Author Archives: ~~Rhonda

Living in a small town, I share my life with my husband Russell (married in 1977), five children (one still at home), and six cats (one indoors, the others outside).

I teach an online class called “The Christmas Notebook” which is about all things holiday prep. The many facets of celebrating Christmas comprises one of my favorite hobbies. Other favorite things include gardening, reading, cooking, and scrapbooking.

summer garden

As the daylilies bloom and the daisies fill in and the purple coneflowers keep coming, there is a lot of color in the summer garden. ‘Paprika’ [GN] Everyone comments on the Russian Sage. It makes a beautiful airy splash of bluey-purple in the flower bed. ‘In Depth’ The hydrangeas are ready to pick for drying. […]

menu plan monday ~ july 18, 2011

We’ve had a busy and tiring weekend. DH rode in RAIN (Ride Across INdiana), a cycling event, on Saturday. This was his tenth year to ride. He finished in 11 hours and 45 minutes, counting stops. Actual ride time was 9:55. DD#2 and I provided support. Food, water, cool washcloths, more sunscreen, etc. A good […]

a good year for the hostas

This year seemed to be an exceptionally good one for hostas. Perhaps because of all that rain we had in the spring. Most of our hostas are looking great. Lush and full. Of course, many are coming into maturity finally and look more filled out than they did for a few years after planting. Some […]

my own bread recipe

This is a recipe I used to make a lot. It fell by the wayside for a few years, but we’ve resurrected it this year. It makes wonderful soft rolls, as well as buns that are great for sandwiches. It makes 48 rolls, or three loaves (we rarely make loaves anymore), or 24 rolls and […]

menu plan monday ~ july 11, 2011

A couple of garden pics…then the menu for the week. The front yard has been quite colorful the past few weeks. Several more weeks and the majority of the daylilies will be done blooming. Enjoy it while you can! ‘Apple Tart’ Monday Taco Salad Tuesday Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry Rice Wednesday Grilled Chicken Veggie Packets […]

the evening garden

Last evening, DH and I spent some time in garden, just as the sun was setting. Here are a few pictures. ‘Catherine Woodbury’ ‘Designer Yarn’ We’re planning a plant sale this afternoon from 4:00 – 6:00. Stop by if you’re in the area. You can visit other gardens on Tootsie’s blog. ~~Rhonda

menu plan monday ~ july 4, 2011

Better late than never, right? I had the menu made and ready to post on Monday, but forgot about it. That’s what a holiday weekend will do for you. Hope your Fourth was fun! Monday Grilled Chicken Grilled Veggies in Foil Packets Garden Salad Corn on the Cob Tuesday Supper ~ Taco Salad Wednesday Homemade […]

amy

This kitten was trying to eat from the outdoor cat dish on the back porch a week ago. When DH approached her, she tried to run away. But DH and DD managed to capture her. She was dehydrated and very skinny. She’d obviously not been eating or drinking much for a while. DD named her […]

dresses for the twins

While the twins were visiting this week, I made a couple of dresses for them. My dear friend Laurie gave me a stack of little girl fabric and some patterns that she could no longer use, as her granddaughter, all of seven years of age, declared herself too grown up for those prints. 🙂 I […]

a few more garden pics

We have several different kinds of tall grasses in the garden. This one, called ‘Morning Light’ is beautiful in a breeze. A bit hard to see the variegation of the grass in this picture, but the tall grass in the background is zebra grass. This is a favorite when we have plant sales. The tall […]