Christmas Notebook

menu plan monday ~ may 10, 2010

May 10, 2010 – 11:10 am

After several delays caused by car trouble, the girls finally made it home Saturday evening, safe and sound. Just in time for Mother’s Day! 🙂

DH did some surprise shopping and brought home the ingredients for my favorite Mother’s Day meal…grilled chicken, veggie packets, and corn on the cob. So good!

Veggies packets are marked so everyone can have his/her own custom order. 🙂

Mine was potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, sugar snap peas, garlic and tomatoes. So yummy!

I’m starting this week’s menu with a recipe I didn’t get to make last week.

Monday
Cheesy Ham and Pasta Bake
Homemade rolls
Green salad

Tuesday
Ham Sandwiches
Tomato Soup

Wednesday
Hamburgers
Homemade buns
Veggies / Ranch Dip
Grapes

Thursday
Spaghetti and Meatballs [Scroll down the linked page for an easy meatball recipe.]
Garlic Bread
Peas
Corn
Green Salad

Friday
Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu
Rice
Steamed sugar snap peas
Corn

Saturday
Lunch ~ Fridge Food
Supper ~ Pizza

Sunday ~ Church Picnic at our house
Sausage Potato Casserole in the Crock Pot [Scroll down to the bottom of the page for directions to make the crock pot version.]
Coleslaw with Raisins and Peanuts
Pumpkin Cake

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (1)

irises and peonies

May 8, 2010 – 10:20 pm

This week, the garden is showing off its irises and peonies. Lots of color and the wafting of heavenly scents!

Peony ‘Kansas’

Peony ‘Mons. Jules Elie’

Peony ‘Dancing Butterfly’

A beautiful time of year in the garden. You can see more garden blooms at Flower Friday.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in our garden | Comments (1)

the early may garden

May 6, 2010 – 10:13 pm

The yard is bursting with beautiful colors. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

I love spring! 🙂 ~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in our garden | Comments (0)

after the storm

May 4, 2010 – 9:19 am

Late Monday afternoon, we had a brief heavy downpour. There was some thunder, a little lightning, but not much. We did get some hail, though.

DD watched the storm from the bay window.

The storm left a sprinkling of hail on the front porch.

Do you see Zak hiding by the wall? He had been in the house and wanted out, but changed his mind when he walked over hail. He ran to the wall and stayed there until we opened the door to let him back inside.

Everything looked fresh and clean after the rain.

Zilli picked her way through the wet grass. She made a beeline for the east porch where it was a bit drier than the garden was.

DD couldn’t resist the puddles.

Sunshine brightened everything…

…And made a double rainbow. Do you see the second lighter one to the left of the bright rainbow?

A glorious reminder of a promise from God.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in our garden | Comments (0)

the changing garden

May 3, 2010 – 10:03 pm

No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden. ~Hugh Johnson

I am amazed at how quickly our garden changes. We are in it every day and every day is different from the one before. And it will be different, yet again, tomorrow. I wish more people would garden, whether flowers or veggies or both. There is a fascination and a wonder and a sense of God’s presence in a garden.

This morning, the plants were covered with dew. So pretty! The camera just doesn’t capture that well enough, but I tried. Maybe it’s one of those “you had to be there” times.

The ‘Forest Pansy’ redbud tree was beautiful with the sun shining on the leaves.

Columbine…dripping with dew…

Peony ‘Little Medicine Man’…isn’t that the prettiest shade of pink?

The spirea ‘Gold Flame’ was covered with dew…so pretty!

The peony ‘Flame’ is in full bloom.

The garden is looking lush and full. And there are so many more flowers to come…makes me wonder where they will fit.

Just north of the fenced garden, the snowball bush is heavy with bloom.

Hosta ‘Gold Standard’ gets a moment in the spotlight.

Plenty of water in the birdbath following the rains we’ve had.

The kitties like to use the birdbaths for drinks, but they also like the little pump fountain, as Oreo demonstrates.

The morning light gave a glow to the seedpods of the Honesty plant.

Every corner of the garden seems to have its share of beautiful blooms.

And tomorrow, when I visit the garden, it will be changed again. New flowers, colorful foliage, butterflies and birds, all bearing witness to the wonder of God’s creation. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

If you’re nearby, please stop by and enjoy our garden.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in our garden | Comments (1)

menu plan monday ~ may 3, 2010

May 3, 2010 – 10:07 am

We’ve watched the irises coming on strong during the past week. So many need to be lifted and reset, but right now, we’re just enjoying the beautiful blooms. The work of revitalizing them will wait for another time.

…..’Clarence’…………………………………..’Celtic Prince’……………………….’Kevin’s Theme’…..

