I have your smile!

In Autumn I see you everywhere -
stepping through leaves of red and gold -
How many times have we walked this place -
this home we shared - how many days
since you've been gone?

The day you gave birth to me
is two weeks away -
I am often amazed that I am here
and not you - without you - yet -
In Autumn I see you everywhere.

It makes me smile -
you always made me smile -
I look in the mirror
and I can smile -
I have your smile!

Celebrate the Small Things - perfect roast!

This is Blog Hop November 7, 2014. This is what I am celebrating:

My renewed interest in cooking produced a roast that was beautiful to look at, and very tasty - finally!

"Celebrate the Small Things" is a weekly bloghop hosted by Viklit over at "Scribblings of an Aspiring Author. The idea is to post anything you want to celebrate from the last week. You will also find complete instructions and rules there, should you want to participate!

Celebrate the Small Things

Viklit's blog : Scribblings of an Aspiring Author

Linky List: Join us!

Wrapping up the week - it's going to be cold!

The airport overlook is going to be filled with lots of blanketed people. Yep, nether rain, sleet, snow, whatever - they'll be there. Friday nights are still the best for plane watching. Time change doesn't seem to affect the following mass. I expect the lady with the grill roasting marshmallows will return. She's threatened to bring chocolate and graham crackers - yum - can you say s'mores? (I'm surprised I could spell it.) After last week's sale of 175 roasted marshmallows, can you blame her? It's a living.

Wrap up well if you're experiencing cold weather. If not - get the heck off of my blog! (smile) I'm doing insulated everything and trying to be cheerful when the commode seat is the only thing I haven't wrapped... yet. (I just know there's a way.) I'll entertain suggestions - please keep it clean!

As usual - have a great Thursday. If my fingers don't get frost bitten I'll be back to do "Celebrate the small things" bloghop on Friday. (That could be one of the things to celebrate - surviving fingers.)

Don't forget those commode wrap suggestions. I'm not going to hold it but I'll be waiting. That's a wrap!

You know - I'm all about that baste, 'bout that baste - no stuffing

I simply could not help myself. I heard this song and thought, "My stars, it's all about the baste." Being a bit older than the young woman singing her song, I have no idea what she's talking about... "I'm all about that bass, 'bout that bass - no treble?" For me it morphed into a cooking method for the coveted turkey. You know the ones who get slammed, crammed, and jammed every November?  Not for me! I am all about that baste, 'bout that baste - no stuffing!

Why? (I know you're sitting there wondering why, aren't you?) Every year for the last twenty years I have attended family Thanksgivings away from my home. They patronize me with just enough leftovers for 24 hours. It's a crime. Not only that but they all stuff the bird. If you're going to make a deposit please allow it to be accepted before you post against it!

It's been a hard lesson to NOT eat the stuffing no matter how yummy it smells. I simply beg off with some excuse about caloric counts. (You smile? Ha, but if you saw those twenty something birds you'd be  in agreement with me. "Sorry, sorry, I know I only weight 140 lbs. but my goal is 120. Yes it's a lie. So is the 140, but let's continue.)

Wonderful juices begin from the depths of my roasting turkey; I baste him until he screams! We spend hours together frolicking in the kitchen, sharing dreams of casseroles yet to be concocted. And the hot bread with creamy butter takes me to heights I only climb this time of year. Do "they" know I cook for a late day Thanksgiving? Shh - please - they will never know. It's all I can do to contain my excitement knowing the German chocolate cake is waiting. (Let them eat cake - their own cake!)

Just for giggles... here's Meghan Trainor singing her version. Mine will be out on Thanksgiving Day!!
You go girl!

Loki's back - Game on!

We all have battles. Daily. Big issues. Small issues. Or maybe we're listening to a friend's struggle. Then there are the blogs. Blogpals. We develop some amazing relationships just by being present in their world. Their blogworlds. Most we'll never meet. It doesn't stop us from cheering them on. When one is missing you know. You go back and forth to their blogworld hoping your feed didn't miss a recent post. Illness or some other event keeps them from posting. But one day you look at your reading lists - and viola - your missing blogpal is back!

Loki's back!!! 

