Anyone Have a Room for Rent?

Put a fork in me, I'm done! Anyone of my blogging friends have a room for rent? I'm not much trouble...I'll be a great guest, compliment you on every meal served, make my bed, clean up after myself!

After being pummeled again by snow here in New York and two days off from school, locked in the house with the girls, shoveling and shoveling (ok, maybe DH did that part)...

SAVE ME! Destinations south of New York preferred (although I love my northern friends dearly!) :0)

Woman's Best Friend

Our Shih Tzu, Tucker, hasn’t been feeling well the last two weeks (one of my reasons for an absence from Bloglandia and Mosaic Monday!). Moping and spending inordinate amounts of time in his kennel, I finally took him to the vet. He was so lethargic, I thought for a moment we might lose him.

I never wanted a dog. But when my son was 10, he begged and begged. Finally one Christmas morning, after nursing Tucker in the basement all night so he wouldn’t bark, we surprised my son with him. Our young boy threw himself onto the ground and cried and cried. “I prayed and prayed for this!”, he yelled.

I knew I’d end up feeding him, I knew I’d end up walking him and bathing him. Now my son is in his junior year of college, Tucker’s eleven, and I am so attached to this dog I can’t believe it. I come home from work at lunch and talk to him. At night, when the day is done, he’s at my feet while I read the paper on the couch. When I am cooking in the kitchen, he’s under my toes waiting for something luscious to fall from the counter. I scold him and slip him a doggie cookie. When he wasn’t feeling well, I started to panic. My son called from college. My daughters were getting upset. Even my DH pressed for the vet visit. Whatever would we do without him?

I cajoled him into the car last Monday and he was happy to be off with me. When we arrived at the vet, I opened the office door. He saw the other pooches and gave me a pathetic look, “What’s going on here?”

I realized it was probably not smart to come alone. What if the vet said there was something terribly wrong? Shouldn’t I have taken one of the kids with me in case there was some decision to be made? I found myself staring at the fishtank in the corner of the waiting room so none of the other dog owners would see me starting to well up.

We were finally called in and I described Tucker’s symptoms. Sluggish. Tail down. Didn’t want to go outside. Accidents in the house. Fits of shaking. The vet was a really nice woman, such an animal lover! She said Shih Tzu’s are predisposed to disc issues in the spine. He’d need a cortisone shot and some meds and he would be all right.

Getting in the car, I was delighted! He even seemed better from the cortisone shot right away. The girls hugged and kissed him when he came in. Texts were sent to my college son. A sigh of relief all over!

Oh, and the vet also recommended glucosamine/chondroitin tablets. I take these myself for relieving minor joint pain. They have these pills for dogs. Apparently they are perfectly safe and help dog joints. Who knew?

But as I read the paper tonight, in front of the fire, with Tucker curled at my feet, it’ll be nice to know; we’re just getting older…together.

Quote of the Day

"Certainly travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living"-Miriam Beard

Gosh, in the midst of winter, I need a change in my ideas of living--how about you? :0)

Surf's Up Bedroom

Our eldest daughter loves the water! We live near the beach so surfing and skimboarding are a part of her active lifestyle... so when we thought about giving her a bedroom update...

Naturally, a surfing theme came to mind...first, we painted the walls Benjamin Moore's Clearest Ocean Blue...

Snagged a lamp at The Christmas Tree Shop for $3.00...

Googled "Surf accessories" in Amazon and came up with this great paddle for less than $14.00...

Moved the white chest against the blue walls...

Found this fabulous window treatment online ...it's like a hoola skirt!

And suddenly the room came together! Her bedding was another find on Amazon...I literally searched "surfer girl bedding" and this comforter set came up...

The whole project was not crazy expensive and done mostly online at Amazon. Simple! She loves it and mostly, it reflects who she is...a sporty surfer girl! :0)

Mosaic Monday

As I’ve been thinking of all the people in Haiti this week, I have been wondering about the children who may be separated from their parents. Last weekend, before the earthquake, I took these pictures of my parents’ home for Mary's Mosaic Monday.

For me, there’s comfort here in the form of kind, loving words…there’s security here in the knowledge that if I need a hug due to stresses of the big old world, I can come to this place…where I know where everything is, where I know every crevice, where I know I’ll find a shoulder when I need it, a warm embrace...

