On the Front Porch

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T01:23:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T15:13:00.002-05:00

We hope you all have a Christmas filled with love and laughter.

~Brenda

Free E-Books For Your Kindle or PC

2011-12-14T18:51:00.004-05:00

Free books are one of the coolest things about the digital age of books. I still love physical books, and pick them up at thrift stores, and new, especially if it's a series I've been reading and adding to as they are released. E-books have allowed me to try so many new authors over the last two years since I've had my Kindle. Many of them I've discovered by picking up one of their books for free from Amazon or other resources.

I'd mentioned earlier in the month that when you get your Kindle you'll set up an account with Amazon. Once this is done, visit the main Kindle book page at least twice a week, or more if you have time. It's HERE.. These are a few of the free digital books I picked up this week. It's important to remember that they may not ALWAYS be free, so if you click on the links make sure the price is still says "Kindle Editon: $0.00"

All of these were still free as of this evening. I love Christmas themed fiction! The Gooseberry cookbooks are free quite often, so be sure to watch for them. I love those too, and have picked up at least 4 or 5 of their titles free in the last few months.

If you don't have a Kindle you can also download a free app that will allow you to read Kindle books on your PC or laptop and other devices.

I'll go over other places I find free e-books in another blog post later this week.

~Brenda

Celebrating Christmas on a Budget

2011-12-09T17:09:00.003-05:00

It's often really difficult to feel the spirit of the Christmas season when money is tight. We want to buy gifts for our family and friends, and the knowledge that we can't buy as much as we want for them can weigh heavy on our hearts and minds.

Over the years I've learned to make do with what we have on hand and what we can afford. I thought I'd share some of things that have made the holidays a special time for our family.

The Library: This is one of the best resources for a family without much money at the holidays. Check out Christmas themed books to read aloud. This is SO much fun. Get into the spirit and have everyone that can read take turns. Bake cookies and drink hot chocolate while reading to each other.

I checked out our small town library as well as the nearest branches and there are SO many free activities. Be sure to check out your own libraries. Our branches are having crafts, singing, live reindeer visits and much more all through December.

Local Churches: Some churches do have events that require admission as a fundraiser, but many have live nativities, Christmas plays, sing-a-longs and other activities that are free. Our community churches often join together for events, which is always really nice.

Crafts: Look around the house for things you already have on hand to use for crafts. Here are items I've used a lot over the years:

-Buttons
-Old Christmas cards
-Old Magazines
-Foil
-dry pasta
-broken Christmas ornaments
-scrap paper

Look through your Christmas decorations because there is also bits of garland and decorations that have come apart or have become too worn to use on the tree etc. Gather it up, place it in the middle of the table with glue and any of the above items. You'd be amazed what kind of art pieces kids can come up with!

With Just A Little Money
If you have a little money to spare visit thrift stores for decorations and craft supplies. You'd be surprised what you'll find for a little bit of money. I keep certain items on hand all the time:

Glue
Crayons
Colored Pencils
Loose leaf paper
Scissors
Tape

All of these items I pick up at sales at the end of the summer and beginning of fall during Back to School sales, and tuck them away until we need them.

I hope this gives you some ideas for free and cheap activities for your family. My goal is always to make the holidays fun for my kids no matter how little money we have. It's not about the size of the gifts or the cost of the activities, it's about being together and celebrating the season.

~Brenda

Kindle Reading: The Basics & Free Books

2011-11-28T13:38:00.004-05:00

I've had a Kindle now for two years, and I've seen the interest grow quickly during this time. What is all the fuss about? How do they work? Are the books cheaper? Can you borrow books from the library? This week I'm going to answer all these questions in a series of blog posts. Why now? It's a great time to be a kindle because they are cheaper than they've ever been!

Let's start with the basics.

I have a Kindle with the keyboard below the screen. It's what they are calling the Kindle Keyboard in white, as close as I can figure. However, I have to say that if I was buying one for the first time I would go with either the basic Kindle for $79 or the Kindle Touch. I really don't use my keyboard, so I would be fine without one. I think most readers that are using their kindle for digital books wouldn't miss the keyboard either.

