Hello Pumpkins!

Barbara L. sent me this picture for a screensaver. I wrote back and asked where is this place. Many of us would like to go there.

I am off to visit the Golden Girls, Rosie and Joy, for a few days. Have a nice weekend y'all.

New Annie and Black Cat

Used some of my expensive fabric from Sew Elegant and glued on a fabric candy corn nose. Glue is a dirty word for some dollmakers, but I use it anyway.
From PJ's fabric, this little Annie dressed for Halloween. The cat is painted, but not sanded. I may use glue but I don't use sandpaper.
The cats woke me up early but I got to see the light show as the sun came up over Midge's house. This bush is totally green right now, later on it will be yellow but this morning it was just lit by the beautiful light coming in. It is called Solidago Fireworks. Happy Thursday.

Emma's poke salad and Altie's stewed tomatoes

I had a few tomatoes left over from the salsa so thought I would try my grandmothers stewed tomatoes. Not as good as hers of course....she would open up a jar of canned tomatoes, add some butter and sugar and a slice or two of white bread and cook a few minutes. Mae Utley always made these for me when we had a potluck at the Melvindale church. She was from Kentucky too.....

Later that day one of my neighbors came over and I asked him if he ever had "stewed" tomatoes. He said yes, at a little place in Covington, Kentucky that had the best food he ever tasted.This is the poke salad fruit but if you see any, don't eat it. I think it is poison to us at this stage. But the birds love it.
When my mother, Emma, came to live in Michigan, she complained that there was no poke salad for spring cooking. We transplanted some for her and now it is all over this neighborhood. I always think of her and leave a plant grow for the birds. You can only eat it when it first comes up in the spring. And of course you cook it with bacon grease.

Happy Wednesday everyone, I will have some dolls tomorrow.

My neighbor, Midge....

Directly behind my garden there is a chain link fence between our yards. We have passed our garden vegetables over this fence for more than 30 years. Midge died early this morning.

A few weeks ago I made fried green tomatoes for us and we watched the Tigers game on TV. She was a faithful fan of all the sports. Charlie liked to go over to see her and would go with me when I was going. She always had candy for us. Good neighbors are a treasure. I will really miss her.

I hope you have a good Saturday, it looks like rain, which we need. And Jordan is on his way back from Iraq!

Amaziing Pancakes

This was John's first pancake breakfast at my house. Charlie has named my pancakes "Amazing" but not to my credit, the recipe is from Land O Lakes.
Messy kitchens are happy ones, mine is delirious. Tyler, Charlie's friend, John and Charlie celebrate breakfast. Recipe below.

Amazing Land O Lakes Pancakes

Mix together, you don't have to sift:
1 cup of flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teas salt
2 Tablespoons sugar

Mix together:
3 Tbs. Land O Lakes butter, melted
1 cup real buttermilk
1 egg
Add to dry ingredients. Sometimes you may need to add just a tad more buttermilk for the right thickness. Use a hot griddle lightly greased. Must use bacon grease. So there!

You will never buy Aunt Jemima again.

New things in the garden...

This tomato is called Black Krim, it has a really good taste, sweet and juicy. I will plant it again.
These are new hollyhocks, Country Romance from Burpee. They are about 4 feet tall, and the foliage looks very nice. That's not true of all hollyhocks, eeww, they mildew. Some of them are maroon but I didn't have any white ones. I'm hoping they will come back next spring. Happy Tuesday.

She can't spell.....

The Cat says..."after you take a picture of what you make you can find all kinds of flaws. The camera doesn't lie.

For instance, here I am, hanging crooked, with pretty bad embroidering, and she can't even spell Halloween. She who made me, should stop watching Memphis Beat tapes while she is sewing and tend to her business."

This cat has no sense of humor. We're going to a party today for John Michael's second birthday. It is very hot and supposed to rain but we are going to have a good day. I hope you do too.