Mainstreet

It's been around for a little while. We have a tattoo parlor. Check it out. I don't think I want to. (check it out up close and personal that is) But I thought you might get a kick out of seeing T A T T O O advertised on the side of a building in downtown kanooska.

Saturday. I've been putzing around the house. Got my kitchen stuffs taken care of as much as I care to. Dishes from last night done. It's still drizzling out this afternoon. At last I don't see snow on the ground. It did stick for a little while last night and this morning. I'm just not ready for that. I never did get the snowblower out of the shed, nor put away the mower. Right after I start a must do list, those two actions will certainly top it. I'm such a slacker.

Tomorrow I have tickets to see the Czech Republic Girls Choir at the PAC center, quickly followed by a baby shower. I can't say which I'm more looking forward to. Had it not been for those two events, I could've stayed home and watched Sunday afternoon football. (tone of voice and posture would be beneficial at this point if you don't know me) Life in the fast lane.

Harvest Season

Something else I was able to capture was cranberry harvest. This is a small operation in comparison to some in the area, but I was thrilled to actually have my camera long when I spied this huge ruby red roundup sitting atop the water.

Across the street was the original reason for my stopping. More beautiful fall foliage. It could only have been more perfect if the sun had been out that day.

There are a few more pictures to post from that photo excursion. I'll post a few at a time.

As for me, I have a full day ahead of me. Maggie and Vin are in for a grooming at the moment. Enjoying the he** out of it I imagine. (not) When they get back I'll get ready for lunch with the girls. Annie and Diane and I are meeting at the casino. Then back home to make a new recipe for Heidi's birthday dinner. A little something called pumpkin chocolate cheesecake pie. I found the recipe in Better Homes and Garden magazine.
Ingredients
1 recipe Deep Dish Pie Pastry, below
12 oz. cream cheese, softened (1-1/2 8-oz. pkgs.)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup finely chopped semisweet chocolate or miniature chocolate pieces
1 15-oz. can pumpkin
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
Chopped chocolate (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare and roll out Deep Dish Pie Pastry. Transfer pastry to a 9-1/2- to 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim crust edge 1/2-inch beyond pie plate. Flute edge high. Line pastry with double thickness of foil. Bake 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 6 minutes more or until golden. Cool on wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

2. In medium mixing bowl combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 egg; beat on low speed until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture in cooled pastry shell. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate.

3. In bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar, and spice. Stir in 4 eggs. Gradually stir in half-and-half. Slowly pour pumpkin mixture on chocolate layer. To prevent overbrowning, cover pie edge with foil.

4. Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove foil. Cool on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hour. Top with chopped chocolate.

Deep Dish Pie Pastry:In medium bowl, stir together 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using pastry blender or two knives cut in 6 tablespoons shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of flour mixture; gently toss with fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time, until all flour is moistened (5 to 6 tablespoons total). Form into ball. On lightly floured surface, flatten dough. Roll pastry from center to edge into 13-inch circle.

If it doesn't work, this gets erased. If it does . . . it gets saved forever. :)

A Frightful Night

What am I talking about? Why, Halloween of course. This was the first Halloween I've been able to celebrate in over a decade and I wasn't going to miss it, sore foot or not. It's Annie's favorite holiday. She goes all out. Someone once told me that she thought she decorated "gawdy." I ask you. Can you decorate gawdy for Halloween? I think not. To me it's like Mardi Gras. The more the merrier. So I arrived around 3:30 and Heidi did my makeup and hair. What an expert she is. I was quite pleased. Oh don't be scared. What's that you say? Want your mummy? buah-ah-ah-ah-ah. Can't say as I blame you. But seriously, we had a great time pre trick-or-treat, as well as post. Big party afterwards with some good food and adult treats too. We made a fire in the firepit on the patio and ate outside. It was almost unseasonably nice for this time of year in the big WI. Below, a group of possibly familar faces surround the coffin just before little children come to get their little wits scared out of them. We try.

The Field and the Foot

I was up early today, despite the fact that this is my week of nights. I got an extra day off. Not the way I would have liked, but my foot is up in the air as I type. A big hunk'o steel dropped on my right foot, leaving it bruised and swelled. Here for posterity I submit . . .
THE FOOT Hurts like hell, and I don't know how I got through another 12-hour shift after that one, but I refused to work another day in that condition. Bad enough the thing fell on me and I didn't go to the doctor and make it a lost time injury. Not yet anyhow. We'll see how things go tomorrow. For now I'm just keeping it elevated and cold. :)

And now for the field.


This has to be a familiar sight for my son. How many games have you played on this field? This was a must stop on my way to gathering pictures of home sweet home for you. I wish I could have gotten inside the fence, but I know you'll appreciate seeing the old field once again.

On A Fall Afternoon

I went for a walk. I purposely left a landmark so that you would be able to see where I was at. Walking down the trail, I'd stop at various spots to take pictures of the gorgeous foliage across the river. On the way back it dawned on me just how beautiful the trail itself was. Snap.


You said one of the things you're not thrilled about in Chile (or at least your part of Chile) is the constant dryness) I wonder if you miss the beauty of fall back home, which happens to be my favorite season. What is yours son?

Fast Food Fav's

The first real post had to be about one of our favorite fast food restaurants. A sweet West-Mex place called ____ ____ ' _ Need I say more? I don't THINK so. Did you know they retired Whiplash, the border collie riding monkey? Well deserved retirement I might add. I hope they treat him well. Apparently he's been replaced by some new age guy called T.J the D.J. Claims to be Taco John's #1 fan. Hmmm. We beg to differ.

Title It

First entry - the title. It comes from a quote I hold near and dear to my heart. There is this picture I have hanging above the desk where I sit. You'll know what I'm talking about if you happen to be my son, or anyone else that has seen this room. And you'll know the picture I'm describing. My very favorite picture in the whole wide whirl. It was a beautiful summers day. I had taken my two little boys out into the woods on the side of our log home. They sat down at the base of this beautiful mature birch tree. It was just one of those moments that captured on camera . . . . . how do I explain it? For me it was a once in a lifetime photo. Some blades of grass passed between two brothers, not one care in the world. That my friends, was life at it's most simplistic and for me, time could have stood still right then and there. The quote goes like this:

"Making the decision to have a child . . . . it's to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." Elizabeth Stone (That's not word for word but close enough)

These two boys? They are my heart.

In no way shape or form do I pretend to pull off supermom. I'm sure that have made a TON and a half of mistakes along the way, having raised my boys for most of the growing years by myself, and doing so while working shiftwork. But there was never ever a question of my love for them. I hope they know I'm pretty sure they know that.