Anyway, we had some snow recently and I stood in the doorway and took pictures of snow in the trees. Here is my River Birch in the foreground with its lovely peeling bark being the only color. It was still snowing when the photo was taken.
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Thursday Tree Love
My thanks to Alana at RamblinwithAM for alerting me to the Thursday Tree Love blog hop. I love the trees in my yard. I am not overly fond (read as HATE) of the cottonwoods and messy corkscrew willows next door. And then another neighbor has box elders and there are nasty bugs all over the place in the summer.
Anyway, we had some snow recently and I stood in the doorway and took pictures of snow in the trees. Here is my River Birch in the foreground with its lovely peeling bark being the only color. It was still snowing when the photo was taken.
Hop on over to the blogs I mentioned to see other trees.
Anyway, we had some snow recently and I stood in the doorway and took pictures of snow in the trees. Here is my River Birch in the foreground with its lovely peeling bark being the only color. It was still snowing when the photo was taken.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
All Prepped for A to Z
My understanding of the A to Z Challenge is that you are supposed to blog every day except Sunday as you travel through the alphabet. Last night I wrote the last of my A to Z posts and wondered if doing it all in advance is somehow cheating. And then I decided I was just like the kid in high school who works on their homework while in class on Friday so that it doesn't mess up the week-end. I was never the person doing it on Sunday night.
And so it is with A to Z. They are written and scheduled for publication. With that done I will be able to spend time responding to comments, assuming I get them, and reading what others are posting.
The truth is I really don't have time to sit here and write everyday. If I did you would have heard all about the first three months of my year, including:
1. The invasion of stink bugs in the family room. They do no damage and are only looking for shelter from the cold, but ewwww.
2. The shower door that was damaged when installed in 2010 and just now had problems closing.
3. The fact that all three toilets needed to be repaired at the same time. I guess I should be glad it was only one service call.
4. The mirror that just fell off the closet door and miraculously did not break when it hit the ceramic tile on the floor. I now have a nice new door.
5. The two upper respiratory infections, yeast infection on my skin, three mammograms, two ultrasounds, one biopsy - all with negative results in the end, which is just what I said when it started.
And while I am at it, let me comment again on something I blogged about some time ago. If you read the news online you may have seen a story about the controversy with United Airlines refusing to let some 'pass' customers (those with free passes) board because they were wearing leggings. I say 'YAY'.
Every Friday I take Charlie to a Mom and Tot class. The majority of these women wear leggings and frankly I am sick of looking at butt crack. Why does anyone think this is appropriate??? So, I say 'Thank you' to United. If that is your policy for employees and their free-loading friends and family, Thanks!
So is writing everything in advance like the Boy Scout motto 'Be Prepared' or is it somehow defeating the purpose of writing everyday?
And so it is with A to Z. They are written and scheduled for publication. With that done I will be able to spend time responding to comments, assuming I get them, and reading what others are posting.
The truth is I really don't have time to sit here and write everyday. If I did you would have heard all about the first three months of my year, including:
1. The invasion of stink bugs in the family room. They do no damage and are only looking for shelter from the cold, but ewwww.
2. The shower door that was damaged when installed in 2010 and just now had problems closing.
3. The fact that all three toilets needed to be repaired at the same time. I guess I should be glad it was only one service call.
4. The mirror that just fell off the closet door and miraculously did not break when it hit the ceramic tile on the floor. I now have a nice new door.
5. The two upper respiratory infections, yeast infection on my skin, three mammograms, two ultrasounds, one biopsy - all with negative results in the end, which is just what I said when it started.
And while I am at it, let me comment again on something I blogged about some time ago. If you read the news online you may have seen a story about the controversy with United Airlines refusing to let some 'pass' customers (those with free passes) board because they were wearing leggings. I say 'YAY'.
Every Friday I take Charlie to a Mom and Tot class. The majority of these women wear leggings and frankly I am sick of looking at butt crack. Why does anyone think this is appropriate??? So, I say 'Thank you' to United. If that is your policy for employees and their free-loading friends and family, Thanks!
So is writing everything in advance like the Boy Scout motto 'Be Prepared' or is it somehow defeating the purpose of writing everyday?
Monday, March 27, 2017
Cookie Monster in My House
My grandson is a chocolate chip cookie monster and that means that Grandma needs to bake cookies. Here is my recipe for chocolate chip cookies, adapted from King Arthur flour.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 5 dozen 2 1/2 inch cookies
Ingredients:
2/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, butter flavored
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup almond flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the sugars, butter, shortening, salt, vanilla and almond extracts, vinegar, baking soda and baking powder, beating until smooth and creamy.
