can get it done! I even get to take her picture with her dog Bentley for her Christmas cards. I am super pumped. Just have to get on the outfit selections!

And as Tigger says... ta ta for now!!

I would like to buy a vowel....

S __ L D

I would like to buy an "O" please.

I would like to solve the puzzle. "SOLD" !! Ding, ding, ding! That is correct!! The "O" is also for "O yeah!!!" We finally sold our house and are moving this weekend. We are super excited that our house finally sold three years after first listing it on the market. We are taking a loss on it (who isn't these days?) but other than that, we are excited to move on to bigger and better things. We are temporarily moving into a rental house that Joseph's boss owns, but plan on being there no longer than it takes to build our new house. So, we are packing up our stuff and getting ready to leave this place behind!!

But don't worry, the pups are making the move as well. I got them packed up all safe and sound!!

Busy as a Bee

It has been a few weeks since I have blogged. Sorry! It has been a crazy last couple of weeks. It all started at this beautiful plantation. I work for the local Historical Society and this is where they had their annual fundraising dinner. It was a true Southern Supper under the Oaks!

We had a fabulous time! Great dinner, wonderful bluegrass music, and a beautiful setting. The perfect Southern evening in Georgia!

Then this past weekend, Joseph and I ventured over to Jacksonville to stay with a friend of Joseph's from work. The company that Joseph works for has its main office in Jacksonville and when he has to go over there for business he always stays with Ken and his wife Terry. And they were so gracious to invite us over for a weekend of fun! They don't have children of their own, so I think that they have adopted Joseph as their surrogate child, which I think is so very sweet!

On Friday, we had tickets to the Jacksonville Pops Symphony. Let me just say how absolutely fabulous that was. They performed a great mixture of classical music and musical numbers, such as selections from Singing in the Rain and The King and I. To add to the performance, they had two very talented Broadway actors that danced and sang for us. Great! If you are in Jacksonville, go see them. Or if there is a Symphony in your area, please go support them. Its great entertainment and so very easy to appreciate the art of music.

Then on Saturday, we had a super busy day, starting with this:

Yep. A trip to the Zoo! I felt like a little kid again and I loved every minute of it. Speaking of being a kid, I even got a fabulous sno-cone and so did Joseph. Yum!

I took, what I know had to be 200 photos of all the animals. And seeing all the weird and fabulous creatures, you really get to see that God is so wondrous in his creations. Just look at these birds and their beauty.

And speaking of birds. They scare the begesus out of me. I hate a bird because they have these

And more importantly these

That's right folks, these little things just wait to peck your eyes out! I know I'm crazy, but I don't care!

Next up was an air show by the Blue Angels. Ken and Terry have a fabulous condo on the St. Johns River directly across from the Air Force base, so we got to relax and watch a great show.

 The glorious view of the river!

Finally, to round out the day was going to a dinner theater. We went to watch The King and I. Joseph had never watched the play before (or the movie for that matter!) but he absolutely loved it. We had dinner and enjoyed dessert while the play was going on. It was wonderful. It might have made a Musical lover out of Joseph after all!!

So this past weekend was really jam packed. It was good to get home and see my puppies. (and my Mimi as well!) My sweet, sweet, SWEET mother came and kept her grand-pups while we went to Jacksonville. The pups were greatly spoiled by their Mimi while we were away.

And on a different note: Hopefully I will have some exciting news, so stay tuned!!

10-10-10

I thought that today would be a very fitting day to post about my 10 year high school reunion. How perfect did that work out? It's hard to believe that it has been that long since we all graduated. But seeing everyone this past weekend, it seemed as hardly any time has gone by at all. It is really nice to have a group of friends that you may not see or talk to for long periods of time, but can always pick up where you left off. For our reunion, we all met up on Friday night to attend the homecoming game. It was kinda bittersweet because the county is building a new high school and this is the last year that homecoming will be held on the old campus. So they had a special presentation of past queens to take the field with the homecoming court.

Then on Saturday, we all meet up at a local restaurant for some food and fun. But to give you a reference here is some of the same people 10 years ago and today. And you will notice that we still can't get our act together to look at the same camera at the same time!