And right now I wish every Haitian child the comfort, the peace, the warmth of his parents’ arms.

River Mosaic

The cold continues to surround us so a chilly walk to the river near our home was warranted this morning. The brackish water is freezing in some places. The Canadian geese were in a riot honking, trying to figure out where they could set down in open water. The boats are covered, the docks all empty...even the local barn cat was waiting for me to leave so she could run into the reeds and get warm! I thought about sitting on the dock to enjoy the silence but the freezing temp was enough to make me run back home to the fire! :0)

Quote of the Day

"Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out on the inside"- Mark Twain

Swimming in Comfort Food...

When winter is hitting us right square in the face, I long for Comfort Food. The kind of food you feel like you can swim in and feel warm and cozy inside. One of my easiest and most satisfying comfort dishes comes out of my Crock Pot. I am a firm believer in slow cooking! I love setting it up, going to work, opening the door and thinking,"Oh, someone was here and dropped off a delicious smelling meal!" And then the surprise always hits me: Oooh! It was me! :0)

 Pork Chops in Gravy

(see my other recipes on sidebar!)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour

1 and 1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

6 lean pork chops (I often use center cut, no bone)

1 (10 3/4) ounce can chicken broth

dash pepper

Step One: Combine all ingredients except pork chops in bowl. Mix well.

Step 2: Place pork chops in bottom of Crock Pot...

Step 3: Pour wet mixture from bowl over all...Set on HIGH for 4-5 hours...

And viola! Pork Chops and Gravy! They are just screaming for a side of mashed potatoes...

Set the table in a warm and inviting room and you're ready to go!

Doesn't winter feel better already? :0)

Mosaic Monday

Winter has taken a firm grip on our part of the world...snow has capped our trees, the flowers are dormant under a white blanket. The world is so still outside and silence reigns. There's a beauty and tranquility to winter that promotes being pensive...

...And now that the holidays are over, and everything is put away...except the mistletoe (see below), I can finally have some peace and quiet! Haha! :0)

Happy Mosaic Monday!

Hammock Time!

 

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Can’t believe I am going to say this…but for the first time ever on a Sunday I don’t want hammock time! I’ve been on vacation for over a week and am going a little stir crazy in the house…hmmm! No hammock time but maybe the mall! :0)

Happy New Year Mistletoe

Each year we hang the mistletoe in the kitchen door…a spot in our house of heavy traffic. It’s on the way to the laundry room and the garage so we are always passing through here. Yet, during this holiday season, more often than not on our busy comings and goings, a voice will cry out…

“I’m under the mistletoe!” And right then and there, you’ll stop in your tracks. You won’t think about the packages you may be carrying or the next appointment you need to get to. Smiling to yourself, you’ll drop everything to take this one small moment in time to acknowledge your love …

with a big hug and a kiss…right there in the kitchen, under the mistletoe…

even if it means you’ve grabbed Tucker, our beloved family dog!

You know, I think we’ll keep the mistletoe in the doorway this winter after we put away all the holiday trimmings…
Who couldn’t use a hug all winter long? :0)


Happy New Year, dear blogging friends!

Three's Company...

Of all the pics we took this holiday - opening gifts, decorating the house, getting everything ready for family and friends...it is this picture that means the most to me this holiday season. As I was harried and waiting for guests to arrive, I set the children up with the task of egging and breading the shrimp for our Christmas Eve dinner. I was running around other rooms, doing other things... when I suddenly stopped long enough to hear giggling from the kitchen, jokes flying, and the easy conversation between siblings engrossed in a task together...for me, this moment was the meaning of Christmas...my children finding comfort in each other's company. I grabbed the camera and took a shot of the unsuspecting threesome!

PS--I changed my blog template--what do you think? :0)

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all the Merriest of Holidays from our house to yours! Tara

Getting Ready...

Getting ready for the holiday...the table is set...

The scents of pre-cooking are coming out of the oven...

There's a certain joy to seeing a table ready for a holiday, everytime you walk past you think of the joy and laughter that will take place at this table when your loved ones are there...

Setting up for dessert and coffee...right near the table so I don't have to leave anyone!

