IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY . . .

From my home to yours - wishing you a very Happy Valentine's Day!

May you have friends and those you love surround you with their love today and always.

SENIOR MOMENTS . . .

Trust me when I tell you I have felt like this many times.  
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Enjoy and have a great weekend.

SNOW DAYS AND A BIRTHDAY . . .

Last week was the coldest week we have had in Texas in years and years. Not only did it rain, then freeze, it snowed 3-5 inches (depending on where you lived). The temperature never got out of the teens until Saturday. The roads were awful, school was out for four days and I am sure Mothers everywhere were going crazy. We are now awaiting round three of bad weather which is coming this way early Wednesday. The weatherman is predicting 2-4 inches of snow on top of some ice. Lovely!!!!

And to top it off, last Thursday was was my son's 43rd birthday so because of the bad weather we couldn't celebrate. I always hate when my children have to drive to and from work in this mess. My son said it took him two hours to drive home Thursday night (one hour longer than usual). Once he got home he decided to clear off his rather steep driveway. Well, he slipped on some ice that he couldn't remove, fell and broke his right ankle. He is now waiting to have surgery on Thursday. What a way to celebrate your birthday.

Anyway, a belated happy birthday to my son, Eric.

One more thought . . .

Have you ever had a "Mr. Big" in your life?

There wasn't much on TV this weekend so I ended up watching an old episode of "Sex and the City". It was the one about Carrie celebrating her birthday and her friends were busy and she and Mr. Big weren't seeing each other anymore (if you ever watched "Sex and the City" you know what I mean). This got me thinking, "how many of us have had a Mr. Big in our lives?" I can truthfully tell you that I had one and we ended up together just like Carrie and Mr. Big.



Several  years ago some of my y friends even mentioned this to me and, at the time, I laughed at them but now as I look back on that time in my life I realize that Norman and I really were doing the "Mr. Big" and "Carrie" thing. It took several years before he came around.

Isn't life funny.

A BEAUTIFUL HOME . . .

Norman has a niece who is so talented when it comes to decorating and budget shopping. She and her husband bought a beautiful home south of Fort Worth a few years ago and she has been doing some remodeling, decorating and filling the empty rooms with gorgeous furniture. The home is just right for them and their three daughters. They have approximately 6 acres of land and a large swimming pool in the backyard and those girls would live in that pool if their Mom would let them.

Isn't this a perfect yard for entertaining.

The people they purchased the house from did most of the landscaping. They actually built this retaining wall using bags of concrete that they wet down and as it hardened it made a great wall for keeping the dirt from collapsing. Clever idea.

During the Christmas holiday they invited me down for an evening of fun with Renee's sister, Tami, and their Mom, Diane. We noshed, watched a movie, talked and laughed. What a fun evening with the girls.

Renee had done so much more to their home since the last time I was there and I thoroughly enjoyed viewing each room. I think my favorite part of their house is the kitchen and living room. It opens into each other and I just love the open feeling it gives.

This table stands behind the sofa and separates the two rooms.

Love, love, love her collection of nutcrackers.

This wall of clocks is located in the eating area between the kitchen and living room. She said she picked up most of the clocks at either Ross, TJ Maxx or Home Goods. I really like that idea.

This precious table is located beside the backdoor and she told me she purchased it at Home Goods.

She had her mantle decorated so cute for Christmas and I love the hand with the finger pointing upwards. One of her daughters told me that the reason Renee bought this piece was because the finger was pointing to heaven. What a wonderful thought.

Their dining room is huge and Renee said that it is a work in progress. Since they love to entertain she wanted a table that would seat a lot of people. From what I could tell, I think this table "fits the bill."



These are two of my favorite pieces that Renee has in her home. They were left to her when her grandmother passed away. Renee told me that her grandparents brought these back with them when they visited the Holy Lands years ago.

I just love seeing how others decorate and it always give me such good ideas that someday I hope to do but never seem to get around to it. Thanks, Renee, for sharing your beautiful home with me.

COLD WEATHER AND HARVEST HAMBURGER SOUP . . .

Years ago I lived in a small town located on the western slope of Colorado. My children and I lived in Montrose for 13 years and loved it but in 1988 decided it was time to move back to Texas. I hated to leave all my friends but knew it was time to move on to another adventure.

I have a very dear friend who still lives in Montrose and was blessed that Norman and I could go visit Pam and her husband, Bob, last summer.  Pam is absolutely the most fabulous  cook, everything she makes is delicious. While we were there she served us the best homemade soup and I begged her for the recipe.

Since our Texas weather is changing this week from sunny and warm to very, very cold (temps in the teens) I thought a big pot of soup would be just the thing to have on such a cold day and since it doesn't take long to put together I thought you might like the recipe too.

First gather all the ingredients.

Next brown the hamburger meat and while that is browning you can chop all the vegetables.


Now add all the chopped vegetables and spices to the pot.

Lastly, add the wet ingredients.

Relax and let this simmer for 1 hour. I love serving this soup with cornbread.

HARVEST HAMBURGER SOUP

1 lb. ground beef
1 (16 oz) can tomatoes, cut up
2 med. onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 med. carrots, chopped
2 med. potatoes, cut up
1/3 c. pearl barley
1/4 c. ketchup
1 tablespoon instant beef bouillon granules
2 tablespoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 bay leaf
5 cups water

In a large saucepan brown the ground beef, drain off fat. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Remember to remove bay leaf before serving.)

This is what we woke up to this morning. First rain, then sleet and snow along with lots of wind. While people back East won't think this is a big thing to most Texans it is, so I am very glad I made my big pot of soup yesterday. Nothing will taste better on this cold and windy day like a bowl of hot soup.

Hope you enjoy this soup on those cold, snowy or rainy days like I do.

Enjoy!!