Just a Quick Visit

Thoughts and Quotes: April prepared her green traffic light, and the world thinks “Go!” Christopher Morley

Yes, it finally feels like spring. Unfortunately my April green is all weeds.

Time for Others: I have a lot of friends and family who have time for others. Friend Linda in KS is one of those people. She loves to bake and cook, so her church is always blessed with one or more of her efforts at their after-church coffees. She's also the Go To Lady when there's a celebration. She entertains beautifully, and her cakes are pure delight. She recently made this one for a baby shower. She explained it as -

10” diameter and about 5.5” tall.  Three layers chocolate cake with two thin layers of orange cheesecake in between and thin coating of chocolate ganache between the layers.

And - "The father-to-be is a linguist and told me that Calix (for a boy) is a word in both Greek and Latin, meaning "Chalice" in one, and "Handsome" in the other."

The invitation

The cake

Thank You: To Friends Audell and Linda E for the lovely comments on Amazon. Your support means much more than you'll ever know.

I've had a nothing week, so this will be a short post. I'm working on cleaning up my computer before I run out of storage, and I'm also working on cleaning up my Pinterest posts. I love Pinterest and it shows. I have so many "saves", I need to sort them so I can find things, and also delete the duplicates.

Yesterday I cleaned up my Spring Bucket List saves, so here's your list for April:

Holidays

1 - April Fool's Day - Does anyone actually celebrate this day?

4 - Easter - A special religious holiday for Christians, but regardless of your religion, we can all celebrate New Beginnings as the earth reawakens.

National Days

4 - Burrito Day (since it falls on Easter, we might want to postpone until later.

4 - Also Walking Day 

11 - Pet Day - Boy, will I be busy.

12 - Grilled Cheese Day

15 - Tax Day has been delayed to May

20 - Pineapple Cake Day

22 - Jelly Bean Day - save some from Easter

23 - Picnic Day - wonder if it will be warm enough?

23 - Zucchini Bread Day - take some for the picnic

28 - Arbor Day

Bucket List

Treat yourself to a mani-pedi

Make Coconut Lemonade

Go window shopping or walk the mall to check out the latest fashions

Invite friends for brunch

Give your yard a treat - lights? stepping stones? new shrub?

Make an herb garden

Try a new egg recipe

Visit a nursery and buy at least one new plant

Search the super market for a new product to try

Tales: I just finished a book called Of Windmills and Wars by Diane Moody. It's the first of a WWII trilogy. I was totally engrossed, and I learned a lot about the Dutch Resistance and Operations Manna and Chowhound. We can only imagine the horror these brave people suffered, and the sacrifices they made to save as many Jewish people as possible. Smart people. They were very organized and totally committed. They were also instrumental in returning Allied downed airmen or escaped prisoners of war to England. You have to love the Dutch. They had little land, but they created a country by reclaiming the land from the sea; they had little left after the war, so they recreated their country. The book is part of Kindle Unlimited so you can read it free if you're a subscriber. 

Timewasters: These are for Susan E. She enjoys my internet finds. I think everyone else is too busy to click.

Torvill and Dean (watch to the end) CLICK

100 Must See Places in the USA CLICK

  You can click on each one to see where you rank

Photo Scavenger Hunt: See if you can come up with a photo of each by the end of April. 

1.   A robin

2.   Tinsel

3.   Outside lighting

4.   A star

5.   A lawn blow-up

6.   A puddle

7.   Berries and/or nuts

8.   A wreath

9.   A tree that has lost all its leaves

10.  A windy day

11.  Your favorite dessert

12.  A fancy button

13.  Street art

14.  Afternoon tea

15.  Candle light

16.  A chimney

17.  A ladder

18.  An arrow

19.  A fountain

20.  Cutlery

If you find any of the above hard to get you may substitute one or all of the subjects below.

Alt A A supermarket trolley cart, filled with shopping

Alt B An animal statue

Alt C Metal railings

Blog Archives from Victoria Magazine CLICK

Susan Branch Willard Archives CLICK and scroll down

 (You don't have to be signed up)

Time to Get Busy: Friend Linda and I are trying a new point system to get us motivated. Goodbye Covid blahs - we're up and at 'em again, starting tomorrow. 

Perhaps I'll have something to report next week. Here's hoping. . . . . 

MAKE A WISH ON THE FULL WORM MOON TONIGHT

HAPPY EASTER

WORK IN THE YARD AND GET SOME SUN

EAT YOUR APPLES

STAY HYDRATED

DRINK YOUR COFFEE AND GREEN TEA

LET'S SEE HOW MANY RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS WE CAN RACK UP THIS WEEK

GIVE THANKS FOR YOUR MANY BLESSINGS

PRAY FOR OUR COUNTRY

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE

 

 

Thoughts and Quotes: Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live.      Jim Rohn

I'm trying, Jim, I'm trying. I decided to concentrate on eating the rainbow this week.

