Thinking about it…

It was late Sunday afternoon.  There was a soft rain falling outside as the macho logger tree farmer and I sat in my studio talking.  I stopped mid-sentence as I glanced outside.  I was thrilled to see visitors on the front lawn.  He, of course, was not too thrilled.  My neighbor’s herd of goats had wandered down from their farm to ours. 

There they were grazing happily on our front lawn.  Some were resting, laying contentedly on our green grass…what there is of it.  Some were just wandering about.  I’ve been wanting goats for ages now.  I laughed and said, “Hot dog!  Now I’ve got some goats!”   I grabbed the camera and opened the front door.  At that point, of course, they headed  home…

Next time (I’m hoping there is a next time), I’ll try to capture them on film through the window. 

Wandering back up the hill...headed home.

I love their faces.  Unfortunately, my neighbor’s herd has dwindled due to the cougars.  I keep hearing that when I remind my husband that I really, really do want goats.  I’m thinking the kind of goats I want are the Dwarf Nigerian goats.  They’re so tiny and so cute and are adorable pets from what I’ve read.  I’m hoping I can convince you know who to build the same type of large enclosed cage for my little goats with a little goat house (although definitely not as fancy as the hen house) as he built for my chickens.

In the meantime, I’ll just keep watch for the mountain wanderers…

We had arrived at church early this morning.  This was our first day to volunteer in the “toddler” (ages 20 – 36 months) nursery during the morning worship service.  We had familiarized ourselves with the procedures and where everything could be found:  snacks, little cups, diapers, wipes, puzzles, books and toys.  There were supposed to be three of us helpers.  As it turned out, it was just the macho logger tree farmer and me.  We weren’t too worried though.  We’re grandparents, after all.  How hard could taking care of a room full of toddlers be?  We were ready.

Not long before ten o’clock, the first adorable two year old arrived.  A little blonde boy with big blue eyes.  Then another little boy…and another…and another.  Just when I thought we were to have all little boys, our first little girl arrived.  She was dressed in an adorable little dress with her first name monogramed on the front.  As I complimented her on her sweet turquoise and brown dress, she smiled at me and pointed to her boots.  Oh my goodness.  I’d forgotten how much fun dressing the little girls can be. 

Then little J arrived.  I could literally feel my heart in my chest as his Dad explained that J is blind and one of his foster children.  He was a beautiful child with thick, dark brown hair and long eyelashes.  I hugged him and led him over to one of the large toys in the room.  There were clearly other problems as well as the blindness.  He was bent over and appeared to have a hard time sitting up straight.  Both of his little hands were moving quickly over the toy…discovering it.  His favorite thing to do was the bouncy ball.  As he sat on it and bounced, he began to laugh and smile. 

By now, there were eight toddlers…five little boys and three little girls.  The hardest part about working with toddlers (for grandparents) is that you are up and down…and up and down…and up and down…from the floor!  Not to mention the fact the macho logger tree farmer is still dealing with the aftereffects of a broken leg. 

Truly though, we did just fine and, all in all, everyone had a good time.  Nobody cried for more than a few seconds and before we knew it, the parents were coming for their little ones.  Eight little faces…eight sweet little personalities…each, one of a kind. 

One little fellow found the perfect place to rest and listen to a book, while J plays beside them.

I wish I could show you this exquisite face! She had long dark eyelashes and big dark brown eyes which teared up from time to time. She hadn't been there in quite a while and I wanted to be sure she enjoyed today. In the end, she was happily playing on the floor when Mom arrived to pick her up.

We had planned to go to Applebees for lunch and then to the Lawn & Garden Show at the Fairgrounds, followed by picking up groceries while we were in town…then heading home.  Truthfully, we were both exhausted.  We made it to Applebees for lunch and then home for a nap, where I dreamed about eight little faces, eight sweet little faces…

Today was one of those rare perfect days.  The sun was shining and the temperature was in the upper 50’s.  I managed to stay inside just long enough to clean the kitchen and do one load of laundry.  All of could think of was:  the sun is shining.  Remember, in the Pacific Northwest, it rains about five months out of the year, which, of course, explain the abundant timber here.

We decided to drive into town after a few outdoor chores.  The macho logger tree farmer took care of  spreading some grass seed on the lawn, while I gathered the eggs.  The chickens had been productive.  There were 13 eggs waiting for me.  I had missed collecting yesterday, so that was actually two days’ worth.  We have ten healthy hens.  That means a few of the girls were obviously taking a vacation day or two.  Still, thirteen eggs are a lot.  Last week, I made deviled eggs and a pound cake.  That took care of a few eggs.  We share a lot of them as well.

Our first stop on the drive into town was the neatest store in this area.  Granted, this is a small town and there aren’t very many stores like this.  Real Deals is only opened two days a week – Thursdays and Saturdays – so they’re usually busy.  Previously, we had purchased a large oil painting there for over the bed in the master bedroom.

Today, we purchased two companion oil paintings for the adjacent wall in the master bedroom.  Now, I just need to finish the window treatments for the master bedroom!

