It's the first day of summer!

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; 

to me those have always been the two most beautiful words 

in the English language." 

 ~Henry James

True Grit

A Cool Snack Treat

grapes +

skewers +

a few hours in the freezer =

Yum!!!

These were such a huge hit at my house.

The perfect treat to eat in the swimming pool. :-)

Thanks for the idea Heather!

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup.

Happy Father's Day!

~The History of Father's Day~

Father's Day was first observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. Sonora Smart Dodd (Mrs. John B. Dodd) of Washington State proposed the idea in 1909 after she had attended a Mother's Day service.


Mrs. Dodd wanted to honor her own father. William Smart, who had been a Civil War veteran,  raised six children after his wife died in childbirth.


President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day in 1924. It took until 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson declared the 3rd Sunday of June Father's Day officially in the United States of America, but this was only for one year. On April 24, 1972, Father's Day was assured annual recognition by Presidential Proclamation.

.:paper quilting:.

Have you heard of "paper quilting"??

I just discovered it the other day.

What a neat idea!

I followed the instructions I found

here

to make a thank you card for my sister-in-law...

that does "real quilting". :-)

The lady in the video has her own 

youtube channel

with lots of neat ideas for crafting cards.

A Joy to my Heart

Mr. H. and I have so enjoyed the garden this year.

I haven't decided what I like better -

actually eating the wonderful produce 

or watching Mr. H. beam from ear to ear 

when he comes inside each day with a t-shirt full

 of freshly picked vegetables!

In today's bounty was a little ear of corn!

Flag Day

I Am Old Glory

I am the flag of the United States of America.

I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.

I stand watch in America's halls of justice.

I stand side by side with the Maple Leaf on

the worlds' longest undefended border.

I fly majestically over institutions of learning.

I stand guard with power in the world.

Look up and see me.

I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.

I stand for freedom.

I am confident.

I am arrogant.

I am proud.

When I am flown with my fellow banners,

my head is a little higher,

my colors a little truer.

I bow to no one!

I am recognized all over the world.

I am worshipped — I am saluted.

I am loved — I am revered.

I am respected — and I am feared.

I have fought in every battle of every war

for more then 200 years.

I was flown at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appomattox.

I was there at San Juan Hill, the trenches of France,

in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome and the beaches of Normandy.

Guam, Okinawa, Korea and KheSan, Saigon, Vietnam know me,

I was there.

I led my troops, I was dirty, battle worn and tired,

but my soldiers cheered me And I was proud.

I have been burned, torn and trampled on the streets of

countries I have helped set free. It does not hurt,

for I am invincible.

I have been soiled upon, burned, torn and trampled on

the streets of my country. And when it's by those whom

I've served in battle — it hurts.

But I shall overcome — for I am strong.

I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stood watch over

the uncharted frontiers of space from my vantage point on the moon.

I have borne silent witness to all of America's finest hours.

But my finest hours are yet to come.

When I am torn into strips and used as bandages for my wounded

comrades on the battlefield, When I am flown at

half-mast to honor my soldier, Or when I lie in the

trembling arms of a grieving parent at the grave of their

fallen son or daughter, I am proud.

MY NAME IS OLD GLORY. LONG MAY I WAVE.

by Howard Schnauber

Bible Quiz Day 77

Answer to question 76 - Zacharias, Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-45)

Question 77 - Jesus was buried in a tomb that belonged to _________ of __________.

Farm Fresh Pasta Sauce

8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped bell pepper

2 quarts fresh roma or grape tomatoes

1 tablespoon fresh (or 1 teaspoon dried) italian herbs 

salt to taste

Sauté garlic, onion, and bell pepper in oil until vegetables begin to soften.  Blanch tomatoes and remove skins.  Add tomatoes to the pan and saute for several minutes.  As the tomatoes begin to soften mash them with a potato masher.  (Do this carefully or you'll have tomato juice all over you!)  When all the tomatoes are mashed thoroughly, add herbs and salt.   Cover, lower heat and simmer sauce for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.   Enjoy over your favorite pasta.