Monday: White - potatoes; red - tomatoes; green - asparagus; orange or yellow - orange; purple or blue - grapes.

Tuesday: Yellow or orange - orange; purple or blue - grapes. I ate my leftovers with cottage cheese for breakfast.

Green - lettuce and asparagus; red - tomatoes; white - potatoes; purple - minced purple onion.

I used the leftover asparagus, tomatoes, and potatoes from dinner and added lettuce, onion, and bacon; a zesty Italian dressing, and shredded Monterey Jack. It's better to vary your choices but I'm trying to avoid wasting food, plus leftovers save time.

Wednesday: Taco salad; Green - lettuce; red - tomatoes; purple - ripe olives; white - scallions. I use light kidney beans. Cook taco meat according to the directions on the packet; cover the plate with lettuce, make sections of kidney beans, onions, olives, tomatoes, cheese. Mound the taco meat in the middle. 

Then pour salad dressing all over, mix, and sprinkle on crushed tortilla chips. I like a sweet dressing with this. Sounds strange, huh? Catalina is my favorite, or the one you make with tomato soup. I had raspberry vinaigrette, so that's what I used.

I felt I cheated on white, so I made cottage fries from the rest of Monday's potatoes and had breakfast for dinner.

Wednesday: Another taco salad, but with Spanish onion instead of scallions, lemon poppyseed dressing, and added radishes.

Thursday: I finished off the taco meat with nachos. Red, White, Purple. Glad to see the last of that taco meat.

In the evening I ate a tangerine - Orange; and some cold asparagus with mayo - Green. I wasn't really hungry because I had the nachos about 4:30 p.m. after I was a bad girl this morning and had this for brunch. Well, it was cold, and rainy, and gloomy, and I needed comfort food. So there!

Friday: I certainly have had a boring week, but I was eating to live for a change. Too busy to think about food, but trying to eat the rainbow.

I had spaghetti from the freezer for purple (full of ripe olives) and red (tomatoes in the sauce) plus radishes in my salad. Green and white (cauliflower) in my salad. And a yummy yellow grapefruit for a snack. I've had it with the rainbow. I realized that I get more variety when I'm not trying. I probably hit the rainbow most days anyway. I'm too busy right now to think about it.

Tasting: Yay! No rainbow. Lunch out with Bev and Mim at Beth's Bake Shoppe. I had Bacon-Asparagus-Mozzarella Quiche, Chicken-Wild Rice Soup, and Crunchy Cole Slaw.

Bev and Mim had the same, but with Chicken Salad on Croissant instead of Quiche.

Mim and I split a piece of Blueberry Pie and Bev had a couple of Mini-Macarons

They always serve mints with the check.

Thank You: To my kids for my birthday grapefruit, which are the best in the world, and I have my orange-yellow solved for the next few days.

Thank You: To Burt and Linda for my "just because" gift which is the best kind and a total surprise. 

The teapot is stovetop and microwave safe.

 

It came with two blooming flowers. 

Put one in the pot, add hot water, and you have a tea garden, right in your pot. I'm saving one for the next gloomy day to enjoy by myself, and one to show off the next time I have company - if we can ever have company again.

Tasting: Now they tell me! Here's the new Keeter Center menu with photos of everything, including the items I photographed last week. And they have better photos. Click HERE.

Time for Others: Made a couple more St. Patrick's Day cards. Why am I always behind? Must work on procrastination. 

And I forgot to show you my handmade birthday cards last week.

From Jean

From Susan

From Katie Sue - you'll love this cute guy.

And a very special card from Betty, who made her transition in February. Ken found a box of cards she had made, all ready for mailing, and chose this one for me.

I feel very blessed.

Theme Dining and Celebrations Books: The next three books are underway. I haven't even started Lady Lunches, but I have the first three months of invitations and menus for the other two books finished.

January - Black and White Indoor Picnic

February - Bon Appetito

March - I'm Going Green

I forgot that Mardi Gras comes before St. Patrick's Day. Maybe next time; maybe not. I need to work in the yard for a week.

That's all folks!

GET OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

STARE AT THE BLUE SKY

BE BRAVE AND GO TO LUNCH

SHOP FOR YOUR EASTER BONNET

DON'T FORGET TO PUT CRABGRASS PRE-EMERGENT ON YOUR LAWN

EAT YOUR APPLES

AND ORANGES ARE REALLY GOOD RIGHT NOW

REMEMBER TO BE THANKFUL FOR OUR MANY BLESSINGS

PRAY FOR OUR COUNTRY

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE

 

No More Hibernating

Okay, before we start, go to the window on the right and where it says, "Follow by email." Put in your email address, and click on submit. Any new blog posts will come right to your email. Blogger fixed this problem some time ago, but I just haven't told you. 

