tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60182438425888440502024-03-19T03:47:33.323-05:00 The Cabin Countess Living the simple life in Princeton has offered us rewards that I would like to share with all who care to stop in and see. From natures outdoor beauty to indoor cooking and everything in between. Welcome to my very special world in rural Wisconsin. The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.comBlogger918125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-64848505141477835112024-02-02T10:54:00.003-06:002024-02-02T11:01:30.072-06:00Chicken Noodle Soup Mix in a Jar<p>We all have struggled to think of something to prepare for our meals. If we haven’t prepped ahead of time and want a meal in a hurry, we end up with a pizza or take out. Even myself, who has all the time in the world, wants something quick most of the time. We have to eat. I like to know what I am eating so I like making my own food.</p><p>I have made Hamburger Helper in a jar including the lasagna version. I have jars of side dishes like rice-a-roni and herbed rice, cream soup mixes, vegetable bouillon mix and a variety of freezer meals, but today I made chicken noodle soup mix in a jar. It is so easy to just open a can of high sodium soup but as I have said many times real food is the best tasting and the healthiest. This process does require a little prep work, but I think it’s worth it. I will freeze this batch in individual servings. I don’t really like to freeze soup because the texture changes a little, but it’s what I have to do with leftovers.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOw-fIppkGKOa8d6PtTpxxL8EoFCJ1Qqv8aQvnMkTobR3gy-5JRFv8M5W69W8tUL9__kYOi5LTahGRrNGFx9JFwr-2fam2maqgGLSu04qWtvGR3aXajqLJoVU7qf7631dms2ad7KJzmumHl0EsLfbLEubQEcCsOmNj6_V2gxt-CKVWhKWYNzwPoUi4wKY/s3003/IMG_9463.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3003" data-original-width="2699" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOw-fIppkGKOa8d6PtTpxxL8EoFCJ1Qqv8aQvnMkTobR3gy-5JRFv8M5W69W8tUL9__kYOi5LTahGRrNGFx9JFwr-2fam2maqgGLSu04qWtvGR3aXajqLJoVU7qf7631dms2ad7KJzmumHl0EsLfbLEubQEcCsOmNj6_V2gxt-CKVWhKWYNzwPoUi4wKY/w576-h640/IMG_9463.jpeg" width="576" /></a></div><p>This is the recipe. I divided it in half which is enough for 2 jars. I put 1/4 cup of the spices in a plastic ziplock bag and 1/4 cup in another. Then I put 1/2 cup of the dried mixed vegetables* in each bag. I put 1 1/4 cup pasta in the jar with the plastic bag containing the other ingredients. I sealed the lid with the lid sealer. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdfo7TQI3ZbH9U6sMBJ7zTxNUnPvP2TdQX_vVmem_wlvtQn2W5jtSjotZ-c5NSQQBHgtFfdl9jRoBFDuBgKCN3xaIrbYAWI4YUuL5Bmokgu_NIcu3YlyQK5PkutZ-riIKfMT4XgjCCr9ngeCoZXmgne4xsoNgjtYJ4FIs8hcoi_plEvk4IAIBblEeb5c/s4032/IMG_9466.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdfo7TQI3ZbH9U6sMBJ7zTxNUnPvP2TdQX_vVmem_wlvtQn2W5jtSjotZ-c5NSQQBHgtFfdl9jRoBFDuBgKCN3xaIrbYAWI4YUuL5Bmokgu_NIcu3YlyQK5PkutZ-riIKfMT4XgjCCr9ngeCoZXmgne4xsoNgjtYJ4FIs8hcoi_plEvk4IAIBblEeb5c/w480-h640/IMG_9466.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Chicken Noodle Soup Mix</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">1/4 t. garlic powder</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">1/4 t. celery seed</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">1/2 t. black pepper</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">1 t. parsley flakes</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">1 T minced onion</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">4 1/2 T. chicken bouillon*</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">1 cup dried mixed vegetables**</span></p><p><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">2 1/2 cups pasta (I like to cook the pasta noodles separately and add them to the soup at the end. I think they are less starchy and it takes a while for the dried vegetables to reconstitute. If you put them in together the noodles would be overcooked.) That is why I separate them in the jar.</span></p><p><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Bring 12 cups (6 cups for one jar) water to a boil</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">add in soup mix from the plastic bag.</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Reduce heat, cover and</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">simmer for 30 minutes.</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Add in 3-4 cups of cooked cubed </span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">chicken (I bake several chicken breasts and cube them to use in recipes. I freeze the cooked chicken in 1 or 2 cup portions. Sometimes I buy the rotisserie chicken off the bone at Costco and separate it into portions) and add the cooked noodles. </span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Simmer 5 more minutes</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">* This is the bouillon I found. It is gluten free and doesn’t have any high fructose corn syrup. It does have corn protein which is a by-product during the manufacturing process of corn starch. I am not really sure of its function except it is 50% protein and maybe a flavor enhancer. If you want to eliminate this ingredient just cook the dried veggies and other spices in boxed chicken broth instead. You may need a bit more salt to taste.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGT_sunIH-aHu5-K7vKPxbgxEEIvlen1PO3yEfUSaljmINNs5dPIxv19OTtzs5Y6qqITVxxWRQQNFu1H9O7Sc0swHV6YjDUFKhnsTgC23PYxC3TVgXy3l2DfZ_ptBU94xByaZUsGBub7hhNkMIfDBbUkSxv4ZLar1zPM5tVcKFHF8NlFxh7GAFHL1moOA/s2517/IMG_9464.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="2517" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGT_sunIH-aHu5-K7vKPxbgxEEIvlen1PO3yEfUSaljmINNs5dPIxv19OTtzs5Y6qqITVxxWRQQNFu1H9O7Sc0swHV6YjDUFKhnsTgC23PYxC3TVgXy3l2DfZ_ptBU94xByaZUsGBub7hhNkMIfDBbUkSxv4ZLar1zPM5tVcKFHF8NlFxh7GAFHL1moOA/s320/IMG_9464.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p> **If you can’t find dehydrated vegetables, it’s easy to make your own. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHF1DZQ3nLUoqI0GLnwGJEMpXJ7Pu-v99VHxDW1FvsPdHdiohw3JGP5GfnyQ7En5rus20Hc7cKqD-FDf3hRhr8dWsHpLG6NEDJpA0u4dchYF2Y_5C1kvEY9GU92BdQKWNu1AQA0vdxURV-R62khtvpXl0sFeM5dBbCKBcKrNpNuOUh2dwAUJqqVlGM3vI/s2807/IMG_9454.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2329" data-original-width="2807" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHF1DZQ3nLUoqI0GLnwGJEMpXJ7Pu-v99VHxDW1FvsPdHdiohw3JGP5GfnyQ7En5rus20Hc7cKqD-FDf3hRhr8dWsHpLG6NEDJpA0u4dchYF2Y_5C1kvEY9GU92BdQKWNu1AQA0vdxURV-R62khtvpXl0sFeM5dBbCKBcKrNpNuOUh2dwAUJqqVlGM3vI/w640-h532/IMG_9454.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I diced 4 cups of carrots with the Vidalia Chop Wizard <a href="http://www.thecabincountess.com/search?q=vidalia">http://www.thecabincountess.com/search?q=vidalia</a>, and spread them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. I have a dehydrate setting on my toaster oven but basically it’s the oven set at 150 degrees. The carrots took 4 hours to dry. Then I diced 4 cups of celery and did the same. It’s amazing. 4 cups of carrots will dehydrate to 3/4 cup and 4 cups of celery will equal 1/2 cup. I also dried 5 cups of frozen mixed vegetables. That made about 3/4 cup. Bottom line is 13 cups of produce dries to 2 cups. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyyKEZugbkfUy55MC3Eaou8IpzBtxJve5f4zdplSF5468qadmy6NRjfI-DJ4Uego3N7bb0N6tvcEXZj02hZ-U6FtcHmBBP9RuRFxu_sKi5fxZsTMNLtJTnFVBnCVrpRe70zpTm7gQv-ieuzO-pldcZz286pQuMcJQSu8UywQygIoHa_RTSTF-UsgOqyk/s3365/IMG_9457.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3365" data-original-width="2524" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyyKEZugbkfUy55MC3Eaou8IpzBtxJve5f4zdplSF5468qadmy6NRjfI-DJ4Uego3N7bb0N6tvcEXZj02hZ-U6FtcHmBBP9RuRFxu_sKi5fxZsTMNLtJTnFVBnCVrpRe70zpTm7gQv-ieuzO-pldcZz286pQuMcJQSu8UywQygIoHa_RTSTF-UsgOqyk/w480-h640/IMG_9457.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0RGdkWYg3fQmsrVc2paJ9Yfc91OFecVovQXi3RUh_Lc-gVeVwI0F7YFz61qFd6Ei0quczD-D30zLLBZMixcwR481pzRoamCBJ0Jx10xLSgagmLp6zb8bTloTH7l7Nm3gVT9iDXTejJl04BldFaaSq0UvqRGeL2gtX2i0e_iSSuqvvSKZl7mKDkyQXcM/s3024/IMG_9469.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2554" data-original-width="3024" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0RGdkWYg3fQmsrVc2paJ9Yfc91OFecVovQXi3RUh_Lc-gVeVwI0F7YFz61qFd6Ei0quczD-D30zLLBZMixcwR481pzRoamCBJ0Jx10xLSgagmLp6zb8bTloTH7l7Nm3gVT9iDXTejJl04BldFaaSq0UvqRGeL2gtX2i0e_iSSuqvvSKZl7mKDkyQXcM/w320-h270/IMG_9469.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-90816304986428469022024-01-20T20:00:00.001-06:002024-01-20T22:45:55.176-06:00The Pheasants In My Neighborhood<p>I have lived on my property for over twenty years. Once in a great while I would see a pheasant, but they were few and far between. For the past three or four years, in September, I am seeing a dozen or more. At first I didn’t know what was going on, but in talking to others it seems that someone is releasing them in bunches. I don’t know who, but I am very happy to see them in my yard. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgupfpI3zUbVYWb0rT7E6Tfwc95xXaIdqlqdsQHONIK6PlMLcL8OBUCrpyjM29ujV8FBqw-bdK_LVvBvBezNb4tTXFNBkqkjzK_vtfQlKubgmE3iK5My7IiwPeY68JWR6JX67gAwC4MgX-ajvYcFlWmpv1DG3QnqFrx8Pyf4AzZphrfFOcIyyzYxlpnqsk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgupfpI3zUbVYWb0rT7E6Tfwc95xXaIdqlqdsQHONIK6PlMLcL8OBUCrpyjM29ujV8FBqw-bdK_LVvBvBezNb4tTXFNBkqkjzK_vtfQlKubgmE3iK5My7IiwPeY68JWR6JX67gAwC4MgX-ajvYcFlWmpv1DG3QnqFrx8Pyf4AzZphrfFOcIyyzYxlpnqsk=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>For a couple years, only a few would hang around. I don’t know if they were hunted or if they left to find a mate, Sometimes in the Spring the males will lose their minds and start flapping their wings and puffing up to look huge. They also make very strange loud sounds. Then they would disappear. I always figured there was a girl in the neighborhood they were trying to impress. For the first couple years I never saw females, but now there are a few. I think it's a ratio of about five to one. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaGF3T4pkLmhTsC2CajwlkiYIfgDOxwOKKKE8NkrmOfiP3OJhB_z6HDNsMQUrE2OJZEJKkXvcYo2zQwXvaJu994TsP9mW9bWY9vsREGi81yJO0fD6fmByaroQEkxckeS45ISQFX2LvzzClYi0HBAhfrKi1gxkB_pQta-0NxTXf-EjAs8eyE7_wY_uWxg/s629/IMG_9423.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="629" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaGF3T4pkLmhTsC2CajwlkiYIfgDOxwOKKKE8NkrmOfiP3OJhB_z6HDNsMQUrE2OJZEJKkXvcYo2zQwXvaJu994TsP9mW9bWY9vsREGi81yJO0fD6fmByaroQEkxckeS45ISQFX2LvzzClYi0HBAhfrKi1gxkB_pQta-0NxTXf-EjAs8eyE7_wY_uWxg/w640-h410/IMG_9423.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>This year is very different. They showed up as usual but instead of leaving or spreading out, they are spending the winter as a group. One day I saw three males under the bird feeder, then two females showed up. The guys were showing off by strutting their stuff and suddenly five more males came out of the woods. Then three more females. I was watching but couldn’t get videos because they were all running around and posturing for the girls. As I am watching more male pheasants came running out of my side yard as fast as they could. It was a circus and reminded me of the phrase "herding cats". In this case it was pheasants. They can run very fast when they want to. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz1aOddk2T4rXGQ5Jf-ttAJk8_fMeHJ9oqCQMz4jOpmUCKb9a1hUH-7yrLnQ_clTIQdLNIlJFsZTjZ6EpXi_JLchp3RSu1SpmJd8JKXeiKfKcO4didZH7Ao-R6gxOKTrQ8TjfRql1XnL5EPsZqB6uzEN4qi6ym4ecV53g6Kt_bEYs2PhdKxeaDFPpt13k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz1aOddk2T4rXGQ5Jf-ttAJk8_fMeHJ9oqCQMz4jOpmUCKb9a1hUH-7yrLnQ_clTIQdLNIlJFsZTjZ6EpXi_JLchp3RSu1SpmJd8JKXeiKfKcO4didZH7Ao-R6gxOKTrQ8TjfRql1XnL5EPsZqB6uzEN4qi6ym4ecV53g6Kt_bEYs2PhdKxeaDFPpt13k=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p>All these pheasants have become quite tame. I think having available food has made them very comfortable. I can walk outside within a few feet of them, and they just slowly walk away. When I go into the house, they are back before I close the door. I can hear them. Recently I heard one on the step to my porch. I think he was wondering where the corn was. A recent snowstorm covered a lot of their food. I really didn't want to go out to the garage in the cold for seed, so I made popcorn.</p><p>Has anyone made popcorn this way? I knew they couldn't have oil or salt so this was my technique. It is actually a really good way to make popcorn without any added calories. I don't eat much popcorn because I like it smothered in real butter. </p><p>All you need is a cake pan, popcorn, water and plastic wrap. Put 1/2 cup of popcorn in the pan and add 1/4 cup of water. If you are making it for yourself add some salt to the water. I wanted it plain this time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcWopmqtOYHabhqiADz16nU3YeMgXMV_uH37UGLtGfMo-_6pzL5Njq-haWDIqlkke1WnHB-bFKYUXEg6qnZHHpsRcbRggn7lcGRJuGLCdAiWeUaJtyhu2Xvf-wGsTzSDr6U2Yf7le4QYcbNzafBwUS7NP8JroqMhIE9-tYpVhCFiIbgvKAIStcCKEjvo/s3024/IMG_9425.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2656" data-original-width="3024" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcWopmqtOYHabhqiADz16nU3YeMgXMV_uH37UGLtGfMo-_6pzL5Njq-haWDIqlkke1WnHB-bFKYUXEg6qnZHHpsRcbRggn7lcGRJuGLCdAiWeUaJtyhu2Xvf-wGsTzSDr6U2Yf7le4QYcbNzafBwUS7NP8JroqMhIE9-tYpVhCFiIbgvKAIStcCKEjvo/w640-h562/IMG_9425.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Y7IfnDqmDs2G3ILX0IPxFPx2IGH80-CMEdmLn4Fy3YVDOhE2PYDujE2fsg_-fVMa9weWp4PbmgqM-OGzheUODMoRs-PgKukYU5LTWS-OZDQpDYb50rvKAwOTnr37Uy-7XeeFexzk6rYQR5qiZF0r-Q_pEVs_SsYjQuAXthivCaAn3v5EGsIMksw4XCI/s3346/IMG_9411%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3346" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Y7IfnDqmDs2G3ILX0IPxFPx2IGH80-CMEdmLn4Fy3YVDOhE2PYDujE2fsg_-fVMa9weWp4PbmgqM-OGzheUODMoRs-PgKukYU5LTWS-OZDQpDYb50rvKAwOTnr37Uy-7XeeFexzk6rYQR5qiZF0r-Q_pEVs_SsYjQuAXthivCaAn3v5EGsIMksw4XCI/w578-h640/IMG_9411%202.jpeg" width="578" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cover the pan with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the plastic to vent the steam. Microwave for five minutes. If it isn't starting to pop, then add one minute at a time until all the corn is popped. My popcorn was stored in the refrigerator so it took nine minutes to complete. No oil needed.<br /></p><p>I took the popped popcorn and threw it outside. I didn't realize it isn't the best thing to feed birds. It doesn't have much food value and nutrition. It is probably true for humans too. Especially the way I eat it. I ended up adding some corn and seeds to the mix. The bluejays and Dark-eyed Junco's are loving it.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhroG60Xz6tK7TnwixlZYOil9vpxnsVnAxxfQrBzYFoegaipMpPaY4R0TyL-dqkE-yeL_UqGTiJB03IoS-uo9DmKvCl0PCnt8rd8j9aP_07b4chZ75jauQPU1mMwx72ixg2BuEqRqfAamGqZHhryidHLxDOVzy2bF46G2vBWj_Y0ULcITng-zzIr0omvpE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="750" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhroG60Xz6tK7TnwixlZYOil9vpxnsVnAxxfQrBzYFoegaipMpPaY4R0TyL-dqkE-yeL_UqGTiJB03IoS-uo9DmKvCl0PCnt8rd8j9aP_07b4chZ75jauQPU1mMwx72ixg2BuEqRqfAamGqZHhryidHLxDOVzy2bF46G2vBWj_Y0ULcITng-zzIr0omvpE=w640-h336" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgksX-zJi420u4dl70Y1l4CJc_YVMoJWKZS5Y2x9LG3IToLJ-hqiEHNAzBghomR0DbSVnuDhEmtz2BROG0iCwnotXsNQz3nsWrhG0a1xNRx_qE6RWOwkO1-PnkTWVWGUN12AeCIeJV17PeVU0KsQD0XSIislOz4HSqRxlgnIjmvyMEmsOewfkxPo3FtHFA/s5184/IMG_6942.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgksX-zJi420u4dl70Y1l4CJc_YVMoJWKZS5Y2x9LG3IToLJ-hqiEHNAzBghomR0DbSVnuDhEmtz2BROG0iCwnotXsNQz3nsWrhG0a1xNRx_qE6RWOwkO1-PnkTWVWGUN12AeCIeJV17PeVU0KsQD0XSIislOz4HSqRxlgnIjmvyMEmsOewfkxPo3FtHFA/w640-h426/IMG_6942.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I look forward to seeing these birds everyday. They are in the yard and in my driveway to greet me when I come home. Hopefully this year they will nest nearby, and I will be able to enjoy seeing baby pheasants. The turkeys have become somewhat of a nuisance, but I doubt if anyone will complain if they see more beautiful pheasants in the neighborhood.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GFAGOUXJ3K_pOoIOinR85229ZeBFuRMwF7K8kYH1Xfr4Px9ow89blXgAKxa7pOLJE6GN0PnAGeSS9dz3BCajjIhVjgxbb41qXpGF5Xnk0j1tHoT9QQQ0AQeWSa5Wxo9Ht0S5LDLboABm7E8Ccgb3A31pNQ7CpnO5ZNDQNV0_asCFsaMjSfiOAQfSL-Y/s5184/IMG_6811.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GFAGOUXJ3K_pOoIOinR85229ZeBFuRMwF7K8kYH1Xfr4Px9ow89blXgAKxa7pOLJE6GN0PnAGeSS9dz3BCajjIhVjgxbb41qXpGF5Xnk0j1tHoT9QQQ0AQeWSa5Wxo9Ht0S5LDLboABm7E8Ccgb3A31pNQ7CpnO5ZNDQNV0_asCFsaMjSfiOAQfSL-Y/w640-h426/IMG_6811.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwaMp-4cR_6P0xAFVjITKwLG10RqsSrvTKlxIrccyDgEYcqJzPbsdASIkLI6SU4Fed3o_eQxxr4yUhsnD5D5JrL8Hv_HQ7nxgZUPb0EgymARqdOMj8QdBTXa893C8osbKCyAfB3pf2RvaMKZ4hjYn4m6OLWsc7QEFT99OVUA4tsVLkfvan3bC2WKdiBJA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="1144" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwaMp-4cR_6P0xAFVjITKwLG10RqsSrvTKlxIrccyDgEYcqJzPbsdASIkLI6SU4Fed3o_eQxxr4yUhsnD5D5JrL8Hv_HQ7nxgZUPb0EgymARqdOMj8QdBTXa893C8osbKCyAfB3pf2RvaMKZ4hjYn4m6OLWsc7QEFT99OVUA4tsVLkfvan3bC2WKdiBJA=w640-h384" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvCOIvqC1F1PWwtTMGQFVNuRi6-AjU0L1Drl3aeVkhMbxWeDeofSol9mWPj_H9QWGHe0EIy33Nmu55xc8tEzo262wvQgzY1js9tCgmuOdiXbl_6uRAoAdGN--kIbn6HhUBklSwa8fGxTJAkkfSw3NuIXXlviM65PIJedkledLOK1C7Jeyd1bga557hR7k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="1144" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvCOIvqC1F1PWwtTMGQFVNuRi6-AjU0L1Drl3aeVkhMbxWeDeofSol9mWPj_H9QWGHe0EIy33Nmu55xc8tEzo262wvQgzY1js9tCgmuOdiXbl_6uRAoAdGN--kIbn6HhUBklSwa8fGxTJAkkfSw3NuIXXlviM65PIJedkledLOK1C7Jeyd1bga557hR7k=w640-h384" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-10895159319763531602024-01-14T18:55:00.000-06:002024-01-20T20:01:02.075-06:00Homemade Rice-A-Roni <p>On the heels of my Hamburger Helper recipe <a href="http://www.thecabincountess.com/2024/01/make-your-own-hamburger-helper.html">http://www.thecabincountess.com/2024/01/make-your-own-hamburger-helper.html</a>, I also tried one for Rice-A-Roni. I don’t buy that product either because of all the sodium and preservatives to give it shelf life. The box mix has palm oil, corn syrup and lactose. These are all ingredients we should avoid. You have to be careful with dried soup base because some of them have corn syrup and high sodium also. </p><p>In a clean mason jar add 1/2 cup of broken up vermicelli. You can make the pieces as small as you want.</p><p>Then add 1 cup of plain long cooking white rice (not instant), 4 t. of the best dried soup base you can find (either beef or chicken), 1 t. dried parsley, 1/2 t. Italian seasoning and 1/4 t. garlic powder.</p><p>Seal it up and keep it in your pantry.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XYYN9IXiy5Y_wECcuo2w0qEsAnmuFVmOV0NE1YMIqbZIqqYqn5CAKsHg7r-AqsSCDfaRbEf4ISYJcXMQQE7xMKOs0txRWrVn1AdvOdnzM-G7U05xp9kTISHR7sW-iRsWJUx21miEoUJPWS1ykPl5AIDMqIbd_iml-2_ZSpqHDF8RbsVk7P5A3xgom2A/s4032/IMG_9392.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XYYN9IXiy5Y_wECcuo2w0qEsAnmuFVmOV0NE1YMIqbZIqqYqn5CAKsHg7r-AqsSCDfaRbEf4ISYJcXMQQE7xMKOs0txRWrVn1AdvOdnzM-G7U05xp9kTISHR7sW-iRsWJUx21miEoUJPWS1ykPl5AIDMqIbd_iml-2_ZSpqHDF8RbsVk7P5A3xgom2A/w480-h640/IMG_9392.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p>To prepare brown 2 T. of butter in a pan. Add the dry ingredients from the jar and brown to your desired color without burning it.</p><p>Add 2 3/4 cups of water and simmer for 20 minutes. The liquid should be absorbed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM86Zy_e8vUWTmnOB3tJ8jUFyYFEBwO2lUOUYQLyais7SBdCoNmjLLKpeLNf6KYG2fwQmdpAyT_sejCQ-wds8qQDcjxLWd2TkhKLKD4SL9AWnnJsEGsGZ8sW7bvL1kCD4gxff_jJYUDbdalohJrk6vunoaCzsRKwqe3r69XreL4uTozX5LhSJNkwFnIqg/s4032/IMG_9393.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM86Zy_e8vUWTmnOB3tJ8jUFyYFEBwO2lUOUYQLyais7SBdCoNmjLLKpeLNf6KYG2fwQmdpAyT_sejCQ-wds8qQDcjxLWd2TkhKLKD4SL9AWnnJsEGsGZ8sW7bvL1kCD4gxff_jJYUDbdalohJrk6vunoaCzsRKwqe3r69XreL4uTozX5LhSJNkwFnIqg/w480-h640/IMG_9393.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p>This can be eaten as a side dish or add some meat and vegetables for a hot dish. It’s very good.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-89508723878234624302024-01-07T18:50:00.003-06:002024-01-20T20:01:15.943-06:00Baked Breakfast Egg Cups<p>If I actually had a job or somewhere to go in the morning, this recipe would be a perfect for on the go breakfast. I see them at Costco whenever I go but because these are so easy and less inexpensive to make, I don’t even consider it. They are egg bites. I will include the original recipe, but I rarely follow a recipe exactly. I like to use what I have on hand. Most recipes have wiggle room. I had leftover ham cubes, green pepper from the freezer and some cheddar cheese leftover from Christmas. That is what I used. These are good right out of the oven or you can freeze them for later. If you freeze them either thaw first before heating or heat on a paper towel to absorb moisture. </p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfv-YIZa-sNzK6bzE6xkylIoB6fbb6-o8h3mYPbyZpYgz0_vlult5c3zb6qHh5vJhzFrotgW4b7oyoxtnu3zf8U4EkxjCWWPIyfx5kt8kz5mQBJigV8XfK_xnwPX0flHgnXxyg9u6aQG6GbkedI8lFpyRaIzEfLLmM55DjBGno5nRQkLziJVOpD3ESzQ/s3746/IMG_9331.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3746" data-original-width="2795" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfv-YIZa-sNzK6bzE6xkylIoB6fbb6-o8h3mYPbyZpYgz0_vlult5c3zb6qHh5vJhzFrotgW4b7oyoxtnu3zf8U4EkxjCWWPIyfx5kt8kz5mQBJigV8XfK_xnwPX0flHgnXxyg9u6aQG6GbkedI8lFpyRaIzEfLLmM55DjBGno5nRQkLziJVOpD3ESzQ/w478-h640/IMG_9331.jpeg" width="478" /></a></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Bacon and Egg Breakfast Cups </span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ingredients:</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">12 slices of Canadian bacon (I used Ham cubes)</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1 dozen eggs</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">2 T. grated parmesan (I used cheddar)</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">3/4 cup chopped grape tomatoes (I used green pepper)</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1 T. chives (I omitted)</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and spray or grease a 12-cup muffin pan</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Arrange a bacon slice in each muffin cup. You might have to cut the circle half way through to fit</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Crack 1 egg into each muffin cup (I mixed like scrambled eggs)</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sprinkle with salt and pepper</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Put the cheese on top. If you use chopped tomatoes, put them on top also.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Bake for 15 minutes at 400F. When cool pop them out of the muffin cups and eat or let them cool before freezing.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">When frozen warm in the microwave for a few seconds. They heat up quickly.</span></b></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-5735784366765042022024-01-04T18:24:00.001-06:002024-01-20T20:01:29.121-06:00Make Your Own Hamburger Helper<p>You wouldn’t think it would be necessary for someone in my situation to make meals in a hurry. For me it’s a waste of time to spend hours making meals. Not that I don’t have time but food has become a necessity more than an experience. Recently I watched the Tic Tok of someone named "The Organizer Man”. He helped me out by coming up with an idea. For a year I could not remove the bowl from my kitchen aid mixer. I tried anything I could find on the internet to solve the problem. Washing it was an ordeal, but I love the mixer so I had to make it work. Since this contributor was addressing how to adjust the height of the beater, I asked if he had any ideas on how to remove a stuck bowl. He said his sticks too but he whacks the handle until it loosens. Mine didn’t have a handle to whack so I told him that. He wasn’t sure but said to wrap a piece of electrical tape around the bowl and pull. I used duct tape instead. I made a little loop at the end and put the handle of a mallet through the loop for leverage. In less than two seconds the bowl released. I have since bought a mixing bowl with a handle in case it happens again, but it was a simple idea that I would not have thought of. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikn3T2uwHgqiqf7feGJnMeCihVSb-BH8V9O9AS9ZGh6wtSsa_PxzsaPKTnTpyuNxUax7Rf1FK2WaKJmErSPo44Dzzt3bJKPzrXsteu6QSsPzDLCRb8vPN7MdCBcBE6oCoebBQ5YYK4EmysCqGTi4r__x3mmXefMHb5ulEQTx0gvqnELwEAHpWrH9uNtK0/s3255/IMG_9279.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3255" data-original-width="2745" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikn3T2uwHgqiqf7feGJnMeCihVSb-BH8V9O9AS9ZGh6wtSsa_PxzsaPKTnTpyuNxUax7Rf1FK2WaKJmErSPo44Dzzt3bJKPzrXsteu6QSsPzDLCRb8vPN7MdCBcBE6oCoebBQ5YYK4EmysCqGTi4r__x3mmXefMHb5ulEQTx0gvqnELwEAHpWrH9uNtK0/w169-h200/IMG_9279.jpeg" width="169" /></a></div><p>Since I was sucked into Tik Tok by that time, I watched a few more of his videos. He likes to make dry mixes like ranch dressing, creamed soup mix and the one I made. It’s a Hamburger Helper mix. I am not sure I ever made Hamburger Helper. Maybe I tried it back in the 1970’s because it was cheap so I really can’t say if this recipe is as good as the box mix but this fellow says it is better. I looked up the product and found the ingredients. I am not sure what flavor it was because there are many but it is very high in sodium, and it has ingredients not included in the homemade recipe.</p><p>"Enriched Pasta (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Corn Starch, Salt, Wheat Flour. Contains 2% or less of: Modified Whey, Onion Powder, Color (caramel color, annatto extract), Maltodextrin, Potassium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Corn, Soy, and Wheat Protein, Yeast Extract, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Vegetable Oil (canola, soybean, and/or sunflower oil), Spice, Monoglycerides, Sugar, Safflower Oil, Silicon Dioxide (anticaking agent). "</p><p>Here is the recipe. It is all real food. There is no oil, citric acid, whey protein or dyes. If you want to add cheese, just use “real” cheese. I don’t like things salty so I used scant teaspoons of salt and garlic. </p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Hamburger Helper</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">1 1/2 cups mini lasagna noodles or egg noodles </span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">2 t. paprika</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">1 t. onion powder</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">1 t. garlic powder </span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">1 t. salt</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">1 t. cornstarch</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Save in jar. When ready to prepare just add to</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">1 lb. browned ground beef</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">1 cup water</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">2 cups milk </span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Boil and simmer until noodles are done. Don’t overcook the noodles. Add more liquid if necessary.</span></span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">About 10-12 minutes.</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">You can add sour cream and mushrooms to make it taste more like stroganoff.</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">You can add peas or any veggie you choose.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTl-qL2tdUWeHO5ZUR5AMWueaREqwMisQLLatd0eHoTKUo0ooFvtVhFwD-Nj1NsPS80uz-cVaOUxvfX2SRTQUHBgDAlwaLv-0vfVMJKY5-dtEFHh4pJSrVMo5ojPvmGXIhF4QRWdbsfNlsaJcO0uH2mk3Z6gs5Ib0SKfRnnLIf0eUwrP3osXEUrlqGKnM/s3078/IMG_9300.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3078" data-original-width="2913" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTl-qL2tdUWeHO5ZUR5AMWueaREqwMisQLLatd0eHoTKUo0ooFvtVhFwD-Nj1NsPS80uz-cVaOUxvfX2SRTQUHBgDAlwaLv-0vfVMJKY5-dtEFHh4pJSrVMo5ojPvmGXIhF4QRWdbsfNlsaJcO0uH2mk3Z6gs5Ib0SKfRnnLIf0eUwrP3osXEUrlqGKnM/w379-h400/IMG_9300.jpeg" width="379" /></a></div><p>The dry ingredients are put in a jar one ingredient at a time. I made a label with how to finish making it.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BWFOZWdABolY8gzHJdftCo7l43H61g2nRei36tYzUgQo4MK_ospBZk9sHy3ckIWU_AqkxhnuF-KV-6QpKcDKvmGcVQxijczxfNVAV6WNcUBTlhqh6aC-c5ancUzR_vAPcRqRmC4D5s4Nl4Uw4vWKt4e0eXHvjaXx0u4G0LKeDHFgScH1-KGJ8fl02KM/s4032/IMG_9305.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BWFOZWdABolY8gzHJdftCo7l43H61g2nRei36tYzUgQo4MK_ospBZk9sHy3ckIWU_AqkxhnuF-KV-6QpKcDKvmGcVQxijczxfNVAV6WNcUBTlhqh6aC-c5ancUzR_vAPcRqRmC4D5s4Nl4Uw4vWKt4e0eXHvjaXx0u4G0LKeDHFgScH1-KGJ8fl02KM/w480-h640/IMG_9305.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>When the jars were filled and labeled, I used a mason jar sealer. It pulls the air out of the jar and seals the lid. This way the mix will last for months on a shelf just like a box of Hamburger Helper. It will probably last even longer.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkogp8dave0MFr3iwfF6dYSEzLwXB-pim3N34pCXHAKSHh9cB37o3_HSXPT9FDX72VFNSsVeqREVPuhbAlWHF1Kzw_xMVjaADiY4Vg6kX9JHOHTJTlCrZmVFCyhjiJ51I2cNS-OhomfzJM17LJtbRmJejfMJqvDoreAKcLcnKPJOm3MZyii4iwNPKPjlM/s2838/IMG_9301.