Little Family in the Big Woods

  I love getting new ACR books for my classroom. The kids get so excited about checking one out. These books are some of my favorite to recommend to the kids.   They won't stay here long. The kids are begging to check one out.  Anticipation is part of the fun. Even Einstein approves of these titles.

My son left for college about three weeks ago. This is the only excuse I have for my absence from blogging. (I actually don't think one has  anything to do with the other...but it sounds like a good excuse.) This past weekend was his first weekend home from school.  So naturally, I made cookies all weekend. I still love these chocolate chip cookies ...the recipe that I borrowed from "the butler". My son's favorite cookies are Special K cookies . I wanted to make two batches, so that he could take some to share some with his roommates; but, I didn't have enough Special K. My husband suggested I try the chocolate variety of Special K that I had in the cabinet. Here are the results: Because you add the cereal after you take the mixture off the stove, I wasn't really expecting the chocolate to melt.  What we ended up with was absolutely delicious.  I am not sure that I would say they are better than the original, but they are...

When I was a teenager, I copied several recipes onto index cards and put them in my Hope Chest for when I got married.  I have been so glad that I did that.  These recipes have been used over and over.  I remember eating this lemon delight when I lived at home, but it was not something we fixed very often... probably because the ingredients were expensive to buy. You will need: 2 cups graham crackers 1 stick oleo 1 cup powdered sugar 1 pk. dream whip 8 ounces cream cheese 3 cups milk 2 small boxes lemon instant pudding 1/2 pint whipping cream 1/2 cup sugar Begin by putting graham crackers in a baggie and crushing with a rolling pin.  Measure out 2 cups. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and the melted stick of oleo. Press this mixture in the bottom of a 9x12 inch dish. Now, mix the package of dream whip according to the directions on the package. You will need some vanilla and milk for this. Add the...

Last summer we painted my daughter's bedroom four different colors (turquoise, purple, gray, and green).  I thought I would show some updated pictures of her room, since she has made a few changes this summer. Remember Jimmy??? He always looks so relaxed no matter where he is sitting. It is hard to tell from this picture, but the lamp in the corner has shades in all the different colors.  We are hoping to paint this desk in turquoise soon, and change out the pink chair.                     Mickey was added at Christmas time... after our trip to Disney World. Whi ch wall color is your favorite???

We are sooooo thankful to have received quite a bit of rain the last few days in the Big Woods. Even though there are still places showing the damage from the recent spell of high temperatures and drought, my plants are beginning to turn green and grow again. The vine that grows around the trees here in the Big Woods bounces back quickly when we receive rain. This plant I just purchased on Wednesday at the Springhill Farmers Market. I think it is a nice addition to the Big Woods.

Wow...it has been 25 years since my husband and I said "I do".  Time just goes by so fast. It has been a wonderful 25 years, and yes I would do it again. We wanted to do something special to celebrate, so we decided to spend a couple of nights at an Inn on the top of Monteagle Mountain. I would highly recommend the Monteagle Inn to anyone wanting to get away for a few days.  We had a great time. This porch was so relaxing...there is a swing on the other end.  Fresh lemonade and cookies are available whenever you like.  The gardens are beautiful even though it has been so hot and dry in our area. We enjoyed walking around the gardens late in the evenings.  The Methodist Church next door has chimes that play on the hour with occasional music.  This is a very nice touch. There are places to relax all over the property.  They even have hammocks on the lawn. Even though there are 13 rooms in this inn...there...

A pillow and a blanket make a hammock much more enjoyable.  The blanket is not for covering...it is much better to use a blanket in a hammock to lie upon. I chose to enjoy my hammock a few Sundays ago on a beautiful summer evening. The weather was perfect to relax and do a little reading. I vowed to return to this hammock more often... it has not had much use since my husband hung it for me. However, the temperatures in the Big Woods have climbed each day, until we have found ourselves in the middle of a heat wave with temps reaching 100. This is not the best hammock relaxing weather. I can't help but think about the Soup Nazi on Jerry Seinfield, "No soup for you." "No hammock relaxing for you." Oh yeah...and the book in the picture is now overdue at our public library. I can't seem to get in the reading mode these days. Maybe when the weather cools off.