Saturday, June 30, 2012

Summer Salads

I am not a fan of hot weather.  Period, Exclamation Mark...
And recently it has been, "Crazy Hot!"
But, I do like Summer Salads, Yum!  I have discovered from a friend a yummy, cool, and extremely easy salad.  The hardest part is getting out in this Crazy Hot weather to go to the store for the ingredients.  I plan on making it this weekend to share with my family.

                                             Grape Salad

As I said, easy!
Not many ingredients... oops! 
*I forgot to add the sour cream to my photo.

Better list the recipe:

8 oz cream cheese
6 oz sour cream
1/2 cup Splenda
1/2 tsp. vanilla
6 cups of grapes (color of your choice)
1/2 cup nuts (walnuts are really yummy)
sprinkle of brown sugar

Mix softened cream cheese, sour cream, Splenda, and vanilla.  Add grapes and stir until grapes are coated.  Add nuts and sprinkle top with brown sugar.

Soooooo Yummy!

What's on your menu for this weekend?
Maybe something special to celebrate our Nation's Birthday?

I'm not a whiz in the kitchen, but I do like good food!

Stay Cool!
MFSD

Friday, June 29, 2012

Smiles, Joy & Discoveries

Join me in enjoying two sculptures that I admired during the past few weeks.
They both expressed the joy found in discoveries.  Recently I saw this with my grandchildren when they were playing in the yard, garden & at the zoo.  I wanted to share these with you even though they are bronze and just a suggestion of the delights in childhood, they made me smile. 


This sculpture can be seen at the Tulsa Zoo.
We had a great time there!
Two children finding delight in watching a frog.
Recently my grandchildren discovered a frog in a garden.
They had soooo much fun following it among the plants.
Discoveries!


This sculpture can be discovered at Gibbs Gardens.
There are several sculptures scattered around in the Grandchildren/s Sculpture Garden.
We saw a huge tortoise at the Tulsa Zoo.
This sculpture depicts the joy these children are discovering with a friendly tortoise.
Joy!

What joys, discoveries and or things that make you smile have you seen lately?  Please share these with me.  I hope you've got a whole list of things!
Getting ready for lots of smiles, joy, & discoveries,
MFSD

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Riding along to the Mill

Yesterday I showed you Harvest in progress and loading the wheat truck.
Today I'm sharing the next step, unloading.
Handsome Man was so sweet and asked if I'd like to ride to town with him to unload the wheat at the Mill.  As you can see we drive really, really nice trucks.  Well...it's all about the journey and not what you drive to get there.
And during Harvest this is one of the ways we can spend time together.  (Sometimes you take any opportunity you can get.)
A Harvest Limousine...


Oh, and yes it comes equipped with only the finest of airconditioners!  Handsome Man was so sweet to turn it so I would get the full effect. 
Isn't he just the best!  As I said you've got to love them. (And I do!) 

Here we are!  First, you drive up on the scales and weigh, then you drive on up and unload in what seems to be a hole in the floor with a grate over it, there are some guys (with face masks) standing around the grate with brooms.  Don't want to waste a single grain.  Then you turn around and weigh again, empty this time.  When you've finished they hand you a ticket that lets you know the weight or bushels you've stored.  Pretty cool!  (Remember I'm not real versed on all the terms, but this is my blog, ~I have tried to explain the process...but, you do have to consider the source.)  Just sayin'  *I'm sure Handsome Man is chuckling at this point.*


Well, we arrived back home and as you can see the combine was at work again to be ready to unload into the truck.  The process continues...

This was a nostalgic ride for me. 
The truck once belonged to my Dad.
My Dad was a custom harvester.  
Harvest was a favorite time for him.
I loved it when he came out and pulled a few heads, to count the grains per head and predict Harvest Time. 
He loved coming out to help Handsome Man with Harvest.
Actually, he loved driving the combines.  He loved green, John Deere Green.

Gotta go, Handsome Man called, "Parts Run."

Along for the ride,
MFSD

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Handsome Man and Harvest 2012

Harvest began about 2 weeks early this year; and lasted about 3 weeks.
Harvest is a very intense time.  The machines and guys are running at full force to get as much done before a rain interrupts the schedule.  Humidity is a factor that can delay the cutting, sometimes it's late afternoon before they can start.  And most importantly~we want to keep hail out of the equation!  (Wow, I used a math term!  Handsome Man, please note.)
Oh, and we hope there are no major break downs with the combines or trucks.
And, we didn't hope enough...there were some major break downs.  Thankfully the BD's  (short for Break Downs) were not all at the same time so we could keep at least one combine going at a time. 

Farmers and Ranchers have the best attitudes and work ethics!  You've got to love them.  They are dedicated to care for the land and keep us fed.  A family motto:  From Dusk 'til Dawn, and then some!  Our family farm was established in 1893.  There is a lot of pride with each planting and crop produced.  Handsome Man works with his Dad, brother, and nephews to continue the legacy.