2. Beat in the egg, again beating till smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is thoroughly combined.
3. Mix in the flour, then the chips.
4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight in refrigerator.
5. Next day: Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough from refrigerator and prepare cookies while oven preheats.
6. Use a spoon (or a tablespoon cookie scoop) to scoop 1 1/4" balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2" between them on all sides; they'll spread.
7. Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, till their edges are chestnut brown and their tops are light golden brown, almost blonde. Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pan till they've set enough to move without breaking. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Note: I have doubled the recipe, scooped the dough and frozen it. Works great.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
The A to Z Challenge Starts this Week - Yikes
I flipped my calendar this morning to view the coming week and lo and behold, Saturday is the start of the A to Z Challenge. I sure this is a big "Yikes" for some, but to be honest, I have completed all but four posts.
After my first challenge in 2013, I learned the hard way to write all my posts in advance and then edit them as I went along. In that first year I wrote about many of the places I had traveled to in the past. Like back into the 1960's. Many photos had to be scanned into my computer which took a lot of time. But, I managed to complete the A to Z trip from Acadia National Park in Maine (1974?) to Zion National Park in Utah (2010).
In 2014 I wrote all about my three-weeks in Germany and Switzerland followed by the two-week trip to Russia in 2015. Last year I spent my challenge writing about books on my shelves and places to visit here in Michigan. This year I am back to a travel adventure abroad in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
I admit that the travel bug bit me early in life. One of my older memories is of my aunt and uncle leaving for Italy in 1953. I was only six when I stood at the old Willow Run airport (now a museum) and watched their plane leave. They had home movies when they returned and it was such a wonderful treat. Those movies were followed two years later by their daughter's honeymoon pictures from Cuba.
We could never afford family vacations when I was growing up. So I travelled the world by watching home movies of others and movies in the theaters. Then when I was in college (on a full scholarship, so thank you donors) I became active in a professional sorority. I went to the annual convention in Philadelphia and got elected to the National Board. The travel bug had definitely bitten me.
Upon graduation I spent a week in Nassau with a friend. We had a wonderful time and started planning a European tour for the following year. In 1969, armed with plane tickets and a Eurail Pass, I spent ten weeks travelling in Europe before we had to abruptly end our trip due to the death of my friend's father.
And then the following year I got married. To someone who was not interested in travel. We went on vacations always planned by me. One year I was so stressed out before leaving for a road trip through The Shenandoah Valley and Civil War Battlefields that I broke out in hives. Our longest trip was a three week road trip across the northern states, down the west coast and back home on Route 66. I have fond memories but alas, the slides I took of the trip all faded over the years.
While I have been busy writing my posts I have remembered folks I've met on my travels and stories they have shared about traveling. Several women I met have complained of husbands and boyfriends who do not want to travel. Or they only want to visit the same place, like Florida or Arizona year after year. So they go alone or with friends. At first I thought it odd but then realized I have known women doing it on their own for a very long time.
I am all set for the A to Z kick-off on Saturday. I doubt that anyone will guess what I have chosen for the letter A, even knowing my destination. But go ahead, give it a try.
I hope you will join me and enjoy lots of pictures, but not a lot of prose. I mean, there are lots of blogs to read this next month. Let's travel together.
After my first challenge in 2013, I learned the hard way to write all my posts in advance and then edit them as I went along. In that first year I wrote about many of the places I had traveled to in the past. Like back into the 1960's. Many photos had to be scanned into my computer which took a lot of time. But, I managed to complete the A to Z trip from Acadia National Park in Maine (1974?) to Zion National Park in Utah (2010).
In 2014 I wrote all about my three-weeks in Germany and Switzerland followed by the two-week trip to Russia in 2015. Last year I spent my challenge writing about books on my shelves and places to visit here in Michigan. This year I am back to a travel adventure abroad in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
I admit that the travel bug bit me early in life. One of my older memories is of my aunt and uncle leaving for Italy in 1953. I was only six when I stood at the old Willow Run airport (now a museum) and watched their plane leave. They had home movies when they returned and it was such a wonderful treat. Those movies were followed two years later by their daughter's honeymoon pictures from Cuba.
We could never afford family vacations when I was growing up. So I travelled the world by watching home movies of others and movies in the theaters. Then when I was in college (on a full scholarship, so thank you donors) I became active in a professional sorority. I went to the annual convention in Philadelphia and got elected to the National Board. The travel bug had definitely bitten me.