When the Kindle arrives it's empty. Plug it in to charge, and while it's charging go to the Amazon website and register your reader. You'll receive an email that is for use with your reader which is useful if you shop at other websites and need to "send" it to Amazon who forwards it to your reader. We'll get into that later. As you create your account for the Kindle you'll need to set up a payment choice. This is sort of like their "1-click ordering", but everything involving your Kindle is in "Manage Your Kindle". It's separate from ALL other ordering on Amazon. This was rather confusing to me at first. Since you're dealing with digital material that is instantly delivered it's set up on it's own account. You can still order physical items like you did before but you go through the shopping cart where you enter payment etc. just like before.

How Do You Load Books on to the Kindle?

Once your account is set up, click on "Kindle Store", then "Kindle eBooks". This is the main page for the digital e-Books. To the far right you'll see a Bestseller list divided into two parts: Top 100 Paid, and Top 100 Free. Go down to the bottom of the list and click "See all Best Sellers in Kindle Books". Now you'll see a page with both list on the same page. The one to the right is the list of FREE digital books that are the most popular. Far to the left of the page are the categories. If you click one of those it will give you the top 100 in that genre.

When you want a free book, you click on the title, decide if you want the book, then click the "Buy now with 1-click". You WILL NOT be charged as long as the Kindle Price under the book title is $0.00. It does generate a "thank you" and an email just as if you purchased it, but no money is taken out of your account.

Repeat until your fingers are tired, or you have all the books you need for your first day or week of owning a Kindle:)

Why are Books Free?

Sometimes book stay free for all time. They may be classics that are past copyright and have been made into digital volumes. Other times publishers are giving you a "taste" of an author by offering one of their books for free. Sometimes they are free for a few days, a week, a month or some unknown amount of time. Once they go back to a paid version, you still have the free one on your Kindle and in your archive for all time, as long as you "bought" it while it was free.

I LOVE reading, and I'm a fast reader. I'm also very eclectic. I'll read an Amish romance one day and the next day read a paranormal romance with werewolves. I also download free cookbooks, reference guides and nonfiction for research.

If you have any questions ask in the comments. Even if this is an old post I'll answer questions.

View all of the Kindle choices here.

~Brenda

Black Friday Family Deals

2011-11-25T00:00:00.002-05:00

Since writing and working on websites since 1998 I receive a ton of emails for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals every year. Since I hate crowds I go through them all, and visit the ones that are truly money saving. There are some things to look out for:

1. Weight free shipping against a percentage off of your purchase. Not every business charges the same for shipping and if you pay too much you'll cancel out the savings.

2. Free bonus deals: Be sure the free item you receive is useful, or one you can give as a holiday gift. All free gifts are not alike, especially if it's something you don't want or need.

3. Compare online prices with the newspaper ads from your area to make sure it isn't cheaper locally.

4. Make a list and a budget, then stick with it!

Below are some of the better deals I was made of aware and I'll be shopping along with you.

Adagio Teas: Holiday Gifts- Perfect bundles for tea lovers ranging from sampler sets to beautiful teapots.

Moosejaw.com: Free Moosejaw e-Gift Card with any item over $99! Stock up on the latest styles from The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Canada Goose and more. This is great for those who love outdoor activities of any type. The gift certificate is another gift!

Coupon Code: FREEGC
Start Date: 11/25/2011
End Date: 12/04/2011

Free $21 eGC with items over $99
Free $31 eGC with items over $149
Free $41 eGC with items over $199
Free $51 eGC with items over $249

Note: I've removed the expired coupons

~Brenda

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T21:50:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin

It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for. He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire. Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient. But a thankful heart hath a continual feast. ~W.J. Cameron

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. ~W.T. Purkiser

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

~Brenda

Veteran's Day Gratitude

2011-11-11T15:26:00.003-05:00

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? ~George Canning

Today I thank all of our veterans. I appreciate each one of you.

