More Fun with Daisy Mae

Okay, I am letting the well kept secret out of the bag.  I am a bag lady!  Well, not as one might think...I save plastic shopping bags.  They come in handy as wastebasket liners, etc.  I had all my shopping bags stuffed into a wastebasket and then one morning I decided that I needed the wastebasket for something else.  So I dug my stash of plastic shopping bags out of the wastebasket and threw them on the floor (I did not have anywhere else to put them at the time). As I worked on my plans for the now empty wastebasket, Daisy went to work with the shopping bags.

As you can see she had a grand time playing with these bags and the rug at the same time.

Here is the contented kitty lounging with Target shopping bags.

Today I went shopping at the local grocery store and they had a bin of white pumpkins.  I picked one out and brought it home to Daisy. 

She really liked the stem and she went to work chewing on it.

Here she is proudly posing with her first pumpkin.  Happy Autumn Daisy Mae!

Decisions, decisions...

Well, I am still having issues with my tummy.  Lately, the pain seems more manageable.  Recently I spoke with my endo doctor and decided not to move forward with surgery at this time.  One thing holding it up is the fact that my hubby does not have enough vacation.  Another reason is that I feel like I cannot move forward at this time.  Mark and the boys went to a scout meeting and I had some time alone.  After talking with my doctor I went to our back deck and viewed the sunset and began to cry.  So much has transpired these past few years, sometimes emotions overcome me.

Fun with Daisy Mae

It has been quite warm here in Colorado the past two days.  Since it has been so warm Miss Daisy Mae decided that fashionable shades were in order.  She also is sporting a new pink collar which she looks absolutely adorable in..

Here Miss Daisy jumped up on the vanity and decided that the bathroom sink was a very fashionable place to beat the heat.

I Love Lemon!

Here is a picture of a lemon from California.  My sister took me took a park that my niece calls Lemon Tree Park.  In the park they have many lemon trees planted as the area was once filled with citrus farms.  My niece went from tree to tree looking for lemons and she gave me this one.  I packed it in my suitcase and brought it home.  Next to my lemon is a cute tea cup from Corelle's Thymeless Herb dishware collection.  I thought they looked good together.

Pictured here is a lemon cake I baked this afternoon.  As you can see it sunk in the middle.  That is what happens when one does not follow the directions for high altitude baking.  Ugh!  I always forget that I am living a mile high now.  The elevation here is 5,674.  No matter, Brandon says he will eat the middle.

This is the soap I am using in my bathroom right now.  Lemon soap by C.O. Bigelow from Bath & Body Works.  I also have the lotion to match.  They both smell wonderful.

First Day of Autumn

Our first day of autumn here in Colorado is a windy day.  Yesterday it was overcast and we had a bit of rain.  Before the bit of rain appeared I took a walk and snapped off some pictures. 

The big "G" for Golden.

The scenery, this is what I see when I walk.

A shy kitty I met on my walk.

I thought she looked so pretty next to the red bush.

The trees are starting to change color.

This is a picture of a thunderstorm.

If you look closely you can see a double rainbow.

We have seen many rainbows here in Colorado.

Here are some autumn wildflowers I picked.

And last but not least is a picture of Eric

with a snake he found nearby.
I am getting more used to the critters here.

Love Answered Prayer?

Today my hubby was very discouraged, I was so worried.  I prayed for him and asked a friend to pray too.  By the end of the day he was out of his slump.  Praise the Lord!  Later I went to the ladies bible study at our church.  I got to fellowship a bit after the study and found out my prayers for a friend were answered.  Don't you just love answered prayer?  It is so exciting to see God work and know that He actually hears.  The other exciting part is that all I have to do to make a difference is dial G-O-D!   

Home?

I am sort of confused as to where "home" is.  As a Christian, home is with the Lord in heaven.  He has gone to prepare a place for us.  As for "home" here on earth, well, I still wonder where that really is.  Going back to California felt like coming home, only I could not go to my Little Blue Cottage.  Instead I stayed at my parents home.  I very much enjoyed visiting family and friends, it felt so good.  It also felt good to drive around town (despite all the traffic) and pop into stores and restaurants that I have missed.  I also enjoyed viewing the ocean and feeling the gentle moist breezes blow through my hair.  Of course there was not enough time to do everything I wanted nor spend as much time visiting as I would like.  When it came time to leave I loaded my luggage into the trunk of my rental car and hugged my parents goodbye.  As I drove away I saw them in the rear view mirror watching me go...I started to well up with tears.

