My Father, My Friend

My father passed on five years ago today. It doesn't seem that long.....5 months, maybe a year, but five? Dad loved many things:

Good Movies
Good Food
Good Music
Family Dinners, especially during the holiday season.




When I was going through my mother's things at her house ( trying to remind her that we cannot take EVERYTHING ;O), I opened a drawer and there it was......the first card that I had given to him. It was an old Christmas card, with a picture of the Magi on it.

Funny how these things happen ~ the last time I saw my father was on the Feast of the Three Kings, January 2005. We feasted on all of our favorite Italian delicacies in the Nursing Home.We watched an old Clint Eastwood movie, "Two Mules For Sister Sara."
At one point my father looked at me, when Shirley MacClaine was holding her cross in the air, to blind the bad guys.

He just nodded, smiled, and said,
"The Power of the Cross."
I promised him I would be up with shrimp over pasta ( and Mom ) on the 11th.
He passed away in his sleep early that morning, while Mom and I were watching Song of Bernadette.

I will always be grateful that I was born on Father's Day....and that I truly learned about the power of the cross that day.

Thanks Dad ~ always love and miss you! See you again one day!!!

Happy New Year, Merry Christmas ( to all of my Russian Orthodox pals), and HAPPY THREE KINGS!!!

Well I guess that I really got sidetracked with all of the goings on in our neck of the woods. Nevertheless, one of my New Year's resolutions is to be a GOOD BLOGGER :o)
Now with that in mind, let's start with my new passions.....

1)NEEDLE FELTING!!!! Ever since I discovered this timely art I am really burning the midnight, middle of the night and pre dawn hours. Here a poke, there poke , every where a poke poke.The other night, I had visions of scottie dogs and sweets in my head:

Now the thing is Angus is getting really bored by the whole thing. Even though I continue to try and explain how soothing and spiritual this whole process is, he just yawns and throws his head back on the pillow.

2) Button, button, whose got the button ~ fabric button magnet that is...can't make enough, can't get enough supplies and can't cut out enought teeny tiny pieces of fabric for these:

Here's hoping that this is the start of a prosperous New Year for all of us in Blog Land.......but mostly one of good health, good fortune, and good fellowship!

Is it really Fall???REALLY????

I can't believe that it really is Fall ~ the impatiens are still looking so colorful and so very healthy! Outside in the garden the last of the cauliflower is starting to poke it's head out from the leaves, just in time for one of our favorite side dishes here ~ cauliflower with sharp cheddar cheese sauce ~ YUM!!!! I just hope that our little visitor remembers to leave us some.



And for those of you who have been wondering what the NJ coast looks like during a 3 day Nor'Easter..... "The human heart is like a ship on a stormy sea driven about by winds blowing from all four corners of heaven."
Luther, Martin

I am SOOOOOO behind on posts !!!

As you can tell I am in the garden, trying to savor the sweet rewards of Spring. Roses never look or smell as good as they do, the first few weeks in Spring ~ I guess after a long sleep they have reason to look smashing :o)



We are just about ready to start the second half of the backyard project. If you look at where the old posts are you will see waaaaaaaaaay in the back, the first transplanted grapevine...our missiion......to become true winos ~LOL...seriously, this is the year of the berry and the grape. Pretty soon our mulberry trees will be weeping tears( errrrrrr make that berries ) of joy.



Chipotle-Mulberry Sauce:

1/4 cup red raspberry vinegar
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 cup crushed mulberries
1 chipotle in adobo, minced

In a sauce pan, combine the vinegar, garlic, mulberries, and chipotle and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree if you want a smoother sauce. This will be intensely purple!

Use to glaze the chicken or ribs, but if you do them on the grill watch carefully because the sauce is sticky and will burn quickly.

Makes about 1/2 cup

Let's see, what else? Well, they make an awesome cobbler, but mush up a bit too much for a pie unless you mix them with rhubarb or peaches or maybe even apples. Well, that's my opinion, anyway, my Grandpa would argue, he loved mulberry pie. If you do make it, be sure to cook and thicken the mulberry filling before filling the shell so the crust doesn't get too soggy.

I also think they'd make a pretty lavender colored ice cream, and might be good if pureed and strained and added to lemonade.
Credit for this smashing recipe given to ANNIE at:http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cooking/msg0415122012507.html
Now Gussy dog........GET OUT OF THOSE BERRIES!!!!

Happy Memorial Day!

Dad & Mom, before he left for Europe, during WWII.


Wishing all of our veterans, and those currently serving in all branches of our military peace!





On this Memorial Day, I have a special request for those visiting...
please visit our good friend Becky's blogspot today. It will mean so much to her and her loving family. We love you Becky! Special prayers for all of you today, especially for angel Jordan!Sweet Cottage Dreams: Posting Of The Colors On This Memorial Day#linksIn Flanders Fields
The original inspiration for veterans to sell paper poppies for Memorial Day came from the famous poem below, which was written by John McCrae in 1915:

In Flanders Fields


In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.

Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

In 1922 the Veterans of Foreign Wars became the first veterans' organization to sell poppies nationally for Memorial Day. Two years later their "Buddy" poppy program began selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans.

What Sweet & Tangy Finds Today!

It's the first radish of the season ~This calls for a recipe:

Spring Radish Tea Sandwiches
Thinly sliced radishes
16 slices best-quality white bread*
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

* Choose the best-quality white or wheat bread as possible. Never serve end slices. Freezing the bread before cutting and then spreading makes for easier handling.

Spread one side of each piece of bread lightly with butter.

Top the buttered side of the eight (8) slices of bread with the sliced radishes and top with the remaining bread slices, buttered side down.

Carefully cut the crusts from each sandwich with a long, sharp knife. Cut the sandwiches in half diagonally and then cut in half again.

Yields 8 whole sandwiches or 16 halves or 32 fourths.

Our resident robin is checking it out ~ hope it knows how pinchy that veggie is!

Our neighbor's kitty is taking time to smell the roses....err,make that azaleas ;o)

First we find momma and baby titmouse in the yard........

Then we see the first bearded iris in bloom.....

Baby titmouse decides to investigate on its own....all in all, a wonderful day filled with all of God's gifts!

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

John 15:5

Why the STRAWBERRY MALLARD?

Welllllllllll......this is why! I can't even remember where or when I found it ~ it had to be at a yard sale or flea market..how many people that you know have strawberry mallards? Strawberry jam, strawberry jars, but strawberry ducks? Adoring our web footed friends here, the way we do, it just made sense!

While we are the subject of STRAWBERRIES, I wanted to share this recipe from an old Time Life Cookbook series..this one is on preserves, which I know you all love to make. The great thing about strawberries, is that they enable you to start hot packing those mason jars in the Spring!



Sun Kissed Strawberries ( makes 2 pints )

4 cups of strawberries

4 cups of sugar

1/4 fresh lemon juice

1/4 water

Mix the sugar, water and lemon juice together. Heat slowly, stirring, and boiling for 4 minutes. Add the berries, heat to boiling, and boil for 10 minutes. Pour into mason jars and process for 20 minutes, or simply refrigerate.
MMMMMM.........good and good for you!