Adventures with a Golden Retriever Puppy!

Hello everyone! Thank you for the birthday wishes for Emily! We had a fun day and plan to have a get-together with Phillip's family this evening. My family went home this past Wednesday and I'm still getting used to the quiet. It's always hard when a fun vacation is over.

I have been spending all of my free time with our new puppy, Daisy. She certainly keeping us on our toes and seems to be getting bigger every day.


One of my favorite things is a rainy morning.


I love to sit on my patio with a cup of coffee and listen to the rain fall.


With a new puppy that has all changed though. Instead, I chase her out of the vegetable garden, over and over again.


No, you can't chew on the plant stakes.


Pouting in the grass.


She's not down for long though. The rain picks up and she races around the yard. Did I mention she also likes to jump in my water garden several times a day?


And then jump on the patio couch? Repeat all the above at least three times and that is how a usual morning goes around here. It's a good thing she's so cute! :0)

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to “Show and Tell Friday!” Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, or a treasured collection. Look around your home for something to share; dig through those boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and the story that goes with your special item.


Today is Emily's 9th birthday! I asked her to pick out a few special things to share with you today.


Emily was born in 1999, so for her 1st birthday we had a Time Capsule themed party. All the guests brought small items to put inside: money, advertisements, letters, receipts, etc.


It will be fun to open in another 9 years!


My Nana gave Emily this tiny bracelet when she was born. Her name is etched on one side.


The other side says, "Nana."


A first teddy bear from Grandpa and Grandma.


And finally, a pretty butterfly teacup.


Thank you for looking at my birthday girl's special things! I'll be back to share birthday pictures soon!


Please read the Show and Tell Guidelines for step-by-step instructions on how to participate.

If you would like to join in, please leave your *permalink* below, along with your first name (this makes the list easier to read). If your link has been removed from Mr. Linky, please re-read over the guidelines before re-posting. Have fun!

Garden Home Tour

Notes from a Cottage Industry is hosting a Summer Garden Tour and I'm joining in the fun!


Welcome to our cozy back patio. The days are heating up here in Texas, but we can still enjoy early mornings and late evenings out here. My favorite thing to do is to relax with a cup of coffee.

I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.
~L. M. Montgomery


I have a great view of our water garden from my comfy chair.

The air is like a butterfly
With frail blue wings.
The happy earth looks at the sky
And sings.
~Joyce Kilmer, Spring


A birdbath hangs near an ivy covered wall in my herb garden.

It is the month of June,
The month of leaves and roses,
When pleasant sights salute the eyes
And pleasant scents the noses.
~Nathaniel Parker Willis, The Month of June


My herb garden is also home to several friendly fairies.

Tiny woods below whose boughs
Shady fairies weave a house;
Tiny tree-tops, rose or thyme,
Where the braver fairies climb!
~Robert Louis Stevenson


Won't you stay for some iced tea and a cookie?

So sweet, so sweet the roses in their blowing,
So sweet the daffodils, so fair to see;
So blithe and gay the humming-bird a going
From flower to flower, a-hunting with the bee.
~Nora Perry, In June


I call this little area between the side of the house and fence our Secret Garden. Wisteria climbs up the wall and there are ferns, columbine, bleeding hearts and roses.

Summer afternoon - summer afternoon;
to me those have always
been the two most beautiful
words in the English language.
~Henry James


Once the sun begins to set, I light candles around the water garden.

That beautiful season the Summer!
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;
and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all
the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



Peacefully
The quiet stars came out, one after one;
The holy twilight fell upon the sea,
The summer day was done.
~Celia Thaxter


There is also a floating mirror among the lilypads.

If a June night could talk,
it would probably boast it invented romance.
~Bern Williams



Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting! I hope you have enjoyed the tour!

Homemade Card

Here is this week's homemade card project. You can use any kind of paper and stickers for your card.

What you will need:
Cardstock
Patterned scrapbook paper
Stickers
Button
Ribbon
Glue
Hot Glue


Make a 5 x7" notecard from the cardstock and cut a 4 1/2 x 6 1/2" rectangle from the scrapbook paper.


Glue paper to front of card.


Cut a 1 1/2 x 6 1/2" strip of cardstock and glue in the center of card, lengthwise.


Cut a 3" square from cardstock, using decorative scissors if desired and a 2 1/2 square from scrapbook paper. Add stickers.


Glue scrapbook paper to cardstock.


Cut a 2 1/4 x 1" rectangle from cardstock and a slightly smaller rectangle from scrapbook paper. Glue scrapbook paper to cardstock and add stickers or writing.


Hot glue a short ribbon handle to the back of paper.


Glue scrapbook square and small sign to front of card, tucking the ribbon under square.


Using hot glue, add a button to top of ribbon.



Send to a friend! Let me know if you make one, too!

I Remember Laura~Family Recipes

Happy Monday! Today I am participating in Miss Sandy's Laura Ingalls Wilder Blog-a-thon. If you would like to join in the fun or visit the other participants, please visit her at Quill Cottage.


This week's theme is special family recipes and I have two favorites to share.


The first one is called Honey-Eyed Chicken and my mom used to make it for us quite often. It was also one of the first dinners I made for Phillip after we got married.


You don't need a lot of ingredients and it is perfect for a quick dinner.

Honey-eyed Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup mustard
4 teaspoons curry powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Place chicken in baking dish. Place butter, honey, mustard and curry powder in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until butter is melted. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake 45-60 minutes, basting 3-4 times. Serve over rice.






In 1995, my Nana and Papa came to visit us in Sioux Falls, SD. Afterwards, I rode with them back to their home in Canada for a two week visit. On my return flight, I ran into immigration trouble at the airport. Phillip had to mail them a particular document, so I ended up staying an extra week. The whole family went over to my Great Aunt Barb's house for dinner and she made Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares for dessert.



Aunt Barb’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares

1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 bag mini marshmallows

Melt butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips in saucepan over low heat or in microwave. Blend well. Stir in marshmallows. Pour into buttered 8 x 8 pan and chill for 1/2 hour. Cut into small squares.



I hope you have enjoyed taking a peek at two of my special recipes! My family is still in town and we are having a great time together. I miss visiting you all, but will catch up on your latest news soon!