Donuts

Commercials show donuts as the perfect food to destroy your diet, but do you remember how fun they were when you were a child.  You could eat them by taking a huge bite all the way to the hole, or loop them over your index finger and eat them in a circle.  My grandfather always recommended eating the hole first.

Grandpa loved to buy and share donut holes with us - glazed, cake with white powdered sugar or rolled in chocolate sprinkles.  Watch out!  Don't inhale the powder sugar.

My father on the occasions that he took me to school would stop at Lee's donuts to buy his favorite chocolate cake donuts with chocolate frosting.  He would buy me one with sprinkles.

And do you remember when Albertson's first moved to  town.  They had a donut machine that would make warm donuts while you watched.  Warm cake donuts with cinnamon and sugar.

I think on my way to work, I will stop to get a donut.  My favorite is a sugar donut.  Then I think that I will take a huge bite all the way to the hole.

Just so you know ~  I had my usual bowl of whole grain oatmeal for breakfast.  Oh, I wish I had thought to add sprinkles.

Illuminated N

Unseasonably warm

Although it is winter, we are experiencing temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal and so far very little snow.

I hope that you all had a lovely Christmas celebration and I am sending out best wishes for the New Year!  May the year 2012 bring you all many happy experiences!

I hope that it, 2012 will bring me a few wonderful experiences that I may share with you here on this blog.

White Christmas ?

A white christmas is not in the forecast for Ogden Canyon.  Sunshine and blue skies are forecast along with cold temperatures.

White Christmas?

Yesterday

Yesterday, we received a light dusting of snow.  Now the temperatures have turned cold, so I guess our dusting of snow will stay with us.  Not the white Christmas, of which we dream unless another storm hits before the 24th.

Last night, my friends and I attended a fundraiser and Christmas concert. Kurt Bestor, his friends, band and orchestra put on a lovely performance.

Princess Mollie sitting on her pillows

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

We have been decorating trees at my work for an open house on Friday, December 9th. Check out a few pictures at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150381747845736.340126.79845845735&type=3

Winds speeds bring destruction

Wow, what a day!  The high wind speed took down trees, took out power lines, and left Ogden in a mess.  In the canyon, we were with out electricity for around 8 hours.  Looking toward morning to see how the clean up has started.

Thanksgiving Memories

Thanksgiving morning, the kitchen is filled with scents of apples, bullion, onion and herbs.  My mother is set begin the Thanksgiving Day meal. My niece arrives, herald by a greeting bark from Mollie.  The preparations begin.  My niece MandiAnne apprentice, watching and learning how to make dressing from my mother.  She cuts two apples, two onions, and four celery stalks, adds boxed herbal bread crumbs, then bullion and shortening.  My mother tells her that our dressing distinctive flavor comes from adding summer savory.  MandiAnne laughs she finds it funny that no one in the family measure ingredients.

Then to the turkey, MandiAnne whispers "uncooked turkeys are gross." She is really freaked out by the turkey neck and giblets.  The cooking, mixing, chopping, baking continues with congenial ribbing.

I set the table for the family, memories of childhood Thanksgiving dinner come to mind.  Dinner at my grandmother house with cards tables lined up with the dinning room table through the kitchen and into the living room.  The children's table in the small front bedroom.  Aunts, uncles and cousins passing sliced turkey, mashed potatoes, grandpa's indian corn and more.  Then later when the families got larger, we shared Thanksgiving day dinner with my aunt Phyllis at the farm.  And when her family grew, we started having them at home.

My brother and nephew arrive.  I have built a fire in the living room.  Its flames curl around the wood, then scent of its smoke mixes with the scent of the baking turkey.

While waiting for the Turkey to cook, we all create paper sack turkeys.>

Zack & Curtis' turkey

Mom's & mine

 MandiAnne's.  All different.  Which do you think turned out the best?

Dinner was served.  Mom put together a delightful meal.  Turkey, dressing, potatoes, gravy, vegetables, cranberries and rolls were pasted.  Later pumpkin pie was served.  

Then those with in-laws and ex-in-law left to attend other gathering.  Those that stayed did dishes.....  dishes  ...  dishes,   and more dishes.  Kitchen and dishes clean.  Turkey and left overs in the frig....

We sit by the fire for a nap.  After all we all know that turkey makes one sleepy.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving day!

Snowy Afternoon Walk

Lazy snow flies as Mollie and I take an afternoon walk.  The road is no longer muddy, the mud has frozen. Mollie finds a stick, throwing up in the air she then chases it and throw it in the air again.  She is very talented at entertaining herself.

 Neighbors are heating their house with wood fires.  The scent of it fills the air and upon our return this scent clings to Mollie and I.

Tis the season

Yesterday,  my mother, niece and I had our picture taken with Santa at the mall.  Such a practical Santa, he said that he could not fulfill my wish for world piece, but he would have no problem putting a large Christmas bow on Mollie.

More Snow

A snowstorm came through last night and took out our power for a few hours right at dinner time.  The food was prepare, so we ate by candlelight.

Hibernating

As another weekend promises another snowstorm, I continue to hibernate and read finding warmth in books and with Mollie snuggled close.

