The weekend

Hope you all had a nice weekend! I have to share a bit about my weekend.
On Saturday there was a craft show near us.  This is not your normal craft show - it's huge and people come from all over to go to it.  It's set up in a very large Greenhouse and there were over 250 vendors there, along with lots of food trucks.
I went with my sister and because it's always very busy we got there right away in the morning. When we arrived, the parking lot was already full!

Cars were lined up on the road waiting to turn in.

Look at this line we had to wait in, just to get inside!

The line grew quickly behind us too.

But finally, we made it inside.  There were lots of cute booths - candles, clothing, vintage items, fresh Christmas arrangements and so many other cute items.

We wandered around for about 1 1/2 hours before making our way out.

This is what the road looked like when we left, people still lined up to get in.  It was starting to snow and the roads were getting icy, we passed an accident on our short drive home.

I didn't buy a lot, just a candle and a few little trees to decorate with.  It was fun to look at everything!

I mentioned that it was snowing earlier in the day.  After supper, it really started to come down.

This is what we woke up to on Sunday morning - 11 1/2 inches of snow! Our church was cancelled, along with every other church in the area. The plows were trying to clear things but didn't make it to our area until mid afternoon.

The snow was piled up on everything; these are rain bells that collect rain and then hit each other and chime.  I love the snow piled high on them.

I'm not a fan of cold and snow, but have to admit that it is beautiful.  Unfortunately, we are supposed to be getting more on Monday, so I better get used to it!

Friday Funny

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 (Comments turned off for the holiday, enjoy your day!)

Wordless Wednesday

 

Tuesday Thoughts

 

I saw this last week and thought it was so good it needed to be shared.

What's been happening here

Last week I told you about our granddaughter Alaina's visit to the ER.  She's doing well and is scheduled for an ablation on December 15 to take care of this heart issue.

She's had a much better week, and is thrilled with this new addition. This is all she wanted for her birthday, which was at the end of October.  Its name is Sprig and Alaina is thrilled!

Last week I had a nice lunch out with the wife and daughter of a patient I took care of for about a year.  I get to see the daughter frequently as she goes to my church, but it was a treat to see this man's wife again.  We went to an old restaurant in a nearby town which is known for its burgers.  This place has been around for over 100 years and has that old time charm.  The burgers were great!

They have this fun sign up showing what prices used to be.

Today (Monday) is my birthday and I have officially reached Medicare age! I'm not sure where those 65 years have gone!

I have to tell you a funny story that goes along with my increasing age.

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and last week I had my 6 month check with the Rheumatologist.  His office is about 45 minutes away.  My appt was scheduled for 10:45, so I was doing some things around the house before I left.  I'm not one to wear shoes at home.  I like to run around in slippers.  Do you know where this is going?
Yes - I hopped in the car, drove to the office and when I got out, I saw this:

Aaaagh!  I still had my slippers on!  It was too far away to go home, so there was nothing to do but go in there in my slippers.  Thankfully, they weren't fuzzy bunny slippers or something like that.  They have a hard sole, so they were fine for walking around outside, but how embarrassing...
He just laughed and said he's seen much worse than that, and that he wouldn't have known they were slippers if I didn't tell him.
I guess this is just keeping me humble.

Friday Funny

 

Cooking Thursday

 This is a recipe I haven't made for some time because it's not the healthiest!  But it's good, it's quick, it uses left over chicken and Bob likes it, so we have it occasionally. And with Doritos, chicken, cheese and sour cream - you know it tastes good!

Chicken Dorito Casserole

1 bag Nacho Doritos, crushed
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups shredded cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel tomatoes - do not drain
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 package taco seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 2 quart baking dish with non-stick spray.
Mix together all ingredients, except Doritos.
Spread half of chicken mix in casserole, then half of Doritos and repeat.
Cover with foil and bake for about 35 minutes.

Wordless Wednesday

 

Seasons changing

We've been having the usual end of Autumn weather here with reminders that winter is coming.  So far, no big snowfalls in our area and for that I'm thankful.  We've woken to snow on the ground several mornings but it's melts by noon.  Meanwhile, the leaves keep falling!

It's a mix of seasons, snow and brightly colored leaves.

Meanwhile, Bob seems to be fighting a losing battle against the leaves.  He's been raking and blowing leaves almost daily and it seems within a few hours, the yard is covered again.
It's worth it though - we love our trees!

Last weeks events

This is the woods I love to walk in.  We've had rain and wind and most of the leaves have fallen down.  I'm afraid my time of walking here is soon going to be done, because once it snows it'll be too hard to get around in here.  I'm sad to see this season end.

We had some not good excitement last week also.  Alaina was feeling funny and had a rapid pulse so Aaron took her to the Urgent Care. When they checked her, they called an ambulance to take her to the Grand Rapids Children's Hospital.  Laura called me to come asap to be with Ruby.
It was a long night waiting for tests and updates.

When Alaina started feeling better she asked Laura to take a picture and send it so we wouldn't worry.  I thought that was pretty sweet.

Ruby had me take this picture of her with their dog Piper to send back to Alaina.

Around midnight they came back home. She was diagnosed with something called Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome. It's a syndrome you are born with which is caused by an extra electrical pathway in the heart which can cause a rapid heart rate.
She had to see a cardiologist the next day.  Ruby came back to our house to spend the night until after the appointment.

The cardiologist said this can be treated by medication, but often then do an ablation.  Of course, Alaina isn't thrilled by the thought of that. She will have more testing and appointments before they decide what to do.