~Brenda

Flexible Recipe: Sausage and Pasta Soup

2011-11-06T18:37:00.004-05:00

I came up with this soup because I wanted to use items I bought on sale. Our local Save-A-Lot got in a shipment of sausage, which included mild and hot varieties. The cashier told me she'd bought it and made sausage gravy the other night and it was very good. Why was I surprised? The sausage was $1.00 for a pound roll. I ended up buying 8 rolls and putting them in the freezer. This soup used two rolls, plus I had cabbage in the vegetable bin, beef broth I had bought on sale, store brand Northern Beans from the pantry that I keep on hand, crushed pureed tomatoes, also from the pantry. Lastly I had bought Barilla Piccolini, a healthy, fiber rich mini rotini that was .99 a box on sale. I threw this all together (the recipe is below) and came up with a thick, hearty soup that we served with French bread.

Sausage and Pasta Soup

Ingredients:
2 pounds hot sausage
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped green cabbage
32 ounces ready to serve beef broth
3-4 cups water
1 cup pureed crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic pepper
14.5 ounce can Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup mini pastas (rotini, shells etc.)
Optional: Parmesan cheese

Brown the sausage, adding the onion when it's partical cooked through. Continue to cook until the sausage is no longer pink. Drain the grease if necessary. Add all of the ingredients except the pasta and the cheese. Cook for 15 minutes until the cabbage is soft. Add the pasta and cook on a medium heat until the pasta is tender. Remove from heat. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes: Obviously this is a very flexible recipe. Made as is, it's pretty spicy. Use a mild Italian sausage for a less spicy soup. More cabbage is fine-- even 2-3 cups total if you like that much-- spinach can be used instead too. Other vegetables can be added, but you may need to increase the broth or water if it's too thick.

~Brenda

Leaf-Kicking October

2011-10-24T20:23:00.004-04:00

Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter. ~Carol Bishop Hipps

Ah, remember those days when chasing milkweed seeds and jumping in the leaf pile was all it took to laugh with joy?

~Brenda

Shortcut Ribs on a Gas Grill

2011-09-29T13:58:00.006-04:00

Slow cooked ribs are amazing, especially cooked over charcoal or wood. Cooking them on a gas grill simply takes too long without a few preparations. My husband picked up a rack of ribs because they were on sale for $1.99 a pound and he felt the urge to grill.

First he placed the ribs in a large stock pot, and covered them with water. He added to the pot:

1/2 of a large onion, about a tablespoon of seasoning salt, a teaspoon of Adobo seasoning and a teaspoon of garlic pepper. The ribs were boiled for about 20 minutes to partially cook the meat. Remove the pork from the water and season lightly with the same seasonings used in the water.

He placed the ribs, plus 4 pieces of boneless pork we bought after finding out we were going to have our three kids plus one extra teen for dinner. We wanted to make sure there was enough for everyone. I served them with baked beans and corn. The picture below is the meat after it was turned once.

We always baste our pork when grilling. The bottle he's holding is a Frank's Hot Sauce glass bottle we washed out when it was empty. It works great for basting since small amounts come out when it's shaken as in the picture. Add 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 water to the bottle then add Adobo (We use the GOYA brand), seasoning salt and garlic pepper. If you don't have these spices you can use any spices that will go with BBQ such as chili powder, cayenne pepper, Cajun Seasoning etc. The ribs will end up seasoned three times: in the boiling water, before grilling and now with the basting liquid. That's why they will be so tasty.

Baste the meant frequently as it cooks, turning often. Depending on your grill and how low you can turn the flame, you may need to do as we did to keep the ribs from burning. There are two burners, which were both turned on low to start. About halfway through my husband turned off one of the burners and set the ribs off to the side. The boneless pork was finished first so he removed that to a platter while the ribs finished cooking. He kept the lid closed and the ribs continued cooking even though they weren't directly over the flame. I didn't time how long it took to cook, but I know it was about 20-30 minutes.

When the meat is almost done, brush with the BBQ sauce and cook a little longer on each side.

Remove the meat, cool for 5 minutes or so, then cut into serving size pieces.

Frugal Note: Use the broth that was left from boiling the ribs for soup the next day. It's great for minestrone or bean soup. Strain out the onions before using.