I notice my children walking past the diningroom and smiling to themselves as if they know what is ahead, and I think how wonderful to know I am creating memories for them they'll carry all their lives!

Quote of the Day

"If all the year were playing holidays; To sport would be as tedious as to work"-William Shakespeare, King Henry Iv, Act I Scene 2

Times Square, New York City, December 5, 2009

Funny Christmas Decoration

Here's the Christmas decoration a neighbor has hanging from his house...you cannot imagine the funny looks you see as people pass by! Haha! :0)

Mosaic Monday-Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art is a jewel of a museum in Midtown Manhattan. It not only houses original Picassos (upper left) and Warhols (just below the Picasso) but this year it is hosting an exhibit of Monet's Water Lilies from his garden in Giverny.

The MoMA installation features the full group of Claude Monet's late paintings in the collection. These include a mural-sized triptych the size of one full city wall (Water Lilies, 1914–26) and a single-panel painting of the water lilies in the Japanese-style pond that Monet cultivated on his property in Giverny, France (Water Lilies, 1914–26), as well as The Japanese Footbridge (c. 1920–22) and Agapanthus (1914–26), depicting the majestic plants in the pond's vicinity. These paintings have long held a special status with the Museum's audiences and, much like MoMA's Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden (pictured in the bottom left of my mosaic), they provide a modern oasis in the center of midtown Manhattan.

If you can, do not walk but run to get there! It's a wonderful place to spend an afternoon, and the museum's restaurants have the absolute best food in this part of Manhattan (a little known secret!) Hurry, The exhibit ends in April.

Close Comfort

Where to go for a perfect getaway after a busy holiday? To Mommom's house, my respite from the world. I pack up my daughters and we drive the whole 7 miles to my Mom's house as if she lives halfway across the state! Pajamas in tow, we are set for a sleepover night of relaxation! First, she'll make us a yummy dinner in the kitchen...

I'll be here on the couch as she's cooking away...

She'll call me to the dinner table like when I was 12 and finishing up HW in my room...

Then it's a relaxing night of movies and popcorn...

And lastly we'll all curl up in her four poster for some card games before drifting off to sleep...

Spoiled? You bet! But here's how I see it. I don't know anyone in Argentina, China, Sweden or the Sahara who loves me...just my Mom who lives 7 miles away and is the best comfort in the world!

Hey, wanna come? :0)

Hammock Time!

After a weekend of food, friends, and family, don't you think you deserve a little stolen hammock time today? :0)

A Thanksgiving Holiday Poem

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones! :0)

'TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING,

BUT I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP

I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS,

I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP.

THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED - THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE

BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT

TOSSING AND TURNING WITH ANTICIPATION

THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION.

SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN, FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR AND

GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE.

I GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES,

PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES.

I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND,

'TIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND.

I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATING INTO THE SKY

WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE.

BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES....

HAPPY EATING TO ALL - PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE.

MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY, MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.

MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP, MAY YOUR

YAMS BE DELICIOUS, MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE, MAY

YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS.

Hammock Time!

Ah, all I need is a day here in my hammock...which to choose, which to choose! Enjoy your Hammock Day with your loved ones! :0)

"A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece"--Ludwig Erhard

Want to Make a Book of Your Blog?

My creation
Originally uploaded by lidevry337

Happy Mosaic Monday to all of the participant's in Mary's Little Red House Mosaic Monday!

I often think about the time and effort I put into my blog. This mosaic of a recent trip to Manhattan to see my college son is just one example.

I think about how I'd love my children to have a nice copy of what I was thinking and feeling about in this snapshot in time. Will  my thoughts one day be lost to cyberspace? Wouldn't it be great if I could publish my writings?

To the rescue The Cutest Blog on the Block! This website offers a way to publish your blog to your very specifications! You can design a book of your blog with your own cover design, chose just the posts you want for posterity, and it will even allow you to publish comments that were so dear to you from your fellow bloggers. In other words, you customize every detail!

I will definetely be working on this, as a gift to myself and my family. I wanted to pass the word along to you, dear bloggers! Enjoy designing! :0)

Hammock time! Enjoy your Sunday with a good swing in the hammock! :0)

Have a wonderful Halloween...we'll be busy trick-or-treating with our little one...:0)