My blogpal Loki is on the mend. I got my first exposure to war gaming through his site. Mind you I'm not into gaming; I'm into all the little figures that he paints. And the game boards are amazing! My first love is painting on canvas, but he's got things three D, and that gets exciting. That's close enough to my second love which is crafting. But we are worlds apart between his figures and game boards, and my door wreaths and painting clay pots. Just the same it's great fun to see what others create and share about their lives.

Some call their treasure a hobby, while others have made it a business venture. Blogpal Loki does sell things at various gaming events, suitable for that venue, but oftentimes he gives us a piece of his treasure. I'm sharing this because I love the flags and banners he's decided to share! One design lends itself to a 5 foot vertical canvas I want to paint as a wall hanging. Another one is a great dragon - which would look snazzy over the fireplace!!!

Loki is doing that "Napoleonic" thing - gamers know - I'm too inexperienced to describe it. However I'm also the history buff and here's a link if you want to know about Napoleon's march into Russia! Or go there, copy the link and save it for a rainy day. The guy's explanation is fantastic. It's also part of a series of Napoleon's adventures - if you're into that. 

Khan Academy - Napoleon & French invade Russia

You could check out how to make game boards here:

Designing Game Boards

If not, my final offer is a song from Coldplay which some happy YouTuber dedicated to Napoleon; get ready to rock!

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

Welcome back Andrew! I know Francis and all the guys/gals have missed you! I'm thinking to make a little regiment of dc's... marching across the blogworld. Oh and maybe one little figure for each of my blogpals... wouldn't that be a hoot? Then it will be game on! "BLOGWORLD" - the game to write home about.

November Moon

I'm clinging to the sliver of the most inviting thing.
It lifts me high and makes me smile with wishes so serene.
And lest I be caught sleeping when you make an early round,
I hope that I'll dreaming of another night in town.

Welcome tough exterior

Geez, it's only November and the cold has been, well, cold. My thermostat peers back at me as if to say: "What's the problem? Crank me up! You know you want to, don't you?"

In lieu of becoming an icicle I would but until that point in time comes, I'm content to wear a home sweater of immense warming qualities. That and the utility companies just love to make me sweat - every winter! But, and aha(!) though they have the power, I control the knob. Back you vicious power companies!

What's up with the bat above? (You did wonder, right?) He's been calcified.  A crazy lake in Africa calcifies everything that comes near it. I'm not going into details. A Smithsonian article* describes it and shows more photos of animals caught in the trap. Now - doesn't that sound like the utility company strategy? Come closer - closer - charge!

I could have it as bad as that bat. Be it calcified or icicled... it's still a tough exterior to weather. Oh wait! He's dead but I'll be getting a bill soon. Let's hope by January it doesn't kill me too. If it does will the Smithsonian produce an article showing my frozen carcass? Let's seriously support that notion. Until then I suppose I should be as peaceful as a dove.

And for the non-reader... It is all about power! Mu-hu ha ha ha!


* Smithsonian Article with photographs

Falling back to normalcy

Wow! The first twenty-four hours of November came in like a lion. (Wait! isn't that a saying associated with the month of March?) A strange nor'easter came in and we don't get those here. The wind blew my yard furniture into my neighbor's yard. I know she really likes those Adirondack chairs... did the wind really...? Of course it did.

Here I sit typing away and thinking: if I post this a little after midnight, will the two  o' clock time change throw it back into a November 1st post? Must I be bothered by such a trivial question? Well that's actually two questions. Okay I'm tired of thinking. 

So we're falling back again. Another year of being convinced that this is the real normalcy. We really will be in actual time-time - you see. What was once considered good for the farmers has proved to be even better for the golfers. It is a billion dollar business. Never mind that most farms are closed down due to high taxes, stiff corporate competition, and regulations of what can and cannot be grown. (Rant over) Fore!

What to do with all those leaves? They are piling higher by the hour. Ooh, I found a blog talking about fashion. You glue the leaves to a t-shirt, and viola... forget taking out the blower. I'm doing this! 

Thanks for stopping by. I'll be getting back to my home makeover. Here, have a look for yourself.

Love my home!