~Brenda

The Little Things

2011-09-20T14:27:00.007-04:00

Life can be stressful, but in today's economy it can be frustrating and stressful on a daily basis. Making the decision to stay home with our kids 18 years ago wasn't an easy one. We made it though and have stuck with it. Fortunately I had my writing to fall back on, but it had been many years since I'd actually made a living at it. We've had good years and bad years as far as money goes, and somehow we managed to keep our sense of humor and our sanity. Everyone has a different way of coping, but for me it's a combination of digging in my garden, taking walks and reading. It's important that each person find the little things that will their mind. Without times of quiet we become grouchy, restless and circumstances seem much worse than they are.

We lived in the city for over ten years, and now we live in a rural area. Whether you live in the country or the city you find your own quite place. It may be sitting in a favorite chair while reading a book, or taking a walk in your yard. When we lived in the city I would sit in the backyard on a quiet day and listen to the birds. One way you can leave the stress behind of a bit is to focus on the textures and colors in nature. I used to do this on a walk in a city neighborhood, and now I do the same thing on our property in the country.

I love milkweed because it's such a pure white, and is so soft. How cool is the way it broadcasts it's seeds? The wind takes hold of the fuzz and scatters it far and wide.

Milkweed is also one of the plants that attracts butterflies. Watching monarchs or any variety of butterfly is guaranteed to relax the most stressed out person. It's hard not to smile when watching these colorful, dainty insects.

Jewelweed is an amazing wildflower and hard to miss if you aren't paying attention. It tends to grow in moist areas and hummingbirds love the flowers. In this picture it has dew on the leaves which reminded me of jewels:)

As I was walking I could hear rustling in the leaves, and realized I was hearing grasshoppers jumping into the field. I managed to get a picture of one on a leaf this afternoon. They are quite alien looking.

This fungus was growing on an old dead oak tree we have on our property. My daughter observed that it looked like roasted marshmallow.

Lastly, I loved this weed that had went to seed because it reminded me of fireworks. After my walk I felt refreshed and calm, which I ended up being a good thing since later in the afternoon I ended up in the middle of some teen drama.

I hope you find your "little thing" that can bring you peace and calm when things get stressful.

~Brenda

A Walk in the Fall Pasture

2011-09-17T17:27:00.007-04:00

We have ten acres, and most of it is pasture with a small wooded area, and a small wetland spot near the road. Over the last week I've been walking and taking pictures. The leaves are just beginning to turn color, but you can tell Fall is in the air. I thought you'd all enjoy a picture tour of a Michigan pasture.

~Brenda

Easy Breakfast Dinner

2011-09-14T18:55:00.004-04:00

I try to make as much as I can from scratch, but when there's a good sale I'll stock up on things like Hamburger Helper, pancake mix, cake mixes and other things I can store in the pantry.

Hamburger Helper was on sale for $1.00 this week, so I picked up a box of Cheesy Hashbrowns. I already had pancake mix in the cupboard, and I bought a pound of breakfast sausage. Walmart had 1/2 pecks of Ginger Gold apples on sale for .98 cents per pound which I bought for eating and cooking. What did I do with all of these items? I made the hashbrowns with breakfast sausage instead of ground beef, following the instructions on the box.

I also made apple pancakes, which are extremely simple. I use an entire box of the complete type of buttermilk pancake mix that only needs water added. I use 4 1/2 cups of water per box, and to me it's the perfect batter. I slice the apples thin, and simply lay them on the batter. When it starts to bubble, I flip the pancake, and the other side cooks the pancake and the apple. Sometimes I dip the apple in cinnamon sugar before adding them to the pancake.

I served the pancakes with syrup, and had enough leftover to warm up for breakfast in the morning before the kids go to school. This was a quick, easy dinner and it was inexpensive since everything I used was bought on sale.

~Brenda

10 Year Anniversary of 9-11

2011-09-10T22:46:00.006-04:00

Americans are called on to participate in a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 11, 2011. Flags should also be displayed at half-staff in honor of the individuals who lost their lives.

The above photos were taken at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. We visited two years ago with our three children who were 16, 15 and 9 at the time. It was an emotional and profound experience for all of us, and afterwards we drove around the beautiful countryside talking with the kids about the bravery of those men and women. I will always remember the discussions with my daughter and how she was struck by the courage of the people on the plane, but confused as to why someone would do something so horrible. These are the discussions that are so important to have as a family because kids DO hear what goes not only in our country, but around the world, and they may be afraid to ask questions. As long as they can talk things out with the adults they trust, they'll feel safer than if we don't discuss it.