I also purchased this neat little pottery pitcher which I’ll use for a pencial holder in the kitchen.  I had to use a flash, so the colors aren’t true.  They’re much more subdued than this.

As you can see in the following photographs, Real Deals is a very neat place to shop!  I always look forward to Thursdays and Saturdays…usually dropping in at least one of those days.  I also love their candles. 

After this fun place, we stopped for a subway sandwich and some raspberry tea before heading over to the garden center at Lowe’s.  We found some beautiful flowers for our front porch.  We’ll be getting these out in the next day or two.  I also found two new hummingbird feeders.  The hummers have been coming to the front porch looking for nourishment, so I’d better get these ready.

Altogether, it was a nice day…a day with sunshine.  I hope you had a good day too!

I love Fridays.  I’m retired from the work force and I still love Fridays.  It signals the weekend is here.  Friday night to watch movies by the fire.  A Saturday to work on the farm or travel about.  We’re scheduled to work in the toddler nursery at church this Sunday and that should be fun.

I’ve been informed that I’ve truly seen very little of Oregon and there will be some short weekend trips coming up to introduce me to more of the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.  In all honesty, we’ve traveled to the South, Southwest and Midwest a great deal over the almost past three years and there really hasn’t been much time left to tour the Northwest.  I’m all for it though.  I want to visit Crater Lake and Diamond Lake when my son and his family are here for a nice, week long visit in May.  Both places are only about one and a half hours away.  There are several other places we’ll visit as well while they’re here, all within a short drive.

So, for tonight, the macho logger tree farmer is bringing home a pizza for Friday night movies tonight.  I’ll make a salad to go with it and I’ve just taken warm raisin bars out of the oven.  They are so, so good and very easy…

Scrumptious Raisin Bars

In a medium saucepan, combine

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups of raisins

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup water. 

Cook over medium heat until thick.  Cool. 

Cook the raisin filling, stirring often, until thick...

Mix the following ingredients for the dough:

1/2 cup butter

1 & 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 tablespoon water

1 & 1/2 cups oats

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar.  Sift flour, salt and soda.  Add to creamed mixture.  Add oats and water.  Pat 1/2 dough into greased 9 x 13 inch pan.  Spread with the above cooled raisin filling.  Mix remaining dough with 1 tablespoon water and sprinkle over filling.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes.  Combine and drizzle the icing ingredients (see below) while still warm.  Cut into bars.  Enjoy!

Mixing the ingredients for the dough base and crumble topping...

Half of the dough patted down in a greased 13 x 9 inch dish...

The cooked raisin filling poured on to the base...

The crumble topping added and ready to go into the oven...

For the icing combine the following and drizzle over warm raisin bars:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon OR 1 teaspoon cinnamon maple sprinkle (soooo good)

1 & 1/2 tablespoons+  milk

The cinnamon maple sprinkle added a great twist to the icing... Icing drizzled while warm out of the oven. Delicious!

I know you’re out there.  Thanks to my stats, I know some of you visit everyday, and how I appreciate that!  I really do.  When I first began this blog, I wondered if anyone would ever read it!  Eventually, someone did.  Then someone else.  Then one of their friends…and so on and so on.  My children, now all grown, encouraged me to start this blog.  Although, my son says my “cyber friends” aren’t “real”, that’s not quite true.  You ARE real…I just may not know your  name yet.

Which brings me to my little gadget.  You can sign up to “follow my blog” just by clicking on the little button that says “join this site”.  Just scroll down on the sidebar and you’ll find it.  It’s free and only takes a second.  If you already have a yahoo or google account, it will only take a split second.  

Please take the time and join me here…

The first time I saw this house, I loved the wide kitchen window…and especially the view from that window.  The kitchen sink is located right in front of the window, and the view makes the routine tasks of washing dishes and preparing meals seem to go by quickly.  Often, before I know it, I’m lost in thought just taking in the ever changing scene in front of me.

I really hadn’t thought much about the fact that all around the world, we homemakers have this special thing in common…spending time in front of the kitchen sink…until I read Rhonda’s feature at her blog, “down-to-earth”.  Twice a week, Rhonda features “You, Me and the Kitchen Sink”.  People from many different countries have sent Rhonda pictures of their kitchen and their kitchen sink.  We’ll never meet each other, and yet, it feels like a visit and a look at the lives of people all over the world.  Somehow, very heartwarming.  I’ve discovered one thing – I love the big, deep farm sinks that are featured in several of the homes and would love to have that here. 

It’s raining and dreary today in Oregon.  The perfect day to stay inside and finish my grandbaby’s shopping cart cover.  If you have a chance, stop by Rhonda’s blog and check out the kitchens around the world.  In the meantime, I’ll leave you with some scenes from my kitchen.  Enjoy, because it’s not usually this neat…  

I have the Waverly fabric to make a new window treatment here…in time.  

Purchased two little flower pots to repot my African violets in the kitchen window yesterday.  They’re the same green that’s in the plates on the wall here.

