Saturday, February 22, 2014

Adiós y Viento en Popa = Goodbye and Smooth Sailing!!!!

Hopefully, this will be one of my views as I fly into Dominican Republic tomorrow. Who knows? One of those sailboats could even be Blew Bayou!!!!!

(source)

Hoping to have some internet connection at some point during trip to post some pictures and share some stories......but alas.....I never know if that opportunity will arise or if I will even have time to do so. It's hard work cruising and exploring the Caribbean!!!!! heheheheh....!

To my grandbabies....look to the sky tomorrow to see your YaYa waving at you from above!!!

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Serenity.

Today was warm. Today was balmy. Today was windy. Today was beautiful!
My bff, sophiejane, and I took a walk thru our pastures. We walked down to the pond (which is header pic above right now ^^) because when my youngest son came over today, he informed me that the snow geese were back. Which, in itself, is funny to me for I live in a land of no snow! But every yr., two come to hang out at our pond and we think maybe nest, not sure. And I love watching them.
So, we walked. And walked. And enjoyed just the feelings of being in such a beautiful landscape.

"Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer - and often the supreme disappointment." ~Ansel Adams~

my walking companion!

and when we got back to the house, we enjoyed God's painting for the day!

Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer - and often the supreme disappointment.

Ansel Adams

Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer - and often the supreme disappointment.

Ansel Adams

Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer - and often the supreme disappointment.

Ansel Adams

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Crossing the Seas!!

Our Cap'n is a very skilled sailor!! He has seen his fair share of not-so-calm seas, but today he is having a lovely sail!

My middle son arrived yesterday into St, Thomas and they took off into the sea together. Last I heard from him this morning they were in the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic...

with sails flying high and a little fishing going on!

Blew Bayou's sails!

The sunrise this morning 10 miles south of Ensanada, Puerto Rico

I leave Sunday for Santo Domingo to join the fun!!

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Blog to Book.....Another Topseller!!

um....that is, IF it were for sale!!! Nah....this ol' blob is just a diary of our lives here on land and on sea. A nice way to reminisce about the antics of what everyone in our family does each month of the year...and have a hard copy of stories and pictures to remember them by!!
I make a book each year containing posts from Jan1 - Dec 31 of each yr.

the cover for 2013

the interior pages

the back cover....with Cap'n and all his grandbabies!

I absolutely LOVE re-reading back thru the year's GOOD TIMES!

In fact, I spent quite a bit of time this afternoon doing just that from here....

Saturday, February 15, 2014

We ARE a family that loves to eat!!

So what do we do for a birthday celebration? Why, EAT of course!! Altho, we were missing Cap'n and my oldest son and family and we missed them terribly.....we toasted them often during the night. I love a pretty table so I use each ocassion to make one!

then throw in some good food and vino!

Big ol' prime rib roast with homemade rolls...as well as chicken/wild rice soup. Mushroom rice and a creamy vegetable medley.

For dessert: chocolate cups filled with amaretto cream pudding and raspberries.

the birthday boy's boy riding on the rocking horse that I had as a little girl. All my grandbabies have rocked on it and it makes my heart SO warm. This was his first time!

"somebody" not so happy that we are having a party! (and it wasn't the baby!)

*swoon*!!!!

sweet lil family....sweetest lil granddaughters!!

Laughing together!! Doesn't get much better than that!!!!!

Friday, February 14, 2014

Happiness & Love......

...to the BIRTHDAY BOY!!!

Two of the loves of his life! Case Nelson and Dixie!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABYBOY!!

more pics to come from his birthday dinner last night !!! Good Times!!!

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

REALLY???

Really?? As I drove home yesterday, the sun was shining on a chilly day. By the time I drove into the driveway.....there was this! ^^

Really??

Are you kidding me?? ... they say!

and last night before I went to bed

and when I woke up this morning!

Now, to all you Yanks....I know this is just a dusting but to us southern chicks.....WE GOT SNOW!!!

and something just told me to go outside late last night to look around and I felt it! On my face...in my hair....on my tongue!! and I heard that lovely sound that I so love....the quiet peacefulness of nothing but the falling flakes whisking by me and ever so softly hitting the ground. The world around me just seemed like all was right. Like everyone was as much at peace with themselves and with each other as I felt right then.

The Quiet Peacefulness of Snow!

but the bad part is that underneath that lil bit of snow....there was about 3 hrs of ice and sleet. And the pic above is not a good sign for power lines or our business...

KEEPING FINGERS CROSSED....SO FAR SO GOOD!!

and this is the pic I received yesterday from Blew Bayou.....Anegada, BVI'S.

hmmmmmmmm......

Saturday, February 8, 2014

To: Cap'n on his Caribbean Birthday!!

SophieJane LOVES to travel on Blew Bayou and right now she's wondering why in the world would her dad be on that boat without her??!!!!!

Today is our Cap'n's birthday and we all want him to know how much we're thinking of him!

(but we know he's in heaven!)

Just a little bit of the craziness that we do, indeed, love about him!

doing "WORK" from the boat.....heheh!

.....and a fave picture of mine....

we love ya!!!

*back to add: just talked to him and this is where he is this morning......me thinks he's doing just fine!!

Friday, February 7, 2014

Crockpot Lasagna

I found this recipe on Pillsbury's weekly email that I read. Looked interesting and since I was looking for something quick and easy to make for some girlfriends one night, I decided to guinea pig them! They love it when I do that and they loved this dish. Me too! And I was amazed how easy it was to throw together and did not taste all crock-pottey....you know how most slow cooker recipes all end up tasting the same! This one really tasted like it had baked in the lasagna pan!!

Ingredients

1lb. lean ground beef (I used venison....no fat!)

1(26 to 28-oz.) jar tomato pasta sauce

1(8-oz.) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

1/2(9-oz.) pkg. (about 8) no-boil lasagna noodles

1(1-lb.) jar Alfredo pasta sauce (I used ricotta and cottage cheese mixed together)

12oz. (3 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4cup grated Parmesan cheese
Brown ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain. Spray 4 to 5-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 3/4 cup of the tomato pasta sauce in bottom of sprayed slow cooker. Stir remaining tomato pasta sauce and tomato sauce into ground beef. Layer 3 lasagna noodles over sauce in slow cooker, breaking noodles as necessary. Top with 1/3 of the Alfredo pasta sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Top with 1/3 of the ground beef mixture, spreading evenly. Repeat layering twice, using 2 lasagna noodles in last layer. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. Cover; cook on Low setting for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. If desired, cut into wedges to serve.
I didn't use the alfredo sauce. I mixed one cup of low fat ricotta with one cup low fat cottage cheese and put that layer in where the recipe calls for alfredo.
I used Giada's garlic/olive pasta sauce from Target.
I also used one small eggplant, peeled and sliced and put on top of last layer of meat

Ugly image up next but I wanted to show you how it looked in the crock pot after cooked. We had already taken out 2 pieces when I took this pic from above.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

PEACEFUL QUIET HAPPINESS!

"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the Sunset." ~Crowfoot~

It is sitting in my sunroom watching precious deer dance across my back yard!!

If you can't see the art, look a bit closer!

And if you look really close, you can see the squirrel sitting INSIDE the deer feeder! He crawls up the legs of the feeder and sits right beside the bucket, eating the corn. And really bugs the deer when he kicks some out on top of their heads! Such a teaser, he is!!