Parked and ready to run...

Handsome Man oversees the unloading...



Loving the Harvest time,
MFSD

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

A view from the Manor House...

I hope you're not tiring of my pictures...
I really have enjoyed going back through them; it was an amazing day spent with some very special people.

Now I'm not an out~doors kind of girl, At All. (Period, Exclamation mark, so on and so forth.)  If you don't believe me just drive out my way; I'm great at growing weeds.

I love even temperatures.
I prefer to enjoy beauty in nice weather.
In other words, I'm not a fan of really hot temperatures!
Yep, that's me.

But, I do appreciate the outdoors and the beauty of landscaped gardens and yards and all the work that it involves.
I love to walk and enjoy the beauty. 
So here are a few more treats for the eye...


While we were touring the Manor House Gardens and pool area, we wondered about the family and asked ourselves, "How could they leave this home and gardens?"  Then, we asked the tram driver and he told us that they continue live there.  So, then I started wondering...I would have closed the area for the day and spent it floating in this pool! 

The Rose Arbor was not currently in bloom but as you can see it still was inviting enough to stroll through...

All this garden admiring makes me think it's time to revisit an old friend, a classic, "The Secret Garden."

Finding another Secret Garden,
MFSD

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Gibbs Gardens

We visited Gibbs Gardens during our stay.  It is an amazing acreage!  It started out as a 300-acre estate in 1980.  During the last 30 years Jim Gibbs, founder of Gibbs Gardens, developed and created 220 acres of landscaped gardens.  These gardens are set among streams, ponds, lakes, and hillsides covered with woodlands.  There are 16 unique garden venues.  There is a Cafe centered in a shady area surrounded by the garden beauties where you can enjoy a comfortable place to eat, rest, and relax between gardens.  We stopped for a water break and shared a "melt in your mouth," slice of pound cake.  Yum!

We started out with the 40 acre Japanese Gardens; said to be the largest Japanese Gardens in the nation.  Wow!  I can not do the beauty of these gardens with words; so I'm attaching a few pics.  Pagodas, lanterns, and decades of old bonsai, beautifully sculpted.  It was amazingly serene, great place to sigh...

The family still resides in the Manor House (which is not open to the public~shucks) but you can enjoy the porch which overlooks the Manor House Gardens and pool area.  It was getting pretty warm by the time we reached the house (which we rode the tram to get to~it would be quite a walk... no... quite a hike to get up to the house!  Lots of hills!!!) 

Another great place to visit!  Check out the website for more information:
http://www.gibbsgardens.com/  or info@gibbsgardens.com

You'll want your tennis shoes and comfortable clothes.  There is a lot of walking involved; but well worth the effort.  Also, there are trams available to access some of the gardens.  It is open March 1-November 30;
Wednesday-Saturday 9-5 pm.  (Last admission is at 4 pm)


Part of the Japanese Gardens...

They can grow just about anything in Georgia.

Travel Time,
MFSD

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Hello, Friends!

April 29...my, it's been a long time.  Sorry, I've been busy.  Not that you haven't been either.  Let's see ~ the end of school, Harvest (which, by the way, started before school was out), started a walking program, (a little ~get off my backside and see the scenary program), traveling:  to have Mom, Nana, Friend and Georgia Family time, a little sewing, and reading a book.  Notice I said, "a book," last month's Book Club choice.  So it's June and almost the end of June at that!

Today I'm working from my "new to me" laptop.  Isn't it great ~ You can work from anywhere! 
I think to go forward, I'll start back...  Let's get caught up!

But first!  New News:  I'm going to be a Nana again!  Yes! My oldest daughter and her husband are expecting a new addition to their family!  YAY!  Number three!  I don't think you can ever have too many new additions in the Nana and Papa world :)  I love it!  Congrats to them & us, too!

Now back to starting back...  (I seem to be a little scattered, I'll try to settle down)

Georgia Family time:  I took my Mom to visit her sister my Auntie and our family in Georgia this past week.  We flew out on Monday and returned on Friday.  Yes, it was a short week~but a great one.  During our stay we visited up a storm, saw a few exhibits, shopped, visited a garden estate, had tea at Tea Leaves & Thyme, and ate some yummy food. 

Today, I'll concentrate on the walks.  My cousin drove me out to a state park, Red Top Mountain, there we took morning walks with her dog and really got caught up with each other and our world's.  One of those, we grew up together and then she moved away stories.  (You know the story, I'm sure you do.)  I've attached a few pics from the walk.  If you get the opportunity, it's a great place to visit.  There are cabins to stay in and wonderful hiking trails.  We got in our 3 miles a day.  I don't consider myself a hiker~ so we walked the trails (the easy ones), she took it easy on me. :)  Anyway, the scenary was breathtaking and well worth the drive.

Still dreaming Georgia time,
MFSD



Ahhhhh...
Thanks for the walks and talks, cousin!  Love you!