Eureka!

The GE Microwave oven was a gift from my husband and some of our kids as my 1985 Christmas present. I never even wanted one of these. I love it and it was used several times a day every day by everyone, even the houseful of teenagers! I have no idea of its cost, but we had to replace the oven bulb a couple of years ago and that little sucker cost $23.80 s/h incl! My point here is that I had kept the model number, serial number and instruction manual all these years. 

In 1972 it was moved with us into Cabin Tranquillity. It is used several times daily. Today it is 37 years old and still completely functioning. My title here is Eureka because the oven lamp burned out a second time and I immediately went to GE to get another replacement. There were none available for that particular model and year. I wasn't surprised so I pursued further with internet searches with the part# and found one! It was $4.00 with no s/h and came in just a couple of days. I replaced it and am back in business. 

I tell you this because I have always found it important to keep records of appliances and it has enabled me to know exactly what numbers and models, etc. would be needed for replacement parts. 

I highly recommend this site: Certified Parts.com   909-667-2787.  Link below.

Certified Parts

There is so much waste today and being frugal, in my way of thinking, is being sensible and economical. 

Spring?

Well it is 15° at 11:00 am and snowing. I am sooo glad I don't have to go out. My neighbor calls it Wring. "Wring... when Winter refuses to yield to Spring." Her friend says "Wring is Wrong."  I fully agree with them! 

I have been coughing a lot every morning for a couple of weeks but at least that has now subsided and I won't call for a doctor's appointment. I thought it might be allergies to plant pollen from my gifts but also know that there is a possibility I have a touch of bronchitis or pneumonia. Having a pretty strong immune system throughout my life is a really good gift. It must be all the dirt I ate as a kid, ya think?

I had a very nice birthday over the weekend and am so grateful that the weather was cooperative as one of my daughters drove from NJ and stayed overnight. I hadn't seen her in person for seven years! My nearby daughter visited and the 'girls' exchanged their Christmas gifts as they weren't able to get together last season. I really enjoyed their interactions and bantering. Both sons called with loving messages. Many of my close and wonderful friends sent beautiful 'snail mail' cards and I sure did like them all. Internet greetings came my way as well. I never had a four layer mousse cake before. That was really a fine experience — especially when my daughters sang to me! (One is 66, the other 62 and need some more duet practice.)

I'm looking forward to the return of my golf car so I can take a ride and check out the lake and its residents and take pictures. Too soon yet because I DO NOT like to ride when it is cold. Old feels Cold. Yep!

The Oxheart tomato seeds I saved have been planted in their containers as usual. Missy will share the starters with several people and I am sure to enjoy a few of these favorites myself as the growers share back when they are ripe. 

In the meantime I must get moving more. This sitting around is wearing me out! 

One Day at a Time...

Well, the white hyacinth blossoms have died and I put the plant outdoors to finish off so I can store the bulbs for replanting. I have had a lot of short breath and coughing lately and have had to resort to Coricidin-D for relief. It helps and I really think the pollen from indoor plants with flowers might be my problem.

I received 5 little bulbs with sprouts in the mail yesterday. The soil in front has thawed and the daffodils are poking up so I planted them there. These are special because they came from a family I met in SC who have now moved to the far western part of VA and are building their homestead. Meg found the flowers last year growing "wild" on the property and shared them. Here is one of last year's pictures she sent me.

Of course I then had to research this yellow beauty and here is what I found.

I sure have high hopes they will thrive and join the daffodils for me!

In the meantime, I designed and painted an Easter egg yesterday, using the application on which that I have been trying to improve my skills. I first painted my egg and then resorted to photomanipulating to be satisfied with the results. It is just a hobby, but I like a challenge and will keep trying to paint better projects.

Well there you have it...I'm hangin' in and I'm hangin' on.

