October 21, 2011 – 12:39 am
Our daughter-in-law celebrated a birthday this week and asked for a chocolate chip pumpkin cheesecake for her birthday cake. I used the Hershey’s recipe.
The recipe calls for a chocolate crust, but I used a graham cracker crust instead. DDIL thought the chocolate crust might have overpowered the pumpkin flavor. I think she’s right. The graham cracker crust was delicious.

Not much of that cheesecake left. The birthday girl gets the last piece!
~~Rhonda
October 14, 2011 – 9:48 pm
I made a stack of Christmas tags this afternoon, using a large tag punch and some old Christmas cards.

Choose cards that are light colored so they are easy to read. Cards with a slick finish are shiny and pretty, but don’t work well with ink pens and some felt markers.

Cards may need trimming to fit in the punch in a way that makes them oriented properly when punched.

The tags could easily be dressed up with glitter, ink, ribbon, etc., to make them even better.

Another good way to recycle old Christmas cards. I’m glad I saved mine!
~~Rhonda
October 11, 2011 – 1:17 pm
Our church family makes apple butter each fall. The canned apple butter is sold to raise money for mission projects.

DH brought home four quart jars, like this one.

I decided to recan it in 8-oz. jelly jars. A better size for us. The only issue with recanning is to be sure the apple butter is heated to 212*F before filling the jars. So we poured the apple butter into a large pot. The larger the better, as the apple butter will sputter and splash when it boils. NOT fun to have it sputter and splash on your bare arm. Ask me how I know…

The emptied jars were placed upside-down in a container so the last bits of sticky goodness could drain out and be added to the cooking pot.

When canning, set up the entire process before you begin. Once started, you need to keep moving.

Then it was time to stir, stir, stir as the apple butter heated to the necessary 212*F.

With one load in the canner, I waited till it was almost done before filling the jars for the next load.

I processed the jars in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Now we have some nice sized jars for ourselves and some for gifts at Christmas.

Doesn’t it look delicious? I can tell you…it is!

~~Rhonda
October 9, 2011 – 9:54 pm
We put the nativity tree up in the library this weekend. We have had a lot of cats over the years and none have ever bothered any of the many trees we have. Things are changing. Several times this weekend, we had to chase Cedar and Amy out of the tree! They seem to think it is a great place to take catnaps. If this keeps up, they are going to be basement kitties for a few months. Trees are going up and the cats have to adjust or take a hike downstairs. I’ll keep you posted.
Amy did have fun with a string of beads this afternoon. While DDIL put the beads on the tree, Amy tried to investigate.

She couldn’t figure it out, but thought it was fun.


Spinning beads were irresistible.

She carefully checked out the lights, but left them alone.

She didn’t play with the beads very long. Eventually, she just sat and watched. Now that the tree is decorated, perhaps the kitties will leave it alone. I’m hoping!

~~Rhonda
October 6, 2011 – 7:20 pm
I love the changing countryside in autumn. DH and I took a ride the other day. Getting out is difficult for me, with the pain in my knees and other problems, but it’s worth the effort to get out of the house occasionally.

Even thistles look pretty with a little back lighting.

Roadside scofflaws.

We drove by a couple of country cemeteries, as I’ve been working on some genealogy projects. Several generations of DH’s family are buried in this one.



A very out of the way, peaceful and quiet area.


Reminds me that some of our college “dates” were walks through the cemetery. Seems like a long time ago…but I guess the tradition continues.
~~Rhonda
September 30, 2011 – 12:30 am
Yesterday I was able to spend a little time outside. The weather was beautiful. Autumn is changing the look of the garden. Things are winding down, the trees are beginning to turn, the grasses are yellowing. We saw quite a few Monarchs drifting through on their way south. Amazing that they can make a trip as long as 3000 miles to winter in the mountains of Mexico, then return in the spring. Watching them flutter around the flowers makes me wonder how they ever make it! A miracle of God’s creation.

Most of the purple coneflowers have turned brown and are giving up their seeds to the little goldfinches. But some are still pinky-purple and orange. So pretty!

We have quite a few sassafras trees around the edge of the back yard. The leaves are always so pretty in the fall, turning yellow, red and orange. They are just beginning to show their color.

There are a few hosta blooms in the yard. ‘Green Fountain’ is blooming, as well as ‘Red October.’ Some hosta leaves are already brown and yellow. But there are still a lot of green leaves. And they look beautiful with the sunlight shining through them.

I’m amazed at how red these dogwood leaves are.


We’d like to be rid of bush honeysuckle, but the berries are very pretty in the fall.

Another lovely Monarch on goldenrod. Goldenrod always signals fall to me.

You can tour other autumn gardens at Tootsie’s place.

Another day and we’ll be in October! September flew by. We plan to put up another Christmas tree tomorrow. We’re going to try for the one in the guest room. I’ll let you know how that goes. 🙂
~~Rhonda