Sorry I've been incommunicado the past week or so, but I have a grandson visiting for Christmas and he's distracted me away from things like this. Christmas, at least the gift giving part, was made for the little ones. My two youngest, who are still at home, have gotten to the age where they almost politely take off the paper and what's inside doesn't bring the response that it does from a 5 year old. But last year with my grand daughters in Hawaii, and this year with Owen, has brought back the excitement of Christmas morning.
Now the new year is just a few days away. Can you believe it's been almost 38 years since we graduated? Just think for a second about everything that's happened over that time. From the original dark uncertainty of what you were going to do with your life to the ups and downs of life in general. From the birth of kids to the birth of grand kids. From goals achieved to goals you've had to surrender. From the sweet to the bitter.
The new year is a chance to start something new, so here's wishing each and every one of you a good and prosperous new year.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Snow Cream
Saturday night we got about 6" of snow. It was our second snowfall of the winter and I really don't mind it all that much. Whenever it snows I can't help but think about making snow cream. As a kid, when it snowed a decent amount, the next best thing to do after riding sleds was to make snow cream... and maybe a batch of no bake cookies to go along with it while we warmed up by playing Monopoly or something like that.
I love snow cream. I don't know that there was an exact recipe for it, we just dumped everything together until it tasted right, but if I had to guess it would be something like this.
A bunch of snow
A cup of sugar
A cup of milk
2 or 3 teaspoons of vanilla
We used a dish pan piled high with snow to make it, so it had to be at least a couple of gallons of snow to start out with. It didn't really matter, because the snow partially melts when you poured the liquid into it. The rest of the ingredients are basically to taste, you play with it until you like it. I've heard some folks use an egg or two, but I'll pass on that. Oh, and obviously the snow had to be clean.
Mom wouldn't let us make it with the first snowfall of the year, but heck, most years we only got one snow, so sometimes we would go 2 or 3 years between batches. I read somewhere that if you wait until after the first 2 or 3 inches of a new snow, and there are no pollution sources nearby, the snow will be clean enough. And of course you have to shy away from where the animals live and feed. You know, as Frank Zappa says, "Watch out where the huskies go and don't you eat that yellow snow. " :)
Anyway, one of these days I'm going to make it when the grand kids are around. I think that would be something to pass along to them before the store bought stuff ruins their taste buds. I hear Mayfield's makes a flavor called Snow Cream, but there is no way anything that comes from a plant tastes as good as the fresh snow that came from the field across from the house. Absolutely no way.
I love snow cream. I don't know that there was an exact recipe for it, we just dumped everything together until it tasted right, but if I had to guess it would be something like this.
A bunch of snow
A cup of sugar
A cup of milk
2 or 3 teaspoons of vanilla
We used a dish pan piled high with snow to make it, so it had to be at least a couple of gallons of snow to start out with. It didn't really matter, because the snow partially melts when you poured the liquid into it. The rest of the ingredients are basically to taste, you play with it until you like it. I've heard some folks use an egg or two, but I'll pass on that. Oh, and obviously the snow had to be clean.
Mom wouldn't let us make it with the first snowfall of the year, but heck, most years we only got one snow, so sometimes we would go 2 or 3 years between batches. I read somewhere that if you wait until after the first 2 or 3 inches of a new snow, and there are no pollution sources nearby, the snow will be clean enough. And of course you have to shy away from where the animals live and feed. You know, as Frank Zappa says, "Watch out where the huskies go and don't you eat that yellow snow. " :)
Anyway, one of these days I'm going to make it when the grand kids are around. I think that would be something to pass along to them before the store bought stuff ruins their taste buds. I hear Mayfield's makes a flavor called Snow Cream, but there is no way anything that comes from a plant tastes as good as the fresh snow that came from the field across from the house. Absolutely no way.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Brenda's Granddaughter
Her name is Kaylee Jo and she's 4. If you look close enough you'll see Brenda. :)
Donna's Grandchildren
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Merry Christmas
Like a lot of other people, I love Christmas. The recent events aside, most people seem to be in good spirits this time of year. I know at our house, as I'm sure at some of yours too, there wasn't always a lot under the tree, but it was still a time to laugh and just be together.