I made it to the airport, turned in the car and got through security.  I called Mark and the boys in Colorado, they were very excited that I was coming home.  I boarded the plane and found my seat.  As the plane lifted into the sky and flew out over the ocean and back over land I again got teary eyed.  Finally enough tears were shed and I opened a book and began reading, it really helped.  As we approached Denver I saw all the city lights and I began to think on my men, our friends, and House on the Hill.  The plane landed with a bump, was I home?  As I walked through the airport I finally spotted my men, they all had big smiles on their faces and couldn't wait to hug me.  As we drove home I realize that Colorado is not such a scary place for me anymore, I have good memories here.  Our car pulled up at House on the Hill and as I walked through the door there before me was a sign that said "Welcome Home Becky!". 

California Here I Come!

Tomorrow evening at this time I will be at the airport getting ready to board a flight to California.  I am going home!  The Lord is so gracious to allow me this time to go home and visit family and friends.  Mark will be holding down our rented fort here in Colorado.  I have no doubt that the boys will keep him plenty busy. ;-)

When I come back I should have plenty to write about and share with you all.  I leave you with a couple pictures from our back deck here in Colorado.

Wispy pink clouds in the evening sky.

A crescent moon against wispy gray clouds.

Around the house #2...

Decorating for autumn at House on the Hill.  This gorgeous round table was my grandmother's at one time.  I am so blessed to have it.  The displayed dish my grandmother painted.

I got this cute little pot with the bird on it for 50 cents!  Clearance at Micheal's Craft Store.

Pictured here is my new favorite bubble bath.  It has a very soothing scent and is selling for $8.99 at Target.

Okay, I've added a bit of green to the kitchen at House on the Hill.  My blog friend jAne at Tickleberry Farm got me interested in these goodies.

This is my pink iron sitting on my ironing board.  The cover is by Laura Ashley (love it).  If you will notice the creamer next to my iron...well that is how I add water to my iron.  Having a pretty creamer to fill my iron makes the task a little more charming.

I end this post with a bit of advice from my laundry room.  After asking Jesus into my heart, it seems wise to listen to my heart...which is listening to Him.

Autumn is Coming - A walk at Crown Hill & Recipe

We have now been in Colorado for 7 months!
I still love visiting Crown Hill to watch the seasons change.

The grass has now turned golden.

A path through the trees bathed in the evening sun.

Mark took this picture of the sky.

The cottonwood trees are just starting to turn color.

Bright yellow leaves are mixed in with green.

Golden yellow flowers cover the ground around them.

The park is bathed in various shades of gold.

Autumn is coming!

Endless Summer Herb Potato Salad

1 bag of petite potatoes, boiled till tender, chopped with or without skins

fresh herbs:  thyme, sage, parsley, garlic, rosemary, (amount, to your liking) all finely chopped

2 to 3 green onions chopped

salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

A drizzle of olive oil

Mayonaise to moisten

A squirt of brown mustard

Feta cheese (sprinkle on to your liking)

Mix all ingredients together and put into a covered bowl.  Set in the fridge and allow the flavors to mingle.  Goes nicely with grilled chicken.  ~ Recipe invented by Becky Finley  ;-)  Enjoy!

Autumn is on its way!

There has been a definite chill in the air lately.  This chill inspired me to decorate for autumn.  The chill has also inspired me to start cooking and baking.  Recently, I came across a recipe I copied from a cookbook years ago.  The recipe was for pear cake and since Colorado grown pears are at the market I decided to finally try this recipe.  The cake came out very moist and tender.  I served it simply, with a dollop of whipped cream.  The recipe may be halved to make a smaller cake (which is what I did).

Pear Cake

4 cups grated pear
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon

In a large bowl combine the grated pear and sugar.  Set aside for 1 hour to accumulate juice.  Heat oven to 350*F.  Butter and flour a large tube pan and set aside.

After an hour has passed, use a large wooden spoon to stir the oil, vanilla and eggs into the pear mixture.  Stirring by hand, add the remaining dry ingredients.  Do not use a mixer.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes (for half the recipe it takes around 45 minutes to bake) or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean.  Happy autumn and bon appetit!