In the meantime, we are very thankful for answered prayers that she's doing well now and has a diagnosis and treatment plan. Prayers for peace for Alaina and parents, along with direction for the doctor are appreciated!

Friday Funny

 

Cooking Thursday

It's definitely chili season around here.  I have several different chili recipes that I rotate, and now I have another one to add to the mix. This one uses a few different types of beans, along with a few varieties of peppers and spices.  It has just a little heat, perfect for us!

Three Bean Chili

1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced (Remove seeds if you don't want it too hot)
1 cup beef broth
1 small can tomato paste
1 can chili ready tomatoes, undrained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can light kidney beans, drained
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Brown and drain ground beef.  Add onion, peppers and broth, simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, pinto beans, light and dark kidney beans and spices.
You can then simmer on the stove top on low for about an hour, or put it in the crock pot on low for 4-6 hours.
Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Wordless Wednesday

 

An Autumn Drive

The other day, we were having a day at home just doing our normal things.  The sun came out and we both remarked about how beautiful it looked with sunshine on the brightly colored leaves.  We decided it was too pretty to just do chores at home and we headed out for a drive. Here's a few pictures I took along the way.

When wandering the countryside near us, you are sure to see barns.  Since I love barns, we often stop to take photos of them.  (You'll see a few more!)

A beautiful tree on a corner. I don't know what the reason is for the stone. There was nothing on it.

Another beautiful barn.

We came past this old, country cemetery and drove in to see it.  I think a cemetery in the Fall is a beautiful thing.

Another old barn with lots of pumpkins in front of it.

One last barn, this one is very near to our house.

It was a great way to spend an afternoon, admiring God's Fall artistry!

Shopping report

Last weekend I told you it was shopping weekend! As I said then, my sisters and I go on a Christmas shopping trip every year in the beginning of November.  We've been doing this for at least 30 years.  When our kids were little the packages were bigger with purchases like Fisher Price toys.  As they got older the packages got smaller and now with the ability to shop online we don't spend as much time in the stores.  However, we've always enjoyed this time together and it's good to get lots done before the Christmas rush begins so we want to keep it up.
We shop in our own area so if anything needs to be returned, it's easy.
I have two sisters; Terri and Cheri. This year Terri was in Hawaii so it was just Cheri and I shopping.

(On a side notes, several of you asked about our rhyming names; Mari, Terri, Cheri.  Yes, they do rhyme.  However, our parents didn't set out to do that.  Our real names are Maribeth, Terri and Cheryl.  We also have a brother named Duane, so he really doesn't rhyme!)

We started off visiting several stores that were closest to us, and then it was time for lunch.

We stopped at Panera's for salads.  We both got out our notebooks and updated our lists with what we had purchased.

Then we headed off to stores that were a little further away.  This year the stores all seemed very busy, like lots of people were shopping early.

We stopped for supper shortly before 5.  We split a lasagna and enjoyed it!

We had a few more stops to make and then it was time to head to the hotel.  By this time, we were tired with sore legs!

Here's the back of my car at the hotel - quite a few bags!

We checked into the hotel and those lists came back out.  So did our computers where we ordered the things we were getting online.

The next morning we went to a big craft show and then to a town about 45 minutes from us.  It's always a fun place to visit, especially this time of year, plus it has some really great shops.

There's a dam near the downtown area that is always a beautiful spot.

In November and December this cute little train runs on the weekend.

A charming town - reminds me of a Hallmark movie!

By 1:30 we were back home, unloading the car and getting everything put away.  Soon it'll be time to wrap things.  I think I have all my shopping done!

Gone shopping!

 

I won't be around to see you all for a few days.  This is my sisters shopping weekend!  Every year my sisters and I go out Christmas shopping, spend the night in a hotel and finish up the next day. Unfortunately, this year it's just Cheri and I, as Terri is returning today from a Hawaii trip.  But we'll still have fun!
I'll see you all next week.

Cooking Thursday

Today's recipe is another one that I brought to a church potluck a few weeks ago.  It's easy to put together, is light and tasty and looks pretty in a glass bowl or trifle dish.

Angel Food Cake Trifle

1 large angel food cake
2 cans blueberry pie filling (or flavor of your choice)
2 packages 4 serving instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
16 ounces Cool Whip

Cut Angel food cake into 1 inch cubes and place half in bottom of trifle bowl (or you can use a 9x13 pan).
Spread one can of pie filling over the angel food cake.
Mix together the pudding mix with the milk, then beat in the sour cream. Stir in half of the Cool Whip.
Spread half of the pudding mix over the pie filling in the trifle bowl.
Spread the other half of the angel food cake over the filling, then cover with the remaining filling.
Cover filling with the remaining Cool Whip, then spread the other can of pie filling over the top.
Let chill for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight.

Wordless Wednesday

 

Fun moments from last week

Here's a few pictures from last week that I wanted to share with you.

We've been enjoying such a beautiful Autumn.  These are photos taken in our back yard.

I had a lovely afternoon with some former co-workers last week.  This is the doctor I worked with for many years and his wife, and 2 nurses who also worked with me.  We were the day shift nurses and worked closely for a lot of years.  Later when Nancy (in yellow) retired, Lavonne (in orange) was the director of nursing and I was the unit manager.  We all worked well together, helped each other on the hard days and had fun too.  The doctor was the best.  He was always so caring and kind and took great care of our patients. We had lunch and then went back to his house to catch up and reminisce.

Last but not least; we had some cute trick or treaters come by!

Cassie was the cutest pirate!

And check out Connor, the shark!

That's it - some fun moments from last week.