Friday Finishes and Saturday Pinks

All eyes were on London yesterday for the Royal Wedding. Whether you wanted to watch it or not, coverage was on every station so it was hard to miss. And now after all the hoopla, it is a part of history. Why does the world feel the need to judge it so? I don't quite understand.

Yesterday was a much enjoyed pajama day. Along with cleaning, crochet was on the agenda and baby boy blanket is finally done.

The last sugar cookie was eaten.

Baby girl blanket is complete with border.

And one little moss rose decided to bloom to brighten my day.

Besides coverage of the wedding, there was also the devastating news coming out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama where I lived for a year in the late 80's. A tornado also touched down in Jones County MS which is where my brother lives. It seems that the tornadoes this spring season will make the record books. The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears. ~John Vance Cheney

I pray for rainbows after the storms. Friendship blessings, Tammy

Simple Pleasure

O bed! O bed! delicious bed!
That heaven upon earth to the weary head.
~Thomas Hood, Miss Kilmansegg - Her Dream

And if tonight my soul may find her peace
in sleep, and sink in good oblivion,
and in the morning wake like a new-opened flower
then I have been dipped again in God, and new-created.
~D.H. Lawrence

For more simple pleasures, please visit Dayle at a Collection of This and That.

Sending prayers out to all those who have lost or been lost in the devastating storms that have swept across the south.

PEACE & BLESSINGS, Tammy

White Wednesday Wishes

For the past few days, the sun has peeked out for just a bit. We had a little splash of rain on Monday but it is still hazy and dusty for the most part.

Bougainvilleas can be found blooming all around the country right now. Originally from South America, they obviously can survive the heat.

I brought home a branch of it the other day, washed off all the dust and then placed it in a jar in the living room.

'Tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes!
~William Wordsworth, "Lines Written in Early Spring," Lyrical Ballads, 1798

Hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday. Best wishes and blessings, Tammy

Tea on Tuesday and Help for the Homeless

Spiced chai made with almond milk is a great accompaniment to a quick coffeecake. (Guess I should call it a teacake for today.)
)
1-1/2 cup wheat flour; 2-1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 ts salt; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/4 cup shortening; 1 egg well beaten; 1/2 cup skim milk. Mix dry ingredients then cut in shortening. Combine egg and milk and stir into flour mixture until just mixed. Turn batter into well greased pan. Sprinkle with topping (blend 3 TBS flour, 1 TBS grated orange or lemon rind, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup chopped nuts, 2 TBS butter). Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

The recipe comes from this cookbook I received from a friend for Christmas in 1994 (I arrived in Kuwait on Christmas Eve that year and have been here ever since). The proceeds from sales of the cookbook were used to help the homeless in DuPage County Illinois.

In Kuwait, homeless cats are a big problem. The animal shelters are overwhelmed. Sweet Kitty and her sister are my outside kitties who come to my door every morning and evening for a spoonful of canned food. I make sure they have dried cat food in between those times and have an area set up in the stairwell downstairs for them where I also make sure they have fresh water every day.

If it was up to just me, I would make sure they are healthy and take them both in, but hubby is not in agreement and Jingles does not like the outside kitties at all. A lot of people don't agree with feeding stray cats, but I feel that they were sent specifically to me for a reason, so I do what I can. I do what feels right to me.

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ~Edward Everett Hale

I hope you are having a terrific Tuesday. Friendship blessings, Tammy

The Sweetest Bouquet

Today I was given these mini-cupcake flowers by a friend at school who was celebrating her daughter's birthday.

Crumbs is a bakery that I only learned about several months ago.

Although I don't normally indulge in baked goods unless they are homemade,

everything at Crumbs is so absolutlely delicious that it is definitely worth the calories! Pure indulgence at its best.

Alisa Burke posted on March 23rd a recipe for cake pops and if they are anything like the cupcakes on a stick from Crumbs, then they have got to be good.

I hope your day is filled with all things sweet. Friendship blessings, Tammy

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone has a blessed and beautiful Easter day. Most years, the Easter holiday coincides with our Spring Break at school but since it is so late this year, it is a regular school day around here.

I made bunny rabbit sugar cookies yesterday. Those little bunny ears and the foot sure were hard to cut out.

The leftover dough was formed into egg shapes that the kids sort of decorated with icing. They tasted better than they looked.


Growing up, my Easters were always spent at my Mammaw's in Mississippi. Lots of food, an egg hunt in the backyard, churning homemade banana ice cream. My Aunt Betty made the best potato salad ever. Her secret was lots of black pepper. Since that time, I've added green pepper and a bit of mustard to my potato salad after a friend's mom made it that way.