Our family shall never forget the sacrifices made on 9-11, whether it's ten years, or fifty.

~Brenda

My August Blooms

2011-09-01T11:18:00.000-04:00

"When summer opens, I see how fast it matures, and fear it will be short; but after the heats of July and August, I am reconciled, like one who has had his swing, to the cool of autumn."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

August was a lovely bloom month, but September will bring mums, sunflowers, and calendulas!

~Brenda

Goodbye Grandma Dorothy

2011-08-10T07:38:00.000-04:00

Last week my husband's grandmother passed away at the age of 88. Grandma Dorothy was fairly healthy but had to have a corrective surgery and it was too much for her. The kids have called her G.G. Hyde for as long as I can remember. She loved gardening, reading, and cooking, which meant we had a lot in common. She gave me my first aloe plant, plus other plants along the way for my flower and herb garden. When the kids were tiny and we didn't have much money she always had a bag of goodies for me when we'd visit. When her sister, Ethel was alive, they made the rounds of the thrift stores every Saturday. She kept that up as long as she could drive herself. She only gave me clothing, blankets and books that were like new. I truly appreciated that she did this for us.

Grandma loved holding the kids when they were babies. This is from about 2 years ago with my niece. She loved the smiles, and those early giggles. As the kids grew she loved to sit and listen to the play, and laugh. She'd commented not too long ago that she even loved sitting and listening to the teens talk with each other. Sure, she liked interacting with the kids too, but sitting back and just being with them was good enough for her too.

Last week we stopped by her house, and I took some pictures of her yard, so I'd remember. I was a little sad as I realized she hadn't been able to take care of it like she used to, but it still held her character.

I hope when I'm in my 80's I can enjoy my family as much as Grandma Dorothy did. She was a survivor as well, losing her husband, two sons, and her sister, who was her bestfriend over the last 25 years or so. Despite her losses she enjoyed life, and was always there to lend an ear when I needed to talk. I'll miss her always.

~Brenda

My Mid Summer Blooms

2011-07-28T15:22:00.010-04:00

It's been a busy month and I have much to show and talk about, but I thought I'd start with new blooms since I posted last time. Despite the heat, everything has been doing really well. I sowed calendula and zinnia seeds in July for blooms this fall, and those are growing nicely. The heat and humidity has been horrible, but I've kept on watering the plants that really need it. The lawn is crunchy, but it will recover:)

I dug up trumpet vines for my split rail fence near the road two falls ago, and I have blooms this summer. I was really surprised because they were fairly small when I planted them and it can take years for them to bloom.

I transplanted this pink phlox in June from beside the house where it wasn't doing well, and it's bloomed and is growing much better.

I love the balloon flower buds almost more than the bloom itself. They're amazing.

This is a burgundy coneflower I bought some time ago. I may need to move it to a better location. I love the color.

These are the wild lilies in a slightly swampy part of our property. There are elderberries growing in the same area. The pictures below are all daylilies I've divided, bought or transplanted last fall and this spring. They are doing wonderful this year.

I hope your flowers are blooming well this summer!

~Brenda

Animals Lurking Around Casa Hyde

2011-06-27T06:19:00.000-04:00

We don't have a dog, though it's been very tempting, we are a cat family because they can be self sufficient for a weekend if we go out of town, and they do meet our cuddling needs quite well. We have three indoor cats, rescued at various times, and we have two outside cats that adopted us.

The above cats with my daughter are from left to right: Daisy, Fudge and Snowball. They are the indoor cats, and this is a rare moment when they are all laying together at once. Usually they are snubbing each other, or having faux cat fights.

This is Brownie, the outdoor cat we've had for about 4 years. She was the runt of a litter that a stray feral cat had in our garage who stuck around. The second winter we were feeding her we noticed her tail looked odd, and the next time we saw her it looked like this. We can't pick her up, but she is friendly and will let us pet her on the head. The first three years she appeared to be infertile and never gave birth to kittens or even looked pregnant at any point. Last summer we came home from vacation and she brought three kittens up on our deck. The one pictured was a boy who had problems with his balance. We found him a home with a friend and that left two kittens. One ran away, but the one below stayed with us and had her own kitten a year later, Miss Smittens, who is in the picture below hers.

Miss Smittens has a new home with a friend named Molly, who loved her the first time she saw her, and asked to take her home.

We also have outdoor wildlife that hangs with us on a regular basis. This pair of sandhill cranes comes back each year to the large field behind our house.

This large woodchuck has been around for at least 4 or 5 years, usually in the same hay field, but sometimes it lurks in the backyard as well. So far it hasn't damaged any plants, but I hope it doesn't get any bolder.

Rabbits hang around close to the house, and in the back of our property. Emily and I saw this one on a walk one afternoon.

We also have a pair of hawks that seem to be around most of the time, as well as coyotes we hear, rather than see, at night. Wild turkeys are always in the back of our property, and in the winter we've guessed their were at least 50 at one time. Deer can be seen in the early morning or right before dark most of the year also.

I'm sure there are many other unseen guests lurking about at night that we haven't seen yet, but these regular visitors are the ones we know are sharing our land with us.

~Brenda

Thrifty Gardening Takes Patience My Friends

2011-06-25T13:39:00.005-04:00

I've been out gardening today since it's breezy and in the 70's instead of hot, humid and rainy. As I was pulling weeds my thoughts drifted to the gardening I'd done since we moved into this home 6 years ago. We'd been living in the city in a small two bedroom home and I'll be honest, our house payment was low. That's what allowed us to manage on one income while my husband went to college to get is RN degree. We couldn't wait to move out into the country. Unfortunately our house payment doubled which meant we didn't have much extra money for landscaping or home improvement. I'd been a thrifty gardener for years, so cutting corners wasn't a problem. What I've learned in this six years is that patience isn't just a virtue, it's a necessity when you landscape on a budget.

I'm not going to lie to you. If you have the money to buy large trees and shrubs, then do it. I'm not going to give you a lecture about nurturing your own seedlings and getting back to nature. Buying bare root trees and shrubs is VERY thrifty but it takes time and a lot of care to wait for those tiny roots to develop into full grown specimens.

The first year we were here I bought a 2 gallon Rose of Sharon, and didn't place it in a location it was suited to, so I had to move it the next year. I'd purchased it with a gift certificate from our real estate agent, and it cost about 12 dollars. It's still less than 4 foot tall, but it's healthy and will start branching out in the next couple of years.

I also paid ten dollars to the Arbor Society and received free trees and shrubs. That was an experiment that didn't go well, but I ended up with a traditional lilac that I also had to move to a new location. This spring it really took off, and the blooms were beautiful, but it took all 6 of those years to nurture it from a bare root.

The next year I bought bargain shrubs from a mail order company at a VERY low price. Out of three Rugosa Rose roots, only one made it through the first couple winters. I moved this one to it's permanent spot 2 years ago and it almost died. We trimmed off the dead, gave it a big mulching of composted straw and horse manure and I watched it carefully. This spring it doubled in size and is blooming. Eventually it can grow 30 foot tall and up to 10 foot wide. I'm growing it for the rosehips as well as the blooms. After 5 seasons it's about a foot tall and 2 1/2 foot wide. Patience.

Another season I bought three shrubs for a dollar each: a flowering almond, a dwarf and a snowball bush. They are spring flowering, and didn't bloom until the third season they were in the ground. Like the rose bush they are taking off now, but it will be years before they will reach their full potential.

Am I frustrated with having to landscape this way? Sometimes. Other times I look out at the plants I remember buying for almost nothing, and feel pretty good about what I did. On those hot days when I wish I had another shade tree that Silver Maple I brought home for free when I bought pumpkins about 3 years ago looks pretty sad, since it only gives enough shade for a chickadee at it's current height. One day though, years from now, my grandchildren will play under that maple and I'll remember with a smile how I brought it home and planted it with my husband, having only spent our time and energy.

~Brenda

Do You Remember Your First Wedding?

2011-06-19T20:46:00.004-04:00

We attended a cousin's wedding last weekend and it was special for two reasons. First, it was a Happily Ever After for someone who truly deserved it. Debbie and Tom make me believe in second chances:) Well, I did anyways since I had my own second chance, but they reminded me of how wonderful they truly are.