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2838" data-original-width="1727" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkogp8dave0MFr3iwfF6dYSEzLwXB-pim3N34pCXHAKSHh9cB37o3_HSXPT9FDX72VFNSsVeqREVPuhbAlWHF1Kzw_xMVjaADiY4Vg6kX9JHOHTJTlCrZmVFCyhjiJ51I2cNS-OhomfzJM17LJtbRmJejfMJqvDoreAKcLcnKPJOm3MZyii4iwNPKPjlM/w390-h640/IMG_9301.jpeg" width="390" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbiO3sHGaokjSVzhnWuRVJ1UeqYvRzkoymGXYqDaWAPki6UsA2fpdzzPUicCsUIKmIN_db1rGoHX-lzlGfQh1MJaCb7BeS0lBIq-CRLKKMYciISF8BouJ0WmgejfqboSrzOYHFsZjkMG6PHTGUDCeIXSpqVdubCQH7q6OB-VH8n5rrc9LdlZSdOQivfc/s1934/IMG_9302.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1934" data-original-width="1811" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbiO3sHGaokjSVzhnWuRVJ1UeqYvRzkoymGXYqDaWAPki6UsA2fpdzzPUicCsUIKmIN_db1rGoHX-lzlGfQh1MJaCb7BeS0lBIq-CRLKKMYciISF8BouJ0WmgejfqboSrzOYHFsZjkMG6PHTGUDCeIXSpqVdubCQH7q6OB-VH8n5rrc9LdlZSdOQivfc/w600-h640/IMG_9302.jpeg" width="600" /></a></div><br /><div>The prepared product doesn’t look very appetizing, but it tastes pretty good. Adding other ingredients like peas or mushrooms modifies the flavors and adds more bulk. This is a terrible recipe for those who won’t mix their food, but for me it’s great. This recipe isn’t huge. Some recipes I have to eat for five days or freeze it. This will only last three or four. It is really hard to cook small quantities. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB47W4ihZiTVm25ys2PLLKRVqC_9tmDwfUjz3E5Fhql_ZA208MapfwxraCskw47GHtadUe7LpZaTu94eIbqBZzIEOJ_jwKawcSxaTzmZ_LitFFiZ8Z60CErlN6M3mzi4wBQCCZX1adCd0pYbPrDIcBCV47eFRj0HhA65W2sbERTJd_JbpqQzuVwFCWveQ/s4032/IMG_9304.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB47W4ihZiTVm25ys2PLLKRVqC_9tmDwfUjz3E5Fhql_ZA208MapfwxraCskw47GHtadUe7LpZaTu94eIbqBZzIEOJ_jwKawcSxaTzmZ_LitFFiZ8Z60CErlN6M3mzi4wBQCCZX1adCd0pYbPrDIcBCV47eFRj0HhA65W2sbERTJd_JbpqQzuVwFCWveQ/w480-h640/IMG_9304.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I make herbed rice mix, vegetable bouillon and dry cream soup mix which I also put in sealed jars. It is so convenient when you don’t know what to make for dinner. I have blogged about how I always have browned ground beef in the freezer. I buy big packages and brown it all at one time. I have blogged different techniques but this is my favorite and easiest. <div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.thecabincountess.com/2014/10/different-technique-for-browning-ground.html">http://www.thecabincountess.com/2014/10/different-technique-for-browning-ground.html</a><br /><div><br /></div></div><div>When looking up the ingredients for Hamburger Helper, I noticed many different varieties. They have a taco flavor that I may try to duplicate. At least it will be more colorful. Stay tuned.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-21157398769029855102023-12-14T12:48:00.000-06:002023-12-14T12:48:55.820-06:00Life's Embarrassing Moments.<p>Life is full of embarrassing moments. Being an introvert I have had more than my share. Every generation has those moments. As new parents it is embarrassing to have your toddler have a meltdown at inopportune moments. We feel it's a reflection on our parenting abilities. Then the tables turn and many teenagers get embarrassed by their parents. A thirteen year old rarely wants a kiss goodbye from their mom. A lot of my childrens embarrassing moments are based on me sharing too much with others. One of my daughters would get embarrassed when I told how many garbage bags of what she considered treasures I took out of her closet. I didn't mean to throw away her collection of dryer lint in many beautiful colors. I won't site anymore examples but we have all had them and many will never be forgotten. Most aren't embarrassing anymore but beautiful memories. Even me sharing too much on this blog causes some eye rolling. <br /></p><p>I am 76 years old and I thought I was beyond being embarrassed, but I was wrong. Recently I attended a play in Baraboo Wisconsin that my grandson was in. I decided I would try to look a little appropriate so I got some dress shoes out of the closet. They were Born brand and even though they were probably out of style, they looked in excellent shape. I have no idea how old they were, but they were probably quite old. These aren't the real shoes, but similar. I don't have a picture of the real shoes and I will explain why.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcQJUgSii96evgCL320UfvC071qJZ8sWGsTPFP1ufh2iBmlxGLLrohie8aW4Q_xOj7quOTRJPsE8CxHHQTNanap8M5QrdqYWVR7AfIUG4VsAZkKyHSKzCCU5FAKdfUZWcHLFDj4Fsv9FlvcRKJAWerWPO7zVJNm2pJe3k2_wAR_nSApFJp6v844NFGgc/s1154/Screenshot%202023-12-14%20at%2011.51.56%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="1154" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcQJUgSii96evgCL320UfvC071qJZ8sWGsTPFP1ufh2iBmlxGLLrohie8aW4Q_xOj7quOTRJPsE8CxHHQTNanap8M5QrdqYWVR7AfIUG4VsAZkKyHSKzCCU5FAKdfUZWcHLFDj4Fsv9FlvcRKJAWerWPO7zVJNm2pJe3k2_wAR_nSApFJp6v844NFGgc/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-14%20at%2011.51.56%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>Before the play we decided to go for dinner in Wisconsin Dells. It was the day after my birthday and my family wanted to treat me to a birthday dinner. We were a bit early and decided to check out the Root Beer museum. I didn't even know such a museum existed. I was walking around and started feeling a little unsteady. I thought that is just great. I hope I don't fall. When I got back in the car, I looked down. On the floor board it looked like someone had dropped a chunk of chocolate. On further inspection, it was a sole from a shoe. I was still oblivious. I said "someone lost part of their shoe". Then the light bulb went on, and I realized that it was ME. Part of my shoe bottom had come off. I took off the shoe and inspected it. Oh my gosh, the whole sole was cracked. I looked at the other shoe and it was in the same condition. No wonder I was unsteady on my feet. I was walking on an unlevel surface. I had no choice but to pull both the soles off the bottom of the shoes right down to the foam insole. Now what to do? Fortunately Wisconsin Dells has an outlet mall. I put my shoes back on and walked into the mall. It felt like I was wearing bedroom slippers. I made a beeline for a shoe store. The first one I saw was the Sketcher store. I tried on a couple pair and settled on the new Sketcher slip-ins, I kept them on and went to pay for them. The sales person looked at me like I was a bit strange when I gave her my old shoes and an empty box. I asked if she could put them in the trash. She then had to make sure the shoes I had on matched up with the empty shoe box. When I passed inspection, I paid for the shoes and we were on our way. It was a blessing. I love my new shoes. They work as advertised. Just slip your foot in. No bending over or sitting down to put on my shoes. Was this embarrassing at the moment? Yes, but as with most of these situations, it made a fun story and I probably have the most comfortable shoes I have ever had. At the restaurant they offered me a birthday shot which I declined. I didn't want to be unsteady in my new shoes too. Lesson learned, even expensive shoes have a shelf life.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7Byie0o9JD6U2-T38dhJCIb-fbDwZvr1YqjKWx4Q4oJj7I51KDOJeTkcoZGE4Wwy2On9SCtZabpGhBSgrNlo_SW4Siib-YyShhjhyphenhyphen3Bwpc18hPLSCM17bLc51Gb4a8K9VXqvtVdydFXLUPYs8BLMk0gy-4z5jPBjpXCWW0-oRvpQcXKavyjWFIOJdM4/s4032/IMG_9217.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7Byie0o9JD6U2-T38dhJCIb-fbDwZvr1YqjKWx4Q4oJj7I51KDOJeTkcoZGE4Wwy2On9SCtZabpGhBSgrNlo_SW4Siib-YyShhjhyphenhyphen3Bwpc18hPLSCM17bLc51Gb4a8K9VXqvtVdydFXLUPYs8BLMk0gy-4z5jPBjpXCWW0-oRvpQcXKavyjWFIOJdM4/w480-h640/IMG_9217.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-71169797368337695862023-12-10T08:46:00.000-06:002023-12-10T08:46:37.748-06:002023 Christmas Crafting Project<div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAZ9fckOrA7cUTp1NlgNvNCz3ntzAnAFwOFksR9fGVpPvfhQNrRZxNhlNJ3KsP7tUsziYCqxvNDSCS674J63SXUgXPgheC-FjruWXupzIN5zW9MxKuQKLRFKqnjGCctAASTI7KZaiYD2u-iiygbh9hgtRmlo3LheQPKsYMAqeIExuRuLVQlAVveX90pE/s4032/AD4B0BBE-FF6A-43FE-A006-CD43487F5B35_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAZ9fckOrA7cUTp1NlgNvNCz3ntzAnAFwOFksR9fGVpPvfhQNrRZxNhlNJ3KsP7tUsziYCqxvNDSCS674J63SXUgXPgheC-FjruWXupzIN5zW9MxKuQKLRFKqnjGCctAASTI7KZaiYD2u-iiygbh9hgtRmlo3LheQPKsYMAqeIExuRuLVQlAVveX90pE/w240-h320/AD4B0BBE-FF6A-43FE-A006-CD43487F5B35_1_201_a.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>My family loves traditions especially my youngest daughter. As the years go by and families change it becomes increasingly difficult. We have to create new traditions. Children grow up and some move away. Eventually they create families of their own and then there are great grandchildren, grandchildren and in-laws. It can get really complicated with these extended families and travel schedules. Everyone has to be flexible. This is why we try to maintain just a few traditions. Most years around Thanksgiving my daughter comes to my house. We go out in the woods and cut pine and cedar boughs for decoration. It is a simple tradition but always fun. Afterwards we may go downtown and look around for new ideas, but mostly it's about spending time together. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvU3ZwamW9oEoinz4nkKMFnE-UM724cERsuW5DHfMs2FATyShQI3fozJ3v9Qk6BapEoipvLZFjUxF0SH1LC1vqAda6jQD6O3tOKrqrf44zFPEsIe6MQyhl2rvk1MeHqJzWKRGsSlRrv56SlssZA7ZBu16bHJdsMtoaSzDC7PBoXYUN0w1uky3oRGJ1Mg/s4032/20534AAE-65EC-4A6C-B1E7-8786EA91F81E.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvU3ZwamW9oEoinz4nkKMFnE-UM724cERsuW5DHfMs2FATyShQI3fozJ3v9Qk6BapEoipvLZFjUxF0SH1LC1vqAda6jQD6O3tOKrqrf44zFPEsIe6MQyhl2rvk1MeHqJzWKRGsSlRrv56SlssZA7ZBu16bHJdsMtoaSzDC7PBoXYUN0w1uky3oRGJ1Mg/w300-h400/20534AAE-65EC-4A6C-B1E7-8786EA91F81E.heic" width="300" /></a> <br /></div><p></p><p>Another tradition is planning a Christmas craft we can do together. We decide on something that can be done in a few hours. This year we wanted to try folding a paperback book into the shape of a Christmas Tree. Thrift stores are the perfect place to find supplies without a huge cost. If it doesn't work out, we don't want to invest a lot of money. For this project we looked for Christmas stories in a paperback book of about 350 pages. The resale stores usually save the Christmas books until the holidays and put a lot of them out together. They are usually 50 cents to $1. There are also a large variety of picture frames for under a $1. A book, a frame, scrapbook paper and some glue is all we needed for this project.</p><p>The plan was to come to my house, but we changed the location to my daughter's house. She has a She Shed full of paper, trimmings and about anything we needed and even some things we didn't even know we needed. </p><p>This was the process. After choosing a book without a lot of cuss words or compromising situations, we started breaking down the spline so the book would lay flat. Finding the center of the book and pressing down in both directions was the best way to flatten it out. Next we started folding each page. First fold from the top right to the center and then fold again to the center. Continue folding about fifty pages toward the back of the book. Then in reverse and fold another fifty pages toward the front. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GQDSFzAbNd1Oz3kESXn__2YNi_7M0_Ss8tYOwQqrozHryf4jbni2TggsspOdnrani2G28EoAnxZhgw4fNungvq7ALgcvxGJRdbigbnZufYgiteGo8IArqbpTRF_mwzzpgAgK-ddtxcdHu95kCSqyX7TbsKLT9igJpdOBrN0UZDMffphdhpOFSsHqjw0/s4032/06F95DAA-96B3-4E04-A5FE-FF9E1B933242.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GQDSFzAbNd1Oz3kESXn__2YNi_7M0_Ss8tYOwQqrozHryf4jbni2TggsspOdnrani2G28EoAnxZhgw4fNungvq7ALgcvxGJRdbigbnZufYgiteGo8IArqbpTRF_mwzzpgAgK-ddtxcdHu95kCSqyX7TbsKLT9igJpdOBrN0UZDMffphdhpOFSsHqjw0/w480-h640/06F95DAA-96B3-4E04-A5FE-FF9E1B933242.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXXTYGGsPpASFDzC9tYTgvfGkQnNf60MEJA8n6-VHhYuNUIFagdwHMBoikOYs7JhoPFGhBSIlNxYCGLktDBju4LkCN5K7vAX-Ny_06AP3EmuzEkM_i0utvh0CZA6g8ziToeZPWVn-aUXcKs4xsaoW4rRfZ5s-EvK_LXs5PCgtGPYXQk0SDaLL6p1Pbzg/s1318/6CB1403F-02D3-42C3-962F-5071E0925BF0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="989" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXXTYGGsPpASFDzC9tYTgvfGkQnNf60MEJA8n6-VHhYuNUIFagdwHMBoikOYs7JhoPFGhBSIlNxYCGLktDBju4LkCN5K7vAX-Ny_06AP3EmuzEkM_i0utvh0CZA6g8ziToeZPWVn-aUXcKs4xsaoW4rRfZ5s-EvK_LXs5PCgtGPYXQk0SDaLL6p1Pbzg/w480-h640/6CB1403F-02D3-42C3-962F-5071E0925BF0.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>When all the pages are creased and folded they will stay in place. After the tree is finished, it's time to pick the background paper, decorate the tree and glue it onto the backing. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Dn_mgSF8iDSalskj6nXESJW8_GaRfc2UGMeI3OVPYlf_Q0YRMjkfMyDYxnZ2HavwVcBZqn9cKaVvK7lSltuxvOtayEIXVXwyZgfjOZKOC0lfqywVu2w6BVmjF7ywqM3tvd3Vrt1NpcZ8GaAw-yhwx18vvUPgUWSQalQVTG56LHSVMgC-9rgzWVY2kUw/s4032/481B16F1-E152-4E8E-8FB5-81D11DB06ECA_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Dn_mgSF8iDSalskj6nXESJW8_GaRfc2UGMeI3OVPYlf_Q0YRMjkfMyDYxnZ2HavwVcBZqn9cKaVvK7lSltuxvOtayEIXVXwyZgfjOZKOC0lfqywVu2w6BVmjF7ywqM3tvd3Vrt1NpcZ8GaAw-yhwx18vvUPgUWSQalQVTG56LHSVMgC-9rgzWVY2kUw/w240-h320/481B16F1-E152-4E8E-8FB5-81D11DB06ECA_1_201_a.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyuLnMg77tOem9wfI6LS2E__cxteRG2GTrwv4lA7sXtxxWLDb1jaAySYpb6qiUNAzUacIKBAWgUgrfRFhsJmn3cr2v-yT9I-yxUqjoABxlyPBxWlaYkWe3dRlN_Awxy1ZbAk9wYrApLbJ9L64JakfPA8rzRmYB2aarsBhYu1H3f59UBKLEr7Np2YkJOo/s4032/B6F81457-CE97-48A8-A9FD-024A24B23DCC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyuLnMg77tOem9wfI6LS2E__cxteRG2GTrwv4lA7sXtxxWLDb1jaAySYpb6qiUNAzUacIKBAWgUgrfRFhsJmn3cr2v-yT9I-yxUqjoABxlyPBxWlaYkWe3dRlN_Awxy1ZbAk9wYrApLbJ9L64JakfPA8rzRmYB2aarsBhYu1H3f59UBKLEr7Np2YkJOo/w300-h400/B6F81457-CE97-48A8-A9FD-024A24B23DCC.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwtMWk4e6tSiUCHPdLr5WbTKfFGNJjOM5kAY7g4QaeJLkRkhTObW1rJcSLrkGcoafWnO5Q1JoS2shCbFTzdw1I9z-eTM14nDP_LlI4KcRmq41Iv-S735pSwdzl8vDZh5vHQFtIvk_fRcynEiNgiY2bKpxN2WPqfVpXuyqz6r_PE304ocIBiV6DmfoZuw/s4032/57B10DFE-84BA-4500-9B78-BE4C58DBB9A2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwtMWk4e6tSiUCHPdLr5WbTKfFGNJjOM5kAY7g4QaeJLkRkhTObW1rJcSLrkGcoafWnO5Q1JoS2shCbFTzdw1I9z-eTM14nDP_LlI4KcRmq41Iv-S735pSwdzl8vDZh5vHQFtIvk_fRcynEiNgiY2bKpxN2WPqfVpXuyqz6r_PE304ocIBiV6DmfoZuw/w300-h400/57B10DFE-84BA-4500-9B78-BE4C58DBB9A2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6FGewwC5XS8R_lX6P8lID_VjvhlOO0usHdDUlRH96GSoa7wrftiXbu9k2IdlS-K_TobP33CRjg_L2xAkT7qyKKN4j3IcIAKFwqArPdDj4cjkiK6tZGYqJI4UQBFq4YrUujdhOJ-PX8di1ZiC7SXecEST0e9Caxfyd5K8SHDMS7rScbIHoJFOI0hXCFg/s3616/9677E4D0-08FA-4CD7-9642-5BA0A57DD905.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3616" data-original-width="2712" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6FGewwC5XS8R_lX6P8lID_VjvhlOO0usHdDUlRH96GSoa7wrftiXbu9k2IdlS-K_TobP33CRjg_L2xAkT7qyKKN4j3IcIAKFwqArPdDj4cjkiK6tZGYqJI4UQBFq4YrUujdhOJ-PX8di1ZiC7SXecEST0e9Caxfyd5K8SHDMS7rScbIHoJFOI0hXCFg/w480-h640/9677E4D0-08FA-4CD7-9642-5BA0A57DD905.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>These are our completed projects. Cute, cheap and fun to make. At first I thought it would take hours to fold all those pages, but it didn't take long at all.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoVEcnpp_vrQkkhN6mJoYTkx1l9PDXnbJZXtsFtOb_CF753ELqE0JQ0I_yJso_1qrJNMBAfwgAh1nfT2Bsom9V3Kre3-wIA9Ixeg4VpHzfxtIwnAMMwbjrFGeDFlA0hva16P3C8VAvG3RTAZa-wRfYz8ciPpVag8C6e2if5E2NDFZiyVZg4EsBK-8e_s/s841/IMG_9187.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="841" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoVEcnpp_vrQkkhN6mJoYTkx1l9PDXnbJZXtsFtOb_CF753ELqE0JQ0I_yJso_1qrJNMBAfwgAh1nfT2Bsom9V3Kre3-wIA9Ixeg4VpHzfxtIwnAMMwbjrFGeDFlA0hva16P3C8VAvG3RTAZa-wRfYz8ciPpVag8C6e2if5E2NDFZiyVZg4EsBK-8e_s/w640-h510/IMG_9187.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0wHdWU18bdxr7WYe_zDHjjq5QicKdFuIsfVaiMqUqZDpxmzqeN57kBiV0vZ01g8hByaRYvxFIaoXCt8h6_-CigErEhy9fwZMM4Sn-HBMhzAz6c1Ek8Vm_vFHbp7JR9kNAzO9Ws9GCVJr52mb5mN3US-pjhVnyzzbeEznGm7kOOBQaeGLRWs4uhyp22g/s960/ED020A97-5E84-456F-A57C-2C71F49083BD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0wHdWU18bdxr7WYe_zDHjjq5QicKdFuIsfVaiMqUqZDpxmzqeN57kBiV0vZ01g8hByaRYvxFIaoXCt8h6_-CigErEhy9fwZMM4Sn-HBMhzAz6c1Ek8Vm_vFHbp7JR9kNAzO9Ws9GCVJr52mb5mN3US-pjhVnyzzbeEznGm7kOOBQaeGLRWs4uhyp22g/w640-h480/ED020A97-5E84-456F-A57C-2C71F49083BD.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2c_y4mNPEwuboI7OhYJfIqZ8nZOd4nZJcigbseQQDH0aggAtQCfIvUNmGSiUvncf5M2ZAUhNUAXgrSSbvHC22jATMVYATee3ZFoe3-DYs59FYAIvhjzWmDnHdKClBAy_i3-Ak74J9Ejug0MfbUmJ-F579mUp90GDbbLVGyX1q8kwiNRYkJ8Ar7mGdmqo/s960/D2D4FA21-746D-4BB4-A9A3-BF358673FFA7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2c_y4mNPEwuboI7OhYJfIqZ8nZOd4nZJcigbseQQDH0aggAtQCfIvUNmGSiUvncf5M2ZAUhNUAXgrSSbvHC22jATMVYATee3ZFoe3-DYs59FYAIvhjzWmDnHdKClBAy_i3-Ak74J9Ejug0MfbUmJ-F579mUp90GDbbLVGyX1q8kwiNRYkJ8Ar7mGdmqo/w480-h640/D2D4FA21-746D-4BB4-A9A3-BF358673FFA7.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p>These are a few of our crafting projects from the past few years. A painted gnome sign, a fabric Christmas tree, tee shirts and a candy cane vase. I still have most of them except for the candy cane vase. In the future we will not be making anything with real candy canes unless we store it in the freezer. You guessed it. Last summer that one melted into a sticky puddle. Good thing we have picture memories.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgONH07hqTKZcxyKg7kq4P20dUE2aUN3mYNy3CdKc1QqKC_TjT6dOBFh9pIsdvr_4TVRoN5bCzBr6maB4AFt1n9FmZq-m6oBsuUaaxIJLUNB3F1nnecFqLEiXDcsrbVRaBmZgRTrzOmbHHwvkzrl7E4xG8OgoVImHnbKCFUXH0MghQ9dBwxk4H0BSAMy4g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgONH07hqTKZcxyKg7kq4P20dUE2aUN3mYNy3CdKc1QqKC_TjT6dOBFh9pIsdvr_4TVRoN5bCzBr6maB4AFt1n9FmZq-m6oBsuUaaxIJLUNB3F1nnecFqLEiXDcsrbVRaBmZgRTrzOmbHHwvkzrl7E4xG8OgoVImHnbKCFUXH0MghQ9dBwxk4H0BSAMy4g=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-vQmJWE2MdLqNuI1jkt1OXTUdgOLzDnVLOxRA2D2ZOn82XGxEyMchyH2JbxtOI0TuQvHlWmTHDEZXI9AxtaUqxCmRc8112RMUYsta0hEFJjjdrl5wpPAIpC5GijupbmcyP4_o7AHUQ9jusQpSfLfZoPatPNPjSk5UdawDwfVTeIwBVosX8y22tRBVB28" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-vQmJWE2MdLqNuI1jkt1OXTUdgOLzDnVLOxRA2D2ZOn82XGxEyMchyH2JbxtOI0TuQvHlWmTHDEZXI9AxtaUqxCmRc8112RMUYsta0hEFJjjdrl5wpPAIpC5GijupbmcyP4_o7AHUQ9jusQpSfLfZoPatPNPjSk5UdawDwfVTeIwBVosX8y22tRBVB28=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipk0hxeHZEG5jj5Bg1TnQDhO3pbGM3KB_OZfLOKnBbAfQxT0Dlivx2PfOHVMCnFenQfI_yBZnbe0gQftpCbXo2cbbVXg28jx-A8wGaOc1mZKZOT-DJwgPAWKhQLOG0iSAKRZIC1MWsWSxQtA3X30VYfi5ndMEoWpItZ_SUYYRarZWlJClU4oz2urPmapk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipk0hxeHZEG5jj5Bg1TnQDhO3pbGM3KB_OZfLOKnBbAfQxT0Dlivx2PfOHVMCnFenQfI_yBZnbe0gQftpCbXo2cbbVXg28jx-A8wGaOc1mZKZOT-DJwgPAWKhQLOG0iSAKRZIC1MWsWSxQtA3X30VYfi5ndMEoWpItZ_SUYYRarZWlJClU4oz2urPmapk=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHkphZk3TslYz1t44NDWIOO2xge-hqUqmKqfSP5pCK7F7B_-18G78o8A1JuZxojFLVFCZdlBtmeStQy9tijiUZ_CHNgWbChUivk0Bv8HwAoqMpfUyxKGJSDG6vMPsen11PAMtJ4H0njM_Cct-kj32EJU7R8C4qLutQiZ52uX3lbYqnmcong9rwv3x8Vu8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1144" data-original-width="686" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHkphZk3TslYz1t44NDWIOO2xge-hqUqmKqfSP5pCK7F7B_-18G78o8A1JuZxojFLVFCZdlBtmeStQy9tijiUZ_CHNgWbChUivk0Bv8HwAoqMpfUyxKGJSDG6vMPsen11PAMtJ4H0njM_Cct-kj32EJU7R8C4qLutQiZ52uX3lbYqnmcong9rwv3x8Vu8=w384-h640" width="384" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Next week we will be making Christmas cookies. All of my grandchildren want to come which makes me very happy. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Make Your Own Traditions Whenever You Can. </b></span><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-67129025242589204202023-12-03T21:01:00.001-06:002023-12-03T21:10:00.160-06:00My New Experience With Competitive Robotics<p>6o years ago when I was in high school there were basic boy's sports which were wrestling, football, track and basketball. Some schools had swimming. I'm not sure when competitive soccer started, but I hadn't even heard of soccer back then. Except for a girl's athletic club called GAA, girls sports in the early to mid sixties were non-existent. There were things like Forensics that have been around for a long time, but there were not as many activities as there are now. Today kids have access to many more competitive sports. I had my first experience with one of them today.</p><p></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76U8OimQSu-MYiJJv3FniAaj4Kw8l5GCEQjCc7V_ivzZFIcesq5Zw61_7v0ZYgu7EJaUKQJUTn6tDKSlWCbOVxds_G0WkVvhdY74TRB8FfWdbZUnhqMyLM4afTdIMgtFTGRDYKAfS_hf_M6KkL_r_09xEEVaLNL5VHVR6e6kjYMxjUu3HQmAYLxDtGvg/s4032/3A5968EB-A2A1-43EB-BD8A-9D3C24976379.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76U8OimQSu-MYiJJv3FniAaj4Kw8l5GCEQjCc7V_ivzZFIcesq5Zw61_7v0ZYgu7EJaUKQJUTn6tDKSlWCbOVxds_G0WkVvhdY74TRB8FfWdbZUnhqMyLM4afTdIMgtFTGRDYKAfS_hf_M6KkL_r_09xEEVaLNL5VHVR6e6kjYMxjUu3HQmAYLxDtGvg/w640-h480/3A5968EB-A2A1-43EB-BD8A-9D3C24976379.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My two youngest grandsons are on their school Robotics team and my son-in-law is one of their coaches. Different schools compete with a team member controlling their robot to toss triballs to the opposing team’s side. Triballs are 3 sided balls. There are several 12' by 12' courts resembling a boxing ring set up in a gymnasium. There are officials keeping score. Different moves are worth different points. Then the teams are ranked by score. In the second half, teams choose which team to work with based on ranking. They compete and are eliminated until there is a champion. This was my first time attending a competition, and I hope I got it right. There is strategy and specific rules but that is way over my head at this point. This is the information on the back of the program. Many of you will understand it better than I do. </div><p></p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwkuPtWneoOt5EMYSYSznOuTqzGlm3wcwkNiK41STc4kJC1S_RUQ2e1nkYDlq0E1V6nFQIzdnKaruSntpfMpzgpOA5Rj3-HXF8RPvo6FF2wAq2OqZnrLpNZx2eQR9J6kZ1WoWXhF43chO0Np7cgyv3QJDi7uB0g7sBr4OeCjA8wHa0zwVY7FYZBdEkUE/s1772/835237FC-DF50-42DC-9CE7-262D4C84B352.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1406" data-original-width="1772" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwkuPtWneoOt5EMYSYSznOuTqzGlm3wcwkNiK41STc4kJC1S_RUQ2e1nkYDlq0E1V6nFQIzdnKaruSntpfMpzgpOA5Rj3-HXF8RPvo6FF2wAq2OqZnrLpNZx2eQR9J6kZ1WoWXhF43chO0Np7cgyv3QJDi7uB0g7sBr4OeCjA8wHa0zwVY7FYZBdEkUE/w640-h508/835237FC-DF50-42DC-9CE7-262D4C84B352.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBNkiQ_woSBcArcQBFJyXhkcC3ixvqfePv9kfuVqPXNAPm7aIf5vo8OUsNwY7EDMMNSBVoWOYK1u-SyeUYJOsUkdVVSkukGIer4KZ2b8VxeujavaoDebIh6MMy0zFG_sXTVR13aNShFeSH1HDNBZGM44V-zUHY_ltHsqiYQ2TXSmSP9Qf1qf97QGsA_Q/s4032/B904EF09-F621-4478-B9E4-FBBEEAAD0744.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBNkiQ_woSBcArcQBFJyXhkcC3ixvqfePv9kfuVqPXNAPm7aIf5vo8OUsNwY7EDMMNSBVoWOYK1u-SyeUYJOsUkdVVSkukGIer4KZ2b8VxeujavaoDebIh6MMy0zFG_sXTVR13aNShFeSH1HDNBZGM44V-zUHY_ltHsqiYQ2TXSmSP9Qf1qf97QGsA_Q/w480-h640/B904EF09-F621-4478-B9E4-FBBEEAAD0744.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhupeaJ0JwUeKS7eB5FApSfkKkWo-zVdXUhWqKo4wfURbmIOTSNijI-ns1CojyhORb2k7QRoQvMoisoW7wNR3i_fA1FY7ca47vhqC7wpVpb-JAY7CvyWFt3tkmOsVVovstMtw5N5aoNO5aEX2Pq2_fbLs4Yxv1ouwTziuC2Wbr2zC7ljEA6IlfGQdYwE/s4032/8B7ADF08-52C2-4774-8BF4-FB9627C3B2F5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhupeaJ0JwUeKS7eB5FApSfkKkWo-zVdXUhWqKo4wfURbmIOTSNijI-ns1CojyhORb2k7QRoQvMoisoW7wNR3i_fA1FY7ca47vhqC7wpVpb-JAY7CvyWFt3tkmOsVVovstMtw5N5aoNO5aEX2Pq2_fbLs4Yxv1ouwTziuC2Wbr2zC7ljEA6IlfGQdYwE/w480-h640/8B7ADF08-52C2-4774-8BF4-FB9627C3B2F5.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p>I really enjoyed it. I was surprised this was the 10th year of competition at this school. I am really late to the party. Robots were something I learned about in the old cartoon show The Jetsons but that was fiction. Now they are common place. My daughter told me that UW Eau Claire has robots deliver food to student dorms by using an app. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXBkcfZmW5-wMCuMOrxFrZtmqKtmwIyzO7XX3OBVP9Xo3cf3dW6rrDxM3jtcPFGxH7G40k3M9DCjnXY57YmgHKRnGP2AgB2U98JVVjUzb6ZpCj7IQA2YicnHUJp_6qQZSXh4ik6w74gdwNZFpyboZ9SqaidmRBdzISxwU4ZPxGSkUnxN37bDLcKQtwCU/s1792/07E95E7D-06FC-428D-95F7-5D6AF3B11018.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="1008" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXBkcfZmW5-wMCuMOrxFrZtmqKtmwIyzO7XX3OBVP9Xo3cf3dW6rrDxM3jtcPFGxH7G40k3M9DCjnXY57YmgHKRnGP2AgB2U98JVVjUzb6ZpCj7IQA2YicnHUJp_6qQZSXh4ik6w74gdwNZFpyboZ9SqaidmRBdzISxwU4ZPxGSkUnxN37bDLcKQtwCU/w360-h640/07E95E7D-06FC-428D-95F7-5D6AF3B11018.jpeg" width="360" /></a></div><p></p><p>This is normal to young people, but it is hard for me to comprehend. Robotics is a sport that anyone interested can participate in. Most kids are proficient at video games and using a remote control. I can open my garage door but that's about it. There are girl and boy participants. My grandson Jack broke his foot and was on crutches, but he could still participate. My other grandson Ewan is in eighth grade but could be on a team with high school teammates. The best part is that cousins could hang out together with Jack's uncle and Ewan's dad and both my daughters could spend time together.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxs_Nw9TSvOTesv34qT315UrJyLmub7W3Q-YLo3omTKyLIDJp9o6ai4IictgoO87jXr94UHFA4VVtejlbdnaP-9chfgyLw7AMwewhGO-ZOPpuPD26A1wz0iOV9s_H5e8OiD6bnINeqjM0wCq8Oumq87wD3XfPOgyVoIUStM80gHcixu1TH4GCTg4eXS8/s4032/21CADD75-4EF8-4DF1-BFF8-0110FC571786.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxs_Nw9TSvOTesv34qT315UrJyLmub7W3Q-YLo3omTKyLIDJp9o6ai4IictgoO87jXr94UHFA4VVtejlbdnaP-9chfgyLw7AMwewhGO-ZOPpuPD26A1wz0iOV9s_H5e8OiD6bnINeqjM0wCq8Oumq87wD3XfPOgyVoIUStM80gHcixu1TH4GCTg4eXS8/w480-h640/21CADD75-4EF8-4DF1-BFF8-0110FC571786.heic" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhzZHz4tiOVveViUASy-gxCUu2BByGdCzPbrGYJF0KGH04GGmhcW1doSx0e1902iT4iXVLYpei8M26mj5KlkpHIrtfitsVGluqm9sec9d7ZZWPKegODo8vKMA9ELUtXAtZFEcYbrPgeRTCk9mniXmMXTbgaxv2MqrGv7bub7sMSSxqGadZgSK2rOlN_E/s4032/AC974BBE-7FEC-4C06-A856-AB46C2A414BF.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhzZHz4tiOVveViUASy-gxCUu2BByGdCzPbrGYJF0KGH04GGmhcW1doSx0e1902iT4iXVLYpei8M26mj5KlkpHIrtfitsVGluqm9sec9d7ZZWPKegODo8vKMA9ELUtXAtZFEcYbrPgeRTCk9mniXmMXTbgaxv2MqrGv7bub7sMSSxqGadZgSK2rOlN_E/w640-h480/AC974BBE-7FEC-4C06-A856-AB46C2A414BF.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-88238347216923480032023-11-12T21:48:00.002-06:002023-11-13T11:32:45.603-06:00Pumpkin Pie Squares<p>With Thanksgiving Day just around the corner I am reminded of a recipe I made over twenty years ago. I just basically forgot about it until recently when I was trying to sort through my recipe drawer. I never did get it sorted because I got distracted so many times by some of my old tried and true recipes. This is one of those recipes. I made it today to see if it's as good as I remembered it to be. It was very good. I think I would cut back on the sugar in the filling a bit, but otherwise it tasted as I remembered it. It saves the hassle of making traditional crust. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY_LRQLXosM8N-osnfvppefP3DUD4IwkI3_NEekwF63HWUqYhdypg1JlcoT0bxQlsdegTe2m3uRrIyOURM6cJZXI7GysD6avj-bfhTp3WCH_73zEGxq9gWFnZgKjnPUlNErvu0GgWxHb-qgy9bdgANjVtcWUdp_r3UZJWkWFhhuKbcmMi7d8qW0h6EA1s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3862" data-original-width="2909" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY_LRQLXosM8N-osnfvppefP3DUD4IwkI3_NEekwF63HWUqYhdypg1JlcoT0bxQlsdegTe2m3uRrIyOURM6cJZXI7GysD6avj-bfhTp3WCH_73zEGxq9gWFnZgKjnPUlNErvu0GgWxHb-qgy9bdgANjVtcWUdp_r3UZJWkWFhhuKbcmMi7d8qW0h6EA1s=w483-h640" width="483" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Pumpkin Pie Squares</span></b></p><p><b>Combine:</b></p><p><b>1 cup flour</b></p><p><b>1/2 cup quick oatmeal</b></p><p><b>1/2 cup packed brown sugar</b></p><p><b>Cut in 1/2 cup of butter until crumbly and incorporated. Then press into an ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Bake it at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.</b></p><p><b>While that is baking, combine</b></p><p><b>1 small (15 oz) can of pumpkin</b></p><p><b>1 can of evaporated milk</b></p><p><b>2 eggs</b></p><p><b>3/4 cup sugar (could be cut to 1/2 cup)</b></p><p><b>1/2 t. salt</b></p><p><b>1 3/4 t. pumpkin pie spice or (1 t . cinnamon, 1/2 t. ginger and 1/4 t. cloves)</b></p><p><b>Beat the mixture well and pour onto the warm crust. Bake at 350 degrees about 25 minutes.</b></p><p><b>While that is baking mix together:</b></p><p><b>1/2 cup chopped pecans</b></p><p><b>1/2 cup brown sugar<span> </span> </b></p><p><b>2 T. butter<br /></b></p><p><b>Sprinkle the mixture over the pumpkin filling and return to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes more or until the filling is set.</b></p><p><b>When cool, refrigerate. </b><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-86466136265376910732023-10-25T21:36:00.000-05:002023-10-25T21:36:50.264-05:00Salted Caramel Coffee Creamer <p><span style="font-size: medium;">In this blog I am going to be combining two recipes I have written about in the past. I am making salted caramel coffee creamer. Nine years ago I posted another recipe for Peppermint Mocha creamer. It is very good too. <a href="http://www.thecabincountess.com/2014/12/peppermint-mocha-creamer.html">http://www.thecabincountess.com/2014/12/peppermint-mocha-creamer.html</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXhxyGTUBtJhXLkNsqrXW3ezqTZYX6DRFfq8KtXB_Y7R7haHx2EWKiEJQFpqfJBOQ2ha0HoAn04LUH6lGewahzAmgQyq0PCRclM84ofmre8RE9lx80eabZkEaN6yTgqlkFF5-IeBWrGiQOmqFhmR5yGblYcsoKkKet7CcVtz_jvyurZR4jNhjHBdHsFs/s4032/2A9837AA-C53A-44CE-BACD-16788FA17D43.