- Easing the pain

Originally posted in On the Trail ... something for our two toddler grandsons:

One little monkey jumpin' on the bed

He fell off and bumped his head

Momma called the doctor & the doctor said

"Put an All Better Bag right on his head"

All Better Bag - A soft linen and flannel bag filled with rice and stitched with an x (mwah!) in the center. Keep in the freezer to put on bumped heads or warm gently in the microwave for earaches.

Coming soon to a Mom near you.

- Folk art fish growth chart

Originally posted in On the Trail:

Griffin's growth chart was definitely a collaborative effort ... I scanned Pinterest for ideas, from which Meg chose one. Pop Pop cut out the fish from a sketch that I did on waxed paper. After he sanded it down, Meg painted the stripes (rusticly ... if that's a word). I noodged some frou-frou wooden numbers with sand paper to make them a little less loopy, then Pop Pop painted and attached them.

The finishing touches included wood-burned inch marks (Pop Pop), hand twisted gray rope (yours truly), and an octopus tentacle hanger (Meg). Paul got into the act when it came to hanging the fish, which now resides in Griffin's room.

- Eggs a la Wentzville

Meliss made us a wonderful concoction last fall, but I couldn't remember the recipe. When asked for a repeat, here's what she texted:

     "Buttered ramekin, one egg, splash of cream, grated parm, 
       bake 350 for 15 minutes, then top with prosciutto"

I'm glad to see she's working in the family tradition of not being overly rigid when it comes to directions. However, as has been well-documented in the past, I never met a recipe that I didn't change. In this case, after getting clarification on cooking the prosciutto, to wit:

     "Just in a smidge of butter in frying pan"

I decided to freestyle by substituting speck (a smoked prosciutto well worth tracking down) and a generous dose of freshly ground pepper. 

This was the end result, which inspired Don to suggest a spoon rather than a fork as the utensil of choice ... 

- Signs of Fall

Originally published in On the Trail:

The real sign of fall is when the temperature dips below 100 degrees and stays there. We seem to be at that point, thank goodness. This year we have an abundance of Lindheimer's Senna blooming all over the yard along with a variety of tall grasses. As the grasses turn golden the fall should be too.

- B B B Busy

Originally posted in On the Trail

A limited flannel edition of four was just published by the Ackert Home Whinery. Two are currently winging their way to Virginia, while the other two will be hand- delivered to Austin and St Louis in the near future.

- Walk on

Originally posted in On the Trail

I've always preferred strolling to power walking, and now my osteoporosis diagnosis gives me the perfect excuse to go slow. The truth is you see a lot more that way, whether you're on a beach or a roadside.

I'm hoping that today marks the first of many such strolls, to be made with trusty iPhone at hand to capture whatever strikes my fancy. Unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to capture three turkeys running ... they were too fast for me.  But I did find a beautiful turkey feather, along with some grasses for my windowsill collection and a new (to me) wildflower that will hopefully survive a move into our garden.

- Motivated

Originally posted in On the Trail

On New Year's Day I wrote a one-word resolution: "Create."

Now I find myself with the time to do just that. Already underway is the embellishment of a linen top I bought last fall.

And the moth-balled project to hang a series of collages over the "fireplace" has been resurrected.

Of course, Jackson and Griffin have been motivation in more ways than one, giving my old sewing machine a workout.

And it feels great to be blogging again ...

- Cholla transplant

Originally posted by Don in On the Trail

Cholla cactus transplanted on the west side of the house last year.  It is a fast growing cactus that seems happy where it is!

- Blackfoot daisies

Originally posted by Don in On the Trail

Blackfoot daisies like the rock garden.

- Prickly pear

Originally posted by Don in On the Trail

Cactus flowers in bloom in the backyard.