Happy Heavenly Birthday to my Daddy ~A Photo Collection of Some Special Family Memories

Family was important to my Father.

Here’s a Four Generation Photo with him, his mother,

and his grandmother holding me shortly after

I came home from the hospital.

We often gathered for a meal and spent Sunday afternoon together.

My Daddy was a Farmer.

He worked hard from Dawn until Dusk.

Then he’d come home to relax in his recliner...

and we had a little father/daughter bonding time.

Another Four Generation Photo Op with Daddy,

his father, and paternal Grandmother.

Pretty sure I was my Grandpa’s favorite little girl.

But this post is about my daddy.

He was a hardworking man of few words.

But when he spoke you knew

he had something important to say.

He treasured the time he spent with

family, friends, and neighbors.

And maybe his favorite thing to do was to play cards.

My daddy appreciated the simple pleasures.

When my mom made spaghetti,

she’d leave a couple of noodles in the colander just for us.

When he finished shaving, he’d put the cap

back on his electric razor and “shave” my cheeks too.

That little vibration tickled and made me giggle.

Today was his birthday.

He would be 102 years old.

I miss him every day, but maybe just a little extra today.

Happy Birthday, Daddy.

Take care, everyone.

Stay safe and well.

~Natalie

Things in Our House Thursday ~The Little Things that Make Me Smile ~It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Autumn

The Mums this season are gorgeous.

Hubby purchased these over this past weekend

when he was at Menards.

Speaking of Menards,

is this not just the cutest welcome matt?!

We were there last week, running errands for Hubby’s Mother.

I spotted it...and just had to have it!

It’s not like very many people

come to our door and will see it...

maybe the UPS Delivery Driver will appreciate it?!

Hubby selected the most perfect outdoor plants.

And, I’ll take credit for the pumpkins!

Meanwhile, in the house....

We are enjoying these fresh cut fall flowers.

You can purchase a bundle like this at Walmart

for less than five dollars.

And the pleasure of having them in a vase

on my work table is priceless!

Our summer blooms are still hanging on for a few more days.

But soon we will be transitioned...

...To the rich warm colors of Autumn.

Happy Fall, Y’All.

Take care,

~Natalie

Happy Fall Y’All ~Enjoying Beautiful Weather as we Celebrate the End of our Summer Season

It was an unusual summer, for sure.

We stayed close to home and focused on our projects here.

The days seemed long, but the weeks seemed to go fast.

Our Wylie Park is such an asset to our community.

There is something for everyone to enjoy.

We loved the summer weather.

We could gather with friends, outdoors,

and maintain an appropriate social distance.

A favorite place to gather was near that duck pond.

Our creative friends, arranged the tables like this...

...and we sat as couples around the outside.

Doesn’t everything taste better when it comes off the grill?!

Brats and Burgers,

A favorite on everyone’s summer menu.

These appetizers are so tasty and so easy to make.

Sharp Cheddar, Kiwi, and Orange Marmalade on a Cracker.

Watermelon Wedges are a

refreshing summer side dish.

Green Bean Caesar Salad...Yummy.

Brownies with a Cream Cheese Swirl...

A sweet ending to our picnic.

But there’s nothing sweeter than spending

time with good friends.

Take care,

~Natalie

Tins and Treasures ~Some Big Finishes ~Teaming with Hubby for New Creations

 

This weekend Hubby and I put the finishing touches

on some new projects for our Tins and Treasures Shop.

We had a little supervision from our Helper Cat.

“What’cha Workin’ on here?”

We had several projects on the work table.

Hubby really enjoys working in his Wood Shop

when he comes home from the office.

Working at the Lathe is his preference,

so when I can pull him away from that,

he cuts out projects for me.

Then I paint them and edge them

before taking them back out to his shop.

Then he stains them and nails pieces together.

“These are coming together nicely.”

You can see I use my mother’s old baking sheets

to keep the projects together and to transfer them back and forth.

Back on my work table, I make final embellishments.

The shorter and wider shelf-sitting angel joins

the tall and slender hanging angel in my Etsy Shop.

These cool cats say you should stop by and check out our creations.

Click this link to visit my Tins and Treasures Shop

https://etsy.me/3c84cbO

Local friends, if you see something you’d like,

please send a message to make arrangements

and avoid the shipping costs.

Take care,

~Natalie

What’cha Workin’ on Wednesday ~When Great Grandma’s Garden is Ready for Harvest

A favorite meal at our house is Italian Spaghetti.

Making our own sauce is labor intensive, but so worth it!

Great Grandma loves her Garden,

however it requires the work of the whole family.

On Monday, I came home with a box of ripe tomatoes.

Aren’t they beautiful?!

The pepper is from her garden too.

Blanching and peeling the tomatoes goes much faster

if there are two people in the kitchen.

I took charge of the boiling step...

...and after their ice water plunge, hubby handled the peeling.

We used both red and yellow tomatoes.

We filled our 20 quart stockpot,

and simmered them for a couple of hours.

Since hubby is not fond of big chunks of tomato,

I ran small batches through my blender to make a smoother sauce.

On the second day, I add the rest of the vegetables...

...and the browned meats.

It simmers for hours.

The house smells sooo good!

We package it for the freezer in portions that are

Perfect for these Empty Nesters.

Of course, we have to sample it right away

with fresh Parmesan Cheese and a Green Salad.

This fun pasta shape was a part of a gift

from our daughter and son-in-law.

Thank you!

Take care,

~Natalie