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXhxyGTUBtJhXLkNsqrXW3ezqTZYX6DRFfq8KtXB_Y7R7haHx2EWKiEJQFpqfJBOQ2ha0HoAn04LUH6lGewahzAmgQyq0PCRclM84ofmre8RE9lx80eabZkEaN6yTgqlkFF5-IeBWrGiQOmqFhmR5yGblYcsoKkKet7CcVtz_jvyurZR4jNhjHBdHsFs/w480-h640/2A9837AA-C53A-44CE-BACD-16788FA17D43.heic" width="480" /></a></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> <br /></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The first ingredient in this recipe is 2 cups of half and half or milk. I made a half recipe of Cashew milk to use instead of Cow's milk. One half recipe is 1/2 cup of cashews and 2 cups of water. <a href="http://www.thecabincountess.com/2023/03/cashew-milk.html">http://www.thecabincountess.com/2023/03/cashew-milk.html</a></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 0, 0); color: #330000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Cashew Milk</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 0, 0); color: #330000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">1 cup raw cashews (pieces are fine)</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 0, 0); color: #330000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">4 cups water</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 0, 0); color: #330000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Soak the cashews for two hours and drain off the water. </p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 0, 0); color: #330000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">In a high power blender add the soaked cashews to two cups of water. Blend for 2 minutes.</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 0, 0); color: #330000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Then add the rest of the water (another 2 cups) and blend for another minute.</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(51, 0, 0); color: #330000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">It's ready, no straining necessary. As you can see, it's a white creamy milk that can be interchanged with dairy milk in most recipes. <br /></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The next ingredient is caramel made with one can of sweetened condensed milk in the instant pot.</span></p><p><a href="http://www.thecabincountess.com/2017/08/making-caramel-from-sweetened-condensed.html"><span style="font-size: medium;">http://www.thecabincountess.com/2017/08/making-caramel-from-sweetened-condensed.html</span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbBfXfpsjpciW8vsbdgA0Mhz0o5s-cWz2aEuzZGmu_gp8JjC4aAtQZGGtPyyi0eaUKCGWKDSIziBI9GL93IWKMyDds2z2GvHdSWRmbmQA_SteiLcwvArIUDzmu5CZClAAosxx_v98Xk66bXUhBKMx2OCd7hwX8GoiwvDWT2UdPIHdcdsJrB-56aQg6Mo/s2896/D3D43EF6-432A-46EA-BE68-5DD215B1AF15.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2496" data-original-width="2896" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbBfXfpsjpciW8vsbdgA0Mhz0o5s-cWz2aEuzZGmu_gp8JjC4aAtQZGGtPyyi0eaUKCGWKDSIziBI9GL93IWKMyDds2z2GvHdSWRmbmQA_SteiLcwvArIUDzmu5CZClAAosxx_v98Xk66bXUhBKMx2OCd7hwX8GoiwvDWT2UdPIHdcdsJrB-56aQg6Mo/w640-h552/D3D43EF6-432A-46EA-BE68-5DD215B1AF15.heic" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you look at the ingredients in most coffee creamers, you will see added ingredients like palm or vegetable oil, preservatives, flavoring and emulsifiers. Coffeemate Natural Bliss has good ingredients but always read the label. If you don't know what an ingredient is or how to pronounce it, then you probably shouldn't eat or drink it. This recipe isn't dairy free, but I cut the dairy by using cashew milk. Sweetened condensed milk contains only milk and sugar, nothing extra is added. The calories in this creamer is low. With the cashew milk it's about 30 calories per tablespoon. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Salted Caramel Coffee Creamer</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">2 cups milk (I used Cashew milk)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">1 cup of caramel (one can of sweetened condensed milk made into caramel)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">1/2 tsp sea salt</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">1 tsp vanilla</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and warm over medium heat until the caramel dissolves. Don't boil but warm until it's blended.</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Put this in a jar and store in the refrigerator. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I don't use creamer in hot coffee. I like it black, but this is really good in iced coffee. I make cold brew coffee with a special cold brew filter infuser that fits in a two quart wide mouth mason jar. I just put about 1/3 cup of course ground coffee in the filter and place it in a two quart jar. I add filtered water to fill the jar and put the lid on. I let it sit for at least 12 hours. You can add more coffee for a stronger brew. When I want an iced coffee, I pour this cold brew over ice and add enough of this creamer to taste. Delicious.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrI-G5vGZ3-3R6qizLUCI0Nw6VP69Puqdl86YIf3izgEuByBRvsQPw0srDOaegBCzxNov05HKc1L0fDu2EfxhT5Amej4woAxFnK7b_pgAbDNvFGEJ2Njopf-yF5HZoRySMswJXxuInWj94X9iV5bzDNHsuvXYEkCVunV_aS5jhqXeZ_IajIBS93tCOz78/s3309/IMG_8901.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3309" data-original-width="2538" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrI-G5vGZ3-3R6qizLUCI0Nw6VP69Puqdl86YIf3izgEuByBRvsQPw0srDOaegBCzxNov05HKc1L0fDu2EfxhT5Amej4woAxFnK7b_pgAbDNvFGEJ2Njopf-yF5HZoRySMswJXxuInWj94X9iV5bzDNHsuvXYEkCVunV_aS5jhqXeZ_IajIBS93tCOz78/w490-h640/IMG_8901.HEIC" width="490" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOX6QWL_tTAktw1tH6pt_XCPQcL_ckdVv1_dhltM4Yxd58m3CmjH7So585ROyJOWTcHs5U46Bq2iV_cQ6SmUFTN4osENPwNJowYAYYCFwNtNMGQY-rh0N9qEHazAHfFJkq1unkZWKKXPXlF7KjIR33cPtAwexBha5aghLJZlRp4FQ03hrkvX2ath8pOE/s4032/D2CCDFF4-E286-4F8B-BEF5-642971575AB9.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOX6QWL_tTAktw1tH6pt_XCPQcL_ckdVv1_dhltM4Yxd58m3CmjH7So585ROyJOWTcHs5U46Bq2iV_cQ6SmUFTN4osENPwNJowYAYYCFwNtNMGQY-rh0N9qEHazAHfFJkq1unkZWKKXPXlF7KjIR33cPtAwexBha5aghLJZlRp4FQ03hrkvX2ath8pOE/w480-h640/D2CCDFF4-E286-4F8B-BEF5-642971575AB9.heic" width="480" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-33168467456871177142023-10-17T19:08:00.000-05:002023-10-17T19:08:04.438-05:00Summer Vacation 2023 - Part 2<p>Just a short time ago Wisconsin had record breaking warm temperatures. With temperatures in the 80's I wasn't thinking how close to fall and winter we were. Today the high is 55 degrees and reality has set in. I want to write about the rest of my summer vacation before I have to shovel snow.</p><p>In part one of my summer vacation I wrote about our great trip to South Dakota. My oldest grandson was staying in my house so I had no worries about leaving. It made it even more relaxing not being concerned about leaving the lights on or forgetting to unplug something. When I returned home it was as if I hadn't left. I was home for a couple weeks and then it was time to visit Traverse City Michigan. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgp6scgeay59mib63Dnh33VBc-80828kZeqUMNjhpvUAepgleI9SbaC8Mmn0emHvVb7LsnKsrmOp87t6IWTMBfWJpJ5CrBH5AsaAQ6iF1vUCbv0yX9qcIgTiw1s-v7al9Ukwf9aaGcvA6Lhcvvy6aRYLR1VcGbbZ1M6U_3c76S_RxJWq6kjx5S_0q5uRc/s5184/50ABECF4-6829-4AB7-90D7-30ABFBDB5EFB_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgp6scgeay59mib63Dnh33VBc-80828kZeqUMNjhpvUAepgleI9SbaC8Mmn0emHvVb7LsnKsrmOp87t6IWTMBfWJpJ5CrBH5AsaAQ6iF1vUCbv0yX9qcIgTiw1s-v7al9Ukwf9aaGcvA6Lhcvvy6aRYLR1VcGbbZ1M6U_3c76S_RxJWq6kjx5S_0q5uRc/w640-h426/50ABECF4-6829-4AB7-90D7-30ABFBDB5EFB_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>My sister and her husband live there and their children get together for a week every summer. For the past few years my daughter and family have joined them in the fun. This summer was no exception. We all had a wonderful time. Traverse City is so gorgeous and has become a popular place for well known celebrities. My sister has a famous neighbor but I won't mention the name. They need private time but I have to say I spied on them for an embarrassing amount of time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVshs6HmDoGV88TxOlye26C0gZMHNVXQOiBtXZlSESq6Jma6fg23GjiSBE9KKgDEYcL2DMe8vzxWsdyTloRd3PDpF86YOCRiEWcxTFd75iaKA1bo5PfVeGAg00hB7JrbYqvB14KUh6F8Q8RRE6wUCB04hXi7OwB71lkkf54DKrVnhDBfzR2OLCZn9wbIU/s5184/2DC13C8C-28C1-430F-B640-4DBEEA668DE0_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVshs6HmDoGV88TxOlye26C0gZMHNVXQOiBtXZlSESq6Jma6fg23GjiSBE9KKgDEYcL2DMe8vzxWsdyTloRd3PDpF86YOCRiEWcxTFd75iaKA1bo5PfVeGAg00hB7JrbYqvB14KUh6F8Q8RRE6wUCB04hXi7OwB71lkkf54DKrVnhDBfzR2OLCZn9wbIU/w640-h426/2DC13C8C-28C1-430F-B640-4DBEEA668DE0_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The kids filled their time with many different activities. Those over 21 went on a wine and ale tour. I didn't go so I don't really know how it worked, but I do know they laughed a lot and had a great time traveling from place to place on a trolley/bus and sampling the products. We all met for pizza afterward. It was fantastic.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgYEwv-_KEEkISBYYc3wjN37Mp_0e_np2JnQtFEXL6PoBGpimSY2zbeECQNaQdekIzwHmK-8omHH7FYAJdqI8qNu7HBCrMbFMdK8Ifz0ir_SqFXxLEJVCplw-ywUNMG7J1F0CjWnfpmMnBNrPx3l9G_rrGqe401I2BkHHNRUyxNTRRtFlI4TX88fmPwQ/s3024/385874F3-B044-453D-AE35-0866812C8BA5_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1765" data-original-width="3024" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgYEwv-_KEEkISBYYc3wjN37Mp_0e_np2JnQtFEXL6PoBGpimSY2zbeECQNaQdekIzwHmK-8omHH7FYAJdqI8qNu7HBCrMbFMdK8Ifz0ir_SqFXxLEJVCplw-ywUNMG7J1F0CjWnfpmMnBNrPx3l9G_rrGqe401I2BkHHNRUyxNTRRtFlI4TX88fmPwQ/w640-h374/385874F3-B044-453D-AE35-0866812C8BA5_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLhlhXP36oeAbbjRNu2U_rLQoXLv1-nXrZXaV8yFQNnD3iNZ4IQasR9HnjTwv14oOxJHb-w-zuWFjzs52iWf9DzJGsAbBlhXbBmWV-JPvzMZJ002XU1WYigM-zQo7V_cHLOCLb0BjYk91G5XFUmLii4QptnVMJSWFturdiQLpxcD9-sX6n6kDGcTCdGM/s3254/AF4145A5-3005-43F3-843A-E7A661F29FA0_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3254" data-original-width="2440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLhlhXP36oeAbbjRNu2U_rLQoXLv1-nXrZXaV8yFQNnD3iNZ4IQasR9HnjTwv14oOxJHb-w-zuWFjzs52iWf9DzJGsAbBlhXbBmWV-JPvzMZJ002XU1WYigM-zQo7V_cHLOCLb0BjYk91G5XFUmLii4QptnVMJSWFturdiQLpxcD9-sX6n6kDGcTCdGM/w480-h640/AF4145A5-3005-43F3-843A-E7A661F29FA0_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Most of the time the kids did their thing, and we did ours. We sat on the beach near the Mission Point lighthouse at the tip of the Old Mission peninsula, we ate out a few times, we watched my nieces darling little girl and spent a lot of quality time chatting. For a few of the major activities we went to watch the fun. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSonXwUDsYGdulw9ts1ZLlFuwTaww0x9C2R98Gb0OnnlFLo1clTD4qUNgXo2dpcbrP-6zu99DDTQJg7tu48iOyUhGt9sOp96oL45G0ZNH4dw4i4OPTYGSPmJDnTdM5MnSCa5BWr6ewd8-IfkpMCZW4f9xvUcawFZl7VDhidDQxoAEnJNZnYOOwfL_S9eU/s5184/7A70108E-E118-4ED4-A0F1-A632CD8A9095_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSonXwUDsYGdulw9ts1ZLlFuwTaww0x9C2R98Gb0OnnlFLo1clTD4qUNgXo2dpcbrP-6zu99DDTQJg7tu48iOyUhGt9sOp96oL45G0ZNH4dw4i4OPTYGSPmJDnTdM5MnSCa5BWr6ewd8-IfkpMCZW4f9xvUcawFZl7VDhidDQxoAEnJNZnYOOwfL_S9eU/w640-h426/7A70108E-E118-4ED4-A0F1-A632CD8A9095_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Traverse City Michigan has an outdoor experience called Wheels on Rails. They have modified rail cars with bicycle pedals allowing participants to pedal along existing rails that are out of service. I didn't actually see this activity, but the pictures looked like so much fun .</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2xLjjTmbBveYrwGf8k1MVGrW-1XYuuklLf53Tm0bgxYMpgZh8o28cSmNQpmriQ52NSI9i-nEp8kzd8h8YaZk7ryRLz6nvxUJHpjd8Zb6nYcMhPLy6YpLeP2wBOLeh4sjoTF4-l7qojgD9o4XIZ5K8kAAl25aIvhy9XtYCKuBHouAKEZvnrT9oMG5hvY/s4032/4CC1C495-140D-4F5E-80EE-E7317CF5EB3E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2xLjjTmbBveYrwGf8k1MVGrW-1XYuuklLf53Tm0bgxYMpgZh8o28cSmNQpmriQ52NSI9i-nEp8kzd8h8YaZk7ryRLz6nvxUJHpjd8Zb6nYcMhPLy6YpLeP2wBOLeh4sjoTF4-l7qojgD9o4XIZ5K8kAAl25aIvhy9XtYCKuBHouAKEZvnrT9oMG5hvY/w480-h640/4CC1C495-140D-4F5E-80EE-E7317CF5EB3E.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlG1PLNGeUkTefoP29EiaYex9-PJPFZClYncKWz91cT8uyTZjG3TwOAl_x-YFFtGHLxrH9sepZ6eJEXgmiOaZA8LVYEtJDT6F79HTBYfbS-jY4HEvYk5KH20jr_F9k7l4kK4UD58JVDQf5cFvhUitJ02zzTG-msajFDEtKIHE1-mVtdGBFziJzmVKeP0/s4032/6ADACA75-C10F-4207-A1D9-D921AB630370.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlG1PLNGeUkTefoP29EiaYex9-PJPFZClYncKWz91cT8uyTZjG3TwOAl_x-YFFtGHLxrH9sepZ6eJEXgmiOaZA8LVYEtJDT6F79HTBYfbS-jY4HEvYk5KH20jr_F9k7l4kK4UD58JVDQf5cFvhUitJ02zzTG-msajFDEtKIHE1-mVtdGBFziJzmVKeP0/w480-h640/6ADACA75-C10F-4207-A1D9-D921AB630370.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>They climbed the Sleeping Bear dunes. It was quite a workout but everyone made it. I remember trying it several years ago, and it isn't easy to climb in sand.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT156hcUVEOe1Km24fxzXqkQc7pGLbUFY8Kt2zx9nvgKdWHGMB9VJZSSFuVZXyJmLG0M6jlBe0tc_kB2JZ2msNmhxTcNdyQlGROv4FwiTau6Cv3GSQxbotBsXSrZZq7STec94ga704BNPR32F0T1YguVaj1YthRIL2OG43zgYNRskFrnXl0s4wEOa5Xno/s4032/2085586A-B051-45FC-933C-F60D8978DA28.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT156hcUVEOe1Km24fxzXqkQc7pGLbUFY8Kt2zx9nvgKdWHGMB9VJZSSFuVZXyJmLG0M6jlBe0tc_kB2JZ2msNmhxTcNdyQlGROv4FwiTau6Cv3GSQxbotBsXSrZZq7STec94ga704BNPR32F0T1YguVaj1YthRIL2OG43zgYNRskFrnXl0s4wEOa5Xno/w480-h640/2085586A-B051-45FC-933C-F60D8978DA28.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Some of the younger kids had a parasailing experience over Traverse Bay. They were nervous but had a lot of fun. At my age I would never have been brave enough to do it, but it was great to watch from shore. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8d6qzhcU6dcV8Pb-AU8wBkDY8H2ysHD40s_BydgaCIuDuac6VyDa0fB5ziJUP6gQ2gxgAsB_XOejO_gwZzCgSxvPidQf6Vx15CMY6M_ndXcPf_rxHi5GIKBEIAx9ZRnNuOweD9YVrVJ_hlImrkqhJEDseQeFgBo3myV5L5M5ZDb96NWChVxwvLhm7GbM/s3318/2BD48BA9-3F00-4DFB-A083-05CDD3C7F92F_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1991" data-original-width="3318" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8d6qzhcU6dcV8Pb-AU8wBkDY8H2ysHD40s_BydgaCIuDuac6VyDa0fB5ziJUP6gQ2gxgAsB_XOejO_gwZzCgSxvPidQf6Vx15CMY6M_ndXcPf_rxHi5GIKBEIAx9ZRnNuOweD9YVrVJ_hlImrkqhJEDseQeFgBo3myV5L5M5ZDb96NWChVxwvLhm7GbM/w640-h384/2BD48BA9-3F00-4DFB-A083-05CDD3C7F92F_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyS6KS4OPkT_PvvP9y9BeCIRB4YJKU0NzqHsR-7f8gZb3GuK0mzxBF59H-1_bCW5MvrXWuHXcaeq-2M4DtH8KQn-OyiPA5KBPQQSuUEplFXO3JmXBqYJ4wTn7ueku_TdTGz0HPmxEsEN2SPZVTlBg2dTn8IuX42ciyKTmsAGFtuOd-fvwGueDK32v3cHY/s5184/3E6CA034-1053-46F3-98F1-A48390F173D1_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyS6KS4OPkT_PvvP9y9BeCIRB4YJKU0NzqHsR-7f8gZb3GuK0mzxBF59H-1_bCW5MvrXWuHXcaeq-2M4DtH8KQn-OyiPA5KBPQQSuUEplFXO3JmXBqYJ4wTn7ueku_TdTGz0HPmxEsEN2SPZVTlBg2dTn8IuX42ciyKTmsAGFtuOd-fvwGueDK32v3cHY/w640-h426/3E6CA034-1053-46F3-98F1-A48390F173D1_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOf2C6tJnr2UPvAFbnWr198Zhnl-QrWy4jzcqr25PKQJHCC6wynooFkJVO7WheLFWcWdQwOFAUoyCqCDukUlVGocPnHWafN7Owlc5wG-CD06fBdPf_JI0vUs2Z0jRmVc9ETBLjI62_iG6VB9LEgL7GOlxkdgAI5qY9dbkgW-QLdmcPXM0UY_OstsD_qk/s2142/2104CBAF-230A-4EB0-8FC5-9D97F8F4893C_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1285" data-original-width="2142" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOf2C6tJnr2UPvAFbnWr198Zhnl-QrWy4jzcqr25PKQJHCC6wynooFkJVO7WheLFWcWdQwOFAUoyCqCDukUlVGocPnHWafN7Owlc5wG-CD06fBdPf_JI0vUs2Z0jRmVc9ETBLjI62_iG6VB9LEgL7GOlxkdgAI5qY9dbkgW-QLdmcPXM0UY_OstsD_qk/w640-h384/2104CBAF-230A-4EB0-8FC5-9D97F8F4893C_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28_eZer1YiX9tBakXdRAaxwX88aq0s1LT8DxivW3x5dCJY-JiXjq1r661IQOXz4bJB4iWIa-CnXIbrwrv7EACiUBg1EKtw3Z74q7LI9xYH7mBTJGO4cBhEjLnAb-gzRHuNlDinmc2o-njL93Va879wxHuuPIT5zNMHuiqgeR-KfIeCAKDkChjWFliiUw/s1725/F9370719-A1F0-4340-B2CE-9AC4313AB3DB_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1725" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28_eZer1YiX9tBakXdRAaxwX88aq0s1LT8DxivW3x5dCJY-JiXjq1r661IQOXz4bJB4iWIa-CnXIbrwrv7EACiUBg1EKtw3Z74q7LI9xYH7mBTJGO4cBhEjLnAb-gzRHuNlDinmc2o-njL93Va879wxHuuPIT5zNMHuiqgeR-KfIeCAKDkChjWFliiUw/w640-h458/F9370719-A1F0-4340-B2CE-9AC4313AB3DB_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>We attended a minor league baseball game. Traverse City's home team is called the Pit Spitters. The city is known for having a National Cherry Festival and produces 40% of the nations tart cherry crop so I guess the team name is based on spitting out cherry pits. They played the Kenosha Kingfish. Of course I cheered for the Wisconsin team. There were a lot of empty seats, but it was a great night for baseball.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizn5I-pjclzSAcRx5mPNmU4ZGyQOwMaSJq2S7FO8_M0abJa-B8pfdAnqzeXV8oGDzKaSnn_y0Ik4hsfT_hpcOXsIfG4J6vhOBsGS7dFogXHf63LVP10KmpOwnDXNDOGZJzP46d2AygLfW5FaYC6wkUMNOxISZVeVs3zBoMg-CeTmBozetIe4ziBeKaNvM/s4032/0E616304-C520-4267-A8B6-564AB36F4E69.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizn5I-pjclzSAcRx5mPNmU4ZGyQOwMaSJq2S7FO8_M0abJa-B8pfdAnqzeXV8oGDzKaSnn_y0Ik4hsfT_hpcOXsIfG4J6vhOBsGS7dFogXHf63LVP10KmpOwnDXNDOGZJzP46d2AygLfW5FaYC6wkUMNOxISZVeVs3zBoMg-CeTmBozetIe4ziBeKaNvM/w480-h640/0E616304-C520-4267-A8B6-564AB36F4E69.heic" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Right up there with parasailing was the most unusual activity of the week. The entire group took curling lessons at a local curling club. Most had never played before and knew nothing about the sport, but they caught on quickly. Many of the group are very competitive so it was fun to watch. Afterward the club provided a great dinner. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSERq0opLWbtCrK7I4chw1Coj6SwdODQ3fkrUkkURQI8eyT0p_NhDBane9hotIdqIxxSRcwM4ee_fz2h-SuuUxRVmE7Oa7JuEkd_E1trrzCnUxUvKkp14kweSuICpfU_1ad8edL0mYUrGBJDQQZd-QV2Ghcj7q1BhjyGyS5ynCLiQ7zS5qmyVuK2aFu4/s4032/1A84263C-33FE-427A-B63E-4107540ADF74.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSERq0opLWbtCrK7I4chw1Coj6SwdODQ3fkrUkkURQI8eyT0p_NhDBane9hotIdqIxxSRcwM4ee_fz2h-SuuUxRVmE7Oa7JuEkd_E1trrzCnUxUvKkp14kweSuICpfU_1ad8edL0mYUrGBJDQQZd-QV2Ghcj7q1BhjyGyS5ynCLiQ7zS5qmyVuK2aFu4/w480-h640/1A84263C-33FE-427A-B63E-4107540ADF74.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkZtwIlXmKBnr2IYABcJHvVNMabB9L898943L65RMsgwNKnaL_2AfcBz8Q7XNVAkajtT73-OnKy2kmIB1TCIpdAyjLSZS7vGlLIVV3HDnqWYVr0m1UtnaOAghyT0KMuRREhvcf28-jsP3IlnGzi8TGVW8Z5trg99VOSbT9HCEpnJaXTlGqND80NIs0ns/s4032/A79374B4-81C6-4A01-A931-297B6375F0D4.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkZtwIlXmKBnr2IYABcJHvVNMabB9L898943L65RMsgwNKnaL_2AfcBz8Q7XNVAkajtT73-OnKy2kmIB1TCIpdAyjLSZS7vGlLIVV3HDnqWYVr0m1UtnaOAghyT0KMuRREhvcf28-jsP3IlnGzi8TGVW8Z5trg99VOSbT9HCEpnJaXTlGqND80NIs0ns/w480-h640/A79374B4-81C6-4A01-A931-297B6375F0D4.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicz0b93KIGII4Lu8TFVsWTtkKJ8kBpEh0OFYpc-Epl91els1ZUYSli1FXLJ0YC2gLthrW4B5OYhnt03dCEn5Dt2BnkMf8LdAOoqqzwcjmylVVMM3Gs7R_QHyi7oiM_z9s-zmianKZoImIGir1Cj8hvNFkeDyP3npxZ-ZCiOIFYgwoCBYE9_yo5a2vA1NY/s3849/D7B2264D-A26C-4724-8909-E87CD3C7F521.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3849" data-original-width="2726" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicz0b93KIGII4Lu8TFVsWTtkKJ8kBpEh0OFYpc-Epl91els1ZUYSli1FXLJ0YC2gLthrW4B5OYhnt03dCEn5Dt2BnkMf8LdAOoqqzwcjmylVVMM3Gs7R_QHyi7oiM_z9s-zmianKZoImIGir1Cj8hvNFkeDyP3npxZ-ZCiOIFYgwoCBYE9_yo5a2vA1NY/w454-h640/D7B2264D-A26C-4724-8909-E87CD3C7F521.heic" width="454" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1zC6rvzb94AmhlVik2dCryjpCIiyHcR6WA7qXiFp-hNd35j4HKSBI5TqAdtIGZQpuGqDcRCnPslsRTBMcLL_hoFqTV0lIhv7HkJfYi1JiUISNDhGofNef0wzn18jXXyF7ZP4eA1Yq4vgd6tKLtV6J6EeWVeadmZwn-Rc3hWItT2KSTK4cgw20oEIvSs/s2900/00A3B9B0-738D-4663-BC0A-236E30F84DEB.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2175" data-original-width="2900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1zC6rvzb94AmhlVik2dCryjpCIiyHcR6WA7qXiFp-hNd35j4HKSBI5TqAdtIGZQpuGqDcRCnPslsRTBMcLL_hoFqTV0lIhv7HkJfYi1JiUISNDhGofNef0wzn18jXXyF7ZP4eA1Yq4vgd6tKLtV6J6EeWVeadmZwn-Rc3hWItT2KSTK4cgw20oEIvSs/w640-h480/00A3B9B0-738D-4663-BC0A-236E30F84DEB.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2xPUSKHETyYZfrkEWPQipR8dhcqjJhiCOnakxGbFTSNLt3Gy-b7RlFvNV6db7yIq8cIPTTZ2EBE_-yVgf4l1t9P0MBMBcYaJe3BoQdeDUlrRX1MdiEdF3Grqq4_dR1z5hW_Ft5CHpD1EArxEUv2LejW4bMvvc3E7UElXD2CZ7EqWyTcrzXAXaZBkKS8/s2510/19D5C40E-4A9A-4CF3-94B6-CC7F428CCE73_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="2510" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2xPUSKHETyYZfrkEWPQipR8dhcqjJhiCOnakxGbFTSNLt3Gy-b7RlFvNV6db7yIq8cIPTTZ2EBE_-yVgf4l1t9P0MBMBcYaJe3BoQdeDUlrRX1MdiEdF3Grqq4_dR1z5hW_Ft5CHpD1EArxEUv2LejW4bMvvc3E7UElXD2CZ7EqWyTcrzXAXaZBkKS8/w640-h384/19D5C40E-4A9A-4CF3-94B6-CC7F428CCE73_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I am sure I missed some of the things we did during the week like getting ice cream and shopping, but overall a lot of fun was packed into one week. A lot of memories were made again this year.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-10591744795762046812023-09-26T16:45:00.001-05:002023-09-26T18:09:08.856-05:00The Summer of 2023 - Part 1<p>In the past few months I have put my blogging on hold, but I am going to try to get back into it for a little while. I like goals, and I just realized that I am less than one hundred blogs away from reaching one thousand and have over seven hundred fifty thousand views. I think I can come up with few more before I quit for good</p><p>The summer started out in the usual way. After the snow melted my pond and marsh were filled with water and critters.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHs5BOcOx2lk-xgGn1A1lre2ZRZDdnb4tQdvEC4AtziVrzkuyxgs9aso2XflcNKztBUAhR8uKpOdNRW7ykAdUnMLkWkNAaEUom0JL6P7tOLALHLI4SvkWXQPuoy21fm1RkNmDUrlqrMLeQsEa8a2pa1iSeS0Wcyfyj9W5WflH9mK_BdYY2xB40zT1ZB8/s5983/357632DA-F955-43D2-A37A-91ED2B6D2C32_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3590" data-original-width="5983" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHs5BOcOx2lk-xgGn1A1lre2ZRZDdnb4tQdvEC4AtziVrzkuyxgs9aso2XflcNKztBUAhR8uKpOdNRW7ykAdUnMLkWkNAaEUom0JL6P7tOLALHLI4SvkWXQPuoy21fm1RkNmDUrlqrMLeQsEa8a2pa1iSeS0Wcyfyj9W5WflH9mK_BdYY2xB40zT1ZB8/w640-h384/357632DA-F955-43D2-A37A-91ED2B6D2C32_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72h46kWL4ydZFKyVSWcTOqxOlgBtEEzrsQbmkNM8iL8X94N9VXvVT0CzFR_KN-DGRYL9fplS7_rHJMyCMciNyyRxS1U2dWKwcowP6T7f7RpneTeWZm2khQd6A1vUBGgeceBkqutUbtHRzHZ7MDfyhecSkX0nhSeFgCPCHExaLzcnmx7AZ6puPLN8_EwQ/s2872/EE5CFA9B-2034-41CD-AE63-2031D7E4D114_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1867" data-original-width="2872" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72h46kWL4ydZFKyVSWcTOqxOlgBtEEzrsQbmkNM8iL8X94N9VXvVT0CzFR_KN-DGRYL9fplS7_rHJMyCMciNyyRxS1U2dWKwcowP6T7f7RpneTeWZm2khQd6A1vUBGgeceBkqutUbtHRzHZ7MDfyhecSkX0nhSeFgCPCHExaLzcnmx7AZ6puPLN8_EwQ/w400-h260/EE5CFA9B-2034-41CD-AE63-2031D7E4D114_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MCqYjdXyrdG4FYK1jYgHFdgaZt6NTduSDBc3bVrbny-MntZqh5gQQdNnV1XLp7ictQygN2BugVpikHF8g230tDDzcqCDBc8AZp_JmgOSyiW1FK8PjHwPBSXxe1TIeMHTFdaxufujK5H9TQgGVrPFII6lu-0YKk-Zvjgb7O9m2RWqhlVWnreB7RHDgj4/s3063/DD920D63-75A5-4BED-930A-80F9B5702DA0_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1838" data-original-width="3063" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MCqYjdXyrdG4FYK1jYgHFdgaZt6NTduSDBc3bVrbny-MntZqh5gQQdNnV1XLp7ictQygN2BugVpikHF8g230tDDzcqCDBc8AZp_JmgOSyiW1FK8PjHwPBSXxe1TIeMHTFdaxufujK5H9TQgGVrPFII6lu-0YKk-Zvjgb7O9m2RWqhlVWnreB7RHDgj4/w400-h240/DD920D63-75A5-4BED-930A-80F9B5702DA0_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VpF7vTN94_OfBpbQokie2c6ZjfmH5WCSiPdLjJ0m8x7ZlXHk-mxyXyQ7qyXurHDEde-ac8C-HRCB8QmAnFUxnsBSbft7LfQ1Dp5q86D_FV89DztVQh1UMC7N5nEIqoicgNBruDZX8bSff2jJeyV-hbSvKz4l1q5-oItIZ29gEHv4GHW0YQ8tXhY6FpU/s6000/2CEEACCD-FA53-4E34-949E-9D696A675E1C_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VpF7vTN94_OfBpbQokie2c6ZjfmH5WCSiPdLjJ0m8x7ZlXHk-mxyXyQ7qyXurHDEde-ac8C-HRCB8QmAnFUxnsBSbft7LfQ1Dp5q86D_FV89DztVQh1UMC7N5nEIqoicgNBruDZX8bSff2jJeyV-hbSvKz4l1q5-oItIZ29gEHv4GHW0YQ8tXhY6FpU/w640-h426/2CEEACCD-FA53-4E34-949E-9D696A675E1C_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>In May the migrating ducks started to return and the turtles and frogs emerged providing food for the herons and Sandhill cranes. All was well until the drought began. The summer of 2023 was the driest in my memory. I only mowed my yard three times from May to this day in September. Summers in Wisconsin are usually spent mowing, trimming and planting but without rain nothing grew very much. At the end of May my daughter decided it would be fun to take me on a vacation. She has a job where she will work several days in a row including the weekend and then she will have almost a week off. <br /></p><p>One of things on my wish list was to visit South Dakota and Mt. Rushmore. My husband and I traveled to many areas of the United States but somehow we missed this part of the country. I was on our wish list. So this year as soon as school was out, my daughter, my grandson Jack and I took off on a little road trip. We planned a basic route, but we left room to be spontaneous. We left on a Monday morning. My daughter worked until 11:30 and then we left heading for LaCrosse Wisconsin and on to Austin, Minnesota. What is in Austin? The Spam Museum of course. It was great. My grandson had never eaten Spam, and I couldn't remember the last time I had it. Who knew what a rich history Spam has and how many varieties there actually are.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtIrMwkf5kDr4JwYACpcSDBchjMT59Y93yzSTCbJYJbYJSzvfV-y6UP4LJKKhP9gCTyiW24ykzRqywGnlL8-6oHqsMEq33ag-IXi0Fh9iMHXclG-5wcIRnLX6ziDd8KTh7w6Lm0DrSiOpM7uBVprxHQO06Zk_akajUWoiIqbOXv75dSp6sC9zdE6JzhU/s3926/B98AE056-66AC-4D46-A6F4-641C1874CC23_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3926" data-original-width="2555" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtIrMwkf5kDr4JwYACpcSDBchjMT59Y93yzSTCbJYJbYJSzvfV-y6UP4LJKKhP9gCTyiW24ykzRqywGnlL8-6oHqsMEq33ag-IXi0Fh9iMHXclG-5wcIRnLX6ziDd8KTh7w6Lm0DrSiOpM7uBVprxHQO06Zk_akajUWoiIqbOXv75dSp6sC9zdE6JzhU/w416-h640/B98AE056-66AC-4D46-A6F4-641C1874CC23_1_201_a.jpeg" width="416" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGYCEChPgTzL34Qs7bcmfuMqt_5HwXDz5u9lGpLvUc3COF2UxmuzhaYdEwqKbca1lXCRZ2dOobrvfQhrucAvluQVjGzQPsyHWkpZCBiJozuhSRKOUtIMrGquVZNTAaqNnARQrkG5qfOQsepEWhB9coWsjQZDSYgomyN5NSNOM4r6iR26gvKjY4ZTX1kU/s4032/3E21A3A1-6853-4621-98E3-0E366DE81A1F.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGYCEChPgTzL34Qs7bcmfuMqt_5HwXDz5u9lGpLvUc3COF2UxmuzhaYdEwqKbca1lXCRZ2dOobrvfQhrucAvluQVjGzQPsyHWkpZCBiJozuhSRKOUtIMrGquVZNTAaqNnARQrkG5qfOQsepEWhB9coWsjQZDSYgomyN5NSNOM4r6iR26gvKjY4ZTX1kU/w480-h640/3E21A3A1-6853-4621-98E3-0E366DE81A1F.heic" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Since we got a late start, we stopped in the early evening. We stayed in an unremarkable motel and ate uninteresting food but looked forward to the next day. The next stop was Mitchell, South Dakota and the Corn Palace. I had seen pictures of my husband as a little boy visiting this place, but I had never seen it. I guess it's been in existence in this building since 1921. I had no idea.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYrBECIIETaicrnVrDdbBn268orMfGTd-AUPI1C67EBheK-z9RTafYQFU6p3-KArzdY5Nz6mxyok9FcWH3IfU5CzCJEB2xV5xlVq3GgKoVy1w2xxz9OlsiJy18ZOXOHZAZpIqO_t4AozLSyygNGKXRwa-bmrPDBigyZZOrYgEf9DGRdETpC6lbnr5Jcw/s5184/09583014-F60E-4D9A-BA39-E5BC32191ACB_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYrBECIIETaicrnVrDdbBn268orMfGTd-AUPI1C67EBheK-z9RTafYQFU6p3-KArzdY5Nz6mxyok9FcWH3IfU5CzCJEB2xV5xlVq3GgKoVy1w2xxz9OlsiJy18ZOXOHZAZpIqO_t4AozLSyygNGKXRwa-bmrPDBigyZZOrYgEf9DGRdETpC6lbnr5Jcw/w640-h426/09583014-F60E-4D9A-BA39-E5BC32191ACB_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSXqIWyc-kkCT7LdLokF4SOAyA-j-XSJB_BMYehGwSPADZdPFsMMOnmB3DV0BbTspnqg0Yh0GBWOZe45eSZW82VCNDQjJyrEW18iIbfc0JtS82nkZf3Mtz95yfb1rvf0AC2nwdE7NPmfvO4ZcwoybMNH0yiXxC2wNSKYgC8Gx3_PpOBvUBYVuSeRulX4/s3130/5CA7C7EE-3920-47E1-AEE8-106617F15EB5_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1878" data-original-width="3130" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSXqIWyc-kkCT7LdLokF4SOAyA-j-XSJB_BMYehGwSPADZdPFsMMOnmB3DV0BbTspnqg0Yh0GBWOZe45eSZW82VCNDQjJyrEW18iIbfc0JtS82nkZf3Mtz95yfb1rvf0AC2nwdE7NPmfvO4ZcwoybMNH0yiXxC2wNSKYgC8Gx3_PpOBvUBYVuSeRulX4/w640-h384/5CA7C7EE-3920-47E1-AEE8-106617F15EB5_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>As we continued on our journey, we arrived at the Badlands. It is so much more vast than I imagined. We stayed there for an entire day. We explored and walked trails. It was amazing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ntR85_XW-yHQFmP5PRD6JRAPKnGS4aqBDs7GUyuEJZ5_CAiZH21QoIO4XNAZruvHBwb3JkfF8XdFJ3TEhr6WTnPoo8M7hxs-82Tvm38qN9nudbFhr_PIoEfa5eBaR4OLyXFzNjLe0sTgrrOVB5CHpgSR-K5STTOBAh90V1KlH_1lbEkBYSLorq5632k/s5184/1AB9720E-666B-485A-BB0C-389C775F8337_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ntR85_XW-yHQFmP5PRD6JRAPKnGS4aqBDs7GUyuEJZ5_CAiZH21QoIO4XNAZruvHBwb3JkfF8XdFJ3TEhr6WTnPoo8M7hxs-82Tvm38qN9nudbFhr_PIoEfa5eBaR4OLyXFzNjLe0sTgrrOVB5CHpgSR-K5STTOBAh90V1KlH_1lbEkBYSLorq5632k/w640-h426/1AB9720E-666B-485A-BB0C-389C775F8337_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Da7ddhb7K8BDoN4F5xMG16dFpfAVhmZKW-2lGBhuL3O-jUctEJS-tkakA99mQfE3yDuL4ZQvHyMgjSR2s5N4jwOwM56FpvlZM__S3-Xrxx6Xa3BY4goYxNEyjCt1zwfQgb3TBHdqWroENYQFPHyp-PpquKNlPaGeUK9OZ8k4OvhiaokYL1HQK2CzpEQ/s5184/21290BFE-FC03-4150-93CD-A22C913A4534_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Da7ddhb7K8BDoN4F5xMG16dFpfAVhmZKW-2lGBhuL3O-jUctEJS-tkakA99mQfE3yDuL4ZQvHyMgjSR2s5N4jwOwM56FpvlZM__S3-Xrxx6Xa3BY4goYxNEyjCt1zwfQgb3TBHdqWroENYQFPHyp-PpquKNlPaGeUK9OZ8k4OvhiaokYL1HQK2CzpEQ/w640-h426/21290BFE-FC03-4150-93CD-A22C913A4534_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQakt3QKFezOqHWc4-1ADEf_fM4OyZ1RF8cLjgUTAMLm3yb3jfB_FuiY6-ll0ba_bCG0EBzQFnZeY5SNDb5bzHeWsUpUemj4x4wMOdSeiHFXcNUE4iFVz4RbwlZ9VATFehtj1SeiGzN57XOsPGKoYoWjBKqNaeq5C8HgrhnBVUqJgzLFW_MRqm0rd1ic0/s5184/A3E65B7E-DEF4-42E4-A9B3-C219BD7AC33C_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3110" data-original-width="5184" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQakt3QKFezOqHWc4-1ADEf_fM4OyZ1RF8cLjgUTAMLm3yb3jfB_FuiY6-ll0ba_bCG0EBzQFnZeY5SNDb5bzHeWsUpUemj4x4wMOdSeiHFXcNUE4iFVz4RbwlZ9VATFehtj1SeiGzN57XOsPGKoYoWjBKqNaeq5C8HgrhnBVUqJgzLFW_MRqm0rd1ic0/w640-h384/A3E65B7E-DEF4-42E4-A9B3-C219BD7AC33C_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There were some interesting views, swallow nests, beware of rattlesnakes signs and different plants than we are used to in Wisconsin. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANtokFtETPgdHR9NWjnvpaJaS9JipFEprRRml0xp_nqGFB1AjfkIW-mJHruN3pdhYQIw-kB3n1gH5KGMWbNbDllFY4LJGG66Q-kqcVL5zRZbaAYnmk_gepp9-rvEljeD02pbQbKF3_tAbVZaqCuKuIBQEwrGZ7JRcg2oqUNShfZBOHTi-EJ6kX8gmiYI/s4032/CE068851-63E6-41D5-A55D-F73C1550F73B.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANtokFtETPgdHR9NWjnvpaJaS9JipFEprRRml0xp_nqGFB1AjfkIW-mJHruN3pdhYQIw-kB3n1gH5KGMWbNbDllFY4LJGG66Q-kqcVL5zRZbaAYnmk_gepp9-rvEljeD02pbQbKF3_tAbVZaqCuKuIBQEwrGZ7JRcg2oqUNShfZBOHTi-EJ6kX8gmiYI/w640-h480/CE068851-63E6-41D5-A55D-F73C1550F73B.heic" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevr39_mKZqV2ZQD1fDUFMst1accJ5eBEnymWapUJ6dGtdUjTuZsP20RfU-fb0YD7_wDhpsuj0RTR2ttiR_XP0Ejtp727Evwuz65AAIoWd7hOURt4Q_2WA38NTivXV_Hlw2TAmqceBZPI9h_bYQKmN8__LsqL2ZntSkJXHvJh-BFHwbEO_7cKMV7NRzYg/s4032/FA2311D7-1094-42FF-82CF-53DD29DAC088.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevr39_mKZqV2ZQD1fDUFMst1accJ5eBEnymWapUJ6dGtdUjTuZsP20RfU-fb0YD7_wDhpsuj0RTR2ttiR_XP0Ejtp727Evwuz65AAIoWd7hOURt4Q_2WA38NTivXV_Hlw2TAmqceBZPI9h_bYQKmN8__LsqL2ZntSkJXHvJh-BFHwbEO_7cKMV7NRzYg/w480-h640/FA2311D7-1094-42FF-82CF-53DD29DAC088.heic" width="480" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJPU_DsaWqtokh5Es0bwus_M8ixkQk6YSaixGhEPFjVuGzDW_YDceMALIGmR7-dAqw6K4uKEtHPH4jLjdQFVGRP_dNf8N-u7mRx0N9MDq09SCgw0dxKl9S0TSWH5t2dHgD6qu363RSKPZU4DraMuvmgf0EtHncdl7Cn2Gg88W2KtLgnSfq6ZqYl_mLRQ/s5184/A091261A-72FD-47B7-902F-CEA1381919A9_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3057" data-original-width="5184" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJPU_DsaWqtokh5Es0bwus_M8ixkQk6YSaixGhEPFjVuGzDW_YDceMALIGmR7-dAqw6K4uKEtHPH4jLjdQFVGRP_dNf8N-u7mRx0N9MDq09SCgw0dxKl9S0TSWH5t2dHgD6qu363RSKPZU4DraMuvmgf0EtHncdl7Cn2Gg88W2KtLgnSfq6ZqYl_mLRQ/w400-h236/A091261A-72FD-47B7-902F-CEA1381919A9_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFItFa7Rljuf_kuMISyJ81tXK3zrdwWjEsJrNVlgaA4X5dgbinm2oJZ1nG9Y1z-hsiZNT32mWyQSwrgcroKgaxXmuD_e6dvPMfn5488k58e5vhyQdBL29_inHHtP8BN-PKfr4NsLkIMppn2YI3X9Vr7VFp2ykIfLhS5DwGC8Vi4w8TD1znA_I8IA44f2Y/s4032/44F71143-5613-4862-B060-FC61CA519F8F.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFItFa7Rljuf_kuMISyJ81tXK3zrdwWjEsJrNVlgaA4X5dgbinm2oJZ1nG9Y1z-hsiZNT32mWyQSwrgcroKgaxXmuD_e6dvPMfn5488k58e5vhyQdBL29_inHHtP8BN-PKfr4NsLkIMppn2YI3X9Vr7VFp2ykIfLhS5DwGC8Vi4w8TD1znA_I8IA44f2Y/w480-h640/44F71143-5613-4862-B060-FC61CA519F8F.heic" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>We stayed at a motel with a view of the park. It could have been a gorgeous place in this setting but it was long past its prime, I hope someone buys it and either builds a new one or restores it. I think right now it's clientele is a little sketchy. Let's put it this way, I slept with one eye open. I understand the population of this area is very sparse and the park is probably not busy in the winter so it probably isn't feasible to build a nicer place. We couldn't find a place to eat and ended up at my first biker bar. Fortunately it was before the place woke up. The sign pulling into the parking area made me a bit nervous, but it was fine.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1RrErLi_xJBdLj6JuBVOyPoLOmRR2dFVr0L5zSpsRecppSrcWIrsFdOoawq8pmyC00hzRYEDXIipsEvba_9HGoGLSDJFxWSIQCYWwqBVvIz6JAW20Lb081YvT7aTO5H9n_Sm4at9BiXDbuEmIR0pWO6uM2JKtFVXQADKRZsfB_BBtfSJpVxsVG_VWYk/s2964/7226F890-47E6-47B7-B949-2E11EDF18C08_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1778" data-original-width="2964" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1RrErLi_xJBdLj6JuBVOyPoLOmRR2dFVr0L5zSpsRecppSrcWIrsFdOoawq8pmyC00hzRYEDXIipsEvba_9HGoGLSDJFxWSIQCYWwqBVvIz6JAW20Lb081YvT7aTO5H9n_Sm4at9BiXDbuEmIR0pWO6uM2JKtFVXQADKRZsfB_BBtfSJpVxsVG_VWYk/w640-h384/7226F890-47E6-47B7-B949-2E11EDF18C08_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The next morning we did find a breakfast place in the park gift shop. We backtracked through the park and went to a place that was closed the day before. It was a National Historical Site for the Minuteman Missile. It was a great reminder of that time in history. Everyone in school during those years remembers families building bomb shelters and the students doing drills by hiding under our desks. Nothing would have protected us in a nuclear attack, but I was oblivious to its seriousness.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FQw9rGJ-MaX6cmC1estqQw90jw3k85lbCuYYl8iHkgsS2U3ybFbrpfA3BZum__H6rZ0wwa8_Zl88sSN8kq6IpYV560K8oPElyJSS_RiJU89WmwMzWTWJ9UihgGAhjdAmadPbrD1RUBAO3Jw8f8n9vneCJ8NbE656hZzg4MgJV8279rkayeUXyHLpGcU/s3051/1CC90475-1AD3-40EF-87F0-335F2E55759C_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3051" data-original-width="2496" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FQw9rGJ-MaX6cmC1estqQw90jw3k85lbCuYYl8iHkgsS2U3ybFbrpfA3BZum__H6rZ0wwa8_Zl88sSN8kq6IpYV560K8oPElyJSS_RiJU89WmwMzWTWJ9UihgGAhjdAmadPbrD1RUBAO3Jw8f8n9vneCJ8NbE656hZzg4MgJV8279rkayeUXyHLpGcU/w524-h640/1CC90475-1AD3-40EF-87F0-335F2E55759C_1_201_a.jpeg" width="524" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kakTSqaT6-UGGAf2vOXMJT_vF0rXmUREBIXlAU4kbT3EVQsXgbxxGA0ZyJT5N_EuQkhgOEYZyKndlfel7rpxxem9UsJKgtbhs3ZUcbUupgIOXSkBTvauzw2q97buPCF7mGrP9UWXWU_GQMJiNXOeDvb0oihDBsFkPYw7FJ220gmYn6cQMO6ZKPIIUHo/s3425/597AC078-058A-41EA-8080-C90AC5EDFCF6_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3425" data-original-width="2569" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kakTSqaT6-UGGAf2vOXMJT_vF0rXmUREBIXlAU4kbT3EVQsXgbxxGA0ZyJT5N_EuQkhgOEYZyKndlfel7rpxxem9UsJKgtbhs3ZUcbUupgIOXSkBTvauzw2q97buPCF7mGrP9UWXWU_GQMJiNXOeDvb0oihDBsFkPYw7FJ220gmYn6cQMO6ZKPIIUHo/w480-h640/597AC078-058A-41EA-8080-C90AC5EDFCF6_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KKd81nEe8wuowqk4LXmfEdDWY4TkLtdWAuPIhUd0WA7IGhE0GdMm9rB_gDWBTBO5TgWwj97ugFMLFdnp-3YLkwjALjswwH9GgIdk3m6h2sYsZT2-xHrk56rOfkVZv1cTdyh3Pe4QwObV6aT3rBGEo1Jix124Mx4RPsEplpQjd_UHwvlUUO-jpCieup8/s4032/B6CC46C4-D07C-4345-AC2E-EC885EC60ECF.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KKd81nEe8wuowqk4LXmfEdDWY4TkLtdWAuPIhUd0WA7IGhE0GdMm9rB_gDWBTBO5TgWwj97ugFMLFdnp-3YLkwjALjswwH9GgIdk3m6h2sYsZT2-xHrk56rOfkVZv1cTdyh3Pe4QwObV6aT3rBGEo1Jix124Mx4RPsEplpQjd_UHwvlUUO-jpCieup8/w480-h640/B6CC46C4-D07C-4345-AC2E-EC885EC60ECF.heic" width="480" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL93OXIfZkEdU2rg8A72-3EIkL8_9TgQF2ShF9uQyoo48rLLmQBsLxMGeYLnLocU2OG8a8L8sAjs-4h8O34Am4c1kQ_yLEaV46nkiYS8kpzCe_A9-jM72mg_GfNSAQxh6fkeT3eCLDyWM0TuuL_yXllZCpPXuxQwp4M125BUmYFek_7STTIZGQBDMazD0/s3858/07D96ADC-A684-48AF-832B-5D9A0AD94BF9_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3858" data-original-width="2893" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL93OXIfZkEdU2rg8A72-3EIkL8_9TgQF2ShF9uQyoo48rLLmQBsLxMGeYLnLocU2OG8a8L8sAjs-4h8O34Am4c1kQ_yLEaV46nkiYS8kpzCe_A9-jM72mg_GfNSAQxh6fkeT3eCLDyWM0TuuL_yXllZCpPXuxQwp4M125BUmYFek_7STTIZGQBDMazD0/w480-h640/07D96ADC-A684-48AF-832B-5D9A0AD94BF9_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p>After this interesting presentation we headed to Keystone, South Dakota where we were staying for the next two nights. On the way was the famous Wall Drug. A trip to South Dakota wouldn't be complete without free coffee and fresh donuts from Wall Drug. The coffee was hardly drinkable but that was beside the point. It was the experience of the place and an experience it was. It teetered on being too overwhelming for us. We didn't stay long.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCLkFNnc-FQKHL5e_e-Ea5bsh6tireuEjtJSZTNKglV3IKjBEF2omcMFzv5CgWYhEBC8Ayblo6wN7Ky1dhU1yv5xfbXPzFQgLPkjuhjwx62EiTfhMbHaB__1nAPPE5d5UxTQQ4VM9UkLDwnM53ySmbE_NgcH7DjcbA_tXbypqpZzvrCKSzrKqZVGxNpo/s4032/92140732-3AAC-4BC4-B1D7-98BC125823BC.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCLkFNnc-FQKHL5e_e-Ea5bsh6tireuEjtJSZTNKglV3IKjBEF2omcMFzv5CgWYhEBC8Ayblo6wN7Ky1dhU1yv5xfbXPzFQgLPkjuhjwx62EiTfhMbHaB__1nAPPE5d5UxTQQ4VM9UkLDwnM53ySmbE_NgcH7DjcbA_tXbypqpZzvrCKSzrKqZVGxNpo/w480-h640/92140732-3AAC-4BC4-B1D7-98BC125823BC.heic" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxjh9ym6P3ECe0dNthOMrbPyqtVwHxMj8z90Vu2FRspUEblEAox72eEYFNeBCv3F4u4L29JEA4tg79i9vTnWkPRpI49GR0cufCwezc4HzDDRjbIkHqpWDsjBVmYJ-IOn6FXui5gVnyIe9itN58TkF7iYtW8MOfQ2Hh5_MH4CbZB2lNfQPHfhHVacSsF4/s4032/85BC0019-E987-4279-A470-1DF6987B38A8_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxjh9ym6P3ECe0dNthOMrbPyqtVwHxMj8z90Vu2FRspUEblEAox72eEYFNeBCv3F4u4L29JEA4tg79i9vTnWkPRpI49GR0cufCwezc4HzDDRjbIkHqpWDsjBVmYJ-IOn6FXui5gVnyIe9itN58TkF7iYtW8MOfQ2Hh5_MH4CbZB2lNfQPHfhHVacSsF4/w480-h640/85BC0019-E987-4279-A470-1DF6987B38A8_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>The next two nights we stayed at the Powder House Lodge in Keystone which was only four miles from Mt. Rushmore. It was so nice and convenient. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5nL_8pgAXfvEElU-ldMpeGeIjFoeq66_vyy_WKpGf69EWqcQTxe6iqCj_0AVeB2C-HvyQ1M7m7Xlhg-rdaLQRD5bP2vTxWSgd37Z0ef0RhPhQXm9VAiR53PMfqVBwtMWQENHAKMqBSPnuaGlAG1S9wyG-Wf66PoWVohApDzKfT3MyPx-IVDTz1xldJM/s4032/6C40703C-992D-4912-80CB-F684A6D5B64C.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5nL_8pgAXfvEElU-ldMpeGeIjFoeq66_vyy_WKpGf69EWqcQTxe6iqCj_0AVeB2C-HvyQ1M7m7Xlhg-rdaLQRD5bP2vTxWSgd37Z0ef0RhPhQXm9VAiR53PMfqVBwtMWQENHAKMqBSPnuaGlAG1S9wyG-Wf66PoWVohApDzKfT3MyPx-IVDTz1xldJM/w480-h640/6C40703C-992D-4912-80CB-F684A6D5B64C.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br />Since we were staying very near Mt. Rushmore, we went there as soon as it opened in the morning. People were saying it was underwhelming, but I didn't think so. I thought it was amazing.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCSpgKtjvdrRfmGJ1jsSQLaOaIbL8PvOz7J1vVV-Ek3N4uEewKPDLaSG3PKtotLNee8_WGzJ7yB7XSgDrLny7m4RWRmXw-O5j39xgPv_C9cp-kg40xaznlp_UgvRKDNUkXksGzKimuehtsA80MZeDMosEoyjJ6qlCT_fkE-CBgWM5RgzM3Z84RF7WylA/s4032/8815A3BF-3625-4111-9C7E-2ABD159D4EAC.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCSpgKtjvdrRfmGJ1jsSQLaOaIbL8PvOz7J1vVV-Ek3N4uEewKPDLaSG3PKtotLNee8_WGzJ7yB7XSgDrLny7m4RWRmXw-O5j39xgPv_C9cp-kg40xaznlp_UgvRKDNUkXksGzKimuehtsA80MZeDMosEoyjJ6qlCT_fkE-CBgWM5RgzM3Z84RF7WylA/w480-h640/8815A3BF-3625-4111-9C7E-2ABD159D4EAC.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8VB9v2MROfui6X0E_QBSTqH29PksKpORrqfUEmDcsp9itR5WeTd8LznnOoL2qcSbhKh7P4um29u-3JPMD99jeJxFE01GlzpWrsHEgVfhgAxCMAeSu9LznObZp3G7qgZXJcS_PCarYRDFPe_3IRkEBDkrV2KF43vwIeIP9C59SgcNPXmRi86fuwyafNQ/s5184/ED58A410-A066-4B97-B72D-41E8E713EBE4_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8VB9v2MROfui6X0E_QBSTqH29PksKpORrqfUEmDcsp9itR5WeTd8LznnOoL2qcSbhKh7P4um29u-3JPMD99jeJxFE01GlzpWrsHEgVfhgAxCMAeSu9LznObZp3G7qgZXJcS_PCarYRDFPe_3IRkEBDkrV2KF43vwIeIP9C59SgcNPXmRi86fuwyafNQ/w640-h426/ED58A410-A066-4B97-B72D-41E8E713EBE4_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>This was a busy day. After Mt. Rushmore we visited the Crazy Horse Memorial. </p><p>The Crazy Horse statue was first started in 1948 and the model made in 1946. The progress is very slow, but the museum was interesting. A replica of the finished statue was displayed. We enjoyed seeing some authentic dancers and memorabilia. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9afvlczKgkTDhZlLGYSkvcCDM6RKJY0_EIO0JVg5kjUAXyv57XPMtxSImhL-JC7Te14YyvkaYS1_r1rnArwDuNyoAytTsJaHL_sttGGqQlqet46GE7AF3ePDNpwItYM5AG6BUzemM7AHp9Byx9EdLMytDRBrk2YwUS6rfDxN1vv4FF8VmH6a8Ya8LHSY/s3075/A67CABE3-BD46-4EF1-8A85-99B2087C89F7_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1845" data-original-width="3075" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9afvlczKgkTDhZlLGYSkvcCDM6RKJY0_EIO0JVg5kjUAXyv57XPMtxSImhL-JC7Te14YyvkaYS1_r1rnArwDuNyoAytTsJaHL_sttGGqQlqet46GE7AF3ePDNpwItYM5AG6BUzemM7AHp9Byx9EdLMytDRBrk2YwUS6rfDxN1vv4FF8VmH6a8Ya8LHSY/w640-h384/A67CABE3-BD46-4EF1-8A85-99B2087C89F7_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0J0ZsjxQrQJ7K0KFN_sX2aFYGOcC79CU7UaZ0uCD-meOuesMEinSgZTa7fsDzbYAYSktojKfAWTCmcIRwIBCUtoEyxoA2dFPb6Jfp4MWXld8nEA7I3__V7DcnnSWJnxWPtGWD63xyG4xza__mH8ed2gTnhlrwQa2mEf8PY0bHmsGktiLTVWSeZ4ABayE/s3830/1DD0FCB5-3545-451B-BBE4-9577A51F05AE_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3830" data-original-width="2343" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0J0ZsjxQrQJ7K0KFN_sX2aFYGOcC79CU7UaZ0uCD-meOuesMEinSgZTa7fsDzbYAYSktojKfAWTCmcIRwIBCUtoEyxoA2dFPb6Jfp4MWXld8nEA7I3__V7DcnnSWJnxWPtGWD63xyG4xza__mH8ed2gTnhlrwQa2mEf8PY0bHmsGktiLTVWSeZ4ABayE/w392-h640/1DD0FCB5-3545-451B-BBE4-9577A51F05AE_1_201_a.jpeg" width="392" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3fxKkvMHG5CXZdPhNJNi87QA14xUCtCMa7Gc9YM3e35EwDUWIimFeDwd1DDubVk5qV3zjPopP7JMAdwy50TfCK9z9vLVFAuIOBrqusJ4cWBrJiURRF7zyem-Zn5h1UO0VHcN4qdxU2MR0XN0kR0JBuRlaLBtT_E0dr8p6itjSkpm3RokUCt0UWLTAqM/s3030/E48CC6B3-60BC-41F4-8C6C-3B6FF3ACE32A_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3030" data-original-width="2563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3fxKkvMHG5CXZdPhNJNi87QA14xUCtCMa7Gc9YM3e35EwDUWIimFeDwd1DDubVk5qV3zjPopP7JMAdwy50TfCK9z9vLVFAuIOBrqusJ4cWBrJiURRF7zyem-Zn5h1UO0VHcN4qdxU2MR0XN0kR0JBuRlaLBtT_E0dr8p6itjSkpm3RokUCt0UWLTAqM/w542-h640/E48CC6B3-60BC-41F4-8C6C-3B6FF3ACE32A_1_201_a.jpeg" width="542" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93w6tUZsG4o_yz4BUchlMopA_g10rQSLBSwEkZadhRW0XEcEWOD3HAMwgk7mN8eF1FnzLNGSaZycbn98PNn-154Bb0v_7QcI-qcXPx36paouKDJBs-NyNOOoMyjzI2tO0ZMX_tuCuJeg5qFBgrCtRoFGkudSDeq6nB3cTXUCyuqG1S8_wbnOyez5oiCA/s5184/6E20C5D4-6360-4C30-841B-2C05385526B9_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93w6tUZsG4o_yz4BUchlMopA_g10rQSLBSwEkZadhRW0XEcEWOD3HAMwgk7mN8eF1FnzLNGSaZycbn98PNn-154Bb0v_7QcI-qcXPx36paouKDJBs-NyNOOoMyjzI2tO0ZMX_tuCuJeg5qFBgrCtRoFGkudSDeq6nB3cTXUCyuqG1S8_wbnOyez5oiCA/w640-h426/6E20C5D4-6360-4C30-841B-2C05385526B9_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3o_vuCsdWlPkcIIQF6-RbWIEI7k6ogvmOlPYpUIQFoH91Cbi6ITu3CHnuj2HY9iMW8J7yLppDlHTGcu8g2rTiUv4ABd-w4px5NgZjqdz-yYrlHAPVdUU0ScetWjQplq6ysD4JgTnE-g7Fc7pFZogf41R6xAEdEp5Ql1kBlf8s5Qc2yecDr96hFrHgtIQ/s3738/334BA6A3-ADB7-490C-A701-8DE750C12DEC_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3738" data-original-width="2802" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3o_vuCsdWlPkcIIQF6-RbWIEI7k6ogvmOlPYpUIQFoH91Cbi6ITu3CHnuj2HY9iMW8J7yLppDlHTGcu8g2rTiUv4ABd-w4px5NgZjqdz-yYrlHAPVdUU0ScetWjQplq6ysD4JgTnE-g7Fc7pFZogf41R6xAEdEp5Ql1kBlf8s5Qc2yecDr96hFrHgtIQ/w480-h640/334BA6A3-ADB7-490C-A701-8DE750C12DEC_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>After Crazy Horse we were supposed to have a tour of Wind Cave National Park. It was cancelled so we decided to see a Mammoth excavation site. Hot Springs, South Dakota has an active dig site with mammoth remains, A video upon entering explains how it happened. There are many stages of uncovering the bones. It is very a meticulous process. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUbu6qearjCiwEN-RXn8Z25Lf_9UpZMcwtVQrhk7UzQcIjrfb6B5NI6GnFnPv2Ud89JJUbw9fwdyr6HdHqEwdD29U7w1ckVx69eodquDPr6reCjZXXQWzsOCrdJ5PYpF2v_9LorBy-YqFpT2plY7tlh3hT7XirfZJ2_GGJN8eCn637YKHzpWk9xYuSqo/s5184/3FCF8A92-1BA8-43DF-A772-43B986481D1A_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUbu6qearjCiwEN-RXn8Z25Lf_9UpZMcwtVQrhk7UzQcIjrfb6B5NI6GnFnPv2Ud89JJUbw9fwdyr6HdHqEwdD29U7w1ckVx69eodquDPr6reCjZXXQWzsOCrdJ5PYpF2v_9LorBy-YqFpT2plY7tlh3hT7XirfZJ2_GGJN8eCn637YKHzpWk9xYuSqo/w640-h426/3FCF8A92-1BA8-43DF-A772-43B986481D1A_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwCz2Rm3ECI5TNEFhM_e01sLjHCoLW0F48u4-qcwOJoe1p7xfvn2csjf7Zib2lHILwxxATwpQOT7W-uch_T7WUHp4RL-QnV_LgD6NyHkaBdQy63ERaIkEDWSsjapl6p7Qo2HvNA5Pdf9RvLLCfeBmxio_aJ2O62BJxsxR23Lf-WZFy0yEoiMQcRaH_cg/s5184/6FC30444-149C-4398-A90F-36EFE3B68A0F_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwCz2Rm3ECI5TNEFhM_e01sLjHCoLW0F48u4-qcwOJoe1p7xfvn2csjf7Zib2lHILwxxATwpQOT7W-uch_T7WUHp4RL-QnV_LgD6NyHkaBdQy63ERaIkEDWSsjapl6p7Qo2HvNA5Pdf9RvLLCfeBmxio_aJ2O62BJxsxR23Lf-WZFy0yEoiMQcRaH_cg/w640-h426/6FC30444-149C-4398-A90F-36EFE3B68A0F_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KFedzbppJA5gMe14-T08VXEVgjWwLk1J8q4JvzmMDqrKoAEG7M858pv59b6jCIEQduev1yI8MnrWfs82DMGtpLgr8EZZvzATJgP25Fc6D4ULMM8ZjE8etQaw1OrPPACsxG_yTPKkdEFBRfbrvo1oGgEsIu48OFowgNBfudtyb53UVd7EkItyVu4qBzg/s5184/55FDCB74-022D-4DBB-AC17-DC40AB10AC63_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KFedzbppJA5gMe14-T08VXEVgjWwLk1J8q4JvzmMDqrKoAEG7M858pv59b6jCIEQduev1yI8MnrWfs82DMGtpLgr8EZZvzATJgP25Fc6D4ULMM8ZjE8etQaw1OrPPACsxG_yTPKkdEFBRfbrvo1oGgEsIu48OFowgNBfudtyb53UVd7EkItyVu4qBzg/w640-h426/55FDCB74-022D-4DBB-AC17-DC40AB10AC63_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJJitoQRkoXRlIAJBPuzYgusd96w_e_0asx--mA6ro3Ddpc0Rujm-ju8oBejZdUX70ATvxdxUv7NLxIHKulB4iw64tk0LIMLBitCjUq808Znxxf1DIqbLJJRZ5AIjTNPaqo1AuRnQ8bo9XRkCFTL5BBMt-MB72HSVw-wpwvSHApVTIXpxJtOZcfc7fBg/s5184/55FDCB74-022D-4DBB-AC17-DC40AB10AC63_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielh8-EF0V5PZK0jrKso1A5jzJtmGuMZa92-S-TOnSL6tc1sKAtstU7-frkT-Ujs6EQ1Wg5rqGUNpX7-ypa6SCAUcRch_WaBJTj9OjFdGKPKXusdut1U-VSvvjR6Ncoo2BpTP6AQbjaJ-1sn9fYme8ohjHW-TRbJt4ST6r3znRYix5te5MWhtFxFncfRk/s5184/53961BB9-182B-492A-8584-79F59C4DED6C_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielh8-EF0V5PZK0jrKso1A5jzJtmGuMZa92-S-TOnSL6tc1sKAtstU7-frkT-Ujs6EQ1Wg5rqGUNpX7-ypa6SCAUcRch_WaBJTj9OjFdGKPKXusdut1U-VSvvjR6Ncoo2BpTP6AQbjaJ-1sn9fYme8ohjHW-TRbJt4ST6r3znRYix5te5MWhtFxFncfRk/w640-h426/53961BB9-182B-492A-8584-79F59C4DED6C_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAulaIQRcvsjM8tIn_lMbKLUkvz3tzITY3n7EjXa10bFhtdTiOkMBJiD54kM1wvuEa0XAqh--om5RMQXQ65khv_vYfSnGmuxYyHP4hC6khXkkg-b_1YCVS72nkwIhEWcAdyPxq5bpvw-4lsMdXoRrR4gLOG0kn0DFMNBQKHnxJ6GOvqB9drPHFviwp978/s5184/DBBE1708-40E0-4F05-AF5A-447E8B0F9022_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAulaIQRcvsjM8tIn_lMbKLUkvz3tzITY3n7EjXa10bFhtdTiOkMBJiD54kM1wvuEa0XAqh--om5RMQXQ65khv_vYfSnGmuxYyHP4hC6khXkkg-b_1YCVS72nkwIhEWcAdyPxq5bpvw-4lsMdXoRrR4gLOG0kn0DFMNBQKHnxJ6GOvqB9drPHFviwp978/w640-h426/DBBE1708-40E0-4F05-AF5A-447E8B0F9022_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>From here we headed to Custer State Park. Everyone told us that was a place where we will see animals. I had my camera ready. We drove and drove and drove. We saw nothing except a couple deer like I can see out of my window and a dog tied to a pole. There were no buffalo blocking the road and running beside the car. There were no donkeys or anything else. As we got back to the highway, my grandson said he saw some buffalo off in a woods sleeping under some trees. It isn't what we expected. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQOePcUh8W1m0vs2c3GbQP5s-bocer-wQ7jhmdBE_Rzgav7XZPWFnKNxpvN4zSSCJ_Do-SICSxDVWMEo0wW96wlv4ik8sqPoEAHV5I6fb2_5Gu_EGQs-1q__UU1DRcb0rfcx9SjaeyM-zDJKaJzPTsjY8760ijSSOOQPYFbmiZt4iTWCEpsl4wlYG_Fs/s3022/F5A93A17-B738-4354-8316-414FF0A52892.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3022" data-original-width="2850" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQOePcUh8W1m0vs2c3GbQP5s-bocer-wQ7jhmdBE_Rzgav7XZPWFnKNxpvN4zSSCJ_Do-SICSxDVWMEo0wW96wlv4ik8sqPoEAHV5I6fb2_5Gu_EGQs-1q__UU1DRcb0rfcx9SjaeyM-zDJKaJzPTsjY8760ijSSOOQPYFbmiZt4iTWCEpsl4wlYG_Fs/w604-h640/F5A93A17-B738-4354-8316-414FF0A52892.heic" width="604" /></a></div><p></p><p>Another thing we didn't expect was our next adventure. Someone told us to be sure to drive the Needles Eye highway.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaZByZMrjmbmELQ-WLSdakrz5cXGc9U9Zjv-1AzN1pj2OpPKMTC5ojdcsgApF5X7mvFXGWBV-QJTPXJdonCQL2ymeUKq_0cDgjHnrmtdk_rAMkGckvq__B6D6p6s6nfE-Fb79V5n_O3-zbhotlZHd8qxM9bylgTF8_GnIYd74TRhI-1IzR4T7tj4gSEg/s3460/80CBCF5E-4B92-4605-B85A-1CD8C5CB927C.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3460" data-original-width="2595" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaZByZMrjmbmELQ-WLSdakrz5cXGc9U9Zjv-1AzN1pj2OpPKMTC5ojdcsgApF5X7mvFXGWBV-QJTPXJdonCQL2ymeUKq_0cDgjHnrmtdk_rAMkGckvq__B6D6p6s6nfE-Fb79V5n_O3-zbhotlZHd8qxM9bylgTF8_GnIYd74TRhI-1IzR4T7tj4gSEg/w480-h640/80CBCF5E-4B92-4605-B85A-1CD8C5CB927C.heic" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddH-RSmyvEdAbGlMURaA6UQgh87Xb69nBE08P62y_r-RINnvEPQ-iS5XMNY-uwa2DwN8keqo2YzVA9NWiSyoPRcfXNtbyShk7DqODDmRKs-Pdn24n1ePud-q0zvcB7CLjmdR52gYCeQvUah_z494etDHCDDh7n2nIaEydYAjgCS1Wvn6hU05BfHY_HYI/s5184/70F10DF6-C0A1-4CF3-ACB6-C83E5E1E8EC4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEEmm_9u-ZRLGRK5M0JGZYfB3iYOs5xTzofSzl09GS6V3IAazWij15years0T5kgpEkxxHwo5BbIOImN1HOpJGrOeIQy0gWaG9lEM5XUcZAOswrLEy4ERdpWsnBfpWD4C-hzq8LT6KpMYOBDfXlzvgEsRCu1WD5un4EHnq8z8GKZB3kyt34shk1UVR30/s4032/184A9FF3-659A-4208-98C9-2459ADAB66E9.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEEmm_9u-ZRLGRK5M0JGZYfB3iYOs5xTzofSzl09GS6V3IAazWij15years0T5kgpEkxxHwo5BbIOImN1HOpJGrOeIQy0gWaG9lEM5XUcZAOswrLEy4ERdpWsnBfpWD4C-hzq8LT6KpMYOBDfXlzvgEsRCu1WD5un4EHnq8z8GKZB3kyt34shk1UVR30/w480-h640/184A9FF3-659A-4208-98C9-2459ADAB66E9.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57ifyRMKY-XRo7bAIsV5dnjl0773gDd7GPebacv-mrJOgBAs-aUr4fwCOrd4QpcLbmNiWHqD7NRaJjuE-RXKFNv-s8I8NN4H3TvSDpH9b1VSDEdEPuZAqwxuXYzFor6Uog1dOfYGoP_Gh9UGmRDqHK4uPF2gf5a7orvQQLAWeDMGjsI3K6R5r8euWvuo/s5184/70F10DF6-C0A1-4CF3-ACB6-C83E5E1E8EC4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57ifyRMKY-XRo7bAIsV5dnjl0773gDd7GPebacv-mrJOgBAs-aUr4fwCOrd4QpcLbmNiWHqD7NRaJjuE-RXKFNv-s8I8NN4H3TvSDpH9b1VSDEdEPuZAqwxuXYzFor6Uog1dOfYGoP_Gh9UGmRDqHK4uPF2gf5a7orvQQLAWeDMGjsI3K6R5r8euWvuo/w640-h426/70F10DF6-C0A1-4CF3-ACB6-C83E5E1E8EC4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>It was beautiful for me but my poor daughter was white knuckling it the whole trip. There were no guard rails and very narrow roads. I am glad I experienced this, but I will probably never see it again.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34GJoYs09gKO-8T33kOXlWxS2juMvdtcl4ZcrqccVsb4NU6F5zUvBJnlFE9dkQ-i2ihQuC87sSQbh3-YpWtSF6bLmnaYVShgnL96Spbqpv9vg69pFbAgF5qKw1Ue4KJruFlzUcBBsnAZGs-BAkxdaeE8V7SncuMFM73A_Dh4QsubnicjuMadFFg_AwYI/s5184/27309B68-6E3B-4365-8190-9DA544835DEE_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34GJoYs09gKO-8T33kOXlWxS2juMvdtcl4ZcrqccVsb4NU6F5zUvBJnlFE9dkQ-i2ihQuC87sSQbh3-YpWtSF6bLmnaYVShgnL96Spbqpv9vg69pFbAgF5qKw1Ue4KJruFlzUcBBsnAZGs-BAkxdaeE8V7SncuMFM73A_Dh4QsubnicjuMadFFg_AwYI/w640-h426/27309B68-6E3B-4365-8190-9DA544835DEE_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>It was a busy day, but a wonderful day. We had packed a lot in just one day. As we headed back to Keystone, we enjoyed the Black Hills with its beautiful scenery. After a short rest, we headed downtown. We found a place to eat pizza outside. A cowboy was drumming up business for a show taking place later. We walked around a bit. This is where we saw the massive chainsaw art. I have trouble cutting down a few branches. These people are cutting with huge chainsaws all day long. They are truly artists.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMiPh5VX-MM0pROzA14Nwz2XtTQeYaT91kVXxCXnpBfFKjNJw6cQ7acnh6xOHIit18VpHZgZPlQw32ou1GJUhsFjL8H6tn74HBTPJq8tvroVCDYDD8RPk99QHvQScDVjmjBAqMCC2N-XtYTNy0Pp-94WLTl5TYilqf6VTNq0ZRwvlft-Htrha8L-M7wM/s787/F111901D-73D9-4A9E-BC51-E1A4AD094111.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="751" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMiPh5VX-MM0pROzA14Nwz2XtTQeYaT91kVXxCXnpBfFKjNJw6cQ7acnh6xOHIit18VpHZgZPlQw32ou1GJUhsFjL8H6tn74HBTPJq8tvroVCDYDD8RPk99QHvQScDVjmjBAqMCC2N-XtYTNy0Pp-94WLTl5TYilqf6VTNq0ZRwvlft-Htrha8L-M7wM/w610-h640/F111901D-73D9-4A9E-BC51-E1A4AD094111.heic" width="610" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz679wNGyeBmHSU72SuNPrTkH2yn5Ks46GpHtdqJy8VvjFBukCZY4lgvDe4WGfCvhRKa3OQMfCaFh1erixyWo4UbtB3FOMHTPJYcuIuZ8fjli7musLy3iJSPLmggdPrlFbUkHk_z_ZU17MTq-Mdu1439_K5_cl_YASNZBl-KTslFKvJbRq4XFWJcE0_48/s4032/FD2BA9A9-F779-48D8-B484-0A3BBB725815.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz679wNGyeBmHSU72SuNPrTkH2yn5Ks46GpHtdqJy8VvjFBukCZY4lgvDe4WGfCvhRKa3OQMfCaFh1erixyWo4UbtB3FOMHTPJYcuIuZ8fjli7musLy3iJSPLmggdPrlFbUkHk_z_ZU17MTq-Mdu1439_K5_cl_YASNZBl-KTslFKvJbRq4XFWJcE0_48/w480-h640/FD2BA9A9-F779-48D8-B484-0A3BBB725815.heic" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>The following morning we headed home. We had planned to stop about half way home and we did. We got a motel room and went to eat. When we entered the room it was smelly and awful. Since we were refreshed and fed, we got our money back and continued home with a few breaks.</p><p>One of our breaks was to see the Dignity Of Earth & Sky statue. It is a 50 foot stainless steel statue to honor the Lakota and Dakota people. It represents courage, perseverance and wisdom. It overlooks the Missouri River near Chamberlain, South Dakota.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWBHaLLuuJvsY3hUeaN38_ilzSp7gSg6-f1Z6_yg0gBlR3nCAUcBlvA-qMfiH-o9UUUYvZZBbl8katw08x7ESzo9VX__rnjPOdu4TiM2vG0FOUEA69mCRtWvxDI-jiyzplKPjV9uT_dkTZeniGKdGEauJ_6ZBLWUxmaGMaJkdEUI57HS-ePWqklTwBho/s4032/1F617AB4-39F4-4A32-AAF6-ED76D2BF0D41.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWBHaLLuuJvsY3hUeaN38_ilzSp7gSg6-f1Z6_yg0gBlR3nCAUcBlvA-qMfiH-o9UUUYvZZBbl8katw08x7ESzo9VX__rnjPOdu4TiM2vG0FOUEA69mCRtWvxDI-jiyzplKPjV9uT_dkTZeniGKdGEauJ_6ZBLWUxmaGMaJkdEUI57HS-ePWqklTwBho/w480-h640/1F617AB4-39F4-4A32-AAF6-ED76D2BF0D41.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilx9nnN9chCVKVn0wZMDlwQjBN1XwbbL9blep7iK9XfqvEYKK5tX6yszlWEDXS1aO5axDFSynR1ENV2DNOBQ1wv6-8bUlXTATL2odafvfaJ1aKw2zOUCo4KnRDHokfVdf8NUzEBrCicoXoYkjj-fJZ19MMoUkeGPJCD4OHX2z3x0KbuVT95iBow-pzapY/s4032/4AB4A35F-B25C-48C0-A6A8-DD3EBE62AA3E.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilx9nnN9chCVKVn0wZMDlwQjBN1XwbbL9blep7iK9XfqvEYKK5tX6yszlWEDXS1aO5axDFSynR1ENV2DNOBQ1wv6-8bUlXTATL2odafvfaJ1aKw2zOUCo4KnRDHokfVdf8NUzEBrCicoXoYkjj-fJZ19MMoUkeGPJCD4OHX2z3x0KbuVT95iBow-pzapY/w480-h640/4AB4A35F-B25C-48C0-A6A8-DD3EBE62AA3E.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguao32K-J5ZsjmOl-yT4qiDJ_LIoDOmmBbDCSkDsRBFEKE5Ku4Qu1GxJ3x-IgfF4azim1Dk1SWBU_npBFBQ1rfgahkmbHhg5gHa9xPBtotvT-lm_CTMwPu7d4LsMsmi2SRIB4ALrGxo0VuErAJKF6fmlofNhkfiKQkRghLKGCgM8ntivyBVWMQbeEMQEc/s4032/841B6B65-2635-4DD2-9C26-8C36AAFF0AD9.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguao32K-J5ZsjmOl-yT4qiDJ_LIoDOmmBbDCSkDsRBFEKE5Ku4Qu1GxJ3x-IgfF4azim1Dk1SWBU_npBFBQ1rfgahkmbHhg5gHa9xPBtotvT-lm_CTMwPu7d4LsMsmi2SRIB4ALrGxo0VuErAJKF6fmlofNhkfiKQkRghLKGCgM8ntivyBVWMQbeEMQEc/w480-h640/841B6B65-2635-4DD2-9C26-8C36AAFF0AD9.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGuKCTVn723Rc4dyBAAL_5d-aE2CucYgzZL7Wy0iiYaGhcAgJipbFroSDaALbpH6YVRPONngr_1XkOKUT9xY0mibaHE6PpSWUYtEHy0EKOhczSUkNsOVTZzFAhd0gZEmWDzXAthbrfcNinWCrxiOwO9Eq39ag9QtruvLL88lz5VfMpcw9qyMC5EkrXp4/s5184/62653644-98B0-4E08-85CD-8D7874D403B9_1_100_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGuKCTVn723Rc4dyBAAL_5d-aE2CucYgzZL7Wy0iiYaGhcAgJipbFroSDaALbpH6YVRPONngr_1XkOKUT9xY0mibaHE6PpSWUYtEHy0EKOhczSUkNsOVTZzFAhd0gZEmWDzXAthbrfcNinWCrxiOwO9Eq39ag9QtruvLL88lz5VfMpcw9qyMC5EkrXp4/w640-h426/62653644-98B0-4E08-85CD-8D7874D403B9_1_100_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>At the rest stop which showcased the Dignity sculpture, we visited an amazing Louis and Clark museum. It told the story of Louis and Clark. It had replicas of boats and items used. Imagining the size of these things doesn't compare to seeing the actual size. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_4G0V4bnw9o2LZTWb_5UMM8v9fC5KAe1NNE7Uee0XaEoeumihH3F5YFQPJs85Orc1i_s12Bxo1cz3gFfGjujLG9SKi0oCA0QCIf1w2R_skpsj6YqnaghaPa4qYxpWWzu4lEfcAXtLBrWHW63KNNoLGkBA3adQ7pEbDfEOGCpqjc2TgxMV4Qrllay1SQ/s2859/9DBC5FE4-12B2-4E53-92FC-ADA16D3F4779_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2859" data-original-width="2117" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_4G0V4bnw9o2LZTWb_5UMM8v9fC5KAe1NNE7Uee0XaEoeumihH3F5YFQPJs85Orc1i_s12Bxo1cz3gFfGjujLG9SKi0oCA0QCIf1w2R_skpsj6YqnaghaPa4qYxpWWzu4lEfcAXtLBrWHW63KNNoLGkBA3adQ7pEbDfEOGCpqjc2TgxMV4Qrllay1SQ/w474-h640/9DBC5FE4-12B2-4E53-92FC-ADA16D3F4779_1_201_a.jpeg" width="474" /></a></div><p>We missed the Jolly Green Giant for some reason. On the way down the on ramps were under construction but we didn't see it on the way home either. It was a very long trip from Keystone, SD to Princeton/Berlin, WI. We got home very late, but it was nice to be home. We had only been gone five days but we saw a lot of sights and it didn't seem rushed. It was one of the best and most relaxed trips I had ever been on.</p><p>My summer of 2023 will be continued in Part 2.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-39346229999797531852023-07-27T07:34:00.000-05:002023-07-27T07:34:11.723-05:00Coffee That Is Easier On My Stomach<p>I used to blog a recipe every week and very often I would share my latest concoctions for homemade products. Over the last eleven years some of them have been successful and others fell by the wayside. My latest has been very successful for me. I am not a doctor so I can't promote anything medically but only how it works for me.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEics7KQPmw_Bkn50QgP5mB-WuSIWSpY-jmnyP7ppZZLgCPtUJl8B4GrURjVJZR-xtAUFdQsqxiLURDVNOku5bQyEZTJczQPfQBGNy264aL_Wbtm60qONDY_J3x81M_h5FrNXxHwPb0AWXnYd2ocFF7-1t-4aXqyRtZXWLwT-rcJxpYPh_vE5jW6eWk4hZ8/s4032/2DDF6234-5F88-4E6B-914B-0C32D6A700F0_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEics7KQPmw_Bkn50QgP5mB-WuSIWSpY-jmnyP7ppZZLgCPtUJl8B4GrURjVJZR-xtAUFdQsqxiLURDVNOku5bQyEZTJczQPfQBGNy264aL_Wbtm60qONDY_J3x81M_h5FrNXxHwPb0AWXnYd2ocFF7-1t-4aXqyRtZXWLwT-rcJxpYPh_vE5jW6eWk4hZ8/w300-h400/2DDF6234-5F88-4E6B-914B-0C32D6A700F0_1_201_a.