Thursday, November 27, 2008

Ka, Ka, Ka, Katie !


Here she is wide awake.... What a precious little bundle she is. She looks like her big sister, Gracie !

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

New "boys" for Christmas...


Brad and his partner Michael are back in Dallas, again... Unfortunately, Santa Fe was not the retirement "dream" they had hoped it would be, so they're back in "big D", and have adopted two new babies to keep them company. Aren't they adorable?! (Brad is hubby Bus' younger bro)
I had a dachshund when I was 12 years old, named "Gretchen" and she was the love of my life for a long time !!
These two little boys are named Cole (the black one, who weighs in at 3 pounds) and his bigger brother, Clay (the brown one, of course, who is a whopping 4 pounds) They won't get much heavier than double their current weight, and are just too darling for words... I'm glad it's not ME that has to potty train them, though. ! Good luck, guys !

Friday, November 21, 2008

Always loved to BAKE !!


I've always loved to bake.... Cookies, cupcakes, brownies and cakes, biscuits, cornbread, even coffeecake !! In all the years I've been married, though, I don't believe I've ever made my mom's recipe for Black Walnut Cake.
I run across the handwritten 3 x 5 cards every once in awhile, but never have gone to the trouble-- before yesterday, that is. For one thing, it calls for Black Walnuts, which are hard to find ( I'm not sure why) and it also specifies Cake flour, instead of regular, which I never have on hand. The third obstacle was the baking pan, which is a tube pan, but Not a bundt pan. Anyhoo, I saw the black walnuts one day at Dierbergs, and decided to take the leap.... I even purchased a special pan at Viking for the task ! Another trip back to the store for the cake flour, which I had forgotten to get, and then one final one, because I was totally out of butter, and needed a cup of it !
My grandbaby sat up in her highchair watching me mix the batter. I'd like to teach her to love to bake, too, someday.... You finish the batter by folding 4 whipped egg whites into the batter. It looked just the way I remembered it did when my mom used to make it. (She was an excellent cook in every way, I think!)
Here's the recipe. Maybe you won't wait 40 years to try it ! Ha !

Black Walnut Cake

Sift 2 cups sugar
Beat until soft 1 cup butter

Add the sugar gradually. Blend these ingredients until they are very light and creamy. Beat in one at a time:
4 egg yolks
Sift before measuring: 3 cups cake flour. Resift with 3 tea. bakingpowder. Add these ingredients in 3 parts to the butter mixture alternately with third of :
1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk
Beat the batter until it is smooth after each addition
Beat in:
1 tea. vanilla
1/2 tea. almond extract (optional) ( I put it in )
1 cup chopped nut meats
Whip until stiff but not dry:
4 egg whites
1/8 tea. salt
Fold them lightly into the cake batter. Bake the cake in greased loaf or 8 in. tube pan in a moderate oven 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or ice with carmel icing.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

RBFC- girls gone wild (well, maybe not soooo wild, ha !)


-Our RBFC (Retired Best Friend's Club) was missing 2 members, Marlene, and Kris on Wednesday, but we had to carry on !!! WE MISSED you guys !
We had our usual meeting at the Bread Co. and then headed off for the St. Louis Art Museum for a little art history lesson in the contemporary galleries on the top floor. We ran out of time and have to go back to catch the Pollock and De Kooning exhibits in Sculpture Hall. Anyway, we headed to the Central West End and the B O W O O D Cafe, with the nursery attached... The cozy little restaurant has just been open for 3 months, although the Nursery part has been there for 3 years !
We had a nice lunch and shopped among the greenery. I purchased a huge Amaryllis bulb, which is beginning to sprout, and should bloom, perhaps, by Christmas. A very fun time was had by all. Here you will see Joyce, Jan, Lisa and Sandy enjoying the company, the food, and the sights !
--- Next month we planned a luncheon at the Robust restaurant, and a matinee of the movie, "Australia" with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Fun out with my peeps...


We had a little birthday get together, and I got to visit with my good buddies... It's so hard to find time while you are teaching, as Julie and Suzy still do... I miss them ! We've been planning a night out for the last year to see the Celine Dion concert- Unfortunately, the diva had to cancel due to sore vocal cords...
Hey, Celine, we'll catch up with you in Feb.! Rest your voice for awhile...

Monday, November 10, 2008

B I R T H D A Y 's Aren't so bad,,,


I had one of those memorable days which add to the sum of your years !! Birthdays sometimes make you feel old, or at least older, but when you have a wonderful family like I do, they are not so bad...
I feel so blessed with a fabulous husband of 41 years, a dear and darling sister, 3 fabulous kids, the best daughter-in-law in the world, and the most lovable and precious grandbabies anywhere !! I feel so lucky the "number" for my birthday doesn't mean a thing !! Super great friends top off the list, and make me feel so special. S O B L E S S E D !

Friday, November 07, 2008

Just like "Papa"






Grace kept us "in stitches" yesterday with her antics !!
She is watching every move you make, and when Grandpa reads the paper he always wears his reading glasses. She climbed up on the couch, brought a section of the paper with her, and then promptly wanted glasses, too. I ran for the camera, and Grandpa and I got considerable fun watching.
I finally found a pair with clear glass lens, and she wore them around for half an hour, too ! Too funny !

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Yes We Can, and we DID !!!!!

click any image to enlarge
After spending a day canvassing for Obama in the city on Monday, Tracey and I worked outside the polls on Tuesday. It was a beautiful, but long day giving support to our candidate by greeting voters and answering questions at the polls. We worked outside of the Meramec Elementary School with some dedicated Democrats, including Sha'Ron and Monzel... We found both of them delightful, and full of hope and enthusiasm on this day of monumental change for our country. We were able to meet so many great people, and share with them our hope for a better America to come.
Tracey was able to attend the celebration at the Chase Park Plaza. I was so tired and hungry that I went home, after the polls finally closed. While watching the election returns with my hubby, whose father was appointed to a post by Missouri Democratic Governor Warren Hearnes years ago, we celebrated along with the crowds across this nation in the choice of Barack Obama for our 44th President ! --SO INCREDIBLE --
Hopefully we will ALL work to achieve the changes we need in this country to make us strong again ! It can't help but give us all hope to see how change can occur for the better with he work of EVERY group in our nation working together !!!!

Sunday, November 02, 2008

28 year friendship

click image to enlarge
It's been a year since our old group of friends has gotten together... Judi has met and married a wonderful man named Paul, and we had the opportunity to gather and get to know him a bit. Judi's children, Trent, with wife Julie, and Trisha, with her husband Boyd, had a great party to introduce Paul to the St. Louis connection... We had so much fun, sharing grandbaby pictures, catching up with what's going on in our lives, and just generally having lots of fun and conversation... Trent's home is beautiful, and everything was so delightful. The day couldn't have been nicer. We were inside and out, and enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks, guys !

Saturday, November 01, 2008

"Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat..".



Halloween is getting to be such a big holiday...

Grace had more fun this year, but only went Trick or Treating to 2 houses, because some of the costumes and masks were JUST A BIT toooooo scary for her. She had fun, though in her Bunny suit (not like Ralphie in "A Christmas Story") Kate slept through the whole thing !!