Potato salad always makes me think of my Aunt Betty and the family gatherings of Easter past. I hope you have a wonderful day with family and friends. Easter blessings, Tammy

Family Day and Weather

Friday is our day to go to lunch together as a family.

Zack wanted to check out the new PF Changs that opened a few months ago. It is the second one in Kuwait.

The kids love the Dynamite Shrimp as an appetizer.

But I highly recommend the vegetarian lettuce wraps. Delicious!

We haven't had blue skies in many days. White skies usually mean there is a lot of dust up high.

I am watching news of the tornadoes in Missouri. It seems that this season is already above average for bad weather and tornadoes in many areas of the States. Stay safe if you are in the path of these storms that are to continue over the next couple of days. Best wishes and blessings, Tammy

Good Friday!

I hope everyone has had a great start to their Good Friday!

We continue to have days of haze.

Jingles can't quite understand why she has to view the world from a window.

On a sunny day, she loves nothing more than rolling around outside soaking up some rays.

But on dreary, drab days, I love nothing more than having quiet time with hook and yarn.

In quiet moments when you think about it, you recognize what is critically important in life and what isn't. Be wise and don't let good things crowd out those that are essential. (Elder Richard G. Scott)
Sending good wishes your way for a wonderful day. Blessings, Tammy

Rednesday on a White Wednesday

I spoke too soon yesterday! The dust is back. The white powdery kind that hangs in the air around you. I laughed when I just looked up the weather report: "Light rain. Scattered clouds. Pleasantly warm." We had a few sprinkles but the rain can't get through all the dust and there is nothing pleasant about this kind of weather.

My geraniums were doing well until the dust hit and the heat settled in. Even in this picture you can see how dusty the leaves are. Our temps are in the mid-90's during the day, and mid-80's at night, so the flowers are feeling the heat.

Hot weather calls for cool salads. Cherry tomatoes cut in half with a bit of cilantro, onion and burghul and a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Yum!

Last week I crocheted my first hexagon dishcloth. Hubby went to Dubai on a business trip so the dishcloth was sent as part of a gift package for the wife of his Japanese business associate there.

I think I confused some folks on my post yesterday. We did not just recently go to India. I was "away" 5 days only because of the internet problems. Our trip to India was in September but the tastes and sights are still fresh in our minds. In fact, I just had curry for lunch. Delicious!

I hope the weather is much better where you are and that you are having a wonderful Wednesday. Best wishes and blessings, Tammy

For all the Days I Missed

Thankful Thursday! After the Wednesday sandstorm that closed schools down, we've had better weather since.

Still a bit hazy but the dust is high in the sky and not blowing all over the place.
Friday Finale! Zack's last official game of the little league season. Although his team lost, he played one of his best games. (That's him up to bat.)

Saturday Ceremony! His team was in Saturday morning's championship game and lost but the boys were all in good spirits about it. Closing ceremonies were held that afternoon and we are so happy that baseball season has come to an end. (Zack is the last one on the left waving his hat as they walk on by.)

Sunday Start! Another granny stripe on the hook. This time for a baby boy to be born in June. (No, I didn't finish the border on the other afghan but I will, soon.)

Monday Meow! Jingles turns 7 this month.

Tea on Tuesday! While in India, we enjoyed a lot of spiced chai with chapati while on road trips. We brought a bit of that flavor home with us and have been enjoying afternoon snacks.

Unfortunately we don't have this view of Incredible India!

After 5 days of problems, I was happy to get home today and find that our internet is back in business! Hope everyone is having a terrific Tuesday! Friendship Blessings, Tammy

Technical Difficulties

Since the sand storm on Wednesday we have had very slow internet connectivity. Images are not uploading. Viewing blogs takes time and some never load completely. Quite aggravating to say the least.

Many hours were spent this past weekend attending final little league games and closing ceremonies as well as cleaning up all the dust from the recent storms. Although baseball is over, the task of cleaning up will never end. Have I told you I really, really, really hate dust?

Today it was back to school and another hazy day. We hope to get some answers on the internet problem tomorrow. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, I hope all is well. Have a great week! Best wishes and blessings, Tammy

Sand Day

All schools were officially closed today because of the dust storm that blew in yesterday afternoon. It got progressively worse overnight. Where I would normally see the sun rise, there is nothing but dust.

Although my kids begged to stay home, I wouldn't allow it and we all got to school on time only then to find out about the closure.

Buildings were barely visible along the drive this morning.
As you can imagine, breathing does not come easy in this type of weather. For those with asthma, it is painful.

I have much work to do at school so I actually stayed until 11:00 am. Yusef went home with a friend whose mother came for them, but Zack was with me and none too happy. It is now noontime and we are home. If the weather does not clear, school will be closed again tomorrow. Only time will tell.

I hope all is bright and beautiful wherever you are! Best wishes and blessings, Tammy