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p>I have written several times about my cancer journey. It is now almost seventeen years that I have been cancer free. I had surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. With treatment comes side effects for some people. Although this is probably too much information, one of mine was gut problems when I ate certain foods. I have identified most of those foods, and I have very few issues anymore. I have either eliminated that food or find a way to tolerate it. One of those foods is coffee. I really like my coffee and definitely didn't want to stop drinking it. I find if I drink it with a piece of toast or some type of carbohydrate, my stomach stays calm. The carbs work but the best thing I do is put 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda in the cup of hot coffee. It takes down the acid, and I can tolerate the coffee. I can slightly taste the baking soda depending on the strength of the coffee, but it is worth it. Taking too much baking soda isn't good for anyone. It cuts the stomach acid too much and interferes with digestion, but this small amount is fine for me. It is good to have an alkaline body but we need acid in our stomach for digestion. As with life, it's a balance.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKBHHwNQpktJzDq06ztOgUle0qi6WD2IY0enEmR_cNoviaR6huHkL_5-ajFV5mPAJWTDCQFPP6PEg90TwiBO_r0-QXLFgAl-FsQ5eeSRbO4edWShijR6ooEnHj01st1NKWILuvaA1fRRl6FpSnAqTIRhRT4OBF3P8kXms6_Um9M85p3ujfuyTKOCXCsY/s2892/CF0B38DD-8027-4C80-B275-67CA968EEDE5.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2487" data-original-width="2892" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKBHHwNQpktJzDq06ztOgUle0qi6WD2IY0enEmR_cNoviaR6huHkL_5-ajFV5mPAJWTDCQFPP6PEg90TwiBO_r0-QXLFgAl-FsQ5eeSRbO4edWShijR6ooEnHj01st1NKWILuvaA1fRRl6FpSnAqTIRhRT4OBF3P8kXms6_Um9M85p3ujfuyTKOCXCsY/w640-h550/CF0B38DD-8027-4C80-B275-67CA968EEDE5.heic" width="640" /></a></div><p>Before I knew better, I got a Keurig coffee machine. I tried to use the biodegradable K-cups but sometimes I don't. I do empty the used coffee out and put the plastic cups in with the recyclables. Whether that is helpful, I don't know. Most of the time I use my Aero Press. An Aero Press is basically a portable French press. It can make a cup of coffee as quickly as a Keurig. I actually run water through the Keurig and pour the hot water over the grounds. I just put my 1/8 t. of baking soda in the cup, put grounds in the Aero Press with the hot water and press it through. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTp9Ct9Cz3IX9GEBoVN3Qhibg4T0_c2zMyO7u3jGKagMYREyAY6bOoWJt9GHXvRV0N62jJ7Iv0ro6zd6K4JMWDUbE8vVD7vqlpI8ukngooiSRFFsXR1nSHPwy_KOyisncvUVQa_SINRHiHsnbr8qIvOurVNElfR-seMo9InJlo-jpJdnxeTBzyWyh3Dw/s4032/D8354E38-2142-404E-B47C-4D94FFC050A2.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTp9Ct9Cz3IX9GEBoVN3Qhibg4T0_c2zMyO7u3jGKagMYREyAY6bOoWJt9GHXvRV0N62jJ7Iv0ro6zd6K4JMWDUbE8vVD7vqlpI8ukngooiSRFFsXR1nSHPwy_KOyisncvUVQa_SINRHiHsnbr8qIvOurVNElfR-seMo9InJlo-jpJdnxeTBzyWyh3Dw/w480-h640/D8354E38-2142-404E-B47C-4D94FFC050A2.heic" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Recently I added another step to the process. We all know studies that have shown the health benefits of Cacao. If you haven't heard of them there are tons of testimonials on the internet. It has almost no caffeine and is so good for a person. All I did was buy Cacao Nibs. They are crushed cocoa beans. I put a couple cups on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and roast them at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. They smell like brownies baking. When they cool, I grind them in a coffee bean grinder and then put them in a jar. I drink my first cup of coffee plain and black but if I have another cup I add some ground roasted cacao beans to the coffee grounds. As with anything, it takes some getting used to. It has a hint of chocolate. I generally don't like flavored coffee, but I am liking this subtle flavor.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPNScGf0Xaqd2qNC5c1RWT3jgHPvT28OhOIehbyGfLz_hjB447uDWuxP9ACsV8VZWzqAUWKAEOjbvG0BpvQIwlqDXFPNuyXVdCFaV4g_4QBCtfOtuCJHVO48prJP5bmdf84YgG4xNBkvX7oHqs5z1W_EDxQal09cJJ1oiioPjw_iqtvPk9yjbPL8o83I/s3156/2386BDE4-ECF8-4B4F-AF8D-B99EE7B84ACF_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3156" data-original-width="2779" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPNScGf0Xaqd2qNC5c1RWT3jgHPvT28OhOIehbyGfLz_hjB447uDWuxP9ACsV8VZWzqAUWKAEOjbvG0BpvQIwlqDXFPNuyXVdCFaV4g_4QBCtfOtuCJHVO48prJP5bmdf84YgG4xNBkvX7oHqs5z1W_EDxQal09cJJ1oiioPjw_iqtvPk9yjbPL8o83I/w353-h400/2386BDE4-ECF8-4B4F-AF8D-B99EE7B84ACF_1_201_a.jpeg" width="353" /></a></div><p></p><p>If you like coffee and chocolate, this is perfect. Some people can drink coffee all day long without any side effects. I'm not one of those people, but this method makes it possible for me to drink a cup or two each morning. <br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-21755509618328056212023-07-19T15:45:00.002-05:002023-07-19T17:16:19.146-05:00Coyotes in the Neighborhood<p>The last blog I wrote was over a month ago. It was about my resident sandhill crane couple and the care they took with their colt. <a href="http://www.thecabincountess.com/2023/06/parental-love-sandhill-crane-style.html">http://www.thecabincountess.com/2023/06/parental-love-sandhill-crane-style.html</a> I enjoyed watching them everyday, but I am sad to report the baby crane has disappeared. I watched the parents without the baby for a while thinking they were just giving it space to learn life skills. The more time that passed without seeing it made me realize it was gone. Today I found out what might have happened. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMR9ANYgMvC8ownjINKyqlrwl-vsUsIbAJi40470TIDVFgZ46BLYyrng0HAh-tAgx8KP74pXL4riOvnebMFZM14-fSAPba36FdYB_8XTJ-bZcNOeUBIKDxHBjIGCD343SDHkQcF8faB_riilfmkwrnL7r1WDRqK9gMbMjDaWq6F7f_rymVI9InJsYX3Q/s5387/526C068F-604D-48F3-BF97-15F6B00F8984_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3232" data-original-width="5387" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMR9ANYgMvC8ownjINKyqlrwl-vsUsIbAJi40470TIDVFgZ46BLYyrng0HAh-tAgx8KP74pXL4riOvnebMFZM14-fSAPba36FdYB_8XTJ-bZcNOeUBIKDxHBjIGCD343SDHkQcF8faB_riilfmkwrnL7r1WDRqK9gMbMjDaWq6F7f_rymVI9InJsYX3Q/w640-h384/526C068F-604D-48F3-BF97-15F6B00F8984_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a> <br /></div><p></p><p>I was outside preparing my garage window trim for painting. As I was scraping the loose paint off, I heard an especially loud warning from the sandhill crane couple. They separated themselves from each other and hollered as loud as I have ever heard them. I couldn't see anything unusual so I continued working. I was priming the window frames when I heard it again. It was clearly a stranger danger call.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt16QEa8HyKiLibFtRN5TjGtPwuOgYBGQI51XcwT7-x1_pLavdaTh2Ze7qA8nqWLULCH5n_-WaZDouyTelicEJWTPs8VBkgzIBj8Qo-8H2B7ORY6GnG6m7yRQE8cD8SIupjVHNUoGBR4EqqrO3MDzA4SzgDa6Ir1quIXBPWF_t74ZKanxkEgie29Sv0K8/s3389/AFAD8E70-E9FB-4C18-9EEA-9256349DF1A3_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2033" data-original-width="3389" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt16QEa8HyKiLibFtRN5TjGtPwuOgYBGQI51XcwT7-x1_pLavdaTh2Ze7qA8nqWLULCH5n_-WaZDouyTelicEJWTPs8VBkgzIBj8Qo-8H2B7ORY6GnG6m7yRQE8cD8SIupjVHNUoGBR4EqqrO3MDzA4SzgDa6Ir1quIXBPWF_t74ZKanxkEgie29Sv0K8/w640-h384/AFAD8E70-E9FB-4C18-9EEA-9256349DF1A3_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I looked again, I saw some movement in the cattails. At first I thought it was a dog, then a fox but lo and behold it was a coyote pup. It was eating something. With the water level down to almost nothing, I imagine the frogs are plentiful. It was just chewing away like it was having a snack.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasg7IjcVTJ4rjVEVFGM4wvo2npbUF6VgRflbA3OWdlpKc_gx1nLkZsQ7B7MmWpOrF5fEGLy40couQ5hDaHXtltk7eQDDkJUghW4r6qepsZ_StLRDmf54G7C5CVi0AmOyhLhpluCahIHINLXKfIBxPE-q_DbJSgYotKxYQik4p1MlaeayFpkBeIdEGW2s/s4726/18AB01EC-0089-4FDB-A15B-FC6B9E99FB31_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2836" data-original-width="4726" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasg7IjcVTJ4rjVEVFGM4wvo2npbUF6VgRflbA3OWdlpKc_gx1nLkZsQ7B7MmWpOrF5fEGLy40couQ5hDaHXtltk7eQDDkJUghW4r6qepsZ_StLRDmf54G7C5CVi0AmOyhLhpluCahIHINLXKfIBxPE-q_DbJSgYotKxYQik4p1MlaeayFpkBeIdEGW2s/w640-h384/18AB01EC-0089-4FDB-A15B-FC6B9E99FB31_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just a short time before Princeton's noon whistle was going off. As it was sounding I heard coyotes howling. I had a new roof put on my house a couple weeks ago and the guys told me that every day they would hear coyotes when the whistle blew. Today I heard it for myself. As with all animals, the babies are adorable but coyotes are not a good thing to have in the neighborhood. People will have to watch their dogs and cats carefully. After seeing this, I don't think our little sandhill crane colt had a chance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3mg2EE_h_f4Qt7XdgEiVW6ihJY0Hvly8bJ8GlZXfavc0LQ2l1SfOhwUIzzlQ6qduK8y9WrFNqqmEzYoC8rdQjdrNdcASw4QdxBmB8bpfs85aJ6IFLOEZkNSfRz-SQa9__xbKTOXqRJ7LSNKyblm-Bn5T8oEititzEGnXSJI_XVrxjKQ4lOIDO2RAmpw/s3131/6FD6CE87-8201-4457-B07E-3E4454D1E729_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1879" data-original-width="3131" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3mg2EE_h_f4Qt7XdgEiVW6ihJY0Hvly8bJ8GlZXfavc0LQ2l1SfOhwUIzzlQ6qduK8y9WrFNqqmEzYoC8rdQjdrNdcASw4QdxBmB8bpfs85aJ6IFLOEZkNSfRz-SQa9__xbKTOXqRJ7LSNKyblm-Bn5T8oEititzEGnXSJI_XVrxjKQ4lOIDO2RAmpw/w640-h384/6FD6CE87-8201-4457-B07E-3E4454D1E729_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYu_JihDmaotcgd58UeDaJdLZfFk1A7f6QB40Nwq05vqNBoq2LMOegiRVfa7-vzfOOqVjnJVZLrhdhmzLHsD5Vh5BHgTciQbDgiF3lnJ9ihf3aLF2nCQbF0V5aEvhgGD-4CAbkrPR_UCEEZ0CoxJLL_QwSV5MHLRbRJBoLNsvNhy-J5ZJb1eZZeLnbLUw/s3669/93BC0E19-6F85-4DC4-A338-8B8E44A23D0B_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2201" data-original-width="3669" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYu_JihDmaotcgd58UeDaJdLZfFk1A7f6QB40Nwq05vqNBoq2LMOegiRVfa7-vzfOOqVjnJVZLrhdhmzLHsD5Vh5BHgTciQbDgiF3lnJ9ihf3aLF2nCQbF0V5aEvhgGD-4CAbkrPR_UCEEZ0CoxJLL_QwSV5MHLRbRJBoLNsvNhy-J5ZJb1eZZeLnbLUw/w640-h384/93BC0E19-6F85-4DC4-A338-8B8E44A23D0B_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>There might be a whole pack of coyotes close by. The howling was definitely more than one. I haven't seen the bobcat for a while. I wonder if they will stay out of each others way. Things could get interesting if they don't. <br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-20703090033570509812023-06-12T15:19:00.001-05:002023-06-12T16:13:51.157-05:00Parental Love Sandhill Crane Style<p>Originally I just posted a few pictures on Facebook of a Sandhill Crane family in my marsh. I decided to put several posts together in blog form for a more complete story. For many years a Sandhill Crane couple have called my property home. Some years they have a nest that produces one or two young colts. Some years the nest fails, and they go about their business foraging all summer until it's time to migrate. After a failure, I have never seen them re-nest. I can't be sure if it's the same couple, but I think they are territorial and it is the same couple that show up every year in March. Sandhill Cranes can live over 20 years with proper food and conditions. My marsh is pretty much ideal. This year was different however. I saw them early in the spring but the marsh was completely flooded this year. I couldn't see any place suitable for building a nest. I am glad it flooded early because the most tragic year I have seen was flooding after the nest was built and the eggs were laid. <a href="http://www.thecabincountess.com/2020/05/a-sandhill-cranes-struggle.html">http://www.thecabincountess.com/2020/05/a-sandhill-cranes-struggle.html</a> We did not get any rain for the entire month of May. The water receded rapidly, and one day I spotted the cutest little baby crane with its parents. I don't know where the nest was but it must have been in a safe spot and within walking distance. The baby was very young and not close to flying yet, but he sure is learning how to become independent and spread his wings.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_-76eM-jp2QFHU6scWFY2MVeQeV12JmfAasiFvWh6I6oycqASRRW5Ca7pk20RE-piAFi1O4nDrMAFJTeJMXh-ZpUCY7Og1pMURBjQlDfzC_WSl4xepiQkOh4HF2qOjq4c1QsYFOeGBQB0y8HL2gjtEvKFPUUD7_6zYOEVQX75ScH6PWjxFQDT7iD3" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2109" data-original-width="3515" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_-76eM-jp2QFHU6scWFY2MVeQeV12JmfAasiFvWh6I6oycqASRRW5Ca7pk20RE-piAFi1O4nDrMAFJTeJMXh-ZpUCY7Og1pMURBjQlDfzC_WSl4xepiQkOh4HF2qOjq4c1QsYFOeGBQB0y8HL2gjtEvKFPUUD7_6zYOEVQX75ScH6PWjxFQDT7iD3=w640-h384" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQ_6OCaV9iCrEd_xFlDETguWiSrcuXHKBwKWbM4xcP8Gf6RBJsIoOsZ2q_QqOyxFMCpDvBVSReBDsptixWaNKy4FExFwA698X9-zID2Z267q2mNkRh4wUpSNg1HH1bGdAnXI5kO8DGajmFnXauzEXcgvr_9Akkri8N3sJvZqOH62_005FiIeuLXD8Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2311" data-original-width="3480" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQ_6OCaV9iCrEd_xFlDETguWiSrcuXHKBwKWbM4xcP8Gf6RBJsIoOsZ2q_QqOyxFMCpDvBVSReBDsptixWaNKy4FExFwA698X9-zID2Z267q2mNkRh4wUpSNg1HH1bGdAnXI5kO8DGajmFnXauzEXcgvr_9Akkri8N3sJvZqOH62_005FiIeuLXD8Q=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNhaRSZDEw8DiJ7XlXpnvFhqjiqiRkrSv9B4MtJ21EgLzo5TWmC2GXAKS2BaNx23xRB1qPslfMyaUxuj76g8yErTHtPnK-3MWuBlo8rDsvJ1PXcjtnrGj37-LrricEyXc_h695usmlaoLfKElLuWCF9lmXtkqZAlOi_JUi5HgvFLs_DczU1Dcyy8z/s5053/97DCF9E3-CD27-48D4-9EF5-427D9C2A751D_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3032" data-original-width="5053" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNhaRSZDEw8DiJ7XlXpnvFhqjiqiRkrSv9B4MtJ21EgLzo5TWmC2GXAKS2BaNx23xRB1qPslfMyaUxuj76g8yErTHtPnK-3MWuBlo8rDsvJ1PXcjtnrGj37-LrricEyXc_h695usmlaoLfKElLuWCF9lmXtkqZAlOi_JUi5HgvFLs_DczU1Dcyy8z/w640-h384/97DCF9E3-CD27-48D4-9EF5-427D9C2A751D_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I wasn't sure where this little family was sleeping so I was happy to observe them pick out a spot within viewing distance from my window. As the marsh dried up, a mound of dirt appeared. It was surrounded by boggy marshland. A couple evenings after I first observed the family and after giving baby a little nudge, I saw the parents fly over to this mound. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0nzhxGGwApKdz0ULYn_MsfcGZvwgU5jN24_a-2K6XJBHTvHdGUx2bUlfgjLuh0Sd69K0Ez-CS_z3H2KvdygaZRsLygrItbIFetOTIgMdp-rNPOhS2s4e_3hjFBz1Uz8VTuMe_sn7N2jPfgjnkon49J2fCGOYSXz7lSbRJk_ulI_MkT9qZJvYZBir/s2863/38C6BB73-F6E6-4EDD-86FE-CCE6892042CB_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1718" data-original-width="2863" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0nzhxGGwApKdz0ULYn_MsfcGZvwgU5jN24_a-2K6XJBHTvHdGUx2bUlfgjLuh0Sd69K0Ez-CS_z3H2KvdygaZRsLygrItbIFetOTIgMdp-rNPOhS2s4e_3hjFBz1Uz8VTuMe_sn7N2jPfgjnkon49J2fCGOYSXz7lSbRJk_ulI_MkT9qZJvYZBir/w640-h384/38C6BB73-F6E6-4EDD-86FE-CCE6892042CB_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBoTtMg8i96y28YiNKu0ZdVxQkRWYTaS87HQllUPIij2MuuOWa89tGZ4GQeqwjFcBIxy4AmN-0KfViiIet91e_yN2E7TEPsZY9BUaWVk2Yqk_LRa0s0wHhQ2xNpZpx3s1-JRLYwoW3ZxaOm01eljacD08L1wViRIpOIAfSZ274aS5nQ_YJ6eYLQ9B/s4558/EDE6A750-0B1E-4CC6-92F1-02283BF489EA_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2735" data-original-width="4558" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBoTtMg8i96y28YiNKu0ZdVxQkRWYTaS87HQllUPIij2MuuOWa89tGZ4GQeqwjFcBIxy4AmN-0KfViiIet91e_yN2E7TEPsZY9BUaWVk2Yqk_LRa0s0wHhQ2xNpZpx3s1-JRLYwoW3ZxaOm01eljacD08L1wViRIpOIAfSZ274aS5nQ_YJ6eYLQ9B/w640-h384/EDE6A750-0B1E-4CC6-92F1-02283BF489EA_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The baby was left alone and he couldn't fly so he started walking over to his parents. The dad flew back to watch from the shore and the mom watched from the sleeping spot. It was not an easy task. He got stuck many times. I don't know crane behavior that well but it looked like the parents were teaching the baby how to problem solve. Fortunately he made it. Both parents watched carefully. I want to believe they would have stepped in with some sort of rescue if necessary. The mama was right there to greet him at the end. I could just hear her say "good job".<br /></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNc4u_o--2rrf9HMmFqFiq2Jx4byTH69TgB6hxo48wzb_pAYsdrLJuEwGmQDGXQn0Rgz6rDwb7pala2TDkZz_NTIUwikEaaabgsHl2hx9Wzuyv28B7BMiAVMEP3ARHSGg283H00pkiTWXinppT7qCZbZQYd9cVfdKaTWuSrxk47cOzKE4jgyQHdJfW" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2146" data-original-width="3577" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNc4u_o--2rrf9HMmFqFiq2Jx4byTH69TgB6hxo48wzb_pAYsdrLJuEwGmQDGXQn0Rgz6rDwb7pala2TDkZz_NTIUwikEaaabgsHl2hx9Wzuyv28B7BMiAVMEP3ARHSGg283H00pkiTWXinppT7qCZbZQYd9cVfdKaTWuSrxk47cOzKE4jgyQHdJfW=w640-h384" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-awk09U0dqjdEga5UT89WozsdW3FfExm8lqrUIQpZzZFpW-lz7Iwq8Ad1_CfXspM-FLk490YvH9eg51iZAOgadjON1c8hO_S5z7TZLfw67sMnzotpAE4fGig-Nqev0rQF64NSmzFe95b_E5xhiNVe09u40aZUy2lCZm1lLyV4iupflVQmvOj9C7iv/s6000/423079F1-93E6-449D-9435-27A704D1F1F4_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-awk09U0dqjdEga5UT89WozsdW3FfExm8lqrUIQpZzZFpW-lz7Iwq8Ad1_CfXspM-FLk490YvH9eg51iZAOgadjON1c8hO_S5z7TZLfw67sMnzotpAE4fGig-Nqev0rQF64NSmzFe95b_E5xhiNVe09u40aZUy2lCZm1lLyV4iupflVQmvOj9C7iv/w640-h426/423079F1-93E6-449D-9435-27A704D1F1F4_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>When they all were settled in their new space, it was time to sleep. The young crane is still sleeping under his mother's wing. She would lay down and then he would crawl in. The bigger he gets, the harder that will be.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXq6LNTtGdbRTzemKPgWvQRDFzSSBE70AuR-e4mOCnr3qlQlAx9_snPFlUx5mawDCW7CIThB89ew96dRDJEv8Q7iDdh9THORCsqxIxNq6KT9ACZMs4r2xy33V-kogD53IvvygB_TSfidGawZo8m1vlJ8H0c-TjDdTj1QkAIBlP4gndL2cnXF3BbjOf" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3219" data-original-width="5365" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXq6LNTtGdbRTzemKPgWvQRDFzSSBE70AuR-e4mOCnr3qlQlAx9_snPFlUx5mawDCW7CIThB89ew96dRDJEv8Q7iDdh9THORCsqxIxNq6KT9ACZMs4r2xy33V-kogD53IvvygB_TSfidGawZo8m1vlJ8H0c-TjDdTj1QkAIBlP4gndL2cnXF3BbjOf=w640-h384" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsPjW7ZuLonvYzpnNcyrfYlI_NzFDkUDuvARjTZpN1lLItIZjYYG5TIqAFz_qqCuXSudMAVvE2Nm5i2nV0AZly7Q5Ik3tBKtrS-Y9oRTysDmYoy9l799WGl-ZBB-sLt8AIBBMS9YhwAUl9WASlgYp4f6lI1TyXvMYReNBisEIGoU2VMsN1zeq9LxGI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2021" data-original-width="3368" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsPjW7ZuLonvYzpnNcyrfYlI_NzFDkUDuvARjTZpN1lLItIZjYYG5TIqAFz_qqCuXSudMAVvE2Nm5i2nV0AZly7Q5Ik3tBKtrS-Y9oRTysDmYoy9l799WGl-ZBB-sLt8AIBBMS9YhwAUl9WASlgYp4f6lI1TyXvMYReNBisEIGoU2VMsN1zeq9LxGI=w640-h384" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFlE5EdPxulKEFI8eP8cdZS58qSaNcNBcitvmUA6TN34ooW9SAMujx60mfHK7qdlczE9aoVDeSf-ak6d4gBO8yKGvQFa4OKGiipiKc4a3bkGE-WElaRHICaGOmsLdnCTWpMP1kjJoW-uYcR8DDv8cH62MS4PsONF5fvQIbcX9FwuX4-zWUdjOvmXO/s2728/577ACC50-463D-4A86-B101-F50EAE8E584D_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1637" data-original-width="2728" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFlE5EdPxulKEFI8eP8cdZS58qSaNcNBcitvmUA6TN34ooW9SAMujx60mfHK7qdlczE9aoVDeSf-ak6d4gBO8yKGvQFa4OKGiipiKc4a3bkGE-WElaRHICaGOmsLdnCTWpMP1kjJoW-uYcR8DDv8cH62MS4PsONF5fvQIbcX9FwuX4-zWUdjOvmXO/w640-h384/577ACC50-463D-4A86-B101-F50EAE8E584D_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Day after day the process of getting to the nest wasn't easy. The mom would fly over, the dad would stay on the shore and the baby would make its way across nearly drowning. The task did get easier as the marsh dried more and more. The young one learned the easiest path across and didn't have as much trouble the last couple days. They had a schedule. Every afternoon they would move closer and closer to the sleeping area. Some days they had to contend with interlopers. A family of geese thought they could also stay in the same area. The cranes didn't want any part of that.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilz63sPYRRr8PYeB3GeNWpRA5bXJHFi3cVWes5ePG2RwHdzgRYRj6KrtkEavi9xHG1SB5647rUPhCGEHLQrdyOCH17ukQZwAuSwdpvc0hRoUhe3i5jDFJ3ZR18JMH0pI_5hlb-V02PYppJ3iH64StW1sXeKvpLNeZY4aFL-a1iNinMDvQ0vhhl7APv/s5184/3B3FD86D-7A19-47D9-9A1A-604E7E544DB8_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilz63sPYRRr8PYeB3GeNWpRA5bXJHFi3cVWes5ePG2RwHdzgRYRj6KrtkEavi9xHG1SB5647rUPhCGEHLQrdyOCH17ukQZwAuSwdpvc0hRoUhe3i5jDFJ3ZR18JMH0pI_5hlb-V02PYppJ3iH64StW1sXeKvpLNeZY4aFL-a1iNinMDvQ0vhhl7APv/w640-h426/3B3FD86D-7A19-47D9-9A1A-604E7E544DB8_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a> <br /></div><p></p><p>Then one morning about 3AM, I heard the famous loud cry of the Sandhill Crane that we are all familiar with. It was still dark out but I had the windows open. I could see the silhouette of the male crane. It must have been a warning. I went back to sleep and checked again at 5AM when it happened again. This time the family packed up and left. They haven't returned. I think they were too vulnerable out in the open without the safety of the bog to protect them. Also, the baby was getting to big to be protected by mama's wing. I still see them. I think they are sleeping in the tall grass. The baby isn't a baby anymore. He wanders off and gets his own food. I am sure he will be flying soon. I will never know what scared them that last night, but parental love or instinct is protecting their offspring. Just as it should be.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlB3ysDFCx8pCPVLWFnOKaJNhfG-DQjRfawpevd1p65PuBYw5-iss8XlCMSTFY4kXHsDd5yoMZ_l2b_W1LCXpI2y6S0RMn45bi_WKIiSR7zEzQtUH_lCPt83q1z3XtWaWGa3ZaPG6JyguUHkKv70dGPLNkAuJfQ_PSiWwzs475eZuouYLnEHXB2Cb/s3922/3287E045-7879-4ABC-AF2B-75B31E9D9220_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2353" data-original-width="3922" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlB3ysDFCx8pCPVLWFnOKaJNhfG-DQjRfawpevd1p65PuBYw5-iss8XlCMSTFY4kXHsDd5yoMZ_l2b_W1LCXpI2y6S0RMn45bi_WKIiSR7zEzQtUH_lCPt83q1z3XtWaWGa3ZaPG6JyguUHkKv70dGPLNkAuJfQ_PSiWwzs475eZuouYLnEHXB2Cb/w640-h384/3287E045-7879-4ABC-AF2B-75B31E9D9220_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmV7OIrFLwFLfpEgwaikXE76Nx3NvVAANkLdLcDBHc8NCmZntLDjOxAriLX92EmPxyKiRp9ZNRjIcobnd2uUp7Y7nGK4syB6Eu51IX_aY8ccS3T2JyB3uatWq3fh6Nv6E7mDQD__aIef477M0El03S9j7MErfF_79_b5oFaUNcvTjUDtA81dXr-7E/s4013/3CF81802-6999-4EA7-A4A2-BF049234BDA8_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2408" data-original-width="4013" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmV7OIrFLwFLfpEgwaikXE76Nx3NvVAANkLdLcDBHc8NCmZntLDjOxAriLX92EmPxyKiRp9ZNRjIcobnd2uUp7Y7nGK4syB6Eu51IX_aY8ccS3T2JyB3uatWq3fh6Nv6E7mDQD__aIef477M0El03S9j7MErfF_79_b5oFaUNcvTjUDtA81dXr-7E/w640-h384/3CF81802-6999-4EA7-A4A2-BF049234BDA8_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-46339887030995091732023-05-28T19:33:00.001-05:002023-05-29T19:33:42.847-05:00Cemetery Visit 2023<p>For as long as I can remember, my parents would visit the cemeteries of loved ones before Memorial Day. It was called Decoration Day when I was young. They would make an occasion out of it and take my grandparents or other family members. It was a big deal to get flowers for the cemeteries. My parents would always take a rake and do some landscaping. My mom's parents and grandparents are buried in a country cemetery in City Point, Wisconsin. Every year they would pull weeds (probably spray them with Round-up before we knew how bad that stuff was) and bring in a fresh load of white rock. It was tradition. Now they are gone, and I feel I should keep up that tradition. I don't go all out like they did, but twice a year I visit the graves of my ancestors. My parents are now buried along with my dad's parents and other family members in the Neillsville, Wisconsin cemetery. Although Memorial Day is meant for those who died in the armed service, I continue the tradition of Decoration Day, which it was called until 1967. </p><p>This year I had intended to use "real" flowers, but soon realized that I live too far away to keep them watered. A two hour drive is pretty far to drive to water plants when watering my own plants gets to be a hassle after awhile! As much as I don't like silk flowers, that is what I use. </p><p>My husband and I always took a day to do this, but now my daughters take me. Last week we went to the Neillsville cemetery first. It was a gorgeous day. We did a little maintenance, but mostly we put out the flowers and reminisced. It is interesting with every trip I notice a connection to friends and family I hadn't noticed before.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_p6afQn83mPY8Pd-DUouf9OTBVKmv9VzzmODDv5lDWF0L21emALErOREQKfw3dLb3KyZIeMBCLE12pveXa9X0OO8q1AW3DCBxqaxWYRfTEx2h4-G_nM5-q09r8f8PNSImxhPMz97Vs8Sn2jnPu5oa_wBN3EqLOpogF0FMI-G7bniKOqDJVmatLu8o/s3586/F478A188-C81E-4CA9-A4EC-2D19444248D2_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3586" data-original-width="2785" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_p6afQn83mPY8Pd-DUouf9OTBVKmv9VzzmODDv5lDWF0L21emALErOREQKfw3dLb3KyZIeMBCLE12pveXa9X0OO8q1AW3DCBxqaxWYRfTEx2h4-G_nM5-q09r8f8PNSImxhPMz97Vs8Sn2jnPu5oa_wBN3EqLOpogF0FMI-G7bniKOqDJVmatLu8o/w311-h400/F478A188-C81E-4CA9-A4EC-2D19444248D2_1_201_a.jpeg" width="311" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVB-fkmRO3EUc4Azu9iogX_-yXYvL8yRDO94jOt8kGW2FDuwwooVwxqvwbfR1KFXCv7nLkgmfv_lHO_rot6DVJ19thC6Nu9CfnwaIAZMMYo6oSD1fmxQ7OL1GE2YMpZRUKZM0h0TnQd1t2ZVWjwXQjpPe0fdcv0UaTUweLZsNuJZNpQWri6oHojmr/s3744/73701E2C-6C44-4241-84B4-2B33BC841320_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2808" data-original-width="3744" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVB-fkmRO3EUc4Azu9iogX_-yXYvL8yRDO94jOt8kGW2FDuwwooVwxqvwbfR1KFXCv7nLkgmfv_lHO_rot6DVJ19thC6Nu9CfnwaIAZMMYo6oSD1fmxQ7OL1GE2YMpZRUKZM0h0TnQd1t2ZVWjwXQjpPe0fdcv0UaTUweLZsNuJZNpQWri6oHojmr/w400-h300/73701E2C-6C44-4241-84B4-2B33BC841320_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Next stop was a little drive around Neillsville and a sandwich at Hardee's. I hadn't been to a Hardee's restaurant for years. Then we drove to City Point. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQTJfcbxvVsHpXyRSufEM4OfaG4pbrW2jTSjpgzAbaIJ5VT7ACKZJg4bmpdyUk6jO0HBzTyH9dyAl7gjjiDSVThEi8AjclvFtatRFyrUJQqeI8sKlmdHoEc13UzHxSmKqbUca9AQc36Di2h22UIfC5VW-0xGROBkSuJfheZOmQX6l_uhVKdPpj01x/s2263/B71EF906-0E09-40FC-84DB-433FF204461D.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2263" data-original-width="1834" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQTJfcbxvVsHpXyRSufEM4OfaG4pbrW2jTSjpgzAbaIJ5VT7ACKZJg4bmpdyUk6jO0HBzTyH9dyAl7gjjiDSVThEi8AjclvFtatRFyrUJQqeI8sKlmdHoEc13UzHxSmKqbUca9AQc36Di2h22UIfC5VW-0xGROBkSuJfheZOmQX6l_uhVKdPpj01x/w324-h400/B71EF906-0E09-40FC-84DB-433FF204461D.heic" width="324" /></a></div><p>I love this cemetery. It is a quiet old cemetery in Jackson County Wisconsin. It has been cleaned up and is now being maintained better than it was. I miss some of the old bushes and trees but understand why it needed to be spruced up. I don't bring in stone and do the job my parents did, but every year I try to do something. I planted irises a couple years ago and I was so pleased to see they were blooming. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfG4QQ4CgmkDhI22jxi67UrnoKU8nEaa1OcXBO68jR6EnU9prudaRMvysCbSUCSZ-_3v1QPegRZ1zSM5EEiHSUuBbLNQdpKtFiOq8UleLp2jd_7BqWYwar4JHxI0oaJhqcw9ENMtykFjwjf52kYQqvJwCK9I0QK-TNWKMO-Z3avWhdMPqqGAZ8Dbpt/s4032/1E479C8D-5E4D-4A7F-97A1-CFEC3E950803.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfG4QQ4CgmkDhI22jxi67UrnoKU8nEaa1OcXBO68jR6EnU9prudaRMvysCbSUCSZ-_3v1QPegRZ1zSM5EEiHSUuBbLNQdpKtFiOq8UleLp2jd_7BqWYwar4JHxI0oaJhqcw9ENMtykFjwjf52kYQqvJwCK9I0QK-TNWKMO-Z3avWhdMPqqGAZ8Dbpt/w300-h400/1E479C8D-5E4D-4A7F-97A1-CFEC3E950803.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p>I will bring more next time because they are such a low maintenance flower. I was warned not to plant hosta but I did. I was told the deer would have them eaten before I left the driveway. I guess they did because not one hosta survived. I planted lilacs and they were gone too. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDn0KDS0NSjLF79aoxQUPjw-enuJz3tITPQsRykrLGOYkNdWTMywoZka0cXGNE8vyJ9VY5hTQhmCr0eIP7dw6LMW5QsDEdIAD4NSmzXdrr46LG7LSnRtHgKSVV2TDHazo_Zlu6yNP5ued86sHr5FUDTH78O5lQRiX57xBudYjEKR4yoyfYTnN0AbO6/s2397/4B42D1DD-519A-4A8A-9E92-AB02BCF6A842_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1781" data-original-width="2397" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDn0KDS0NSjLF79aoxQUPjw-enuJz3tITPQsRykrLGOYkNdWTMywoZka0cXGNE8vyJ9VY5hTQhmCr0eIP7dw6LMW5QsDEdIAD4NSmzXdrr46LG7LSnRtHgKSVV2TDHazo_Zlu6yNP5ued86sHr5FUDTH78O5lQRiX57xBudYjEKR4yoyfYTnN0AbO6/w400-h297/4B42D1DD-519A-4A8A-9E92-AB02BCF6A842_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>We took a lot of time walking around. With all my recent genealogy reminders I realized that most of my grandpa's siblings were buried here with their families. My mom would walk around every time they visited. I hadn't paid much attention but now I know that half this cemetery contains many of her aunts, uncles and cousins. They had all settled in this area after immigrating from Denmark. Eight of the ten children came to America. I don't think they spent a lot of time together however. Each family had their own struggles making a living and feeding their families. I remember my grandpa visiting with two of his brothers, but I never knew about the others. If my mom talked about them, it wasn't very often. Some had died when my mom was young, leaving only stories. One particular story was know by all. My grandpa had a brother named Soren Peter. He went by the name Peter. He was the oldest brother. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_uGJ--QxpWknTKBmQEAZFwuEXsKSRKsn7OoupxRj2Sj5Z6PlVJtFmw_44DCJWjHKaY0m2sEOQvwRALifSvh8K11WyCh46WK1TsmiX_F5zpF6mvs_hEiSjyk03Y9lmOcess7yvTBqNhu1bx4OQbycYf1CHfmxN2Xcz_4DzMXymLVDD-9bVHlboTgw/s1363/419B3910-95DE-4863-8A5D-EAD34FF64637_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="921" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_uGJ--QxpWknTKBmQEAZFwuEXsKSRKsn7OoupxRj2Sj5Z6PlVJtFmw_44DCJWjHKaY0m2sEOQvwRALifSvh8K11WyCh46WK1TsmiX_F5zpF6mvs_hEiSjyk03Y9lmOcess7yvTBqNhu1bx4OQbycYf1CHfmxN2Xcz_4DzMXymLVDD-9bVHlboTgw/w270-h400/419B3910-95DE-4863-8A5D-EAD34FF64637_1_201_a.jpeg" width="270" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>As the story goes Peter was a bartender in nearby Merrillan, WI. One day two vagrants came to town. They were trying to sell stolen goods. The Marshall followed them into the saloon and attempted to arrest the men. One slipped out the back door but the other drew his gun. The Marshall called Peter to help and in the struggle Peter was killed. He was 40 years old and unmarried. Fast forward to several years ago. My mom was walking the cemetery and found Peter's grave buried in the ground with only the top showing. She was so happy to find his grave after so many years. I found this image on Find A Grave. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Thoh9mhicnCUztYRGq_nvtHtiHkPGXr9JgVA7r78hwj_lbA-FowA2dJivzVcbi8N3N1QdFbtoFN_WQrCBo4p493oBDLcMHrte2QOrNAybcpi5Tvv_fOO5CQF_SKq6D61FJHVW8sTs-ZUpqKW6TyDM4ypRPp9ijCY4poZzhONwDX84vRwKE7mlLtr/s386/33D0222F-577C-4791-A9B1-31E6AD525F8D_4_5005_c.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="386" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Thoh9mhicnCUztYRGq_nvtHtiHkPGXr9JgVA7r78hwj_lbA-FowA2dJivzVcbi8N3N1QdFbtoFN_WQrCBo4p493oBDLcMHrte2QOrNAybcpi5Tvv_fOO5CQF_SKq6D61FJHVW8sTs-ZUpqKW6TyDM4ypRPp9ijCY4poZzhONwDX84vRwKE7mlLtr/w400-h343/33D0222F-577C-4791-A9B1-31E6AD525F8D_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Last week I noticed this gravestone. It looks new and and is positioned right next to his sister's daughter who died when she was just 15 years old. Someone has remembered him by placing a stone. If any of my relatives know who this was, I would like to thank them. What a wonderful thing to do.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbusrpMlqdh-BQrsw6NrXNCjsn-EpQWBjfuGbpeSiPRgBEyhYofyiyIjorJpKDIiv1s3CYFbYEHBy0e4wawAksavkO6tvGBjSxptLP86kJw7EVsSEyClDVF_vNRfzmuR-dSINy6cKs_uJ9fftzA0KqJO30Ngv8rytaAZUFZeCTbZ68WSO1SeXODYQn/s4032/5E3250C3-877F-4479-AF62-7EC5955EC76D.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbusrpMlqdh-BQrsw6NrXNCjsn-EpQWBjfuGbpeSiPRgBEyhYofyiyIjorJpKDIiv1s3CYFbYEHBy0e4wawAksavkO6tvGBjSxptLP86kJw7EVsSEyClDVF_vNRfzmuR-dSINy6cKs_uJ9fftzA0KqJO30Ngv8rytaAZUFZeCTbZ68WSO1SeXODYQn/w300-h400/5E3250C3-877F-4479-AF62-7EC5955EC76D.heic" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p>I had mentioned in an earlier post about the spelling of Jepsen (Jepson) name. Grandpa was so adamant about spelling his name with a "sen", but apparently the others spelled it with "son". I noticed that even my grandpa's name was spelled Jepson on his Declaration of Intent to become a citizen. I think when other people filled out paperwork, names got spelled many ways. </p><p>As with most things in life, even cemeteries have changed. Many people are not living close together in communities. People are living and dying all over the world. Another thing that is happening is many people are being cremated and their ashes are being thrown to the wind, some over golf courses, lakes, and many other favorite locations. I think of old cemeteries as libraries where families lived together and stayed together after death. A lot of information can be gleaned from cemeteries. It is going to be much harder to track families without gravestones. Of course with technology records are getting easier to access. I think I want to be put in a permanent place.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-66706366602392377962023-05-09T10:33:00.003-05:002023-05-09T18:41:20.169-05:00Carbon Monoxide Detectors Expire<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMJXNr8MJPNU0K0kpkTJ5gUON82WwsCUviAxSLUTPgcAWqAf9HPMoIxlz7qGis4pmQv76Cvbk2Jtaavj_MZ_uqwed7v05djifwJPtJILrDBdlzsF9ik-hNQjUd9iFXqEsrgOYhMZeK7paoxAk9K7qq27kTOOY9JDGRh3cxc4n7NcOBL5odPyegBYf/s2989/BC855899-F573-453E-AE3A-3FC8BE1C9255_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1793" data-original-width="2989" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMJXNr8MJPNU0K0kpkTJ5gUON82WwsCUviAxSLUTPgcAWqAf9HPMoIxlz7qGis4pmQv76Cvbk2Jtaavj_MZ_uqwed7v05djifwJPtJILrDBdlzsF9ik-hNQjUd9iFXqEsrgOYhMZeK7paoxAk9K7qq27kTOOY9JDGRh3cxc4n7NcOBL5odPyegBYf/w400-h240/BC855899-F573-453E-AE3A-3FC8BE1C9255_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">This is my public service announcement. It is another thing I knew but paid no attention to since my husband died. I guess he didnt' either because both my detectors are too old. Carbon monoxide detectors do expire. </span></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">My story starts with my busy (or almost busy) day. One grandson had a track meet and another had a band concert. I headed out about 2:30pm to go to Ewan's track meet. It was raining, but I packed up a blanket, warm jacket, raincoat and umbrella. I was almost there when the track meet was called off. My decision was to go a half hour back home or stay until Jack's concert at 7:00pm. I decided to go back home but started visiting with my daughter and before I knew it it was silly to go home. My other daughter told me to come for supper before the concert, so I went there. The concert was awesome, and I got home at 9:15pm. I had a snack and noticed a raccoon had figured out how to get onto the camera bird feeder. I yelled at him through the microphone, but alas he came back. They aren't as cute close up. but I let him be and planned how to fix that in the morning. </span></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7ZqagnqljWF9YDUC4EoHnLUE4qbX-nVYrjiheIfeno_rzPFTc6-NahOIPqG-6aVVVFFn3ZGa9dOXdjj0HcAmzco28GOyTQNSC4-MaybtAkbJ0RyqZlVBmWLPygxsyGRRm72wsLIuoEhHAP5puyK-uQsdRSxxapeQGH1Y2TSE3FWkBqWwuUuzw6fI/s734/3B36C918-488B-4ECF-97B2-46102FA2E6B3_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="734" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7ZqagnqljWF9YDUC4EoHnLUE4qbX-nVYrjiheIfeno_rzPFTc6-NahOIPqG-6aVVVFFn3ZGa9dOXdjj0HcAmzco28GOyTQNSC4-MaybtAkbJ0RyqZlVBmWLPygxsyGRRm72wsLIuoEhHAP5puyK-uQsdRSxxapeQGH1Y2TSE3FWkBqWwuUuzw6fI/w400-h240/3B36C918-488B-4ECF-97B2-46102FA2E6B3_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">By the time I was all ready for bed, it was 10:45. In the quiet of the house, I could hear a beep. I got up and gradually worked my way to the sound. It was in the basement. Yikes, it was the carbon monoxide detector. I looked and it said "get to fresh air". I called my daughter and said I was coming back to her house. I got dressed, packed Pj's and was in the car again. It was 11:11. Those who know me know that was comforting. I had presence of mind to take the batteries out of the device before I called my daughter and tried new ones. Nope, it still beeped. I didn't investigate or troubleshoot any further. I don't think clearly under pressure. On the way, I had more time to think logically. I thought my upstairs detector didn't go off, but the door was closed so maybe it hadn't detected it yet. Every one was in bed when I got there, so my daughter put me in one of their spare bedrooms. Surprisingly I fell asleep quickly. In the morning we googled carbon monoxide detectors. I didn't know they have a relatively short expiration date. After seven years you need a new one. I also didn't know all the information is on the back of the device. Apparently when the detector beeps every 30 seconds it just means it is dead. If it has a continuous<span class="Apple-converted-space"> sound, it is time to vacate and call 911. It also has the date on the back. I thought this was the "new" one, and it was made in 2005. Time passes so quickly sometimes.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmaExLGp03yj9dskjci2QyPtNywLECSGs6f4tgIGqHDgyKyErZySkx0H0eeJnOX6hGr0HTaDa3k-Rb_pEDq23eKUVc5kk5bspeuarucS7h70w0A-_2ZwkiiKR1ILurd_2X2Sx5Kwkg20WGIqpwJBTIo3oxKpmPqEgvbj4t6zC1bz1VYyly6houEjVY/s3393/3E50BC1A-72D0-41D4-AF0E-E78CC2CF709F_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3393" data-original-width="2354" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmaExLGp03yj9dskjci2QyPtNywLECSGs6f4tgIGqHDgyKyErZySkx0H0eeJnOX6hGr0HTaDa3k-Rb_pEDq23eKUVc5kk5bspeuarucS7h70w0A-_2ZwkiiKR1ILurd_2X2Sx5Kwkg20WGIqpwJBTIo3oxKpmPqEgvbj4t6zC1bz1VYyly6houEjVY/w444-h640/3E50BC1A-72D0-41D4-AF0E-E78CC2CF709F_1_201_a.jpeg" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOh53HJTRrMubOLlTkWWWX9fHESZYtJFqA-vJPs3gXn2BkN6L4JzUDcVkjiRS6ykJMEyfNYmICzUEZ9ids0tv8Q_6kVs9plXfqta95H2o0NlafmhOeHafjdNm_C1ywNcHZfEqPYKQ29H84Hr9p6gPgdZzIDR0TTG7a7TdBwhDyNVez128Oxz5gCrJx/s2247/91B56951-37A7-4995-81AB-6EB392653348_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2171" data-original-width="2247" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOh53HJTRrMubOLlTkWWWX9fHESZYtJFqA-vJPs3gXn2BkN6L4JzUDcVkjiRS6ykJMEyfNYmICzUEZ9ids0tv8Q_6kVs9plXfqta95H2o0NlafmhOeHafjdNm_C1ywNcHZfEqPYKQ29H84Hr9p6gPgdZzIDR0TTG7a7TdBwhDyNVez128Oxz5gCrJx/w400-h386/91B56951-37A7-4995-81AB-6EB392653348_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span class="Apple-converted-space">So my advice for today is to check your detectors. Both of mine are too old. Thank goodness nothing bad happened the past few years. I felt confident they would alert me and never gave it a thought. Today I will be replacing them. It is a very nerve wracking feeling to think you have to vacate your house especially late at night. <br /></span><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-68421000820087346342023-05-04T07:19:00.000-05:002023-05-04T07:19:33.280-05:00Gifts Come In All Forms<p>Recently my cousin Deb moved into a new space. She had a lot of photos she had acquired from cleaning out her parents home. Since she doesn't have the time to go through them or the space to store them, she asked if I wanted to look through them. Of course I jumped at the opportunity. I was sure there were some treasures in there. We put them in one of my spare rooms because I admit I was a little surprised at the amount. I'm anxious to dive in although it may take a while.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1SfGY8DCdRZQKN37BydD4FKcmeO_3N30HswjGA01WM5iTJaQo46C4NP6cQkVjEfY979YM14fLbRzEM0sqQXoh06dEVP7MzIonci-AfKoE_WlnCF2rLfsoGzJgpYqgVzbMI778DTbLpSXYYLHD8EIuYZUd2KU8ZJ_mc7clVXQ9chJtsNc50jxSkoV/s4032/A3D28404-01AE-44EB-82BD-A6C592270E9D.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1SfGY8DCdRZQKN37BydD4FKcmeO_3N30HswjGA01WM5iTJaQo46C4NP6cQkVjEfY979YM14fLbRzEM0sqQXoh06dEVP7MzIonci-AfKoE_WlnCF2rLfsoGzJgpYqgVzbMI778DTbLpSXYYLHD8EIuYZUd2KU8ZJ_mc7clVXQ9chJtsNc50jxSkoV/w300-h400/A3D28404-01AE-44EB-82BD-A6C592270E9D.heic" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p>I have only just begun, but it renewed my interest in family history. I have been gathering information for many years, but I haven't done much with it. I'm still not sure how to handle all this information, but I may post some stories on this blog to document a few of them. <br /></p><p>My mother had an Aunt named Ella. She was her mother’s sister, and they were very close. My grandmother died when my mom was 13. Besides her older sisters, Aunt Ella was the closest thing my mom had to a mother. Ella had some tragedy in her life also. Her husband went fishing one day in November and never came home. I never knew any details, but he fell out of the boat and drowned. He was 51 years old. They didn't find his body until spring. It was 1938, the same year her sister Martha died. </p><p>Ella was also very close to my mom's oldest sister Agnes. Agnes never married and took being the oldest of ten children very seriously. At the age of 73 Ella moved to Madison, Wisconsin and into the same apartment building as Agnes. I worked a short distance from their apartment and visited them often. During that time Agnes had Ella record her story as she remembered it. This is a transcription of that story. It ends with Ella still in her apartment. She was an amazing woman full of grit and gumption. I guess she had to be to survive all she had been through. Eventually she moved to Neenah, Wisconsin to be near her daughter Audrey. Ella died in 1983 at age 91. Sadly her daughter only survived her by one year and her son by two years. This is Ella and her son in 1977. She was 86 and he was 65.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaO_2bZTxb17vtdzTVz0F9ksfKRv6Nsgg0qlF8dyfhnOdAnIxopjeGf_4n_n1MAvXffhYusIL0lB1wpdNuh2y0zGurOjg09kmZOBYFmMmRCarmBXuOPIXVmg8ObwN5cflGTrDLy7zGIrBmqRQUL85snnfQV5EJdEyGX5TI_emQMaMcF_DMZPmyebE0/s1218/F61E0DD2-CDC7-4AF2-A23B-8E2AD722F1D4_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1218" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaO_2bZTxb17vtdzTVz0F9ksfKRv6Nsgg0qlF8dyfhnOdAnIxopjeGf_4n_n1MAvXffhYusIL0lB1wpdNuh2y0zGurOjg09kmZOBYFmMmRCarmBXuOPIXVmg8ObwN5cflGTrDLy7zGIrBmqRQUL85snnfQV5EJdEyGX5TI_emQMaMcF_DMZPmyebE0/w400-h270/F61E0DD2-CDC7-4AF2-A23B-8E2AD722F1D4_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The story is interesting because it mentions how both her parents came from Schleswig-Holstein Germany. I knew this area was close to Denmark because my paternal grandfather immigrated from Denmark in 1900. We lived in Stoughton, Wisconsin which was a very Norwegian community at the time we lived there. Grandpa made sure that everyone knew his name was spelled JEPS<u>E</u>N and not SON. He always said that is how you tell a Norwegian from a Dane. Norwegian names have ON and Danes are EN. Ella's father's name was PETERSEN. I was curious, so I looked it up. I found out that this area was under Danish control during the Viking age. There was confusion over the years as to who this area should be ruled by. In the 19th century both Germans and Danes believed they had claim to Schleswig-Holstein even though most of the population were ethnic Germans. The dispute was known as the Schleswig-Holstein Question. In 1848 Denmark tried to annex the area. There was a war and Denmark was victorious, but a fight broke out again in 1864. This time Prussia and Austria won and the area was absorbed into Prussia. After WW I some of the territory went back to Denmark. In her story Ella says her parents were born in 1852 and 1855. That was the time when Denmark had control. Were they Danish or German? The E in Great grandpa's last name tells me he was Danish, but I guess it doesn't matter anymore. Enough of this speculation. This photo is Henning Petersen and Christine Matson's wedding pictures. These are not normal photos they look like chalk drawings. I am not sure how that was done, but they are in very good condition. These photos are 140 years old unless they were done at a later date from this existing photo which is 140 years old. I think it is amazing it survived all the trials and tribulations that this couple endured.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0g6FTprpylcfJx6xroaUIaXTjN-MOUOzPhPQOjPIy9ZXmVOGu5VKMn1aMQ0oRDnyPv-9eDB4j7r57IgdSgEhiAvpPA1gPGqY0dgAziCNrZ9amz8CHeCGdD8wpv7N6V4p64Y0KBmLaElETSzhCWl_nHgiuEUcHG1cAXM41waOi74uSxaUoziqUYfUt/s1599/52C5CAEC-56D0-40CD-901D-0B23C0BCCEF2_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1059" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0g6FTprpylcfJx6xroaUIaXTjN-MOUOzPhPQOjPIy9ZXmVOGu5VKMn1aMQ0oRDnyPv-9eDB4j7r57IgdSgEhiAvpPA1gPGqY0dgAziCNrZ9amz8CHeCGdD8wpv7N6V4p64Y0KBmLaElETSzhCWl_nHgiuEUcHG1cAXM41waOi74uSxaUoziqUYfUt/w424-h640/52C5CAEC-56D0-40CD-901D-0B23C0BCCEF2_1_201_a.jpeg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4yUBAGSRBDNHn8oYsaPS3PHG1i1uDQa0OW3rX6HMNQNj1Km2tKJqggAAa5R8kj0E1NZr2LdbGyHmBoqdXZ3AWEJP3m5twfODJ2_5nwGkwJ-bW98WZF82L7loDf8oKMZkqNR7wP_sjaejKHSnHHIt1JfKSJnOypreyuBfLg1EM2UTk4OuuCAT9GTx/s3188/A946AA36-DEF7-48FB-B95C-4C5EAC4805DA_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3188" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4yUBAGSRBDNHn8oYsaPS3PHG1i1uDQa0OW3rX6HMNQNj1Km2tKJqggAAa5R8kj0E1NZr2LdbGyHmBoqdXZ3AWEJP3m5twfODJ2_5nwGkwJ-bW98WZF82L7loDf8oKMZkqNR7wP_sjaejKHSnHHIt1JfKSJnOypreyuBfLg1EM2UTk4OuuCAT9GTx/s320/A946AA36-DEF7-48FB-B95C-4C5EAC4805DA_1_201_a.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IAoO1cmJTpNTv_LN5GORlPl0avONuZDrGFm6viLUXBEPwwNrjNyZ4YsYNwTY4huLQCbhQJdV0esgPlrErYx-pHqnW007XzfcdiETKV8BcchoGFRRwq1usMuodsbIR9n94NSO_EaCrXO27NQNnWO0u0vAo7CCRu6N_FfXcX1s7rkfFg4B72NnE51n/s3183/F1DA56B0-0E53-429A-AC7F-25BFE7DD4D23_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3183" data-original-width="2546" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IAoO1cmJTpNTv_LN5GORlPl0avONuZDrGFm6viLUXBEPwwNrjNyZ4YsYNwTY4huLQCbhQJdV0esgPlrErYx-pHqnW007XzfcdiETKV8BcchoGFRRwq1usMuodsbIR9n94NSO_EaCrXO27NQNnWO0u0vAo7CCRu6N_FfXcX1s7rkfFg4B72NnE51n/s320/F1DA56B0-0E53-429A-AC7F-25BFE7DD4D23_1_201_a.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><p>Here is Ella's story in her own words. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>The Memoirs of Ella Petersen Belter</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>I will try my best to think back 73 years or so, to recall the experiences of the Petersen family.</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>My father and mother, Henning Petersen and Christine Matson, were both born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Mother, March 23, 1852 and dad March 25, 1855. They had met in Germany and become engaged before coming to America, in 1882. The traveled with two of mother's sisters and their husbands. Mother worked for a year before they were married as a cook in the Mandel Brothers store. Dad worked as a cabinet maker, a trade he had learned in Germany. They were married August 25, 1883 and had six children, 3 boys and then 3 girls. Every other child died in infancy. The three children were Chris the oldest, Martha and myself, the youngest born in 1891. Dad continued his work as a carpenter and mother took in boarders. They then moved to a farm in Indiana where they lived a short time and then moved back to Chicago where they bought a China Store on Milwaukee Avenue across from Coons Park. I was born after they returned to Chicago. Dad worked and mother had the store and three children to care for.</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>One day as dad was going to work on an open street car, he was pushed off by the crowded number of people on the car. His left leg was run over by an oncoming street car. He was rushed to the hospital before mother was notified. They operated three times removing more each time. The last surgery removed the leg just below the knee. They were going to operate again and remove the leg above the knee when dad said "I will go home and die first". So he went home and they got a different doctor who made one clean cut below the knee and saved the rest of his leg. He then got an artificial leg. He was never able to return to work but did help with the store. They carried butter, eggs, tea and coffee, in addition to a lovely selection of fine china.</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>I had just started school and was in the first grade when dad decided to sell the store and move to a farm in Oblong, Illinois. Mother did not want to do this as they were doing very well in the store and had just gotten a start. Again dad had his way and soon found that he did not like it in Oblong, so we moved to Tilton Arkansas. The land which he had bought unsight unseen turned out to be under water and the house was a shack built on stilts, as were all the houses in the area. The sidewalks and the railroad tracks were built above the water. In the spring they moved in with a man who had been divorced and drank a lot. We had two rooms in his house. This man was always singing "the water is cold and chilly and I am called to die". One day, when his horse returned without him, they found him drowned. He had fallen off the horse. We were all sick most of the time from fever and chills, so much so that again dad decided to move while we all were still alive. They settled for a team of horses and a covered wagon, and we started north like a band of gypsies...and there were gypsies ahead or behind us most of the way. They wanted to tell our fortune but we did not let them as we were afraid of them. When we crossed the Missouri River we lost them. We were stuck often in the red Missouri clay, and the poor horses had to pull so hard to get us out. We would cook over a campfire, and buy milk and eggs from farmers along the way. Mother said that she never had it so good. We slept in the wagon and had the little furniture we had shipped by freight to Clinton, Iowa. After 6 weeks we arrived in Clinton, Iowa where dad had a brother. Dad got work in Kelly's furniture factory, 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, about 2 miles from home. We bought a horse and buggy and mom drove dad to work in the morning and got him at night besides taking care of the three of us and caring for a cow, pig and chicken. I went to school and Martha went to Chancy School with Libby Moody, about 2 miles. They carried their lunches. Chris got a job in the wagon factory, 10 hours a day, l6 days a week. We rented a small house. I remember the teacher asked me where I lived, and I said "the $5.00 house". That was the rent we paid. When I told the folks what I told the teacher, they laughed-later I realized why they laughed. Later we bought a very nice house, 7 rooms, 2 bedrooms upstairs, a fenced in yard, a barn and of course a two seater outhouse which everyone had at the time. Our dog Bismark went with us from Chicago to Arkansas, then to Clinton and died of old age in Wisconsin Rapids.</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>We stayed in Clinton about 3 years and had just gotten a nice start and a feeling of security and settled, when dad again got the wanderlust, and he and his brother Hans heard of the wild land in Wisconsin, so they went there and each bought 80 acres. There was no road leading to the land and no bridge over the river.</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Dismal as the sight was, dad moved his family, and uncle Hans also. We all moved into a shanty type house with 2 rooms upstairs, and 2 downstairs. The five of us lived downstairs, and Uncle Hans and family, six of them lived upstairs. This was about six miles from the land and each morning, in the cold winter, the three men, dad, uncle Hans and Chris would go out to the land and cut the logs and haul them to a sawmill two miles away, where the logs were sawed into lumber and hauled the two miles back. Each family built a house across the road from each other. One part of the house was for the cow and horses. We had one room downstairs, and one very low room upstairs. We could only stand upright in the middle of the room. We had not any stairs, we stood on a trunk and then a couple boards nailed to the two by fours to help us climb up. The men did all this without any heat when they got there and a frozen lunch, and dad with only one leg.</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>I went to school near Pittsville and then was told it was not my district, so I went to Veedum, both schools were at least 2 miles from home, which I walked. The roads were not plowed in the winter, so I had to make my own path in the winter. I went from October to January to the first school, and January thru February in the Veedum school. I lied about my grade, said that I was in the second grade, as we had no report cards. Then in March we moved on to the wild land and there was no more school for at least two years. The closest grocery store and post office was Veedum five miles away. The fellow who owned the store was Stumph, a good name for anyone in that country. We got a weekly newspaper, The Minneapolis Tribune, which was old news when we got it, but I did not know the difference. We lived on this isolated place for about two years, dad and Chris had cleared some land, but the money had run out, so the folks moved to Wisconsin Rapids where dad and Chris found work in Overbeck's furniture factory. Martha, Mother and I stayed until they found a house for us. Mother took in boarders, and had as many as 9 men for $3.00 a week, which included washing and ironing, and two good hot meals a day. Breakfast included pancakes, fried potatoes, meat and eggs.</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>I again started school, and this time said that I was in the 5th grade. One month in the 6th grade, we returned to the farm in October. This time we stayed three years, during which time Martha was married and was living at City Point, and the rest of us moved back to Wisconsin Rapids. After two years the folks moved back to New Dam and I stayed in the Rapids. I worked in a box factory, did house work, and worked in the paper mill for $1.00 a day. I worked 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. I boarded with Mrs. Jensen, and during this time I met Herman. We went together three years and we married in Merrill, December 30, 1911, in his mother's home, with only his sister and three friends as witnesses. It was a very snowy Saturday. We had pictures taken Sunday morning and then Herman left for Menominee where he worked and I left for the farm until he got a place for us. The end of January, I went to Menominee and we stayed in the hotel until we found a two room furnished apartment and heated. Later we got a house and the folks gave up the farm and came and lived with us. Orby was born here October 12, 1912. We were not in Menominee very long when Herman got an offer to work in a piano factory in Milwaukee. It was better pay so we all moved there and dad got a job too, Shortly thereafter, the Menominee Piano Factory asked him back again, so we repacked and headed back for Menominee, hardly got settled when Herman received a letter from Stang & Ellis sash and door factory where he had worked before, offering him a better job, so again we repacked and moved to Wisconsin Rapids-the folks came later and lived with us. Herman was superintendent of the factory, and we built a nice home there. Dad helped with the finishing of it. Audrey was born in this home October 16, 1917, We sold the home and rented for a year, then we bought our old home back, trading in 80 acres of wild land in City Point across from Martha's place. The former owners had improved the home, and had put in a furnace. About 8 years later, we again sold the home, as the factory was moving out West. I did not like to go that far away, as the folks were now quite old and dad with only one leg and mother on crutches. Herman was transferred to Merrill to run the sash and door factory. We were there a year when he was offered a job in Wausau running Silbernagel's Sash and Door factory. We rented a house on Third Ave. on the West side. Agnes stayed with us for two years, when she went to high school and normal school. We built a home on Young Street in 1929 and the folks came and lived with us during the winter and went to Martha's in the summer. Dad died in December 1935 while living in Pray, Martha in January 1938, Herman drowned in November 1938 and his body was not found until April 29, 1939. Mother died July 13, 1943 and Chris died April 1967 leaving me the "last leaf on the tree". I went to work in the grocery department at the Fair Store and worked there for twelve years. I was 64 when I quit. Audrey got married November 28th, 1947 and lived with me for 9 years. Russell was born while they lived with me. Later they moved to Oshkosh and I lived alone for five years. I sold the home in June 1961 and moved to Neenah and lived with Audrey for three years. August 2, 1964, I moved to Madison at the age of 73, and worked at the girls's dorm for four school terms. Ten months, half day and no Saturday or Sunday work. I haven't done anything for five years now. January 30, 1972, I fell down and broke my hip. I was 80 years and 6 months when it happened. I was in the hospital for a month, at Audreys for 4 months. July 8th I came back to my apartment and I am getting along fine. I take the bus to various shopping centers, but get tired after walking 10 or 12 blocks. </b></p><p style="text-align: left;">This is a picture of the three Petersen children. Ella is the little one on the left. Chris in the middle and my grandmother on the right. I am assuming this picture was taken before they moved from the good life in Chicago. <b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmr-K_f25eN45xY-s7yzy1asdkapkGBzitqkzy2Cnwv8DDmeXcOZDvtC8gCuZNvwKulWAUXFZgRnksA4APxpmoJ5uZNBoNyfBJrwOEpl16iwod-HMxjTI_crQ3M2F-XAcip6idNNBcXe-Sq-ntDrFjeeqb_f66JinStpK3BcxeLcaMV309YfIVBMmY/s2033/CA017201-0F39-4D8C-9F60-5D3C8B8119FF_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2033" data-original-width="1437" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmr-K_f25eN45xY-s7yzy1asdkapkGBzitqkzy2Cnwv8DDmeXcOZDvtC8gCuZNvwKulWAUXFZgRnksA4APxpmoJ5uZNBoNyfBJrwOEpl16iwod-HMxjTI_crQ3M2F-XAcip6idNNBcXe-Sq-ntDrFjeeqb_f66JinStpK3BcxeLcaMV309YfIVBMmY/w452-h640/CA017201-0F39-4D8C-9F60-5D3C8B8119FF_1_201_a.jpeg" width="452" /></a></div><b></b><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSP5HqcZhw_Fd65zJwSnRalRmZ-1KAg2ESFwnFjGkdneasm1rJXimwFmExK1o4TmBSsv80tg2qnrN6mKfv9F5y8HpA7MVE4WYY-0nCOk-Jq7WuH9PgTuvo8qJU-o5OSExZ13u5By-yceBtMh5wCcjZ0_dojP6fN9Pe8O87GBeX0RUP2kULl54Dvio/s1199/Aunt%20Ella_001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="897" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSP5HqcZhw_Fd65zJwSnRalRmZ-1KAg2ESFwnFjGkdneasm1rJXimwFmExK1o4TmBSsv80tg2qnrN6mKfv9F5y8HpA7MVE4WYY-0nCOk-Jq7WuH9PgTuvo8qJU-o5OSExZ13u5By-yceBtMh5wCcjZ0_dojP6fN9Pe8O87GBeX0RUP2kULl54Dvio/s320/Aunt%20Ella_001.