Upon graduation I spent a week in Nassau with a friend. We had a wonderful time and started planning a European tour for the following year. In 1969, armed with plane tickets and a Eurail Pass, I spent ten weeks travelling in Europe before we had to abruptly end our trip due to the death of my friend's father.
And then the following year I got married. To someone who was not interested in travel. We went on vacations always planned by me. One year I was so stressed out before leaving for a road trip through The Shenandoah Valley and Civil War Battlefields that I broke out in hives. Our longest trip was a three week road trip across the northern states, down the west coast and back home on Route 66. I have fond memories but alas, the slides I took of the trip all faded over the years.
While I have been busy writing my posts I have remembered folks I've met on my travels and stories they have shared about traveling. Several women I met have complained of husbands and boyfriends who do not want to travel. Or they only want to visit the same place, like Florida or Arizona year after year. So they go alone or with friends. At first I thought it odd but then realized I have known women doing it on their own for a very long time.
I am all set for the A to Z kick-off on Saturday. I doubt that anyone will guess what I have chosen for the letter A, even knowing my destination. But go ahead, give it a try.
I hope you will join me and enjoy lots of pictures, but not a lot of prose. I mean, there are lots of blogs to read this next month. Let's travel together.
Friday, March 24, 2017
Where in the World?
I have been busy preparing for the A to Z Challenge. In order to write my posts I have to go back and label all of my pictures. Google image is great, but while I can find names for most buildings, this building shows up several times but I have yet to figure out its name or exact location. I suppose I could go page by page in my canal house book, but.... Anyone out there know?
House at 423 Singel, between two buildings for the University Library. Thanks to Debbie D. for finding an online link.
Sunday, March 19, 2017
An A to Z Challenge Reveal - 2017 Edition
My Benelux Adventure
Last year I traveled to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The political-economic union of the three countries is referred to as Benelux. I also made a quick day trip into Germany to see Germany's oldest city. This is the theme for my blog during the month of April and the A to Z Challenge.
This trip was in the planning for many years. I originally wanted to travel to Amsterdam in 2004, but the Rijksmuseum was being renovated, a renovation that started in 2003 and continued to 2013. In the meantime, I saw the movie 'In Bruges' in 2009 and my desire to see the region was even more intense. But wait, they were still renovating the museum. So, other places were visited and I have blogged about those trips - Canada, Austria, Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Russia, Finland, Estonia... did I forget anyplace?
Anyway, the museum was reopened and the time was right. Off I went. It was a wonderful two-week adventure. And I could have used more time, but admit that I was ready to come home. I will share all the wonderful sites with you - well, all the A to Z sites.
If you have a Twitter account, you can follow me @msdeniseh553. These posts appear on Twitter as soon as they are posted here. You can also sign up for emails in the box on the right. I will try to link on the A to Z Challenge website each day, but since my posts are pre-scheduled, that may not always happen. Whatever you decide, I hope you will travel with me in April.
Have you visited any of these countries. What was the highlight of your trip?
Check out the other bloggers here.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Mother Nature has a Cruel Sense of Humor
Last week Wednesday our state of Michigan had an intense wind storm. Gusts locally reached 68 mph. When it was all over more than 800,000 people were without power. As I write this one week later, some folks have been told they may not have power until the weekend.
In February we had some very warm days - 70 degree days. I did some yard clean-up that usually doesn't happen until mid-April. Shrubs started opening their buds. Now, with temps in the teens and wind chills below zero, I fear those buds are history.
I was lucky enough not to suffer any damage in the storm. One of my neighbors was not so lucky, having lost a large spruce tree. My son also lost a spruce, seen in this photo.
I'm thinking maybe Mother Nature is going through menopause? She is certainly having some serious issues. We have had a mild winter with only small amounts of snow and of that I will not complain. But damaging winds and a couple of torrential rains are not to my liking. I wonder what this spring and summer have in store.
In February we had some very warm days - 70 degree days. I did some yard clean-up that usually doesn't happen until mid-April. Shrubs started opening their buds. Now, with temps in the teens and wind chills below zero, I fear those buds are history.
I was lucky enough not to suffer any damage in the storm. One of my neighbors was not so lucky, having lost a large spruce tree. My son also lost a spruce, seen in this photo.
I'm thinking maybe Mother Nature is going through menopause? She is certainly having some serious issues. We have had a mild winter with only small amounts of snow and of that I will not complain. But damaging winds and a couple of torrential rains are not to my liking. I wonder what this spring and summer have in store.
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Monday, March 13, 2017
Grumpy Old Men and the Effects of DST
It has become my habit lately to go to the grocery store on Sunday to pick up fresh fruits and vegetable for the week. Yesterday was no exception, except that instead of heading out early in the morning, I waited until early afternoon. I am not sure that was a wise choice.