More Blankets

The weather has gotten cold.  Time for more blankets to snuggle under, a few good books to read and Mollie at my side.

180 degrees

We woke to rain and snow this morning, a 180 degree turn from Monday's sun and 70 degree weather.  More snow is forecast for later this week.

A Fine Autumn Day

Today, was one of those autumn days that is just about perfect.  A blue sky in bright contrast to the yellow box elder and cottonwood leaves still on the trees that line the river.  The river is clear, and slowly flows by as I rake up fallen leaves.  Mollie lies nearby, chewing on a stick.  The sun just warm enough to work without a jacket

Later on a mid-day walk, I realize that this might be one of the last fine days of autumn.  Snowstorms have already hit the East coast, and other are forecast for our area in the coming week.

A Little More Preparation

Looking ahead to the holiday season....

Preparing

Yesterday, we harvested bushels of colorful autumn leaves.  We added them to our composite pile.

Today, we headed to the cabin to winterize it.  While Curtis drained the water out of the pipes and appliances, I mowed the lawn.  Our mower chopped the Maple and Cottonwood leaves in to small flakes of autumn confetti - mulch.

Tuesday a hard freeze is forecast.

My bookshelf is stocked with a number of books.  Cold weather is the perfect time to snuggle up with Mollie and read a good book.

A handful of pine nuts

A handful of pine nuts, their scent and taste, brings back memories of my grandfather.  He would take my cousins and I to Yost, Utah to harvest pine nuts.  We would place tarps under the trees, then knock down the pine cones.  I was young, but I seem to remember that the cones had to be warm to open up wide enough for then pine nuts to be harvested.  I remember the pine sap being sticky and hard to get off your hands and extremely difficult to get out of clothes.

Now, I harvest pine nuts by purchasing them from the grocery store.  I found some today at the Valley Market.

A week away from the computer

I have been away from my computer, but still carried my journal.  Here a couple of Haiku poems that I noted in my journal, and that I would like to share.

10/10/11

Autumn Evening Walk

A chilly fall rain

Finds me bundled in a shawl

Warm - I walk Mollie.

10/14/11

Dark black silhouettes

Against golden orange sky

October sunset.

Crisp Autumn Morning

This morning is a cool crisp autumn morning.  The rain of the last few days have intensified the autumn colors.  What little color, we have.  Most of then maples have already dropped their leaves and the oaks have not yet changed.

Mollie and I took a drive up to Ogden Valley.  The mist rising off the reservoir reminds me of costal fog.  The cottonwood along the water edge are starting to turn yellow.

Yesterday

Not expensive crystal but just as lovely!

Sunrise flames

Above the mountains,
Rays of morning sun ignite
embers, gray clouds burn

A Vacation

After mowing the lawn, Mollie and I decided to visit the reservoir.  In the summer, many people visit Pineview reservoir, sunning on the beach, swimming, boating, etc.  But you should visit it during the Autumn.  Clear crisp days, golden Cottonwood leaves, reflected in reflective mirror like water.

Mollie, who rarely likes to get wet, decided to walk along the shore.












Mollie and I took a vacation, an at home, hour long vacation.

Thursday - Time off

I had a day off.  In the morning, I took my car to be inspected.  Then in the afternoon,  Mollie and I went to the cabin.   We mowed the lawn and took a walk.

Autumn color, especially reds were in abundance.   Along the river, yellows could be enjoyed.  I just wanted to share a few shots of the autumn leaves and autumn landscape with you.

Breakfast

Waffles with black cherry jam and dark hot chocolate.

An Early Walk

The sky glows a predawn blue, scattered with pin point stars and a fingernail slivered moon, while the breeze rustles leaves that dance in silhouette.

Yellow, Orange, Green

Littered Lawn

Falling leaves litter the lawn.  The evening temperatures have dropped.  I wore a shawl on my evening walk with Mollie.  Autumn has arrived.

A Touch of Fall

A touch of autumn color is showing up on the mountain trees.  A rainstorm is expected, I already hear thunder.  The clouds have made the afternoon dark.  A good rain would be a good change and maybe brighten the autumn colors.

Only a few drops of rain fell.

We Attend a Play

What an enjoyable evening's entertainment, we had.

Zuni Basket

My friend, basket artist Rebecca Lasiloo wove me a basket.  She delivered it this week while visiting.

Isn't it wonderful.

Quiet Evening

Mollie and I had a quiet evening at the cabin.  We took a walk.  Our cabin neighbors were enjoying the evening, chatting on their patio.  One was finishing up mowing her lawn.  Mollie and I settled in.  A short time later, Mollie informed that we had a visitor.  A doe and two yearlings visited the commons.  We watched them for a time, although Mollie would have really liked to play chase with them.  She was extremely frustrated that I would not let her out of the cabin.




The evening light moved up the mountain.

On our drive home the clouds where beautifully lit.

Deb's Garden in late August

Oh! Bother!

Works got in the way, such a bust week!  But tomorrow is Saturday.  The weekend - two days of housework, relaxation, a visit to the farmer's market and maybe sometime for fun!  I hope that your weekend is filled with time for fun!

Tangles