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Ella was an amazing resilient woman. I am so happy I had the pleasure to know her. She talked quickly as you can probably sense from her story. She would say "honest to God kid". One time she used lye to clean something and got some on her leg. It ate her flesh down to the bone, but somehow she healed it herself. I bet she didn't want to stay in the hospital a month when she broke her hip. My favorite part of her story was the last sentence and it said everything about her personality. At 81 and recovering from a broken hip she got tired when she walked 10-12 blocks. <br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-53640409451093460482023-03-26T14:20:00.000-05:002023-03-26T14:20:26.415-05:00Cashew Milk<p>In the previous blog about our St. Patrick celebration 2023 (<a href="http://www.thecabincountess.com/2023/03/st-patricks-day-celebration-2023.html">http://www.thecabincountess.com/2023/03/st-patricks-day-celebration-2023.html)</a>, I briefly wrote about Cashew Milk. I am writing this blog so the recipes can be searched easily without reading all the other details of the celebration. Even though I make this often, I want a reference for myself as well. It is easier than digging through all my unorganized recipes in a drawer.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz14yGkJfCVjSo-izsIE5UkHN0adNp5--JPirWLTkcBBFbx6xoi1wRD3-mg3Kn6ifDl3hqcBxO3g86CEiToAVnKqqEC3DQLZWEmi7G4bIELc75hdXkZE4FjAep9Ey397loWNSD8kOpjK8vlQm6Ia-xC1bpJHIkI9m4z-y1Omdn1iFJ1GZ3-8uEd97z/s3059/25F77D1F-F6FD-4E5A-A75B-17BDF1E19490_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2531" data-original-width="3059" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz14yGkJfCVjSo-izsIE5UkHN0adNp5--JPirWLTkcBBFbx6xoi1wRD3-mg3Kn6ifDl3hqcBxO3g86CEiToAVnKqqEC3DQLZWEmi7G4bIELc75hdXkZE4FjAep9Ey397loWNSD8kOpjK8vlQm6Ia-xC1bpJHIkI9m4z-y1Omdn1iFJ1GZ3-8uEd97z/s320/25F77D1F-F6FD-4E5A-A75B-17BDF1E19490_1_201_a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Real dairy milk has been around since there were cows. Everyone thought it was the perfect food and for much of the population this is probably true, but my family is very intolerant of dairy products. We like the butter, yogurt and milk but it doesn't like us. When my youngest daughter was a newborn baby we discovered she couldn't tolerate cow's milk. We found out for sure when she ended up in the hospital for a week when she was eight months old. In her growing up years we bought fresh Goat's milk from a local goat farmer. Gradually through her teenage years and young adulthood, she let some dairy into her life. She didn't overeat it and somehow was able to tolerate it in moderation. Then as she grew older it became evident that it wasn't worth the side effects. This is true for others in the family also. Fortunately in this day and age substitutions are readily available. The trouble with some of these products are the additives to make it to look more pleasing and to maintain its shelf life. If you ever check the label for Almond or Cashew milk, the expiration date is a long time from purchase. That fact in itself tells a lot. <br /></p><p>I have learned to make my own Cashew Milk from raw cashews and water. Raw cashews can be purchased in a lot of places. I recently bought a bag from Walmart for $9.99 for 14 ounces. That is equivalent to almost $11.50 per pound. I began a search for a more affordable product of a similar quality and was able to find them for $6 per pound but I had to buy five pounds. That isn't a problem because I use them regularly.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONz0r6LIcjwzsQyjvN3Ri5amj4Mj3hS4kyOMhwVKj6HQtqEJQgKhSEEu6rZ8ZXtalrUUzQfDdn8iwMeYBoU5CptyEf79ZetQIXD0DJACmNVQPZS0mkSh1UijY8rbA-gBA82wG4iKCy3LscYFNUujnz5ZnekC3Lsio15V4k_OXGbmvLobaBD-kgs5Z/s4032/5C54BA80-86BB-4A63-96D7-6BBEA1D1FE6E.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONz0r6LIcjwzsQyjvN3Ri5amj4Mj3hS4kyOMhwVKj6HQtqEJQgKhSEEu6rZ8ZXtalrUUzQfDdn8iwMeYBoU5CptyEf79ZetQIXD0DJACmNVQPZS0mkSh1UijY8rbA-gBA82wG4iKCy3LscYFNUujnz5ZnekC3Lsio15V4k_OXGbmvLobaBD-kgs5Z/w300-h400/5C54BA80-86BB-4A63-96D7-6BBEA1D1FE6E.heic" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCN9byVvl_F29-pwl0tBEQRF1PNv7vNZkXnSTWBw5-t6kcCoriJQxKBwNTPZqN23C6Tr_hiaDs55hv3AYHCDbeuuBeHyFEdhfawnz1ZPS80T02_xTcDMN8fjUKA4ApVPEsBDsMfjcC5aXOUjlPgX_Dc3gUnHMNiOOac3EzgZBOgjKGXVwzU42RZu-F/s4032/DAE39FBB-FC93-40D6-B24C-0D643B405C3B.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCN9byVvl_F29-pwl0tBEQRF1PNv7vNZkXnSTWBw5-t6kcCoriJQxKBwNTPZqN23C6Tr_hiaDs55hv3AYHCDbeuuBeHyFEdhfawnz1ZPS80T02_xTcDMN8fjUKA4ApVPEsBDsMfjcC5aXOUjlPgX_Dc3gUnHMNiOOac3EzgZBOgjKGXVwzU42RZu-F/s320/DAE39FBB-FC93-40D6-B24C-0D643B405C3B.heic" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cashew Milk</p><p>1 cup raw cashews (pieces are fine)</p><p>4 cups water</p><p>Soak the cashews for two hours and drain off the water. </p><p>In a high power blender add the soaked cashews to two cups of water. Blend for 2 minutes.</p><p>Then add the rest of the water (another 2 cups) and blend for another minute.</p><p>It's ready, no straining necessary. As you can see, it's a white creamy milk that can be interchanged with dairy milk in most recipes. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsU3enTwZIx-ofjh2tJmZgeocTbwOenFZSrVh5n9o5VSQvgCyJbtxiOeAIPpdSMCne2gIC5LmRYzjk_RTt6otTNsFhvc7B6X1USVxRJZ5hMKY4uiz4Y11UjetgYEuLDPH6gghIFwYLfKGwA987lzMC_q9ThL3RcmWFR-BKrSyvK5hcjxXrHveKJzF2/s4032/2171C436-DE2A-484B-9844-CCE9C9759E80.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsU3enTwZIx-ofjh2tJmZgeocTbwOenFZSrVh5n9o5VSQvgCyJbtxiOeAIPpdSMCne2gIC5LmRYzjk_RTt6otTNsFhvc7B6X1USVxRJZ5hMKY4uiz4Y11UjetgYEuLDPH6gghIFwYLfKGwA987lzMC_q9ThL3RcmWFR-BKrSyvK5hcjxXrHveKJzF2/w300-h400/2171C436-DE2A-484B-9844-CCE9C9759E80.heic" width="300" /></a> <br /></div><p></p><p>Cashews have a good heart healthy fat. It has magnesium which most people need more of especially if you have muscle spasms. it has a low glycemic index for anyone with diabetes, its a good source of phosphorus for strong teeth, provides 10% of your recommend iron and provide antioxidants for the eyes, skin and hair. It seems to be a healthy alternative to dairy.</p><p>With the milk I make Greek yogurt the exact same way I made it with cow's milk. Cashew yogurt in the grocery store is very expensive. A 1/2 cup container can cost $2 or more.</p><p>Cashew Yogurt</p><p>4 cups of Cashew Milk</p><p>1 heaping Tablespoon (or up to 1/3 cup) of starter (I bought a container of cashew yogurt that had live cultures)</p><p>After the first batch with purchased starter, just save back enough to use in subsequent batches. </p><p>Heat your milk to 180 degrees. You can use a saucepan or the microwave. Use a digital thermometer to make sure the milk is hot enough. Then let it cool to 110 degrees. Stir in the yogurt starter. I usually put the yogurt starter in a small dish and add some warm milk just to get it mixed. I then add it to the cooled milk. Now just incubate it for 10-12 hours. Those with an instant pot just make it in the cooker on the yogurt setting. I have an old yogurt maker which keeps the mixture at the proper warmth. Just keep it warm any way you can. When the time is up, I drain off the excess liquid. You can use cheesecloth or a fine sieve like a nut bag. Just put in the refrigerator and let it drain for a few hours. The excess whey drains and leaves a very thick Greek yogurt. The whey can be used in bread or soups. It has beneficial bacteria in it as well.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jKMkxYYNYwRDrN0CnvwYu96Zjf6h7WRp_GMtMk0szrppUtpESzP3-hZg0mWeVAdd4aC3m6AzNs8ZNgLa-kW95cXXUCB7zZ0RcAk3wQpQl4JnfUUt7r450E1KDeFQw4wkb7qYqTthKn66M32XxevwKvdoud_8EJmDs3RFnIFPRmIPlIKfYFFy9xBL/s3024/1B8C6359-2CB7-4FB6-9653-AB3D1BD47494.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2950" data-original-width="3024" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jKMkxYYNYwRDrN0CnvwYu96Zjf6h7WRp_GMtMk0szrppUtpESzP3-hZg0mWeVAdd4aC3m6AzNs8ZNgLa-kW95cXXUCB7zZ0RcAk3wQpQl4JnfUUt7r450E1KDeFQw4wkb7qYqTthKn66M32XxevwKvdoud_8EJmDs3RFnIFPRmIPlIKfYFFy9xBL/w400-h390/1B8C6359-2CB7-4FB6-9653-AB3D1BD47494.heic" width="400" /></a></div><p>Cashew Milk Pudding</p><p>Pudding can be made with Cashew milk. Either use the box mix or make it from scratch. Be careful with the box mix because some of them have non fat dry milk in the ingredients. Jello brand does not.</p><p>To make cooked pudding you will need:</p><p>3 1/4 cups of Cashew milk</p><p>3 T. cornstarch</p><p>1/2 cup sugar </p><p>Pinch of salt</p><p>3 egg yolks (mixed together)<br /></p><p>1 t. vanilla</p><p>In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of milk</p><p>In a saucepan, whisk the remaining milk, salt and sugar and begin heating until it's steamy and not boiling. Slowly add some of the warm milk to the egg yolks. This is called tempering and the eggs won't curdle this way. Slowly add the egg yolks back into the saucepan with the cornstarch mixture. Cook whisking constantly until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Put in dishes covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to eat. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsu8_UhMk2NcWYAQTiaaCFexI3hgVsPc2dcGoq_ns2ma7sJPyBTv9FVysrkwsaso4mK5kUugVWHKY02MJvYEa-9klTXOtubNQZt24BcOzJdfxQR4-iHDrEhHrEozD7gUYpFx227oHc2r3vEPHtFMV6OCScxip8uIEjXokh1TJuYlJ2Vk81B4K3od2/s3429/BA9D0A5A-4596-42D5-A2F4-2C3F9BB3A8AC.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3429" data-original-width="2572" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsu8_UhMk2NcWYAQTiaaCFexI3hgVsPc2dcGoq_ns2ma7sJPyBTv9FVysrkwsaso4mK5kUugVWHKY02MJvYEa-9klTXOtubNQZt24BcOzJdfxQR4-iHDrEhHrEozD7gUYpFx227oHc2r3vEPHtFMV6OCScxip8uIEjXokh1TJuYlJ2Vk81B4K3od2/w300-h400/BA9D0A5A-4596-42D5-A2F4-2C3F9BB3A8AC.heic" width="300" /></a></div><p>I also make overnight oats with this milk. My favorite is Apple Pie Oats.</p><p>1 apple (granny smith preferred but gala or other varieties work well)</p><p>1/2 cup rolled oats</p><p>3/4 cup Cashew milk</p><p>1 T. pure maple syrup</p><p>1/2 t. cinnamon</p><p>Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate in a jar or sealed container overnight. I can't eat all of this recipe at one sitting so I scoop some out in a dish, add a little more milk and heat for a minute in the microwave. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzWdETpzAVXPaC9jGb8njsmIdWgTeipRxqRBJqKNPzHmOPnIiDafGUDSFp5afBc6WNOLU7oEwHnIKQH7t4RIj_gdA6ROccD4yJf-ngEyKXmM8a-IWqSIbQhytEmuwZH4PgPtclCgP4GEuFqWEn1HF4wDiLScBqNKiefEz5mPzAa6MpjhW9OjSKyMC/s5184/936075ED-6B56-4909-B508-4291DD75EFD9_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzWdETpzAVXPaC9jGb8njsmIdWgTeipRxqRBJqKNPzHmOPnIiDafGUDSFp5afBc6WNOLU7oEwHnIKQH7t4RIj_gdA6ROccD4yJf-ngEyKXmM8a-IWqSIbQhytEmuwZH4PgPtclCgP4GEuFqWEn1HF4wDiLScBqNKiefEz5mPzAa6MpjhW9OjSKyMC/w400-h266/936075ED-6B56-4909-B508-4291DD75EFD9_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a> <br /></div><p>As i mentioned before this homemade Cashew milk can be used in most recipes that use dairy milk. It can be used for coffee creamer. I have blogged about making Almond milk and Oat milk but this is by far the easiest and best. <br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-78058748976373659662023-03-12T18:59:00.001-05:002023-03-14T18:26:12.987-05:00St. Patrick's Day Celebration 2023<p>I debated if I should write another blog about our annual St. Patrick's Day celebration this year. We have celebrated for more than 45 years, but I have written a blog about this family celebration for ten years. I either write about the celebration, our resident Leprechaun named Shamus or a new recipe. As you see, I just had to write about it again. Every year it's just a little different. The grandkids were ages 2 to 12 when we discovered a leprechaun lived in our woods. They now range in age from almost 13 to 22. They still play along searching for the elusive Shamus the Leprechaun. This year it appears that Shamus has relocated once again. It looked like Spring was coming early to Wisconsin, so he left wherever he winters and came back to get ready for summer. Then the snow started coming. I'm not sure how or when he accomplished it, but he left his spot in the woods with a view of the water. It is a mystery. All the kids went outside to look for him, even my daughter’s dog Piper. Suddenly Piper bolted for the old garage/storage shed. There was a hole in the door and Piper went right on in. Investigating further the kids discovered tiny foot prints in the snow. They lead from a tiny outdoor privy right into the garage. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoMTQ_nVA3I6k58OAtM2XkxyvkeD2z639QSVgXYMTAD6FPYdCsDaY6jKr8W_BTGww6eho9eJ95QhfL0N_hJdx8vu7OFyIoOGLjJ3hKx1fezrSbDebJvvkNYriXiX2BccO2yaAGOuNKwrTKleLKKayWvItocYFyRDL7pZNgMo6E6zPgLuJvYYZHYLS/s3356/98DEB63F-90D6-477B-B7AB-923B379D7B27_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3356" data-original-width="2402" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoMTQ_nVA3I6k58OAtM2XkxyvkeD2z639QSVgXYMTAD6FPYdCsDaY6jKr8W_BTGww6eho9eJ95QhfL0N_hJdx8vu7OFyIoOGLjJ3hKx1fezrSbDebJvvkNYriXiX2BccO2yaAGOuNKwrTKleLKKayWvItocYFyRDL7pZNgMo6E6zPgLuJvYYZHYLS/w286-h400/98DEB63F-90D6-477B-B7AB-923B379D7B27_1_201_a.jpeg" width="286" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8li0Bf-3qd56QKvnwME1ZLiZOFVLG61pdAKVZV7sRN-phpd5pgFKaiNVYEk7h1rrm39V78C55T7EXn3W9hwMP_SZpoLVhtXxB4-9QdT_uS_vFYM8ZrI4ax_qC4UhS6vWTMj1poqFUvOlJpDvyzrXl_neGvQhp2rmUZbBCaq7J0FE_emaTObKnNnYo/s4032/E4CC41C3-6AB1-471D-82C6-0088115DE32E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8li0Bf-3qd56QKvnwME1ZLiZOFVLG61pdAKVZV7sRN-phpd5pgFKaiNVYEk7h1rrm39V78C55T7EXn3W9hwMP_SZpoLVhtXxB4-9QdT_uS_vFYM8ZrI4ax_qC4UhS6vWTMj1poqFUvOlJpDvyzrXl_neGvQhp2rmUZbBCaq7J0FE_emaTObKnNnYo/s320/E4CC41C3-6AB1-471D-82C6-0088115DE32E.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0vRz99tI418UOXF_5cZqjN0Us2ZjnlyQOumZnPk8IfmrlsCBYYIs2303yIWMemQ1O0WRNguJsAg972A-Uxq8mTYqfckwL8n5Qfl1Wc832yZwSUh2DXSJhbwIFkpmUxsS7ZJOsB_a6C0UNsxr4W-DbfKscBOYJsOnCBatW5ILE4zBT4-hf2xn0sfZ/s4032/0B6B61EF-D77C-4B03-A098-033E9E39C20B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0vRz99tI418UOXF_5cZqjN0Us2ZjnlyQOumZnPk8IfmrlsCBYYIs2303yIWMemQ1O0WRNguJsAg972A-Uxq8mTYqfckwL8n5Qfl1Wc832yZwSUh2DXSJhbwIFkpmUxsS7ZJOsB_a6C0UNsxr4W-DbfKscBOYJsOnCBatW5ILE4zBT4-hf2xn0sfZ/w300-h400/0B6B61EF-D77C-4B03-A098-033E9E39C20B.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiFzJGyFRMYPwJGfdkNHHllXisk9hDakPOqU-2xRoX4mkd8ifiX0SRvFy2M4uK_m1ToTBrfo94hc-t94YwWlb_IujFBDwoA3xRFHEU2fHTorJhJisgtI429FqpjHJm3n7KC7KAvC0F8diwlnnKqWo74BU668cqRZymrt2WbhipVHqwRY7_rJXO7ht/s2710/7FF87248-4A90-49F4-8D74-29338B96EB37_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2710" data-original-width="2373" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiFzJGyFRMYPwJGfdkNHHllXisk9hDakPOqU-2xRoX4mkd8ifiX0SRvFy2M4uK_m1ToTBrfo94hc-t94YwWlb_IujFBDwoA3xRFHEU2fHTorJhJisgtI429FqpjHJm3n7KC7KAvC0F8diwlnnKqWo74BU668cqRZymrt2WbhipVHqwRY7_rJXO7ht/s320/7FF87248-4A90-49F4-8D74-29338B96EB37_1_201_a.jpeg" width="280" /></a></div><p>Dylan, age 21, lifted the garage door and lo and behold there was the leprechaun house right under the workbench! It looked like he was setting up his homestead under cover this year. Since Wisconsin weather is so unpredictable, it was a perfect choice. This garage is seldom used and was really quite comfortable. Of course Shamus was no where to be seen, but he had been very busy. He has flower pots, dirt and seeds ready to go. He has a new rug and some new decorations. He even has a hammock ready to be hung on a frame. We aren't sure if he put the hole in the door or something else did it, but being an opportunistic little fella, he took advantage. I hope he's comfortable. The door makes a lot of noise when it gets opened but the garage has plenty of hiding places and exit points. I'm sure he feels quite safe. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauXL3nk65m8rgVbl-r60FPX2579deokBZlfVKdGjI6qOs-VZA_M4FsZ_YchOfHBRGXimkVuGmtZDDdp5zVaGRBruEp77mEWNozI26SBb-4gxSjdEXNCgjnuLQAzhl6S4Fc4AOMHZQXjtK7vmLuLXU5EGNgO0dY22KQiuc8Nr_ttnWbOswT86V5IRq/s4032/59B6D7A3-FE9B-4F1A-9672-58684E95584B.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauXL3nk65m8rgVbl-r60FPX2579deokBZlfVKdGjI6qOs-VZA_M4FsZ_YchOfHBRGXimkVuGmtZDDdp5zVaGRBruEp77mEWNozI26SBb-4gxSjdEXNCgjnuLQAzhl6S4Fc4AOMHZQXjtK7vmLuLXU5EGNgO0dY22KQiuc8Nr_ttnWbOswT86V5IRq/w480-h640/59B6D7A3-FE9B-4F1A-9672-58684E95584B.heic" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9jT4wNNAfVu5G5Qo0unzF-7eicgS2VXfH6RZ0XE0QfikHSdjLzbOXuPecx_rLvEUtO6lyYH475NE-tXo4qVyjIfWmq1xmSdsUGvCoAoyOM7VoLhiVhDEPyVar22LgepoH4evprrt9w-cVTDSl2IWL0Wjj43M2FO7mmWF-ua6v0V7_I_PntXdK_s7/s4032/6AF24B28-96E8-4168-9848-05655F89A566_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9jT4wNNAfVu5G5Qo0unzF-7eicgS2VXfH6RZ0XE0QfikHSdjLzbOXuPecx_rLvEUtO6lyYH475NE-tXo4qVyjIfWmq1xmSdsUGvCoAoyOM7VoLhiVhDEPyVar22LgepoH4evprrt9w-cVTDSl2IWL0Wjj43M2FO7mmWF-ua6v0V7_I_PntXdK_s7/w300-h400/6AF24B28-96E8-4168-9848-05655F89A566_1_201_a.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p>This year we had the celebration a week early. Scheduling with my adult daughters and their adult children is getting hard. I am just amazed that they all showed up. Everyone is very busy doing all good things. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDT_RFCXetCh-ClgYcMEqPeJZph52beAQhH8xs6ZWKGQSfj-Oc82iavPUrjl6CsLvQvGIB5LXSoxd5R1hvTLGZjWS0RLpyf-T0Z3daxKA7udFLYXDylMgmwo1CmpSozCjIyW4UtzR4l1SEJzUITbDtVnpjCuRKIeta3Lez7ndwR5iWOBRkeHgSe21/s4032/69454EEC-ABEC-4FD1-A568-54CBE446628C_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDT_RFCXetCh-ClgYcMEqPeJZph52beAQhH8xs6ZWKGQSfj-Oc82iavPUrjl6CsLvQvGIB5LXSoxd5R1hvTLGZjWS0RLpyf-T0Z3daxKA7udFLYXDylMgmwo1CmpSozCjIyW4UtzR4l1SEJzUITbDtVnpjCuRKIeta3Lez7ndwR5iWOBRkeHgSe21/s320/69454EEC-ABEC-4FD1-A568-54CBE446628C_1_201_a.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>I won't bore everyone with pictures of corned beef and ribs, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, rutabaga and dinner rolls. I made the usual fare, but my grandson Ewan made his delicious cake and secret icing. If you haven't seen his famous youtube video from last year, it's a must see. <a href="https://youtu.be/0p7gYNYNDQ8">Leprechaun Cake</a> He helped his mom with an amazing rainbow jello and my other daughter made a colorful salad. I made a dairy free and gluten free desert resembling Dirt Cake without the Gummy worms. I will put the recipe at the bottom of this blog.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiND1sFXIp5LpwHKSQRDjp84Rz02t8Np5JBOgZKiw5PGkAFhfDTo0xyusjDutPBcdzCYKIuqAJYMZ9-xawsaO5FXOEbQ6i330fM6pxF6nKrf5VVC1-AGzgQtUOc6eCK9A4E7q1pUPB_7hDfLER8QBoIJLyT8IrB2HlQQqSY42HSlJeghLkcFXD7WiVy/s4032/IMG_7264.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiND1sFXIp5LpwHKSQRDjp84Rz02t8Np5JBOgZKiw5PGkAFhfDTo0xyusjDutPBcdzCYKIuqAJYMZ9-xawsaO5FXOEbQ6i330fM6pxF6nKrf5VVC1-AGzgQtUOc6eCK9A4E7q1pUPB_7hDfLER8QBoIJLyT8IrB2HlQQqSY42HSlJeghLkcFXD7WiVy/s320/IMG_7264.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEk00nX2OxZIvAF5naSISmB0clFhFyCtZUS9L3UrL2Ey6JnHdTLetWXcADV9io_uSSdxJBicu-xfbPqnIhDlGEug8P85lbZr0vt43kiezftLtF98co5bRCX9DRYA4pB245xk_kvKG785H5KVZXxqwTEzBeFGB5wVcDaJYLB7bbSxi_NbuqJntt1KJX/s2672/756BF155-891C-47C1-A7C5-9218E4E9E7E1_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2403" data-original-width="2672" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEk00nX2OxZIvAF5naSISmB0clFhFyCtZUS9L3UrL2Ey6JnHdTLetWXcADV9io_uSSdxJBicu-xfbPqnIhDlGEug8P85lbZr0vt43kiezftLtF98co5bRCX9DRYA4pB245xk_kvKG785H5KVZXxqwTEzBeFGB5wVcDaJYLB7bbSxi_NbuqJntt1KJX/w200-h180/756BF155-891C-47C1-A7C5-9218E4E9E7E1_1_201_a.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEs8U7rqnzD_FIEH0akxe4yjVi721jJ7sztVwHjGM51f1f3kj0jTbVmADE3ELNpSYZgIR6vQz83DZXZeIcOgD2LZD_izExOkJwSuaWAK9YxhKjJQ4dyaICODKMqaT-xSNenrQ7eAWinex7NMxMWh6Ayt_X1R9S-4PeOCP2IsxPMIPqwzdAKu3WY8N/s2914/876D7EEF-9AB1-48F8-B21E-0E93D5B23833.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2914" data-original-width="2186" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEs8U7rqnzD_FIEH0akxe4yjVi721jJ7sztVwHjGM51f1f3kj0jTbVmADE3ELNpSYZgIR6vQz83DZXZeIcOgD2LZD_izExOkJwSuaWAK9YxhKjJQ4dyaICODKMqaT-xSNenrQ7eAWinex7NMxMWh6Ayt_X1R9S-4PeOCP2IsxPMIPqwzdAKu3WY8N/s320/876D7EEF-9AB1-48F8-B21E-0E93D5B23833.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>It was another successful day even with a snowstorm the day before. Many years we are outside in our shirt sleeves for this day. Maybe it's a blessing because Shamus would have been harder to find without the snow trail. </p><p>A Dairy and Gluten Free Variation on Dirt Cake</p><p>A smaller version could be made in a pie pan, but I made it for a 9 x 13 cake pan <br /></p><p>2 Pkg. of Gluten Free Mint Oreos (these are gluten free and dairy free)</p><p>4 small packages of Chocolate pudding mix (Use Jello brand or read the label, off brands have dry milk, Jello does not)</p><p>7 cups of Homemade Cashew milk*</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BPsDDIurunlA8U0IXYobb4iNyEcsq57NBWT2VGbsgOjkKT9x4qbtc57rkQU7mC68bjbQfJ8rEZ47yrrGI9IVRWHQ3g8cusx0LB4enwzijrHl6xrK59MBq15lHbWT7XmioOLJ662MKdeIP3NsUSHg6YcTYlx6AfMvD8iIy8A76gkwfaRnFeoiYMDd/s4032/2171C436-DE2A-484B-9844-CCE9C9759E80.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BPsDDIurunlA8U0IXYobb4iNyEcsq57NBWT2VGbsgOjkKT9x4qbtc57rkQU7mC68bjbQfJ8rEZ47yrrGI9IVRWHQ3g8cusx0LB4enwzijrHl6xrK59MBq15lHbWT7XmioOLJ662MKdeIP3NsUSHg6YcTYlx6AfMvD8iIy8A76gkwfaRnFeoiYMDd/s320/2171C436-DE2A-484B-9844-CCE9C9759E80.heic" width="240" /></a></div> <p></p><p>To make cashew milk take 1 cup of raw cashews and soak them for 2 hours in 2 cups of water. Then rinse them and add them to a high speed blender with 2 cups of fresh water. Blend for two minutes. Then add 2 more cups of water. Blend for another minute. That's all there is to it. Cashew milk does not need to be strained. It's ready to use after blending. I have even made Cashew Greek yogurt out of it using dairy free starter. It is made with the very same process as Dairy yogurt. Save a small amount from the batch to use as starter for the next batch. I drain the yogurt when it is finished to make a product resembling Greek yogurt. Cashew yogurt is very expensive in the store. This method saves a lot of money and is delicious.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CxaTIMOLQHJlW9qo0Qgu4JJDEL3oY0j-Kborb-0Nfl9gbH_F_LIXR_RxapDtutG6E3q3Ql5rKNQZwL2ELtBpdYS-9P25zFYWZ9oaFhR0PWBIGRsIkLRWDwQ9xe_DHujTCS_f1qPCKgrZuFGBYHihxgR3Jm4n4iKcdb91tTkpw7Jzwv2JhA8ub434/s3024/1B8C6359-2CB7-4FB6-9653-AB3D1BD47494.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2950" data-original-width="3024" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CxaTIMOLQHJlW9qo0Qgu4JJDEL3oY0j-Kborb-0Nfl9gbH_F_LIXR_RxapDtutG6E3q3Ql5rKNQZwL2ELtBpdYS-9P25zFYWZ9oaFhR0PWBIGRsIkLRWDwQ9xe_DHujTCS_f1qPCKgrZuFGBYHihxgR3Jm4n4iKcdb91tTkpw7Jzwv2JhA8ub434/w400-h390/1B8C6359-2CB7-4FB6-9653-AB3D1BD47494.heic" width="400" /></a></div><p> *I shouldn't call it Milk. Milk comes from lactating animals. I am using the term milk for lack of a better word. Cashew water doesn't sound very appetizing. <br /></p><p>Crush 1 1/2 packages of Oreos with the frosting and press into a 9 x 13 pan. Save some of the crumbs for sprinkling on top. At this point you can choose to bake for 5 minutes or just use as is. Next mix the chocolate pudding mix with the cold milk and pour onto the crust. Sprinkle with more crushed crumbs. Chill for a few hours or overnight. You can serve with whipped topping or without. I forgot to put it out and no one complained. It doesn't look great, but it's really good.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg61qpre7sbHjzJfeJEF_6ts3XfTSsaU5va4H06RB-1dX4KoXlUBm2encLFM1uRoyOsopIs6SYEyAYp3KyW5o7T5SJMUxYgHOX1yaVS7H6oXAlsvG1kfQ93qPKf_dXIvZOKhh8mlQWznCGLirQjdoXFASjNUfoWkBwOM5jPe3y3A3gir3xUfZaPNP6/s4032/83779F32-ADA5-47FB-9F4D-335C1783356C.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg61qpre7sbHjzJfeJEF_6ts3XfTSsaU5va4H06RB-1dX4KoXlUBm2encLFM1uRoyOsopIs6SYEyAYp3KyW5o7T5SJMUxYgHOX1yaVS7H6oXAlsvG1kfQ93qPKf_dXIvZOKhh8mlQWznCGLirQjdoXFASjNUfoWkBwOM5jPe3y3A3gir3xUfZaPNP6/s320/83779F32-ADA5-47FB-9F4D-335C1783356C.heic" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZDdGExfFYyjTNkisPbt6FaQBtfOX0fiGalUwGT_oc8iaNiZ5Hb0NYxvwjY1w4jmJmZkSzL2-ir3cUbx20XYndawMpFH3X-JBCoBPyHNX8gAT3lADFY-quDjNYeVRdJoTKG2peEHnmBruv4z1eq6vRII93be3XH2O5WSkFJfncT62hxqiS7jRh8ke/s4032/22231D41-1120-4CE5-8573-4F2405D4D828_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZDdGExfFYyjTNkisPbt6FaQBtfOX0fiGalUwGT_oc8iaNiZ5Hb0NYxvwjY1w4jmJmZkSzL2-ir3cUbx20XYndawMpFH3X-JBCoBPyHNX8gAT3lADFY-quDjNYeVRdJoTKG2peEHnmBruv4z1eq6vRII93be3XH2O5WSkFJfncT62hxqiS7jRh8ke/s320/22231D41-1120-4CE5-8573-4F2405D4D828_1_201_a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-efKYmIkH3egGn35TUFlcAvfvaey-4oTJspQCbym1Z3sRqTqhUCh5DUsK34r1MmWS5dzDa8ghNV4GmeMsdkdEVaLryOngiHZCVaTAzOOyMd55xOy6jEelgEk-bhH9TzV2JoT6kyQ4pl4sIzk2mZivVahGTH6zx-yPKG7DSx8I3jQOxvGozZwcryE/s4032/417B5BB9-E1E4-45BB-BF58-1D818D16C730_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-efKYmIkH3egGn35TUFlcAvfvaey-4oTJspQCbym1Z3sRqTqhUCh5DUsK34r1MmWS5dzDa8ghNV4GmeMsdkdEVaLryOngiHZCVaTAzOOyMd55xOy6jEelgEk-bhH9TzV2JoT6kyQ4pl4sIzk2mZivVahGTH6zx-yPKG7DSx8I3jQOxvGozZwcryE/s320/417B5BB9-E1E4-45BB-BF58-1D818D16C730_1_201_a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-22884145253971527852023-02-13T10:55:00.008-06:002023-02-13T11:16:07.143-06:00Easy Method For Cleaning Bakeware<p>When I first started this blog I wrote a lot about household things, recipes and DIY projects as opposed to my recent thoughts and insights. I have to say the latter was a lot more popular. My ideas don't always mesh with others, so I'm here with a helpful hint.<br /></p><p>Just before Christmas I was visiting with a friend. She had an old cookie sheet sitting on the table. She wanted to ask me how I would clean it or should she just toss it. I told her to toss it if she didn't want to use it that way. It was perfectly good for baking, it just didn't look new anymore. I had tried for a long time to get that brown baked on grease off oven racks and baking sheets. I tried ammonia, razor blades, steel wool and various cleaning solutions. Some of them worked but it required a lot of elbow grease and energy. <br /></p><p>Lo and behold I found the solution on Tik Toc. All it takes is a pumice stone stick. I ordered some and started cleaning up my bakeware. You can easily get them online and probably in most home improvement stores.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYbl9j3zf-90jOCm_ZwbP33X6k5AeHpzozjAQsvEtLdXsEsdhz-r5GGt82bkuWWNv8gslyL2nDrxDxQGPMAjtlEOYSxOO2ky2F-hXj14uJmw9t-KSzvrMpiwduhIXrFA3zijtN1HEm2ggCmzzKa_jgqLdSKCcpDK-S8ylWwYinTYGmDcM58BDTNst/s3024/56AF091E-256D-46FD-BC29-2393DA955708.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="3024" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYbl9j3zf-90jOCm_ZwbP33X6k5AeHpzozjAQsvEtLdXsEsdhz-r5GGt82bkuWWNv8gslyL2nDrxDxQGPMAjtlEOYSxOO2ky2F-hXj14uJmw9t-KSzvrMpiwduhIXrFA3zijtN1HEm2ggCmzzKa_jgqLdSKCcpDK-S8ylWwYinTYGmDcM58BDTNst/s320/56AF091E-256D-46FD-BC29-2393DA955708.heic" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>The first thing I tried was my small sheet pans. I use these often in the toaster oven for roasting veggies. They just didn't clean up well. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwSaZkzsBANEBIGtPOBcm-t4re22-FaMjHELQsr4_quPKYuBUcXGRWf1fvsUtMUWMt0NP4tLBWnK_vtVRGaBNJ4LHwmKbSnO4wfgMlJ9IXomJKxidnAnxS7FTDOsqjfqYRp-SCyWVF7RgQhbQimpBSoHCLEJQ8roVaIN2eaiIbH9bAE36CHAbsDrI/s4032/55268F54-EF81-4F1F-BEA7-1A17DE3E1A4F.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwSaZkzsBANEBIGtPOBcm-t4re22-FaMjHELQsr4_quPKYuBUcXGRWf1fvsUtMUWMt0NP4tLBWnK_vtVRGaBNJ4LHwmKbSnO4wfgMlJ9IXomJKxidnAnxS7FTDOsqjfqYRp-SCyWVF7RgQhbQimpBSoHCLEJQ8roVaIN2eaiIbH9bAE36CHAbsDrI/s320/55268F54-EF81-4F1F-BEA7-1A17DE3E1A4F.heic" width="240" /></a></div><p>This sheet had baked on grease as well as discoloration from water. First I wet the pan and the pumice stone. Then I started erasing the gunk. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Ubg_Vvbql_e8hxxRy_EmPpycQ2TgcYnPpVNGpsAbvt1yyEOPtM73MAaKbbgRlo8RMYkm4G-MisDVbGLhaf4nLw_8dab482iI2XwNXu4gLEhS0N5kPdAV2TGeKo_GduZiOPysLijVR0k7wp4Ho3HReioqSeDWfD_2B9Izecl6Rw6tTtPILx5574xh/s3915/7C7FFD0D-5967-474E-931C-AA8EB012F459_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3915" data-original-width="2936" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Ubg_Vvbql_e8hxxRy_EmPpycQ2TgcYnPpVNGpsAbvt1yyEOPtM73MAaKbbgRlo8RMYkm4G-MisDVbGLhaf4nLw_8dab482iI2XwNXu4gLEhS0N5kPdAV2TGeKo_GduZiOPysLijVR0k7wp4Ho3HReioqSeDWfD_2B9Izecl6Rw6tTtPILx5574xh/w480-h640/7C7FFD0D-5967-474E-931C-AA8EB012F459_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p>Next I did some muffin tins. I timed this one. I always hear from people that they don't have time to do certain things. If you actually time how long something takes, it never takes as long as you think it will. I cleaned this muffin tin in two minutes. Pumice may scratch a little depending on what you are cleaning. Aluminum will scratch more than iron. It might be a good idea to test an area first. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hZ9rzIYXhAz4SryJFBU5kmZqsGtiBoIQnyhbHxudI94dgKOm50C9qtga4xrYYSRtr0YIO5QQhsNOMI3Nqj2GNqtNmyFbh133agff2xlyv32kB5erNJeD7cZh0CQLOu0gwba0GLk-yfiZZQruKkkO7IMvWUlSxGeYoinZr41Y1HJOkachneEbJW66/s4032/284A4746-C497-4988-87B6-6398174E2163_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hZ9rzIYXhAz4SryJFBU5kmZqsGtiBoIQnyhbHxudI94dgKOm50C9qtga4xrYYSRtr0YIO5QQhsNOMI3Nqj2GNqtNmyFbh133agff2xlyv32kB5erNJeD7cZh0CQLOu0gwba0GLk-yfiZZQruKkkO7IMvWUlSxGeYoinZr41Y1HJOkachneEbJW66/s320/284A4746-C497-4988-87B6-6398174E2163_1_201_a.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-gvQfyd13ORwrgfj-V66v8L-VRnr7AWenApaNCGzOqa8QFBKRxa-p5GHylsx_lqK4bYHOIQzmomEIMMUHqQLX5cKcGCWxdeNlij_PHXRRGbUhEbxhw8DM-DrI514p74W8_Fvx3zpa2jTNJy8KN92aSUafJSmrw-ht53wSwAweFZL5cF6SW9HPNdr/s3590/7269C9C2-8F13-4932-856C-CA3E00320A97_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3590" data-original-width="2692" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-gvQfyd13ORwrgfj-V66v8L-VRnr7AWenApaNCGzOqa8QFBKRxa-p5GHylsx_lqK4bYHOIQzmomEIMMUHqQLX5cKcGCWxdeNlij_PHXRRGbUhEbxhw8DM-DrI514p74W8_Fvx3zpa2jTNJy8KN92aSUafJSmrw-ht53wSwAweFZL5cF6SW9HPNdr/w300-h400/7269C9C2-8F13-4932-856C-CA3E00320A97_1_201_a.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /> There are tons of ideas and remedies on social media apps that don't work, but in this one is great. <br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-76074693331192115972023-01-16T11:54:00.000-06:002023-01-16T11:54:03.331-06:00Growing Up In The 1960's<p>This is going to be a quick blog. I just want to put my thoughts on paper before they leave my mind. Sometimes I feel like a fax machine (this probably dates me too). My brain throws out information faster than I can grasp it. If I don't write it down, it's gone. Sometimes the thought leaves before I can even write it down. I guess having an active mind is good for a person 75 years old, but sometimes it's a curse. I can create problems that aren't there and stress that doesn't even matter in the long run. I can also create very happy enjoyable moments from almost nothing. Simple things like seeing a bird or animal travel through my yard brings me joy. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dEKQW9ScC-4okOUwrDk8yqf_3DD5yOYHJYysGt12lOlpNf2vSsQ2unR4IIAsNwin22qCN2jeBb-jHhhaG6uk29K4yC7nvF9awKO-kEWPNLgELw-Kj2aU7hgXkiIXItltjf7Hd1OuGNTgt74g9M1gWlxMhlUn-7L_s-gEpY5UMwzwSyfqtBueRdEZ/s3084/726817D4-AF62-4837-9716-5D65DF8DD20D_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoR_cueVvxJRhtPutZKnEIK-2wioeCGpqi-LBKeomnKcawUmJsh0Zre2-bKQlFZs3nRKRR8DzjMUvD6QrQsFcvFMOKSv_apz5kmfwbqm5fjsUoUol2Hn_KxEMcyll--5qUxwZ-_8myqTzsydPrtYAscFGDMGkEM0Nndf39hAPwfFH9bbElOTwlUBNj/s5166/B04B8E24-C5BC-467E-9D44-4ECFFE505228_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3495" data-original-width="5166" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoR_cueVvxJRhtPutZKnEIK-2wioeCGpqi-LBKeomnKcawUmJsh0Zre2-bKQlFZs3nRKRR8DzjMUvD6QrQsFcvFMOKSv_apz5kmfwbqm5fjsUoUol2Hn_KxEMcyll--5qUxwZ-_8myqTzsydPrtYAscFGDMGkEM0Nndf39hAPwfFH9bbElOTwlUBNj/w400-h270/B04B8E24-C5BC-467E-9D44-4ECFFE505228_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a> <br /></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSf1J_4UcopkDRbOFNbmuax2UCVtRUEMTKWODHyAvtB-XQyJ0P3ZFXrmh-iSuWERgR4GyKeNo4_7LbcUgYRip8PE68O4OqFR9QWriXqwtfBWcOVB_xvZGtdxqQY6k6LKWMlRytWBGd-aPCL9kKZ5pKADlDJf7yv0g7okHwhXf4TEwSzMNATcdCIOC/s3084/726817D4-AF62-4837-9716-5D65DF8DD20D_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1850" data-original-width="3084" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSf1J_4UcopkDRbOFNbmuax2UCVtRUEMTKWODHyAvtB-XQyJ0P3ZFXrmh-iSuWERgR4GyKeNo4_7LbcUgYRip8PE68O4OqFR9QWriXqwtfBWcOVB_xvZGtdxqQY6k6LKWMlRytWBGd-aPCL9kKZ5pKADlDJf7yv0g7okHwhXf4TEwSzMNATcdCIOC/w400-h240/726817D4-AF62-4837-9716-5D65DF8DD20D_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Today is Martin Luther King day. Today started me thinking about growing up in the 1960's. I was thirteen in 1960 and was married before the decade ended. Living through it was sad at times but looking back now they were pretty traumatic times. We listened to the radio more than television. I can still hear the
