Beef Stew

Hello All!

And welcome to all of my followers out there.  It is so nice to see all of your blogs, and happenings too!  You are so creative and fun, and lovely.  I am so glad I found this blogging world, because I get to see so much that I would otherwise not have access to.  Others' crocheting, cooking, decorating and nature!  I love all the photos of nature that I see from different parts of the country and of the world!

As I may have intimated in previous posts, I am a caregiver for my husband, and so I don't get out very far from home, or where I would see more of nature.  No garden, as I just don't have the time or patience for it anymore, but I miss it terribly.  It was such a wonderful way to rid myself of stress, and to get so much satisfaction from.  Now, I must content myself with an occasional ride out into the country, and using crochet and blogging as my outlets.   Once in awhile I talk hubby into a long ride for the day, and I enjoy it to the hilt!!

Anyway, I spend a lot of my time cooking, as I still can enjoy that, and I get so many ideas from blogs, and Pinterest.   Yesterday, I used a recipe from The Pioneer Woman blog.  Beef stew.  I haven't made stew in a long time.  My Mom used to make stew a lot when I was a child, as I was one of ten, and stew went a long ways to feed that bunch!  But she didn't use much for herbs and spices, so I like to try new recipes.  This one was a keeper.   We had my brother over to watch the football game, and he loved the stew.   And the homemade biscuits, also from Ree's site.  You can find her recipes on her Pinterest board, too.  

Check out my Pinterest boards, if you like,  as I think I have some interesting things there.  But very homey, as that is Me!   I like the home crafts of cooking, homemaking, and making things yourself.  I am an old-fashioned girl, I guess.   So here is my beef stew.

You would think that at 70 years young, I would have perfected my recipes, but no, I haven't.  I am always finding new ways to do things.  Aren't we all?  That is the way of things.  That is progress.  That is how we grow.  I love it.  I love the old ways, but I like add new ways to the old ways, if that makes sense!  

In other news, my grandson has a new job, which I pray will lead him to find new things, too!  Good luck, my sweet.  

I am already thinking out and planning Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the year, which we will, as usual, host.  

So, I am busy as I can be and I will talk to you all...............Later........JO

Reminiscing!

I was reminiscing this morning.  Even tho it rained overnight, it warmed up and the sun came out during the day.  And my love of Fall carries through anyway.  The air is really changing, as are the temperatures, and it was bringing fond memories of our life in Vermont

Vermont is a special place to live.  Most of it is pure country;  farms, land, barns, pies, trees, cows, horses,  and GREEN!  It is The Green Mountain State, after all.  I am an old fashioned girl, and I love the old fashioned things.  We went to Pond Parties, where everyone would come , sit around the pond, with a huge bonfire going, someone strumming a guitar, with many different kinds of food, and people.  It was such fun, but of course, we were much younger then.  I was under forty when we lived  there.  What would it be like to be forty again.  There was so much I could do that I cannot do now.   I had so much more energy.  I used to bring in wood for the wood stove, milk a cow, make butter, and buttermilk, clean out stalls in the barn, shovel snow, run errands, etc., etc.  like most of you younger bloggers do now.  I read your blogs and I am amazed at how much you do.  Teaching crafts, homeschooling,  and all the usual household chores, plus, plus, plus.  I wish I had some of that energy back, but at the same time I am proud of what I do get done for my age, (70),  and still find time to do things for myself.  I am a caregiver for my husband, and because he is disabled all of the household chores are mine to take care of.  My grandson does help when he can (he vacuumed the house, and mopped the bare floors today),  but I get very tired.

Getting back to life in Vermont.  The nearest town for major shopping, drs., dentists, etc., was about 22 miles away, and I loved that ride every time I took it.  My mother-in-law lived with us, and she usually went to town with me, and we would take in lunch, or a coffee and pie somewhere, and do our shopping etc., then  head back home.   She always saw something new on the ride, that she would point out to me.  We saw the ski mountains, the farms, country stores, ponds, and  the people.  Sometimes, we would stop and say hello to a neighbor, or the school bus driver, or a farmer.  It was a
wonderful life.  We didn't even mind the snow.  We had two dogs, and I would take them up into the woods for walks while the kids were in school.   My husband worked as a tool designer for a
company on the border of Canada, and when he got home, he was right outside chopping wood, or working in the barn until dinner was ready.  We weren't full fledged farmers, but we did what we could, and enjoyed it.

And Fall in Vermont was the BEST SEASON!   We would go every weekend for a picnic on the side of the road somewhere, or just for a ride to see the colors, or to visit with neighbors.   It was our favorite time of the year.  Wood smoke, changing colors,  wild animals, such as deer, fox, coy dogs, (half dog, half coyote).   I miss those days, but I am so grateful that I had them.  It was the kind of life   we wanted to live, and we were so fortunate and blessed to be able to do it for six years.

Now I enjoy Fall here in Arizona, which is very different, but nonetheless the best season of all.

Enjoy your Fall as much as you can, whether you are here in Arizona, or in the Northeast, where snow will come before you know it,  or wherever you are.  

Thanks for visiting, and I will talk to you........Later........JO

What Is It??!

Hello all!

Is it something in the air?  The weather is changing, and so the air is changing, and I respond to it!  I don't know what it is, but the air smells so fresh and feels so cool, (mornings and evenings),  but there  must be something else.   When Fall arrives, I want to get up earlier, to enjoy the cool air, and sit out on my patio, read or crochet, listen to music, etc.  but it is like there is something subliminal in the air, urging me on, putting ideas into my head.  I can't seem to fit enough into the day.  No other season does that to me, not even Spring.  I love Fall even more here in Arizona, because we are coming off a long, hot summer, and the change is so welcome!!

So can you tell I LOVE LOVE LOVE Fall???!   Yesterday was Sunday, so there were corn cakes for breakfast,  oatmeal raisin cookies for hubby, football all day, and at night, crocheting, and meatloaf, mashed potatoes, applesauce, and collard greens for supper.   Gooooood day!

I am making a couple of  pumpkin garlands for gifts for my daughter and daughter in law, from a pattern on Pinterest, from KarenWiederhold.blogspot.com.  I love this pattern.  And I need to make one for myself, too, as I gave away all the ones I made last year.  

And Bo is enjoying my yarn projects, too!  He and Johnny have grown so much, and have found new spots to relax, sleep, and watch out the window.  They are such a joy!  

Now, I need to talk my hubby into going for another long drive up North to see how much color there is.    Maybe I can take a few photos so I can savor the scenes I see.   Wish me luck.  

Later..........JO