I suppose part of being a writer and an artist is that I tend to daydream at times.  Granted, I know most of my daydreams will, most likely, never come true.  Some could…in time.  There is one that I wish would definitely come true:  I want to spend at least a month in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  And, yes, I know a month wouldn’t be anywhere near long enough.

For years, I’ve read literature set in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  One of my favorite authors is Rosamunde Pilcher.  She was born in Cornwall and lived in Scotland.  She retired from writing in 2000.  I’ve read everything she has written.  I love her description of the village life…the scenery…the characters.  I’ve loved all of her books.  Many of them have been turned into movies. 

My husband’s son-in-law was born and grew up in Ireland.  He has since become an American citizen, but still has the wonderful Irish lilt when he speaks.  I hope he never loses it.  He introduced me to the very best TEA in the world.  It’s Lyon’s tea.  He’s always happy when they come to visit and he finds Lyon’s tea in the cupboard.  It’s blended in Ireland where they love tea and drink about five cups a day on the average.  Is it really the best?  I think so.  The only problem is you have to order it from Ireland.  I usually order from Amazon or TeaDog.  I know, it’s more expensive and you have to pay shipping, but it’s so good.  My Irish son by marriage also introduced me to the idea of a wonderful convenience:  the electric tea kettle!  I’ve seen this very same appliance in many pictures of kitchens in some of my favorite English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh blogs!  (I found my tea kettle at a kitchen store in an outlet mall in Portland for about $35.)

Speaking of some delightful blogs written by authors living in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales…I’ll introduce to just a few today.  Enjoy!

Codlins and Cream

Our Life in Wales

Circle of the Year

Mountains and Muck Heaps

Life on Skye      They haven’t posted on their blog in a while, but there are some great links to the Isle of Skye and fantastic photos of the house they built there!

If you’ve watched HGTV, you’ve heard of “dream rooms”.  My macho logger tree farmer has a “dream pasture”.  It’s this one in the top two photos below.  That barn (painted red of course) would be a dream for me.

This pasture is located about a mile down the mountain.  It has a rich, deep green cover of grass which Jim says is a mix of several different types.  There are always several mama cows and their calves grazing contentedly when I drive by.  This is what the  macho logger tree farmer wants.  His goal is to convert about five acres of our 58 acre tree farm into pasture and an orchard.   He wants to buy several mama/calf combinations.  I, of course, have already been informed that I could not get attached to the calves.  Really…what makes him think I would do that?

He is busy making this dream come true.  He and a helper have been hard at work and have already downed quite a few trees.  We took a walk down to the future pasture over the weekend.  It was a beautiful, sunny day and the perfect day for me to see firsthand the site of all that chainsaw activity.  Yep.  They’ve been busy alright.  It looked like a band of very large beavers had marched through there.

He showed me where all the fences would go…where the orchard would be…the future trees that would come down.  I can almost see it now…

I drove down the mountain to get another look at the dream pasture and took a brief video of the two mile drive.  In September 2008, I wrote a blog piece entitled The Last Two Miles Home.  In this video, you actually see some of the things I wrote about then.  Unfortunately, since I was actually driving, I couldn’t capture the deep canyon beside the road very well!  So, buckle your seatbelt, try not to get too dizzy and enjoy the drive with me below…

When it comes to desserts, the macho logger tree farmer loves PIES…just pies.  Oh, he enjoys a banana pudding or a rice pudding from time to time, but his true dessert love is a pie. 

However, I knew I had a cake in my repertoire that could give those pies some serious competition…and that it did.  This Cream Cheese Poundcake is my firstborn’s favorite…and mine too.  I won’t bore you with the photos of me creaming all the ingredients or making sure my tube pan is greased and floured to perfection.  I will, however, give you the recipe for this DELICIOUS, light, moist pound cake.  As the photo of the warm cake on the cooling rack shows…we couldn’t wait until it cooled to have two big slices!  You can serve this cake warm with ice cream or fresh peaches or strawberries or whatever your heart desires.  Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Poundcake

2 sticks margarine

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

grated lemon zest from one fresh lemon

Grease and lightly flour a 10″ tube or bundt pan.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream the margarine and cream cheese.  Slowly add and thoroughly cream the sugar, the eggs (1 at a time) and  the vanilla and almond extract.  Mix very well and add the sifted flour and mix well again.  Pour into prepared tube pan and bake in 325 degree oven for approximately 1 & 1/2 hours…depending on oven.  Mine was done in 1 hour and 20 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes in pan after removing from oven and remove to cooling rack (unless you’re like us and can’t wait, so you have a large slice of warm cake).  Enjoy!

Congratulations to Tovi whose name was drawn out of the proverbial hat (actually it was a rubbermaid container)!  Tovi is the winner of the adorable Berenguer “Chuckles” baby doll! 

Tovi, please email me your complete address to patacakebabies@msn.com and I will ship this sweet baby to you.  I’d also love to see a pic when you’ve completed your reborning artistry on him!