news announcements in my mind. I also remember the television coverage of
JFK's funeral. Young people these days have their own stress and issues, but we lived through so many assassinations in the 1960's. I am sure I am forgetting a few but these are the ones I remember clearly. It started in 1963 with civil rights leader Medgar Evers, then in November of 1963 President John F. Kennedy, 1965 was Malcolm X and in 1968 Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were killed. All of them were shot. President Kennedy was 46, Robert Kennedy was 42 and the others were under 40 years old. I didn't realize at the time how young that was. </p><p>Has the human race learned anything from these tragedies more than 50 years ago? I'm not so sure.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-4748473022779828022023-01-01T20:38:00.002-06:002023-01-11T10:51:04.917-06:00Sugared Pecans and Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups<p>Every Christmas season I host a cookie making day. Usually it's just my youngest daughter, her youngest son and me. Some years we have more people but this year it was just the three of us. We try to make some new recipes each year. Sometimes they are great and sometimes they are not. Mostly we stick to the old standby's.</p><p>This year we had two successful treats to add to our Christmas plate.</p><p>The first is Sugared Pecans. I had posted a recipe for these a few years ago but these are much easier to make.</p><p>Sugared Pecans ( or any nut)<br /><br />Ingredients:</p><p>⅓ cup water </p><p>1-2 t. vanilla</p><p>1 cup sugar</p><p>2 cups whole nuts (pecan, almond, cashew)<br /><br />Instructions:</p><p>Add 1/3 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar* to a heavy duty saucepan or skillet</p><p>Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. </p><p>Once boiling, add the nuts and stir constantly until the water is boiled away. </p><p>The sugar will begin to dry out and start to stick to the nut. Keep stirring them around, so they don’t have a chance to burn to the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring until the sugar is dry and sticking to the nut.</p><p>Let them cool completely. These are so good, I will making them at other times of the year.<br /></p><p>If they seem less crunchy than you want, put them in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes.<br />*If you want a flavor like cinnamon, add to the sugar </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5W9QyaAF4Hod0SVSwWuoQWG7MjgzflcLPI83pUyH2grFhDHrBTfXubyD4Fuqihomf6PMpNrCQoE4g4zkbQry1quG92XyPbnqTA6PPpAW_TxCGzZEFdMyXwY9gc2nBnQdvhmNTasVoyxG5uouPGnK3FjOHvo6VJOL8053Uy9oIUE_8nPIC73dYdwq/s3024/4B9B920D-6296-46E9-A7DD-70EEA535689C.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2942" data-original-width="3024" height="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5W9QyaAF4Hod0SVSwWuoQWG7MjgzflcLPI83pUyH2grFhDHrBTfXubyD4Fuqihomf6PMpNrCQoE4g4zkbQry1quG92XyPbnqTA6PPpAW_TxCGzZEFdMyXwY9gc2nBnQdvhmNTasVoyxG5uouPGnK3FjOHvo6VJOL8053Uy9oIUE_8nPIC73dYdwq/w640-h622/4B9B920D-6296-46E9-A7DD-70EEA535689C.heic" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p> I have only done this with Cashews and Pecans, the process is the same. The above picture is finished sugared pecans. The pictures below are cashews.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJMYlvSYbb1D4VlKIWt6q93xAtW4GxB2cJlO5l6d4M2PGTCkS7fsLyuTk-fxfNjFfgR0m_ZxJ5AsKcsR6RuKQOTEACwwl7v7FxFBJSAM4HVfNyUpLq49lmlJ8O58LcmAnGRAuLHFADgsIGFMhHyafHY6sxucyvgNisIDtCiJ08RHhK00Xfhvrjc4z/s4032/BC25F0B6-324B-4C51-B79F-D7974127E8EC.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJMYlvSYbb1D4VlKIWt6q93xAtW4GxB2cJlO5l6d4M2PGTCkS7fsLyuTk-fxfNjFfgR0m_ZxJ5AsKcsR6RuKQOTEACwwl7v7FxFBJSAM4HVfNyUpLq49lmlJ8O58LcmAnGRAuLHFADgsIGFMhHyafHY6sxucyvgNisIDtCiJ08RHhK00Xfhvrjc4z/w480-h640/BC25F0B6-324B-4C51-B79F-D7974127E8EC.heic" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DYoAEhuJWu0dyA6aczuV404PTGeGAGIYrIhRwSr4ODHqy9aKF83A3MuFLtAAfDOKbv_TTN5lpg_qqB9xuPWTczq1egq90FYrhhZ7WcHUWHNw71KhL4UXeWKpjLuEb8y-J_rIOL1uM-TrSUcLggMoOCI0Cb8FMfPt3-gqX_2HQiUOWlkUN6hDOiVN/s3635/D3C6B64D-A387-4D86-880E-9665D379E170_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3635" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DYoAEhuJWu0dyA6aczuV404PTGeGAGIYrIhRwSr4ODHqy9aKF83A3MuFLtAAfDOKbv_TTN5lpg_qqB9xuPWTczq1egq90FYrhhZ7WcHUWHNw71KhL4UXeWKpjLuEb8y-J_rIOL1uM-TrSUcLggMoOCI0Cb8FMfPt3-gqX_2HQiUOWlkUN6hDOiVN/w532-h640/D3C6B64D-A387-4D86-880E-9665D379E170_1_201_a.jpeg" width="532" /></a></div><p></p><p>The second cookie we made for the first time and really liked are Chocolate Chip Cookie and Rolo cups.</p><p>Rolo Cookie Cups</p><p>These chocolate chip cookie cups are baked in a mini muffin pan, and are topped with a Rolo. They are good with a little sprinkle of salt. </p><p>Makes 24 cookies</p><p>Ingredients:</p><p>1 package 24 count chocolate chip cookie dough*<br />24 unwrapped Rolo candies<br />Sea salt </p><p>Instructions:</p><p>1. Preheat oven to 350°F. and Grease a mini muffin pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. <br />2. Place one cookie dough piece (or about 1 tablespoon chocolate chip cookie dough) into each mini muffin cavity. <br />3. Bake until cookies are golden brown, about 12-14 minutes<br />4. Press the Rolo candy into the cookie. Let the cookies cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. If you try to remove the cookies too soon, they can break. Remove cookies from the pan and finish cooling. </p><p>*Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough<br />If using chocolate chip cookie dough, place 1 tablespoon of dough into each mini-muffin cavity.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="244" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasE_pjGm261FDJi7ZJoPWKGhBmg5gSxGd5p00ndQkrxdXke4k0F9R7Q4aodYHdedwg9at0itXjR_ys9kyyAG1dg-pxTsNzkvvVGBIIGpNiA6c-yHM1HhJa1DHEQCgaN8ZnL4hmmJZgz8fpQLFVKlXWjO7lLcKQQ_K02O9OJII4IZwaU4GI_iP9GSi/s1600/4A414FC0-B077-46E8-B183-E133AC2AE7D3_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="244" /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-64365441427967012572022-12-31T17:47:00.000-06:002022-12-31T17:47:23.844-06:00A Great Way To End 2022<p>We had a great Christmas this year. This was the second Christmas without my husband, but we feel he was here in spirit. The first Christmas was more grieving, this day was more about memories. It is always changing. Sometimes things happen, whether real or perceived, that are comforting. I was handing out the presents to my family. It was a job he always enjoyed doing. While passing out the gifts, Mike wore a Santa hat with the Green Bay Packers colors.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUWIL_hSEP2h3jtLyJg3XYe9tkZgavzXZCn0aGH2qRLanaoIGOOmuFKK4OyoINBGHLdn_qlFSvSGiSTzQ9Vs5PCAHGqaZfJCbMnb1D2N2mpuStEb67VWwpqbj6XOW3X1SyrkVEP-ZTU-XG8HzDANqFX_0nM7h6NY28WkmzHurOoOFyFrXf0NyCEvv/s4032/458DBBE0-6853-4D6D-89CA-678F2C40FDBD.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUWIL_hSEP2h3jtLyJg3XYe9tkZgavzXZCn0aGH2qRLanaoIGOOmuFKK4OyoINBGHLdn_qlFSvSGiSTzQ9Vs5PCAHGqaZfJCbMnb1D2N2mpuStEb67VWwpqbj6XOW3X1SyrkVEP-ZTU-XG8HzDANqFX_0nM7h6NY28WkmzHurOoOFyFrXf0NyCEvv/w480-h640/458DBBE0-6853-4D6D-89CA-678F2C40FDBD.heic" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>I had handed out the presents, and we were going to take turns opening them so everyone could see. My daughter asked who was going to wear the Santa hat that dad always wore. The words were no sooner out of her mouth when a beautiful Eagle flew right passed the patio door. I was facing the door and said "oh my gosh, an eagle just flew right in front of the door". My daughter said she didn't see it and it turned around so we could see it fly past again. The timing was perfect.</p><p>The grandkids are all grown. They range in age from 22 to 12 and they all showed up. They played games, ate all kinds of junk foods and just hung out at grandma's house. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eoR8Da2c_cTfQu21VwJ-dWWo3POJ3XiMskHL_f48JnZmijxJcdbeLW5dbU4I2oAVutdnnHTl7EVVjwHRADJk-w_Y0p4NSridfo1v4qIkQlRYHg_-LBdEQwQ9Mc-ot-bw4L9ScQ5JtNN_nepHweatT1JIc_k_JPRiQMEvXntR-Aq-bmI13oEabPxy/s4032/4A468A61-8D72-48BE-B172-6A5FCE6EB444.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eoR8Da2c_cTfQu21VwJ-dWWo3POJ3XiMskHL_f48JnZmijxJcdbeLW5dbU4I2oAVutdnnHTl7EVVjwHRADJk-w_Y0p4NSridfo1v4qIkQlRYHg_-LBdEQwQ9Mc-ot-bw4L9ScQ5JtNN_nepHweatT1JIc_k_JPRiQMEvXntR-Aq-bmI13oEabPxy/w480-h640/4A468A61-8D72-48BE-B172-6A5FCE6EB444.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7mr3NQ4aqswjZzH152KRtDPEp5LzgwqgvF0B6ON_H5akZUWra0MPyWnbyDfYk0HhF5mJuzBfSlUfbWGzwy1uTkJ7M9Kicv4JAkpX8sz_2yikImCrl_I3jQHSAOv_BqeJK8kb0EBgg2D8bXma62v43QZmsQS2w3x6-2Bci02TlMQjdduHuPwpRIRF/s4032/C4E2B2D3-594E-4555-98E0-8407CB3B096A.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7mr3NQ4aqswjZzH152KRtDPEp5LzgwqgvF0B6ON_H5akZUWra0MPyWnbyDfYk0HhF5mJuzBfSlUfbWGzwy1uTkJ7M9Kicv4JAkpX8sz_2yikImCrl_I3jQHSAOv_BqeJK8kb0EBgg2D8bXma62v43QZmsQS2w3x6-2Bci02TlMQjdduHuPwpRIRF/w480-h640/C4E2B2D3-594E-4555-98E0-8407CB3B096A.heic" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>The good part was not one gift had to be returned (that I know of). Even though being together should have been enough of a gift, we all got things we needed or wanted. I even got a gift I didn't even know I needed or wanted, but it was awesome. It will provide me with entertainment everyday for a long time to come.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oHmkAELFRe7ACOQZvK88vmhDKNvmkFLrjQyJsyLXwH_dZ-LcUtCOHOKfOKsStQptLMOuxV01RbIq45Rp1PiQS3NbJIIbERL75t195tznCAvofQe-ngbK6jwGlCPM9kiA_3LvgbpFas8_cwZUwoY8wDu4ijKcIjoVHKUo7CPa5FwIqK9rIgVjzb6w/s4016/D03D267C-58DB-435C-AA20-EB23D7877A6E_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4016" data-original-width="3012" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oHmkAELFRe7ACOQZvK88vmhDKNvmkFLrjQyJsyLXwH_dZ-LcUtCOHOKfOKsStQptLMOuxV01RbIq45Rp1PiQS3NbJIIbERL75t195tznCAvofQe-ngbK6jwGlCPM9kiA_3LvgbpFas8_cwZUwoY8wDu4ijKcIjoVHKUo7CPa5FwIqK9rIgVjzb6w/w480-h640/D03D267C-58DB-435C-AA20-EB23D7877A6E_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>It is a bird feeder with a camera. The camera is connected to wifi and through an app I can access activity from my phone in either real time or pictures. If you are watching live and see something fun, you can video it or snap a picture. The app saves the pictures until you delete them. If you aren't watching Live, it will record the activity to be watched later. There is a SD card and a solar panel for power. Initially I had to charge it up through a charging cord because our lack of sun this winter isn't going to be very helpful until we get more sunshine. Here are some examples of pictures that were saved. I posted a few of these on Facebook, but I also want to save them to this blog.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOSPYzN6hRhCv0Onw4T39z7vJNdVbC1md9S2-wS4z5nBeMAarLDD3Ta0RmAbWFsgg5KIalCvXOLHGqQFw5XOowQnZDa1Eo4utjL6nTtUSe2Ox7q_WnGfOUQe_XrmKwBIh3i5USJxCDTWtu9yX_tVHZDyHQLCjsxap6I2HUBitHqscwrCZ9wWCCp_8/s907/5E1EFFE4-6802-45E4-B7C9-1E8326D00591.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="907" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOSPYzN6hRhCv0Onw4T39z7vJNdVbC1md9S2-wS4z5nBeMAarLDD3Ta0RmAbWFsgg5KIalCvXOLHGqQFw5XOowQnZDa1Eo4utjL6nTtUSe2Ox7q_WnGfOUQe_XrmKwBIh3i5USJxCDTWtu9yX_tVHZDyHQLCjsxap6I2HUBitHqscwrCZ9wWCCp_8/w640-h464/5E1EFFE4-6802-45E4-B7C9-1E8326D00591.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_aOgNSqttXZPF49gB7ODDdgQFHqdRHYM4-4RbPL-p5uXhPjWcmLKPYfa3hmo7EvqcZbNP_Y58UWL9Q4szTVRXtewq7Fmt9MHjL6CKUuQXI7_ynEPVLt__VQLkXloT4pkf14YlCvtfg4Z5vWs8KEDKrEPnMUSqv7UpAf7CysdoYtSAhp_Isu9kCu9/s1606/93DB079E-C057-4DA7-9A08-F26A454D12BE_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="1606" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_aOgNSqttXZPF49gB7ODDdgQFHqdRHYM4-4RbPL-p5uXhPjWcmLKPYfa3hmo7EvqcZbNP_Y58UWL9Q4szTVRXtewq7Fmt9MHjL6CKUuQXI7_ynEPVLt__VQLkXloT4pkf14YlCvtfg4Z5vWs8KEDKrEPnMUSqv7UpAf7CysdoYtSAhp_Isu9kCu9/w640-h384/93DB079E-C057-4DA7-9A08-F26A454D12BE_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8yYyKAXcG5Kw304zAsCeheaPvdxMkkZkQqNIuhWdrb_DIKXMnKomcxTqLKur8D1VaAMCxHLG4lvJPe36OPpbtCbZwg7kB3tcJUdRXt6qnAdbGeGnvCG3CWnDTRoL0x85HwsoUfYdusq-K0brGhYdK8AdkHzla7TfN3R5AYwvnQgq49NiuCdS0q_o/s920/63756E22-137A-40C7-BCE1-AAE0FBE3F5ED_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="920" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8yYyKAXcG5Kw304zAsCeheaPvdxMkkZkQqNIuhWdrb_DIKXMnKomcxTqLKur8D1VaAMCxHLG4lvJPe36OPpbtCbZwg7kB3tcJUdRXt6qnAdbGeGnvCG3CWnDTRoL0x85HwsoUfYdusq-K0brGhYdK8AdkHzla7TfN3R5AYwvnQgq49NiuCdS0q_o/w640-h384/63756E22-137A-40C7-BCE1-AAE0FBE3F5ED_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIK5AdXEH7KMk_Vu_vwK_UN1AKdZ_YthqWf1zezDiKcF49b3dWWg7GzYfMIzgif_USXKfjiPBqojuqI9uNK3_SCtau8cF0WdQ7aYTTgnluwOK_u0MaztG8ETbqOB_LC8WCPxZ1OGYM68u99VPrqfzwPmwgOgNzHFaHthvb1Ewnp1eufYVdObUbX_B/s1524/CD65072E-9898-4809-8844-B09CD8D0693C_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="914" data-original-width="1524" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIK5AdXEH7KMk_Vu_vwK_UN1AKdZ_YthqWf1zezDiKcF49b3dWWg7GzYfMIzgif_USXKfjiPBqojuqI9uNK3_SCtau8cF0WdQ7aYTTgnluwOK_u0MaztG8ETbqOB_LC8WCPxZ1OGYM68u99VPrqfzwPmwgOgNzHFaHthvb1Ewnp1eufYVdObUbX_B/w640-h384/CD65072E-9898-4809-8844-B09CD8D0693C_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Most of my friends who read this blog know my youngest grandson Ewan. Ewan is an outdoors man for sure. If his parents would let him, he would sleep outside in the snow under a tarp. He likes making things and always makes me a gift or two at Christmas. This year he wanted to make something for the birds. He convinced his mother to help, and they made these suet and seed donuts. I guess it was a pretty messy job and I should enjoy these because I may never receive more.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cMYA27Az2ir3wSlmVjbH5LYxS9gbWnwJB7yVQgrFqwl9RJEEc_j2xll3eXs4pcCX_6eZ6OUOHhwhLhdrBzJA0WeEBKJMbal0PBDACeXbfeHrlpy6Ocq2474rMOclLW7AsRJae3lBKhIb7s7hWlvfsXdpkhBkEqgoWExRGC3jiegGEfUn7QpllPz5/s4032/2593EC89-9BF8-4BF5-826D-80B535116BD9_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cMYA27Az2ir3wSlmVjbH5LYxS9gbWnwJB7yVQgrFqwl9RJEEc_j2xll3eXs4pcCX_6eZ6OUOHhwhLhdrBzJA0WeEBKJMbal0PBDACeXbfeHrlpy6Ocq2474rMOclLW7AsRJae3lBKhIb7s7hWlvfsXdpkhBkEqgoWExRGC3jiegGEfUn7QpllPz5/w480-h640/2593EC89-9BF8-4BF5-826D-80B535116BD9_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqOmwI2q0lx8JOlSqjo1XVcnfEKI4Hc53AdUZqIDFx3YQhIQ-vhlLIPKto2lgKut4KGHnbM-3Xh5Yxuf0J8l0JPOzJRQ61S0ZY3q5VRE91XsYIEOJ9hIsNqisi14fhd0TJZgAbMQAV4V3HyaxGF9IYUhSNMhG5P7V9V2MOha9FAQ8wD7W2rZaxJNg/s4925/65080F5A-2712-4715-84D5-3CF40F3330AC_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3510" data-original-width="4925" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqOmwI2q0lx8JOlSqjo1XVcnfEKI4Hc53AdUZqIDFx3YQhIQ-vhlLIPKto2lgKut4KGHnbM-3Xh5Yxuf0J8l0JPOzJRQ61S0ZY3q5VRE91XsYIEOJ9hIsNqisi14fhd0TJZgAbMQAV4V3HyaxGF9IYUhSNMhG5P7V9V2MOha9FAQ8wD7W2rZaxJNg/w640-h456/65080F5A-2712-4715-84D5-3CF40F3330AC_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>However there is more to the story. Everyone knows how much I like seeing deer wander through the yard. I could never be a hunter, but that is my personal opinion. I can barely eat beef so venison is not an option. Shooting for sport is not something I was raised with. My grandson's other grandfather is a hunter. Ewan went to hunter safety class and went deer hunting this year. He shot his first deer. Part of being a hunter is dressing it in the field and then butchering it for the meat. Well, in the process of butchering the deer, he cut off all the excess fat and guess what he did with it. Yup, melted it down for Nana's bird donuts. They didn't just melt it down in a pan on the stove, they melted in a pan on an old wood burning cook stove. He is all about being authentic. I wouldn't have known any of this but after I opened the box and handled them, I was told to go wash my hands. I thought that was a strange request. Then I learned why. Fortunately the birds like them and they look cute hanging outside. I won't have to touch them again.<br /></p><p>I also got some useful items including water softening salt. It will be so nice not to think about filling my water softener tank with salt for a while. </p><p>After presents Ewan and his parents went snowshoeing out on the marsh while the others watched football and played video games. We had just gotten a lot of snow so it was perfect for snowshoeing. They walked a long way and he was in his glory.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjb6MKmlxm1Sk8rbI51oFnKeFcC-wFeShF8BmDglZlMb-vYkrRTgpdenk3pc15dxjbUsKFOHJi3HB7y0p8CoeIgMlOPiXTIe8kMnbVFa8uZwvpINaH4wFCOqmrEiEDfdiQyJD-dVz9lpj-Y75rCU5iaXRoVwtGB8b8aRfx8EounQG2XaP8XcDMurjU/s960/37158F3E-5AC7-47F3-A6CE-06718EBDFD97.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjb6MKmlxm1Sk8rbI51oFnKeFcC-wFeShF8BmDglZlMb-vYkrRTgpdenk3pc15dxjbUsKFOHJi3HB7y0p8CoeIgMlOPiXTIe8kMnbVFa8uZwvpINaH4wFCOqmrEiEDfdiQyJD-dVz9lpj-Y75rCU5iaXRoVwtGB8b8aRfx8EounQG2XaP8XcDMurjU/w480-h640/37158F3E-5AC7-47F3-A6CE-06718EBDFD97.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4g1dJuga5XZNZGKSE7bQIQwK5QwRJnRuq93FUWs5g4yPXxSKsMrjA_h19RvPFmn64hWPRVSEHFWo7ozlgZEIisXfOuZVPBjTAngD8El8eBwvX1Fm4NPuvbBeXzo43ZuFCyDZv-gUJ0Km1AS9lyjcG6VrhWpmrev-kOA4tK6tk7ItuUDsdOTsVVW_v/s960/D47439AA-BCA2-47E5-882A-BC1261271E12.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4g1dJuga5XZNZGKSE7bQIQwK5QwRJnRuq93FUWs5g4yPXxSKsMrjA_h19RvPFmn64hWPRVSEHFWo7ozlgZEIisXfOuZVPBjTAngD8El8eBwvX1Fm4NPuvbBeXzo43ZuFCyDZv-gUJ0Km1AS9lyjcG6VrhWpmrev-kOA4tK6tk7ItuUDsdOTsVVW_v/w640-h480/D47439AA-BCA2-47E5-882A-BC1261271E12.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>It is a good thing they did because a week before Christmas there were ducks swimming on this pond and four days after everything was melting. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIh4KAwK7nMcT9CVNUTvM5CqfgItRiFXyGObMm0IrIfN1SwqnGflCAytc03Bmxx8mEBibpP0oAtanUuFK9Z0kVaPj9uBbIBraZLWmXDMmCXBMm5bZIogDMl3OP-0TQ9bGsLLJjFj5edJkMnX8YyR_NwMx2Pdwe9xAMTz0rGc7GzTxMHK59CnilW3Vm/s5184/6D94AB46-C379-46C8-A169-9006D794C6F8_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIh4KAwK7nMcT9CVNUTvM5CqfgItRiFXyGObMm0IrIfN1SwqnGflCAytc03Bmxx8mEBibpP0oAtanUuFK9Z0kVaPj9uBbIBraZLWmXDMmCXBMm5bZIogDMl3OP-0TQ9bGsLLJjFj5edJkMnX8YyR_NwMx2Pdwe9xAMTz0rGc7GzTxMHK59CnilW3Vm/w640-h426/6D94AB46-C379-46C8-A169-9006D794C6F8_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>This is my tenth year writing this blog, and I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read it. We are now on to 2023 and all the adventures waiting for us.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Happy New Year!</b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSi5zKc95xlID-9RgY9ArYkVtm1pzAWJe9Od_H8Rb8fsAr2rfYtVgaO5kF5g1cL57uec-ibR4AUcVuMkPso4Z1w_IGVdo0aO0kfcPVhNqZbRylWmjyMK71xO7jH-LJi3OEKBOAf7YjyH9t0qVHRs6rrveIfwHh9jYSfOZNUfGNTAZW4w9RDYz6K0vT/s4032/10C74168-8FB5-4A2C-852A-90AB54EC30FB.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSi5zKc95xlID-9RgY9ArYkVtm1pzAWJe9Od_H8Rb8fsAr2rfYtVgaO5kF5g1cL57uec-ibR4AUcVuMkPso4Z1w_IGVdo0aO0kfcPVhNqZbRylWmjyMK71xO7jH-LJi3OEKBOAf7YjyH9t0qVHRs6rrveIfwHh9jYSfOZNUfGNTAZW4w9RDYz6K0vT/s320/10C74168-8FB5-4A2C-852A-90AB54EC30FB.heic" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEM4WnxtkPNFK3neicIkt5VDZjY8x-77ry7YfB_4qredIJHbqnHvRIs69dMtvNVWkEgaw4Cl1u7TXbUTdNokILIpAS1KldHM35Wf-EudFZhT-cQbd3IYztxPgeW8txXV49eVeM-g5-et8NFOHdAx5ciDU-RX_JZod0u9a-K9I93Tjm6dhr1UDAYlL/s2989/D4B48F2B-C370-42BD-855D-5E90C0DAFC17.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2989" data-original-width="2279" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEM4WnxtkPNFK3neicIkt5VDZjY8x-77ry7YfB_4qredIJHbqnHvRIs69dMtvNVWkEgaw4Cl1u7TXbUTdNokILIpAS1KldHM35Wf-EudFZhT-cQbd3IYztxPgeW8txXV49eVeM-g5-et8NFOHdAx5ciDU-RX_JZod0u9a-K9I93Tjm6dhr1UDAYlL/w488-h640/D4B48F2B-C370-42BD-855D-5E90C0DAFC17.jpeg" width="488" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018243842588844050.post-38458744449771779462022-12-14T19:06:00.002-06:002022-12-14T19:06:59.304-06:00No, I Don't Want To Be A Minimalist<p>Being a minimalist is all the rage. There are Facebook groups, podcasters and bloggers promoting this way of life. I say it's all a bunch of hooey. I'm not saying you should be a hoarder or even disorganized, but living in a sterile hospital environment is not for me. They say living without "stuff" makes you less anxious and calmer. Maybe it does that for some people, but I like my "stuff". It gives me comfort. They say things don't make you happy, but having something on hand when you need it is less stressful than spending a day going store to store finding it. We always say "they say", but who are they and how are they experts?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRs0dmDGi3-uwBYkEwZRjaoPv6JDGmDoeDmUSp9pRYGxqiPubJSCLa42IwvQoqr7B16HuKytzK9U3Pbg-7UOm0IJIvrMRcn50QW_cKWjo2d2kLgY1zEkWyv0mhLJTzkIImqLDBvo2o4qJL_Ai-RUg-zACzYccjxXNtLmcxsN58JoaG5IRdUzmU9pVz/s3238/4D326765-763C-4CC8-9BBB-8744BC1ED115_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3238" data-original-width="1899" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRs0dmDGi3-uwBYkEwZRjaoPv6JDGmDoeDmUSp9pRYGxqiPubJSCLa42IwvQoqr7B16HuKytzK9U3Pbg-7UOm0IJIvrMRcn50QW_cKWjo2d2kLgY1zEkWyv0mhLJTzkIImqLDBvo2o4qJL_Ai-RUg-zACzYccjxXNtLmcxsN58JoaG5IRdUzmU9pVz/w376-h640/4D326765-763C-4CC8-9BBB-8744BC1ED115_1_201_a.jpeg" width="376" /></a></div><p>In an attempt to reach a happy medium between starkness and clutter, I went through the house. I organized and eliminated some things that I knew I wouldn't need. That's where the trouble began. I pretty much knew where everything was in my house. In case I ever have vision problems, I could still find my way around. Not so much now. For example, I always kept my address book in my closet on a shelf. My thought process reasoned that it really should be in the desk drawer and so I moved it. A few days ago I was sending a card in the mail. I went to my closet and couldn't find it. I panicked a little and wondered if my mind was not as sharp as it once was. It wasn't as sharp but not in the way you would think. I moved the darn thing and forgot that I put it in a "better" spot. It took me a while to remember. It went back to the closet. Muscle memory is much better than my real memory.</p><p>The same thing happened with my checkbook. I put extra store cards and the checkbook in a safe place before I went on my last trip. Yesterday I went to my purse for the checkbook and of course it wasn't there. Another panic feeling in the pit of my stomach. Did I lose it? Did someone steal it? That couldn't be, I hardly ever write a check anymore. Then it dawned on me to look in the safe place, but where was that again? Another hour wasted trying to find it. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMs_2S0sI-gREihvNPs4ugGpNy4mtwF6QaYS9GQf8fmj5ndLC1SKEU4VAqgGScHSOvPikZqlNo5BNmML8-qND8s22Qf2lnxj79oCyY5vSC8Iv07WSwUJ1yPutVOedczBdhKlGaI6ucSbTdYDMuR7iHo7c8pKxVv6NM801j1wcTF-Kw5oFblLTQ0oN/s4032/9AE357AA-2263-4342-AD0A-F265CE8CA885_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMs_2S0sI-gREihvNPs4ugGpNy4mtwF6QaYS9GQf8fmj5ndLC1SKEU4VAqgGScHSOvPikZqlNo5BNmML8-qND8s22Qf2lnxj79oCyY5vSC8Iv07WSwUJ1yPutVOedczBdhKlGaI6ucSbTdYDMuR7iHo7c8pKxVv6NM801j1wcTF-Kw5oFblLTQ0oN/w480-h640/9AE357AA-2263-4342-AD0A-F265CE8CA885_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Heaven knows you can't have piles of papers sitting out in plain sight so they have to be stashed away from human eyes in case someone drops by and thinks you aren't taking care of your life. It happened with a birthday card I recently bought for my sister. I am notorious for buying the cards but not sending them. In fact I found a bunch of them in the desk drawer while looking for my address book. I had been to the store for the candy canes we used in our latest craft project. For some reason I felt the need to put the card in the bag of candy canes. More time wasted looking for it. I even emptied the recycle bin in case I threw it away. It would have been so much better and more efficient to leave it on the counter until I mailed it.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNn5bD7kM3jeIG1P-l-f_y2NAILbdeLvuOXOH-l4CDXuyk9mbidhrBterneavaUAX7tOC2y63UgpeGku35m7xZ5dSS_kh2dRYtDr6wrlcjSYXt7XRcxyvHVpXrhbZ3weAuBY5g6QIJ29iP-Wf2IGiZVANZL56Bn3emF94FCbfjb3xzy-ia4B71mu-/s718/8638E3CD-25CB-4F63-AB05-0C00B5D86DE4_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="431" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNn5bD7kM3jeIG1P-l-f_y2NAILbdeLvuOXOH-l4CDXuyk9mbidhrBterneavaUAX7tOC2y63UgpeGku35m7xZ5dSS_kh2dRYtDr6wrlcjSYXt7XRcxyvHVpXrhbZ3weAuBY5g6QIJ29iP-Wf2IGiZVANZL56Bn3emF94FCbfjb3xzy-ia4B71mu-/w384-h640/8638E3CD-25CB-4F63-AB05-0C00B5D86DE4_1_201_a.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><p></p><p>My grandma was like that. By the time she got into her 80's she wasn't much of a housekeeper, but you could ask her for anything and she could come up with it in seconds. One time my parents decided to help her out and clean her house. She was so darn mad. She couldn't find anything anymore. That's how I feel about this minimalist nonsense. I refuse to take the toaster out from underneath the cupboard every time I want a piece of toast. I like my kitchen utensils next to the stove so I can grab what I need. I like decorations and stuff hanging on the wall. Not so much on flat surfaces, but I don't have much of that. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVn4fmsJfgbboWllhaJIUPADJf9vPrBnAWtFUsjyis_-IKuOjcg_cGBwuKP3higEtUbmRDERCJgesuvib6L1PQwqYRzZi-NMeYdB5lftjJTfjvxrQ6CEqhYwbyoLAabdebmEn8iO6jZah47lq1zNpX7cnoSd_FnYFvGT8mPze1Erv26J4_Q7PEKV_c/s2896/25CF6A0B-5FC5-4CD4-9AD5-13A008528513_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2687" data-original-width="2896" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVn4fmsJfgbboWllhaJIUPADJf9vPrBnAWtFUsjyis_-IKuOjcg_cGBwuKP3higEtUbmRDERCJgesuvib6L1PQwqYRzZi-NMeYdB5lftjJTfjvxrQ6CEqhYwbyoLAabdebmEn8iO6jZah47lq1zNpX7cnoSd_FnYFvGT8mPze1Erv26J4_Q7PEKV_c/w640-h594/25CF6A0B-5FC5-4CD4-9AD5-13A008528513_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a> <br /></div><p></p><p>To each their own, but for me I find joy and memories in my stuff. It doesn't have to look like a mess to keep things, but if you're happy in a mess then so what. My kids can throw it away when I'm gone, but for now I am going to be a maximalist if that's even a word. Plus if I ever get robbed, they couldn't find any valuables. Nothing is in the logical spot. I almost submitted to peer pressure at my advanced age, but I came to my senses before it was too late.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic"><p>© 2012 <a href="YOUR BLOG URL">cabincountess</a>. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</p></div></div>The cabin countesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682109834716757765noreply@blogger.com0