Going at ten or so, I find that the store is pretty empty. But yesterday it was almost two o'clock when I arrived there. The parking lot was pretty full, but I only had a few things to pick up.
Unfortunately, most of the markets around here seen to forget that folks are walking down the aisles with carts and sometimes children in tow. They tend to put up display stands in the aisles in front of the shelves and it makes navigating quite difficult. But, usually everyone is quite polite and manages.
Yesterday - not so much. When I entered the market in the produce section to get some red grapes, I noticed that folks were dashing around. It reminded me an old TV show where shoppers were given carts and whoever could fill up the basket with the highest value of goods won a prize. I realize now that the weathermen were predicting one to three inches of snow and that tends to send Michigan folks into a mad panic. Go figure.
Anyway, I got to the bread aisle which is rather cramped with large displays between two shelving units. Typically, you can go through only one person and cart at a time. I just stand and wait my turn - though it would have been faster if the woman in front of me was not gabbing on her cell phone.
I stopped my cart to get a loaf of bread and some old guy behind me yells to 'Move it!' I, of course, did not 'move it', slowly put the bread in my basket and asked him what his problem was. He yelled that I was blocking the aisle. Yeah, well, get over it, there is no place for me to go.
I watched him go down the aisle like the proverbial bat out of hell and shook my head. I went across to get another bread item and told the gentleman in front of me that I should yell at him like the guy yelled at me. We both laughed.
When I got to the dairy aisle to get milk, guess who was blocking the aisle? He had his cart on the left and was standing with the door open on the right staring into the case. I asked him if he would like to move to let someone through and the moron yelled that he was not blocking anything (he was) and that I was acting like a bitch. Uh, who started this? I shook my head, got my milk and finished my shopping.
Upon leaving the store with my cart I saw him loading his groceries into a car in the handicapped spot. A woman was there but I never saw her in the store, so maybe she was the one who was handicapped. He was racing down the aisle to put the cart in one of the stalls and if a car was coming he probably would have yelled at them too. It then dawned on me that he might be suffering from the time change. The reporter on the radio in the morning had talked about how there are more heart attacks this first week of DST, folks are grumpy, and kids have a hard time focusing in class.
Aha. Grumpy old guy who didn't get enough sleep cause the time changed. As I got in my car I remembered this scene from 'Fried Green Tomatoes':
Going at ten or so, I find that the store is pretty empty. But yesterday it was almost two o'clock when I arrived there. The parking lot was pretty full, but I only had a few things to pick up.
Unfortunately, most of the markets around here seen to forget that folks are walking down the aisles with carts and sometimes children in tow. They tend to put up display stands in the aisles in front of the shelves and it makes navigating quite difficult. But, usually everyone is quite polite and manages.
Yesterday - not so much. When I entered the market in the produce section to get some red grapes, I noticed that folks were dashing around. It reminded me an old TV show where shoppers were given carts and whoever could fill up the basket with the highest value of goods won a prize. I realize now that the weathermen were predicting one to three inches of snow and that tends to send Michigan folks into a mad panic. Go figure.
Anyway, I got to the bread aisle which is rather cramped with large displays between two shelving units. Typically, you can go through only one person and cart at a time. I just stand and wait my turn - though it would have been faster if the woman in front of me was not gabbing on her cell phone.
I stopped my cart to get a loaf of bread and some old guy behind me yells to 'Move it!' I, of course, did not 'move it', slowly put the bread in my basket and asked him what his problem was. He yelled that I was blocking the aisle. Yeah, well, get over it, there is no place for me to go.
I watched him go down the aisle like the proverbial bat out of hell and shook my head. I went across to get another bread item and told the gentleman in front of me that I should yell at him like the guy yelled at me. We both laughed.
When I got to the dairy aisle to get milk, guess who was blocking the aisle? He had his cart on the left and was standing with the door open on the right staring into the case. I asked him if he would like to move to let someone through and the moron yelled that he was not blocking anything (he was) and that I was acting like a bitch. Uh, who started this? I shook my head, got my milk and finished my shopping.
Upon leaving the store with my cart I saw him loading his groceries into a car in the handicapped spot. A woman was there but I never saw her in the store, so maybe she was the one who was handicapped. He was racing down the aisle to put the cart in one of the stalls and if a car was coming he probably would have yelled at them too. It then dawned on me that he might be suffering from the time change. The reporter on the radio in the morning had talked about how there are more heart attacks this first week of DST, folks are grumpy, and kids have a hard time focusing in class.