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Clovers

As St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow I thought I'd show you a few of my "lucky" finds through the years. Many have been kept in between pages of books, some are laminated on paper or plastic, some are in plastic paperweights, some are incorporated in crafts that permanently cover and seal them, and some are out there waiting for me to find them. Many have dried and broken and turned to dust through the years but I'll try to show a few here.

Are you one of those people who, when walking on a grassy area just look down and one grabs your eye?  This has happened ever since I was a young child when my dad planted clover throughout his lawns. I have also plucked several five'ers through the years and I do remember a six'er! 

Many of these photos were taken a long time ago and then scanned. The last one is today's and shows my hand holding a resin paperweight that I use often.

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Fast Facts About Four-Leaf Clovers

• There are approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every "lucky" four-leaf clover.
• There are no clover plants that naturally produce four leaves, which is why four-leaf clovers are so rare.
• The leaves of four-leaf clovers are said to stand for faith, hope, love, and luck.
• It's often said that Ireland is home to more four-leaf clovers than any other place, giving meaning to the phrase "the luck of the Irish."
• If you're lucky enough to find a four-leaf clover, look for more! If a clover plant produces a four-leaf clover, it's more likely to produce another four-leaf lucky charm than plants that only produce three-leaf clovers.
• The fourth leaf can be smaller or a different shade of green than the other three leaves
• If you're the superstitious type, give your four-leaf clover to someone else. It's said that this will double your good luck!

• Today, looking for four-leaf clovers is a St. Patrick's Day tradition, but have you ever wondered why they're considered lucky—or how they came to be associated with the holiday? It turns out, the story behind the clovers dates back to hundreds of years before we began drinking green beer and pinching friends who didn't wear green on the holiday. 

  Four-leaf clovers commonly appear in centuries-old legends as symbols of good luck. The Druids (Celtic priests), in the early days of Ireland, believed that when they carried a three-leaf clover or shamrock, they could see evil spirits coming and have a chance to escape in time. Four-leaf clovers were Celtic charms, presumed to offer magical protection and ward off bad luck. Children in the Middle Ages believed if they carried a four-leaf clover, they would be able to see fairies, and the first literary reference to suggest their good fortune was made in 1620 by Sir John Melton.                                                                          

• Information taken from "Better Homes & Gardens" 

You Can Bet on It!

I have noticed recently that there are many ads on TV showing how easy it is to bet on your phones! I don't remember seeing such ads in the past. There is even a number for people to call if they have a gambling addiction and need help!!!

WHAT in the world is happening here? It is awesome to me how people love the state lotteries and now they are encouraged to bet more with their phone apps!

To me it is like driving down the road and throwing $ out of the car window - never to see it again.

One time many years ago we went with another couple to a NJ casino and I got bold and put my Susan B. Anthony dollar coin in a slot machine. Well..... that machine pumped out $100.00 in coins and filled a large cup. Of course I was encouraged by others to try again. NOPE! I carried that cup around with me for the rest of the night and in the next week, deposited it into my small savings account.  That has reinforced my position that it would be easy to become addicted and how simple it would be.

Sorry folks, I just don't understand why people gamble. Guess it must be because I worked too hard to just throw my money away in the hopes of getting more free! 

I remember playing dozens of card games with friends and we never played for money. Only the game Monopoly made sense. Even at carnivals and boardwalks I could never drum up any desire to pay and play. 

Now I don't condemn others who gamble but it is their choice, just not mine, ever! I just DO NOT BET!

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Blooming and Baking

It's been only FIVE DAYS since the plant was given to me and now I know it will be white flowered! Amazing growth! No fragrances yet but I'm sure they will emit soon. I haven't even watered it yet!

This morning I baked an apple-raisin crisp. Good that I was able to share it! The apples were from a bag that was in the freezer. WHAT? Well, they were four large Honey Crisps that I had dehydrated for 7 hours on September 25, 2020. Recipe at bottom of page. I used an 8x11x2 inch release-lined OLD glass pan at 375° for 45 minutes instead of what the recipe suggested and I also added a few raisins.

I rehydrate the chips (and raisins) by pouring about 1 1/2 cups boiling water over them and let them soak in the bowl for about 45 minutes while I blend the topping ingredients. 

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Apple Crisp

4 Cups sliced apples (about 6 medium)

3/4 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C flour

1/2 C rolled oats (can substitute 1C graham cracker crumbs for flour and oats)

3/4 t cinnamon

3/4 t nutmeg

1/3 C soft butter

Heat oven 375°

Place sliced apples in greased square pan 8x8x2

Blend remaining ingredients until mixture is crumbly.

Spread over apples.

Bake 30-35 minutes until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. 

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Stolen Subject Material

I have special bloggers that I check daily. Today one very talented artist and farming woman posted after being absent for a while. One of her images hit me hard! It was a simple one of her little shanty. I snatched it and created a photomanipulation and then a GIF to show her image in a different way. This is the only place I will publish the GIF but not her original image. Just couldn't help myself for the thievery. The weather did it.

Snow Here

Mother Nature gave us snow and promises more to come on Saturday. I must say that snow is nicer to look at than all of the mud out there lately!

Images #3 & #4—The crack in the ice under the snow covering, that goes from my dock to the dam, shifted and it looks like something left tracks. This has happened before and is an interesting sight. The snow cover is rippled.

Today.......

The next two images below were taken on January 6.

I really like this image! Used Zoom full out!

Please click on image to view full beauty.

Snow event on Saturday may be even prettier. I await the event.

New Spring Surprise

My neighbor and his daughter stopped by last night with a gift of Spring for me! I have never had so many indoor plants! I do like watching them develop and grow into their destined shapes and colors. Join the gang you three youngsters! I will care for you.

What colors will you show me?

I am aware that you come in many, including white, cream, pink, rose, apricot, lavender, cobalt blue, deep purple and wine red!

Your blooms also have one of the most powerful garden scents of spring! 

You are the flower of the sun god Appolo and are a symbol of peace, commitment and beauty but also of power and pride. You are special. The gift and the anticipation of your approaching blossoms have made me feel grateful for everything that I have. 

This is a very sweet surprise and inspiration.

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Brownies Anyone?

I hope you like walnuts in your brownies! I'm not personally crazy about chocolate but I know some folks nearby who might like a couple of these this week. It definitely is not fun or productive to bake unless you have takers! These should be gone by Friday. One down... 23 to go! They are ooey-gooey and chewy and just perfect!

Tap image to wish you were here!

Today the temperature rose to 60°! Of course it is a muddy mess around here but Spring seems to promise its arrival soon because I actually saw a robin this morning. There was a couple walking by without jackets - bare arms! 

The Staff of Life

I have several containers of beef brisket in the freezer and no rolls! I then found a loaf of Rhodes Wheat Bread and remembered that another blogger (Anni) once posted about cutting a loaf into sections to make rolls for something....

After thawing the wheat loaf overnight, in  plastic bag with a little canola oil added, I cut it into 6 sections (oiling the knife) this morning, zapped the cupcake pan with some baking spray and now have wheat rolls! All set for a sandwich! I would never have thought to do this if it wasn't in an online blog from my friend in TX.

Oh it smells so good in here!

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Hash

Well I won't do that again!  (Washed 6 panes in one window one morning.) My "good arm" has a sprained wrist. It took three days to fully bite back. When a neighbor returns from down south she has offered to wash my windows. I'm counting on it!

One of my grandsons has coronavirus. It started out strong but now has eased up and his temperature is almost back to normal after six days. 

Do you have a bucket list? I have just remembered that at one time I would have loved to take a ride on one of the paddle boats that travel on the southern rivers with jazzy music and fun. But! When the ads say there is "fine dining" it puts the idea right out of my head. To me that means getting "dressed up." They advertise 8-10 day "excursions." Nope! Not for me. I dumped that bucket.

all graphics are from internet