It was also special because my daughter who is 11 was attending her first wedding (except for one when she was a baby). Do you remember your first wedding? She danced with the bride, with the groom and then with other girls her age who attended. Her shoes came off and she had a blast.

She also sang her first karaoke song, which was Love Story by Taylor Swift. She did a great job, and made two new friends.

Finally, it was special because at the end of the night, Debbie gave Emily the tiara she had worn all night long. Emily wore it back to the hotel, and carefully carried it home where we put it on her dresser. She will always remember her first wedding:)

~Brenda

18 Years in the Blink of an Eye

2011-06-07T20:20:00.008-04:00

I remember singing Hank Williams Sr. songs to my oldest when he was a baby. He also liked You Are My Sunshine, and holding him was a dream come true. I didn't meet my husband until I was almost 30, then we tried for four years to have a baby. Now, he's graduated from high school and just turned 18 years old. "Time flies" has new meaning for me, because it seriously went by way too quickly. Who knew he would turn into a witty, smart, caring and unique young man?

The last day of his senior year was May 20th, which started our whirlwind of graduation activities including open houses, award ceremonies, lunches, dinners and breakfasts, birthdays and finally graduation itself. He was the Senior class president this year, was treasurer for the National Honor Society and joined the newly formed Thespian Society. All of those things, plus his high grade point are important and impressive. However, I'm more proud of how he's grown as a young man, always willing to listen and support his friends. He has a wicked sense of humor too, and has the ability to store interesting, yet often useless, tidbits in his head to share with me and anyone else who will listen:)

The picture above is my son introducing the newly graduated class of 2011 on graduation day.

This is the day after graduation on his 18th birthday. He requested an ice cream cake, steak sandwiches, French Fries and Magic cards to play the game with his friends this summer. I guess not that much has changed just because he turned 18:)

~Brenda

First Peonies of the Season

2011-06-05T21:50:00.006-04:00

This weekend the first of my peonies bloomed. They are beautiful! This is a bush that was planted almost on top of a climbing rose and I had to dig it out and replant it in another spot. Despite that it's growing nicely after 2 seasons, and the blooms are lovely this year.

They also have such a light, pretty fragrance. I have three other bushes, but I think I need more:)

~Brenda

Our Fleeting Lilac Season

2011-05-31T18:45:00.005-04:00

It's always a toss up for me whether I love my lilacs or my peonies more. Unfortunately they both are rather fleeting with their blooms. My lilacs are at the end of their bloom time, but they are beautiful while they're here. I have one large lilac that was here when we moved in. It's coloring is slightly deeper than the traditional lilac. I'm guessing it's almost 20 years old at this point. I need to prune it because it does have a little dead wood.

I also have a traditional lilac that I bought as a tiny bareroot the year we moved in. It's been moved twice, and last year really took off finally.

A few years ago my husband took me to Mackinac Island, and I was disappointed that it was too soon to see their 100 year old lilac bloom. I took a picture anyways, and hope to go back and see it bloom one day.

I hope you're enjoying your spring blooms!

~Brenda

A New Country Kitten

2011-05-22T19:26:00.006-04:00

Living in the country, at least here in Michigan, means stray cats of all types. Some of them are feral, some were house cats that were dropped off in the country, and others may have ran away. When we moved in, we had one cat that we had adopted from the county pound in the city. Daisy is an indoor only cat, and a year later she was joined by Snowball, who we found in our garage at about 4 weeks old. Two years later we found Fudge, probably about 6 weeks old, in our garage and brought her in too. We love our kitties, but can't take any more inside at this point. The strays still come, and I try to find them homes but I found out all the No Kill Shelters are full. Most of our neighbors have indoor and outdoor cats. We made a shelter on our deck for the outdoor cats in the winter, and I feed them year round. A calico kitten last year decided to stick around, and about 3 weeks ago I went out to grill, only to hear a tiny meow. She'd given birth to one kitten in our little homemade shelter. Mother and baby were just fine. We've been helping both of them, and named the new kitten Cookie. We're trying to find a home for our new little friend.

~Brenda