Aha. Grumpy old guy who didn't get enough sleep cause the time changed. As I got in my car I remembered this scene from 'Fried Green Tomatoes':
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Summer Hours, Winter Hours, DST, EDT, UGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!
I am not the only one who blogs about Daylight 'Saving' Time. I am not the only one trying to figure out how we are 'saving daylight'. I am so tired of folks on the radio and in the news telling me to enjoy more daylight. How does changing a clock create daylight?????
Anyway, after reading a post on DST this morning, I was inspired to relate a story about my first year working at the Township of West Bloomfield. I was appointed to my position there starting on May 1, 1988. Shortly after my appointment, I was informed about the change in work schedules after Memorial Day.
Apparently, it had been the practice of the Township to have summer hours and winter hours. So, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, the offices were open from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. During the rest of the year they were open from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. This was so folks could get out and enjoy the sunshine in summer - though likely they would just sit in traffic earlier.
I thought this was nonsense. Since I was always one to cause a ruckus, I said we should set our hours and not confuse the public with when we are open. So, I put a questionnaire on our counter asking residents and customers if they preferred the current set-up, the earlier start at eight or the later start at 8:30. Overwhelmingly folks opted for 8 to 4:30 year round.
And that is where the hours are to this day. It certainly makes me wonder why we are all slaves to the clock. During the energy crisis in the 1970's I adjusted my hours at the City hospital so that my husband and I could carpool to work. And when I started at the township, I adjusted my time so that I could get my boys off to school. I even had employees who came in early so that when the doors opened at eight we were ready to serve the public. (This was something I had learned working in a retail environment in college. A store that opens at nine needs to have its employees on the floor working, not arriving at work along with customers.)
Of course, I still know retirees who are slaves to the clock. I'll never understand why. As for now, I wish we could just leave the clocks alone - one way or the other. Just pick a time zone and stick with it. (BTW, Michigan and Indiana both have two time zones....)
Anyway, after reading a post on DST this morning, I was inspired to relate a story about my first year working at the Township of West Bloomfield. I was appointed to my position there starting on May 1, 1988. Shortly after my appointment, I was informed about the change in work schedules after Memorial Day.
Apparently, it had been the practice of the Township to have summer hours and winter hours. So, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, the offices were open from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. During the rest of the year they were open from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. This was so folks could get out and enjoy the sunshine in summer - though likely they would just sit in traffic earlier.
I thought this was nonsense. Since I was always one to cause a ruckus, I said we should set our hours and not confuse the public with when we are open. So, I put a questionnaire on our counter asking residents and customers if they preferred the current set-up, the earlier start at eight or the later start at 8:30. Overwhelmingly folks opted for 8 to 4:30 year round.
And that is where the hours are to this day. It certainly makes me wonder why we are all slaves to the clock. During the energy crisis in the 1970's I adjusted my hours at the City hospital so that my husband and I could carpool to work. And when I started at the township, I adjusted my time so that I could get my boys off to school. I even had employees who came in early so that when the doors opened at eight we were ready to serve the public. (This was something I had learned working in a retail environment in college. A store that opens at nine needs to have its employees on the floor working, not arriving at work along with customers.)
Of course, I still know retirees who are slaves to the clock. I'll never understand why. As for now, I wish we could just leave the clocks alone - one way or the other. Just pick a time zone and stick with it. (BTW, Michigan and Indiana both have two time zones....)
I Didn't Know What Time It Was
It helps to be sick sometimes. I've been struggling with a cold and an unrelated infection. I've been pretty tired lately and go to sleep and wake-up whenever I feel like it. So, with this time change I am right on schedule, it I had one. I went to bed rather early, but no matter since I woke up at the usual time.
After reading some online articles about the effects of the time change, the song 'I Didn't Know What Time It Was" started running through my mind. It has always been one of my favorites. And I especially like this Sarah Vaughan version with Roland Hanna on the piano. Having studied voice for six years, I like Sarah 'cause we sing in the same key which means I can sing along easily. Enjoy the video. And if you didn't change your clocks, I hope it's cause you live someplace that doesn't participate in this nonsense. I say 'set it and forget it'.
After reading some online articles about the effects of the time change, the song 'I Didn't Know What Time It Was" started running through my mind. It has always been one of my favorites. And I especially like this Sarah Vaughan version with Roland Hanna on the piano. Having studied voice for six years, I like Sarah 'cause we sing in the same key which means I can sing along easily. Enjoy the video. And if you didn't change your clocks, I hope it's cause you live someplace that doesn't participate in this nonsense. I say 'set it and forget it'.
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