At school it was fun too. I think we stopped drawing names in about the 6th grade, which was good because it was around that time when girls got to be very hard to buy for. I had no idea what they wanted or liked. I cringed the last two years hoping I wouldn't draw a girl, but much to Carolyn Brewster's chagrin, one year I did. But even with all that it was still fun.
Christmas is tailor made for family and friends. That's sort of what I have in mind for this blog, made for friends. I want to wish each of you a very merry Christmas, and a very happy and healthy new year.
We're almost 2 years old, and I'm grateful for each of you who stop by. And to those who stop by and don't let us know who you are, how about saying "Hi" some day. I guarantee it will make someone smile. None of us really pester anyone. Heck, I don't email no more than once every couple month or so, if that often.... unless I get sort of a conversation going, because I can be gabby. :)
At school it was fun too. I think we stopped drawing names in about the 6th grade, which was good because it was around that time when girls got to be very hard to buy for. I had no idea what they wanted or liked. I cringed the last two years hoping I wouldn't draw a girl, but much to Carolyn Brewster's chagrin, one year I did. But even with all that it was still fun.
Christmas is tailor made for family and friends. That's sort of what I have in mind for this blog, made for friends. I want to wish each of you a very merry Christmas, and a very happy and healthy new year.
We're almost 2 years old, and I'm grateful for each of you who stop by. And to those who stop by and don't let us know who you are, how about saying "Hi" some day. I guarantee it will make someone smile. None of us really pester anyone. Heck, I don't email no more than once every couple month or so, if that often.... unless I get sort of a conversation going, because I can be gabby. :)
Thursday, December 06, 2007
What A Difference Time Makes
Last night my car broke down. It was the first snow of the year and freezing *ss cold. We had to sit there about 45 minutes until our youngest son was finished with basketball practice so he could come to our aid. Up until last night that had always been the other way around... we were going to get him when he broke down.
As we sat there in the dark we started talking about how much things had changed. When we were younger we would almost look forward to things like that. Broke down? Oh well, make the most of it! My old chevy used to grind to a stop every thousand miles or so. I kept a tire iron under the seat and would get out, raise the hood and whack the carburetor a couple of times and it was good for another thousand miles. Of course my date didn't always know that when it chugged to a stop. :)
And if you did break down that just meant you were late getting to wherever you were going, it didn't necessarily mean your night was going to be any shorter. You just stayed out longer. But last night all we could think about was how cold it was and how miserable it was sitting in the dark like that, and were we out having a good time? Nope. We were going to the store to pick up prescriptions.
What a difference time makes.
As we sat there in the dark we started talking about how much things had changed. When we were younger we would almost look forward to things like that. Broke down? Oh well, make the most of it! My old chevy used to grind to a stop every thousand miles or so. I kept a tire iron under the seat and would get out, raise the hood and whack the carburetor a couple of times and it was good for another thousand miles. Of course my date didn't always know that when it chugged to a stop. :)
And if you did break down that just meant you were late getting to wherever you were going, it didn't necessarily mean your night was going to be any shorter. You just stayed out longer. But last night all we could think about was how cold it was and how miserable it was sitting in the dark like that, and were we out having a good time? Nope. We were going to the store to pick up prescriptions.
What a difference time makes.
Monday, December 03, 2007
What's Up With This?
I saw this story on yesterday's sentinel website about the redevelopment of Loudon.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/dec/02/new-loudon-is-preserving-the-old/
The thing that stuck out, at least for me, is that there is nobody FROM Loudon in it. The "historian" is from Louisville, TN and the other person listed is a developer or something. It reads more like a commercial than a news story.
Not to sound disrespectful or anything... I still love my hometown... but who is going to buy condos along a stretch of river that is polluted with industries on the other side that stink to high heaven on some days?
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/dec/02/new-loudon-is-preserving-the-old/
The thing that stuck out, at least for me, is that there is nobody FROM Loudon in it. The "historian" is from Louisville, TN and the other person listed is a developer or something. It reads more like a commercial than a news story.
Not to sound disrespectful or anything... I still love my hometown... but who is going to buy condos along a stretch of river that is polluted with industries on the other side that stink to high heaven on some days?
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