I won't be sending notifications any longer. If you have trouble with this, let me know. It should work. I used it, and I'm getting my own blog posts in my email. It won't look the same - no header, etc. but you can always just type my address in your search engine - www.teasandts.blogspot.com.

Thoughts and Quotes: "May the lilt of Irish laughter lighten every load."   An Irish Blessing

Celebrate the GREEN this month; not just on St. Patrick's Day, but all month. Eat lettuce and kale and spinach and celery and cucumbers. Oh, okay. You can skip the kale. Buy some Granny Smith apples and make applesauce. Wear green - hurry spring along. Work in the yard; my weeds are green and growing like mad. Maybe you have some as well. Spend some green on yourself. You can't take it with you, and it's not earning any interest in the bank now. Make lime jello. Eat kiwi and green grapes. Make corned beef and cabbage, or Irish stew, or soda bread.

Send some cards. I sent a few.

Better Homes and Gardens ideas for St. Pat's. Click HERE.

Tasting: Hooray! Keeter Center is open. Mim and I went down to check it out. Things have really changed, but not just because of Covid. For some reason, they've felt the need for more security. There's a big fence around the Keeter Center now, and you have to go through the gate. Then you turn right on a new road which leads you to the parking lot, where you have to check in at another guard house. 

This was the view before:

Now the paved road to the parking lot spoils the view. Not much of a view because of the rain anyway the day we went, but now there will be traffic going back and forth on that road while you're eating. Sunday brunch and Easter and Thanksgiving buffets will be especially busy.

Because of Covid, there are fewer than half the tables in the dining room. We had a very quiet and peaceful lunch. Being out felt so wonderful. I don't remember the "College of the Ozarks" across the fireplace, but maybe I just forgot.

Fresh flowers, of course.

We had the charcuterie tray first. The students made everything but the cheeses. Clockwise from the top: Lavosh, summer sausage, spicy mustard, brie with strawberry jam, candied bacon, cheese, pate, spiced pecans.

Mim chose soup and a cheeseburger; smoked chicken and gnocchi soup. It didn't look very good - sort of a gray-green color - but she gave me a taste, and it was really yummy. I loved the way they garnished it with minced carrot and zucchini. I should have taken a photo. I did get one of her overflowing cheeseburger, and it came with homemade potato chips which had a rather smoked ham flavor.

I had my old standby - chicken-fried chicken on top of a mound of mashed potatoes and topped with pepper gravy, plus a lot of fresh green beans. It must be popular, because though the menu is new, this plate survived. A little out of focus, sorry.

They still serve cranberry scones, but the honey-wheat rolls have been replaced by a softer molasses version, but still a yeast roll. In addition to regular butter (made in their dairy), they also bring strawberry butter and apple butter (also made by the students). Paper disposable menus, of course.

The end of the dining room now has a display of items made by the students. The stained glass sign is rather impressive and the items are displayed on an unusual wooden creation. 

The gift area in the lobby has been extended to make room for donated quilts  to sell with proceeds going to the college. This one reminded me of dogwood and spring.

And this one has tiny cherry sprigs on the background. They're close together, so I had to take the photos at an angle.

There are also some display windows in this area.

A new item in the gift shop. Would it feel strange, leaning on our flag?

The rather strange vases behind the reception desk were made by a Branson vendor. I think they look as if the glass is melting.

The grounds are still beautifully kept. The campus is still closed due to Covid, so we couldn't drive through to see the swans and the flowers, but the front garden is open. The new fence is made of black iron bars, so difficult to see. 

 

Thrifting: To top off a perfect afternoon, we stopped at Goodwill in Ozark, and I naturally found some treasures.

My best find, four pink swirl dishes for 50 cents each. The computer distorts the color. They look pink with pink dishes and peach with peach dishes. 

They go with these. Now I just need bread and butter plates.

Five glass bowls for everyday - 50 cents each.

My other bowls are too small or too shallow. These are just right for a soup or salad lunch.

An olive dish for 25 cents. At least that's how I use these skinny ones. Can anyone tell me how these things are supposed to be used?

I'm always looking for tall coffee mugs, because my one serve Black and Decker Kerig wannabe splashes the coffee out as it drips if the mug is short.

A nice heavy mug for $1.

A sweet little pitcher for $2.

I'm sure I can find room for this on the cabinet top. Couldn't pass it up for $3.

And a real bargain at $3. This Stampin' Up set cost $20 back in 2003; in current prices, it would probably be $26.

And I didn't buy this, but couldn't resist sharing the message with you. 

Pictures from the yard next week. My tulips and hyacinths are coming up. The daffodils are blooming, but hanging their heads right now, heavy with rain dripping off.

WISHING YOU SUNSHINE

AND BLUE SKIES

AND TULIPS POPPING UP

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

GO OUT AND SEE THE WORLD AGAIN

IT FEELS REALLY GOOD

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE