At the Bird Feeder

The little birds are fueling up regularly at the feeder. They are a joy to watch so, I decided to video tape them. The purple finch is the hog. I love the dear little Chickadees and of course the beautiful Titmouse. Forgive the sound of the heat pump in the background noise, it is cold outside! Hope you enjoy it.

Home Remedy Cough Syrup

I believe this recipe came from my mother-in-law, but not positive. We have been using it for years when a bad cough strikes. I had to make some yesterday for B. Like school, work is also a stew pot of germs and I guess there have been quite a few sickly's coming to work, and of course B. caught the cold.
This recipe will cure what ails you. (Not recommended for children)

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
2 Tablespoons of honey
2 Shots of whiskey
1 peppermint

Put all in a jar and put a lid on and shake vigorously. Give the peppermint time to melt and shake before use. I did not have a peppermint yesterday, but I did have some peppermint oil so I added 2 drops of that. B. said I could have just added one. Peppermint oil is strong. He is already feeling better today!

C-C-C-C-COLD!

I feel for all you bloggers in the mid-west and northeastern areas of our country. This has got to be one of the coldest winters in a long while here in Dixie Land. The wind is biting and frigid temps are keeping us in doors. No snow, just cccccold! (The snow may come at the end of this week!) That block of ice came out of the dog's water pan with a lot of help from hot water!

How in the world do those little tiny birds keep from freezing to death. It's warmer in my freezer than it is outside. Mother Nature takes care of that for the tiny critters. I know they are getting lots of fuel from the feeders.

All we can do is try to stay warm and find some inside hobby or project. I think I will start on my TBR book stack. Maybe a little sewing, really, whatever suits me.

So, stay warm and enjoy your excuse for not having to get out!

Blue Moon, Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse

Although the lunar eclipse will not be visible in the western hemisphere, it still exists. So, as my sister said, we are triple blessed by a wonderful show of our moon today. It also happens to be New Years Eve! WOW! Happy New Year.

Christmas goodies

Almost everyone has the special things they make each year for Christmas. My family has been expecting to get a taste of my Tea Rings for well over 25 years now. B. also loves the "wedding cookies" (there are several names these cookies have in cookbooks.) And from the time I started making these iced sugar cookies when my children were in kindergarten, our table would not be the same without these pretty and delicious cut out cookies. This photo doesn't show the Tea Ring, which is just a cinnamon role shaped into a ring, slit and decorated to look like a Christmas Wreath. I will have a photo of that when I actually take one out of the freezer and add the icing and decorations. The tray in this photo went to work with B. this morning. I took one of the Tea Rings and made these rolls instead.

Our Christmas Tree

I was not very happy with the first Christmas Tree video, so I redid it going a little slower so you could actually see the ornaments. We used to have a very large tree, but since it is just Bogie and I, I have downsized a lot of things, including the tree. The size of our Christmas tree may have changed over the years, but the ornaments have pretty much stayed the same. Having five children go through grade school where they make handmade ornaments every year, and them also being active in scout programs, we have accumulated many ornaments made by their small hands; bringing them home with big smiles and pride. Some of the ornaments on this tree belonged to my grandmother and grandfather, they are the 50's style retro plastic (the reason for their long survival) that was popular in that day. I remember mine and B.'s first Christmas together in 1972. We went to the woods and cut a tree. My mom had sent us a nice sized box of lights, old decorations she had had for years (the retro ones from Grandpa and Grandma W.)and some new ones too. I thought that was such a thoughtful gesture. Since we could barely afford to feed ourselves, those were the only ornaments on our humble tree. Good memories for sure. We have a Thanksgiving tradition here. Anyone who eats dinner at our home brings a wrapped ornament and we exchange them after dinner. So, the memories and supply of ornaments still grow. I love sitting in a quiet room where the tree is lit up at dark and gaze at all the beautiful ornaments that bring back so many happy memories. It lifts my spirit.

Snow, Football and Gumbo

It was a great Saturday here at the compound.  First off, we got a great southern snowfall, then I made a very big pot of Gumbo and WE BEAT THOSE GATORS, FINALLY!   You have to be a Bama fan to understand that.  We are the champions of the SEC Conference!!  We get to go to Pasadena, CA to play Texas for the National Championship!