LIBRARY CARDS: TICKETS to the WIDE WONDERFUL WORLD of READING!

Last week in Dallas, I had the pleasure of accompanying my “daughter” and first grandson to the local library for “Baby Time”.  At 4-months, you might expect him to be unaware of anything beyond his immediate surroundings.  However, in observing B. from the perspective of my long career in Early Childhood and Speech Pathology, I was elated, to see him attending to every book read aloud to the children and to every puppet, responding with smiles and squeals.  Following the story time, I took B. to the children’s section of the library, picked out a wonderful, interactive board book called “Woof-Woof”, and read it two times to him.  Once again, he was quite attentive!  While we were reading, B.’s mother was at the desk, obtaining B.’s first library card.  As you can see from this picture, he is very aware of the significance of his “ticket to the world of knowledge”!

PARENTS:  FIND YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY, and READ WITH YOUR CHILD EVERY DAY!!!

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!

 

 

Taco-filled Tortilla Bowls-TMG

 

These TACO TORTILLA BOWLS are delicious and perfect for busy parents:

INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

12 flour tortillas

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

1 cup salsa

1 can black beans, (rinsed and drained)

Mexican shredded cheese

1 bunch red leaf lettuce

Guacamole (see recipe below)

Light sour cream

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Microwave tortillas 15 minutes, separated on paper plate.

Form tortilla into a bowl inside each large muffin cups with two folds on each side.

Crunch foil and place foil ball into the center of each tortilla bowl

Place tortilla bowl muffins into oven and bake for a total of 13 minutes.

While tortillas bake, brown meat and drain, if needed.

Season with kosher salt to taste, chili powder and pepper.

Pour 1 cup salsa into cooked meat mixture.

Boil and simmer 10 minutes.

Microwave black beans 3 minutes.

Add spoonfuls of meat and beans into each tortilla bowl, topped with Mexican cheese.

After cheese melts, add pieces of lettuce, guacamole mixture and sour cream.

ENJOY!!!

GUACAMOLE MIXTURE:

3 avocados sliced and chopped (include one seed)

1/2 cup salsa

1/4 sliced/chopped onion

1 large lime, squeezed

1 fresh tomato chopped

 

 

THIS OLD HOUSE and ALL THAT LIES WITHIN IT!!!

Having just accomplished one of those “always projected to the future, major household, this old house, MUST DO NOWS”  (i.e. rewiring our entire home electrical wiring that has survived all of the yearly natural corrosion , squirrel chews, etc. since  1938), we find ourselves surrounded by “STUFF”.  “STUFF” is absolutely everywhere!  You can imagine the look on my face, when told by our contractor:  “Please empty this closet, so I can get my ladder into it when I return from lunch”!!!!!   He was so very patient with me, but I was so horrified that all of that “stuff” had to make an appearance right in front of my face, and in every room, yet.  And, although our huge job is finished and well done, I am still surrounded by “stuff” and loving being able to step into my little 1038 closets.  A trivial problem, I know, but overwhelming on a daily basis, nonetheless!  Of course, I don’t consider any of my creative materials stuff-hah!!!!!!!!!  Where is my husband?  He is hiding, of course.  If you see him, please let me know.

MAGNOLIA MAGIC

We planted this magnolia tree (in front of the rock koi pond built by my grandfather), in honor of my parent’s anniversary.  During rainstorms, which have been rare in the past and frequent the past few months in Texas, one of my favorite reflection times is observing the storm roll in from our front porch, the very same view my Grandma and Grandfather watched every evening in the glow of the yellow ceiling light.  Today, the magnolia tree displayed its full beauty  with two low blossoms, opening their soft, white petals to welcome the second coming of the rain:

 

 

TK’s 365 Greetings of Giving

Have you ever received a handwritten note or personally, created card in the mail?  Didn’t it give you great joy?  The payback for the sender is the personal PEOPLE CONNECTIONS you will receive in the most unexpected forms!  Send  a hand-written greeting 365 days of the year to a family member, a friend, an acquaintance, a long-ago friend, a neighbor, someone who needs a boost, someone you suddenly run into, or ANYONE with whom you want to RECONNECT.  It will fill your heart with lovely thoughts and memories.                     Inspired by:  365 Thank Yous by John Kralik

FIVE-CARD HANDMADE SENTIMENT KITS, 2016

Butterfly 5-card “Wishes” Kit

  
Materials used:  Stampin’ Up Butterfly Basics Stamp Set; Stampin’ Up card stock; Assirted background paper prints, and Stampin’ Up Butterfly Framelits.

Pirate 5-CARD “ARG” Kit


Materials Used:  Assorted black/white prints; assorted STampin’ Up colored card stock, Prismacolor Premier colored pencils, and Stampin’ Up Hey Valentine Stamp Set

LOVELY 5-card “DAMASK” SENTIMENT KIT

Materials used:  Assorted Damask paper; sequins; Stampin’ Up oval scallop punch; Stampin’ Up heart punch, and Wetlands Stamp set sentiment.

CARDS SENT WITH CARE:

Materials used:  Stampin’ Up, Stamping Bella stamps, and Penny Black stamps

   
    
    
    
    
 

Happy New Year, 2014

As another new year is upon us, it is time, once again, to jump start my fitness kick, record all of those calories, walk briskly around the boulevard, budget, and vow to make the most of our time on a slim dime!   Of course, after projecting much more time for creating for others in December than I actually had, I continue to work on a few delinquent Christmas gifts.  Hopefully, the receivers will consider them worth the wait!  I did start the new year off right by spending an entire morning in every book store in town.  My delightful excursions resulted in a boatload of  “good reads” to enjoy and prevent me from spending dollars I do not have!

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We attended a holiday party last night and made a number of new acquaintances, many of whom were McMurray professors and spouses.  I tend to enjoy the “outsider” approach from afar when attending such events, but after receiving a little help from my friends and forcing myself to “step out” a bit, I considered it a highly entertaining evening.  Actually, the first week in January is a perfect time to host a party.  Everyone is ready to escape the comfortable, yet at times tiring ” room with a view” of home, with the opportunity to listen to fresh conversation.  It was a wonderfully, cool night on the LeMaster’s beautiful, covered porch overlooking the creek.  I believe BG looks similar to this picture of Mr. Buttons, following his partying, though he is not inside of a box today.

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At the party,  I was able to find out this year’s location of our previous neighborhood creek visitors , two Great Horned Owls. Apparently, they are “hooting” during this, a later time of year than usual, off of Rivercrest, where my Aunt Ginger and Uncle Hubert used to reside.  I want them to return to us very badly, as photographing them was one of my favorite creek activities!

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I saw a great deal of evidence of our large fox population in my backyard yesterday afternoon.  I need to replace a light bulb, so that perhaps I can catch a photograph of them one of these evenings.

My endless project of card creation continues:      

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The Wonder of Bees!

Researchers say that bees are a sign of the state of our ecological environment.

When I saw numerous bees hovering over our sage bush in bloom, I had to snap this picture.  My neighbor, who is a bee expert, says he is carrying pollen.  Be sure to click on the picture to see it enlarged!

Bee Carrying Pollen
Bee Carrying Pollen