This week, our two older daughters are moving home after almost three years in Virginia. They are looking for jobs and apartments, so don’t plan to be here long, but we are happy for the opportunity to see them more often! I chose menu items for later in the week that I thought they might enjoy.

Monday
Tacos

Tuesday
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Tomato Soup

Wednesday
Hamburgers
Homemade Buns
Veggies / Ranch Dip

Thursday
Cheesy Ham and Pasta Bake
Cornbread
Steamed Sugar Snap Peas
Grapes

Friday
Spaghetti and Meatballs [Scroll down the linked page for an easy meatball recipe.]
Garlic Bread
Peas
Corn
Green Salad

Saturday
Lunch ~ Fridge Food
Supper ~ Pizza

Sunday
Roast Beef in the Crock Pot
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
Corn
Homemade Rolls
Pear/Walnut Salad

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (1)

a walk through the garden

April 27, 2010 – 9:41 am

We were gone for five days and when we got back, it seemed the garden had suddenly become lush and full. Perhaps that’s just my perspective, but I think, too, the rain we had gave everything a big push.

The fenced garden is already looking overgrown. And I had hoped to plant some herbs in there this year…

The columbine is in full bloom. From the old red and yellow columbine, through the singles in many colors, to the doubles…

We have a large bed of columbine at the front of the house. So pretty right now!

The clematis ‘Nelly Moser’ is climbing through the hydrangea bush by the front porch.

The Korean lilac is blooming. We lost one of these last summer, and are not sure why it died. Part of this bush has died, too. Waiting to see if it will survive the season.

Near one of the beds in the front yard, the Johnny Jump Ups have appeared en masse.

At the west gate to the fenced garden, Salvia ‘May Night’ is just beginning to shine.

Blue False Indigo is native to the Midwest, so it thrives during our hot and humid summers. Plant it where you are sure you want it because it has a long tap root and extensive root system and is, therefore, difficult to move.

Extending springtime just a bit longer, some of our Poet’s daffodils have just bloomed. Most of them were done a week or so ago. Perhaps they are planted deeper than their friends were?

The irises are beginning to bloom. ‘Congratulations’ opened yesterday.

I’ll save all the lovely hosta plants for another post. They are coming on strong this year and are looking great!

You can visit other gardens at Bloomin’ Tuesday.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in bloomin' tuesday, our garden | Comments (9)

menu plan monday ~ april 26, 2010

April 26, 2010 – 9:19 am

We’re back from a trip east, where we attended one daughter’s senior show (graduating from college in a few weeks!), celebrated another daughter’s birthday, and visited with our oldest son and his family. We had a wonderful time and so enjoyed visiting with everyone. And we had tons of fun with the little ones. 🙂

On the way home yesterday, the temps started out around 74* and by the time we got home, it was 52*. Brrr! Today is damp and cool, so I’m going to start this week’s menu with soup for this evening.

Monday
Cheeseburger Soup

Tuesday
Ham Sandwiches
Veggies / Ranch Dip
Grapes

Wednesday
Grilled Pork Steaks
Oven Fried Potato Wedges
Cole Slaw with Peanuts

Thursday
Broccoli Beef Stir Fry
Rice

Friday
Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu
Rice
Steamed Green Beans
Corn
Spinach Salad w/ Strawberries

Saturday
Lunch ~ Fridge Food
Supper ~ Pizza Braid

Sunday
Marinated Pork Tenderloin in the Crock Pot
Mashed Potatoes
Steamed Sugar Snap Peas
Corn
Green Salad

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (1)

visit with family

April 24, 2010 – 2:27 pm

We traveled east to be with our second daughter for her senior photography show. She graduates in May! Anyone have a job for a fledgling photographer?

We celebrated a birthday with DD#1.

And we got to visit with the grands!

Swim time with Grandpa.

Aunt and niece had a good time together. Took lots of pics of their own…

This summer, they are coming to us! Can’t wait!

~~Grandma

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in twins | Tagged family, twins | Comments (1)

garden pics

April 23, 2010 – 8:44 pm

I took these shots to share on Tuesday, but life got hectic for a few days, so am sharing them now.

The columbine has come on thick and fast this week. It’s a nice long bloomer and adds color to the beds this time of year.

My favorite columbine is the blue one…

I thought I might have missed the Spanish Bluebells while I was sick, but they opened this week. We have these in two places. I’d like to spread them around. Love the color.

The pump (small fountain) is running. We need to get some goldfish for it. Children always enjoy watching them dart around the bottom, as well as the fun of feeding the fish. Now that the weather is nice, we sit on the east porch after dark and listen to the fountain while we enjoy the scent of the lilacs.