Pepperoni Pizzas

Just for a moment I actually considered take out,
but instead we stayed in.
Good decision.

Time to Stand and Stare

Leisure
by William H. Davies

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.


Leisure?? . . . Well, perhaps not the title for me, but the sentiment of the poem I much agree with. Life about the domain is very full indeed; but it is sweet and rich, and I do my best to absorb every precious minute of it.

My days brim with responsibilities and work and chores, but those weights are lightened by the laughter, hugs and "I love you, Mommy"'s. I find such joy and contentment just gazing at my children, watching them interact with each other and seeing them bloom. When I watch them I am humbled beyond anything I can verbalize; humbled by the grace of God that in His generosity, love and compassion He would pour out such great blessings in my life. It is all so undeserved.

Here's a bit of beauty dancing from the last few weeks. . .

























So when you don't see me around here very much, I'm just taking time to stand and stare.

And so it begins again . . .

. . . the counting of days. Monday morning Brian documented Day One since this was Jon's first official day of official counting. His very last first time . . . so to speak.

8th Grade

5th Grade

2nd Grade

Kindergarten

Carefree

Walking Bridge

We made a trip to the library last Friday. We got there at about 11:50 and took our time finding just the right, shaded, parking spot. We paid to park in that perfect spot for an hour and a half. We meandered over to the library only to find a sign on the door. The library had closed at noon for an "in service" day.

(click to enlarge)

We gave away our perfect parking spot to a nice man and drove to the north side of the river. We walked . . . across the water . . . on a long, tall bridge. Not bad for a momma that doesn't like heights.



Then we walked . . . across a glass bridge . . . over a busy highway . . . to this building . . . on the edge of a cliff. Did I mention the part about not liking heights? We stood on that observation deck and looked back at the long bridge we'd just crossed, out at the river and down the cliff (okay, me not so much that last part!).

Then we had to turn around and do it all in reverse,
and it was a very hot day.

We were a little tuckered out when we finished. Good thing we had mason jars full of lemonade chilling in the cooler in the car.

Photos courtesy of Brian Deputy Photography

Doll Baby

The Sisters decided to try doll clothes on Megan.

(Megan pondering pink toenails . . .
courtesy of an earlier Sisterly lovefest.)

Meggie decided it was all good.

The Royal Treatment

Did you all see the news story where a Burger King manager threatened to call the police over a shoeless six-month-old?

Shoes on a six-month-old is a no-no! The earliest a baby should wear shoes is when they start walking. Some doctors advise waiting even longer. Either way babies should still go barefoot at home as often as possible to help develop the foot.

Guess I better stick to the drive-thru if I'm craving a Whopper. Otherwise, Meggie and I might get sent to the slammer. ;o)

(Turn music off in sidebar to watch video.)

New York Cheesecake w/ Ganache

For the Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup of butter, melted

For the Cheesecake:

4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup unsifted flour
4 eggs

For the Ganache:

1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350^o.

To make the crust,
combine the crumbs, sugar and melted butter.
Press firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

To make the cheesecake,
beat the cream cheese until fluffy.
Gradually add sweetened condensed milk.
Beat until smooth.
Add 1/3 cup flour and eggs. Mix well.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake 1 hour or until set.
Cool to room temperature. Chill thoroughly.

To make the ganache,
Heat the heavy cream and chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir until mixture is smooth and glossy.

After the cheesecake is thoroughly chilled, pour the warm ganache on top and spread to the edges. Can be eaten right away, or chilled for a firmer ganache.

Sunday Nap

Did you get yours? I did! :o)