Menu Plan Monday

Supper Menus
June 13th-18th

Monday
angel hair pasta with farm fresh pasta sauce
Tuesday 
fajitas, spanish rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, tortilla chips
Wednesday
make your own nachos (using leftover fajita fixings)
Thursday
out for supper
Friday
out for supper
Saturday 
breakfast for supper

"Hem your blessings with thankfulness, so they don't unravel." 

~Author Unknown

.:chess:.

My talented Daddy (builder of the hearth bench and the barnyard stool)

made a beautiful, heirloom chess board for our family for Christmas. 

On his last visit he brought me a little matching

box he had built...

to hold the chess pieces. 

The chess board is getting a lot of use this summer!

My son and I decided to start a summer long chess match.

Every time we finish a game, we just start another 

and play whenever we both have time.

Nine games in so far...

I'm down by one game. 

He's good.

He's been good for awhile. :-)

::: a knitting journal :::

This brand new knitting journal

was also given to me along with the 

yarn jackpot.

I'm really excited about it!

It gives tips on how to take good photographs

of finished projects.

A place to record details about 

the pattern, needles, and yarn used.

A place for a picture.

And a place for a yarn label and/or sample.

I have a picture of everything I've knitted so far 

and I've saved yarn labels as well,

so I'm anxious to get my projects into my journal!

What a nice record of my progress it will be. :-)

*The journal was written by Char Loving, 
published in 2003 and retails for $14.95.

Jackpot!

Whoo!

Hoo! 

I hit the yarn jackpot I think!

Someone sweet passed on some yarn

that she thought I would get more use out of 

than she would. :-)

I didn't argue!

I already have visions of projects

dancing in my head!  

A poncho with this yarn?

Or this?

I scarf out of this?

Or maybe I could tackle a knitted hat?

This yarn is very interesting.

And so is this.

Something for a baby? 

More baby soft yarn.

Not sure what I might want to do with this yarn,

but I love the color.
A scarf, hat, and mittens set??  Dare I dream? ;-)

Lots of this!

Maybe an afgan?

And this is my favorite!!

Just one skein, but I think it'll be plenty

for an autumn scarf!

Can't wait!

But first, I've got to get this

baby blanket

finished up!  

All that yarn waiting for me is a fantastic motivator! :-)

~Touring Gruene~

"Gruene (pronounced “green”) is a town in Comal County, Texas. Once a significant cotton-producing community along the Guadalupe River, the economy is now supported primarily by tourism. Gruene lies entirely within the city limits of New Braunfels. Much of Gruene was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 21, 1975.  Gruene's history begins in 1872 when first generation German American farmer Heinrich (Henry) D. Gruene purchased 6,000 acres of farmland three miles north of New Braunfels along the Guadalupe River. He built his house and planted his surrounding land with cotton. In 1878, Gruene opened a mercantile store to serve the several dozen or so families sharecropping on his land. The town benefitted by its location along the stagecoach route between Austin and San Antonio, the store thrived for many years and stimulated local commercial growth. Gruene Hall opened in 1878, and the Thorn Hill School and three large cotton gins soon followed. By the time the International-Great Northern Railroad was built across Comal County in the 1880s the small community was bustling with commercial and farming activity. By 1900, Gruene was a prominent banking, ginning, and shipping center for area cotton farming. Though it never had a post office of its own, the community did possess two freight rail stations by the 1910s. Gruene was decimated, however, by the boll weevil blight of the 1920s, and further doomed by the effects of the Great Depression. By 1930 the population had fallen to 75, and post World War II highway construction bypassed the town. By 1950 Gruene was essentially abandoned and had become a ghost town. As a result of the restoration of area structures, such as the Gruene Hall and old mercantile store, Gruene began a re-birth of sorts in the early 1970s. Redevelopment and restoration of the area continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s and today, and though no longer an autonomous community (it was annexed by New Braunfels in 1979), Gruene maintains a thriving tourist business. Many original structures from the town's heyday still exist, including the Gruene Family Home, a Victorian-style edifice built in 1872 which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and today operates as the Gruene Mansion Inn. A historic water tower rises above Gruene Hall, and other buildings at the heart of the district have been renovated into shops and restaurants." 

~above taken from www.wikipedia.com~