And for reference, the old picture of the four/five of us is from middle school. We looked awesome, I know. Guess Becki and I got the memo to wear sweet denim on denim. But I already had these pictures scanned on my computer and I am too lazy to go find some pictures to scan. So sorry!!

So, here's to the Blountstown High School Class of 2000. You are the best! Hopefully I will have some time this afternoon to scan a few more photos and reminisce some more!

Getting Ready for Spring?

Yep. I'm already looking to the future and getting ready for spring. I'm not totally crazy, I promise. It started when I was trimming back that thorn in my side, my wisteria vine. It was like a bulb went off in my head. And no, not a light bulb, but this kind of bulb.

It's that time of year. Time to plant those bulbs so they will be ready when spring comes! I planted all of those above. I planted daffodil, freesia, dutch iris, and those ridonkulous ranunculus. I guess that was not a good enough undertaking in and of itself. I decided I needed to split my lilies. That was fun. But really easy. It usually takes about 2-3 years for your flowers to be ready to split. You will know because you can look at tell that there are several flowers coming out of one plant. First, I just dug those bad boys up.

You can see the different sections of the plant, so it is a good guide as to wear to divide the bulbs. Just gently knock the dirt off the roots and then carefully pull the plants apart. Easy-peasy. I originally had four lily plants that I planted a few years ago, and from those four, I ended up with 19! Wow!!

I replanted them all. Although, by about number 10 or so I was about ready to throw the others out. I have a nice quarter sized blister on my right palm that can testify to my trauma. Please ignore my poor hydrangea. I cut it back earlier this summer because it was getting too big and unruly. It looked dreadful. Then it decided to grow back. I cut it down to basically its roots and it already grew back this much in about two months. Wow. Maybe I really can't kill it!! And do you remember this from my fall decorating?

Yes. When I came back inside from my gardening, it was looking a little more like this:

See anything missing or awry? Yep. My little precious Dapper Darlings had given me a present. I was good and exhausted from planting bulbs, but I guess they thought I needed something else to do when I came inside.

They took it upon themselves to eat one of those berry thingies. Thanks guys! And I guess chewing up plastic decorations is really hard work, it made them so tired. So tired, in fact, that they really paid me no mind as I was fussing at them for making such a mess.

So, pull out your gardening tools and get to planting. Hopefully, you don't have two destructive dachshunds waiting for you inside with a wonderful surprise!!

A Great Weekend with the Family

This past Saturday, Joseph's mom, two sisters, and a niece and nephew travelled down to our house to spend the day. It was the perfect fall Saturday morning. The air was nice and crisp and a perfect day for roaming around downtown doing some shopping.  The kids did very well shopping and of course what did they spot on the way back to the car? This poor fellow!

I believe that the painted horse was downtown for a breast cancer awareness fundraiser. It was so much fun watching the little ones get their hands dirty for a good cause. (and some fun, too!)

First up was Cooper. She is absolutely a doll.

Then, it was Cameron's turn. What a cutie patootie, if I may say so myself!!

And finally, it was time to pet the donkey. I thought the donkey was quite festive in it's little pink bow!!

I'm so glad that they all came down to spend the day. It was a very special treat to have them come down for a visit.

On Sunday, I drove down to my parent's house to go celebrate this little man's third birthday. (whew. i'm tired just thinking about last weekend and all that was going on!)

Isn't he too cute in his new glasses? And surprisingly, he has done very well with learning to wear them. Go Barrett!! So I think that he deserved to go a little crazy on his birthday!!

After the candles were blown out, it was time to get to the good part. Eating the cupcakes!!

And of course, after this cupcake massacre, he wanted to give his Sissy (me) a big ole' kiss. Thanks.

I'm a good sport. And the icing only made his sweet sugar even sweeter!! After that, it was fast a furious present opening.

And finally, the party was over and time to head home.

So all in all, I had a very blessed weekend. I got to spend time with Joseph's family and mine. It was such a rare occasion, but so very wonderful!