Spring Giveaway

Hello everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

We spent our time relaxing, away from the computer, reading a lot,

 and a little shopping.

While shopping, I came across these wonderful photo albums. They hold up to 160, 4" x 6" photos. So if you are in need of some more photo storage, just leave me a comment on this posting, Flickr, or Facebook, and I will enter your name for the grand drawing. The lucky winner will be drawn next Sunday, April 29th and announced on my next posting.

GOOD LUCK!!!

The Girls

 Gracie Pearl

 Lucy Lu

Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday!

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Just an update on "the girls", Gracie and Lucy. They have become good friends and love to chase each other. But there is a big difference in having two dogs. Our house looks like a day care center. When I come home from work, all the pillows are on the floor and two sets of innocent eyes and wagging tails greet me at the door, happy that I am home...They are so sweet!

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Blog I love, Thea's Hearts and Bluebells. Her cottage is so beautiful, check it out.

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Book I am reading right now Lucette Lagnado's The Arrogant Years, one girl's search for her lost youth, from Cairo to Brooklyn.

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My plan for this afternoon - getting some of my flowers planted and also enjoy the sunshine with my book and girls on the patio. All too soon, it's Monday morning and back to work.

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P. S.: I have a new smart phone the HTC Amaze 4G and I have to say it is amazing!

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Have a great week everyone!

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Happy Easter

As spring comes to the world,
bringing sunshine and gladness...
...this comes to you
bringing wishes for joy.
Happy Easter, happy Spring,

and a sweet Passover!

Magnolias

I took these pics on our vacation to southern Indiana a few weeks ago. The weather turned extremely warm and made these beautiful and fragrant blooms come out in abundance. Sadly though, they don't bloom for a very long time...

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What are your favorite flowers?

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My favorite blog this week - Emilie's Daughter

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Book I am reading right now - Battles Lost and Won by Beryl Matthews

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Enjoy your weekend!

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Happy Spring!

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Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke

Homemade Yogurt

Last year I became interested in making my own yogurt. We always went to Trader's Point Creamery to purchase their yogurt, so I wanted to try and make my own. Just like Trader's Point, I want a yogurt free of preservatives and other unnecessary additives. I also started to like greek yogurt, so I began researching, purchased a yogurt maker, and came up with the following:

• You will need a high sided saucepan, a pitcher, and a whisk.
• These utensils need to be thoroughly washed with warm water and soap and dry before you start.
• To make yogurt, pour 7 glass jars (equal to 1.3 liter or 42oz) of fresh, pasteurized milk (it can be whole milk, skimmed, semi-skimmed, or soy milk) into the high-sided saucepan.
• Heat the milk to 180F/82C or until it boils and starts to climb the side of the saucepan, do not over-boil.
• Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the milk to cool to lukewarm (43C or 110F). To speed up the cooling down process, place the saucepan in cold water.
• Stir in one glass jar (equal to 170g or 6 oz) of plain yogurt with live active culture, with 16oz of the lukewarm milk in a separate bowl until the yogurt is dissolved and you have a smooth mixture. Then empty the contents back into the rest of the lukewarm milk and mix well. (The plain yogurt can be either purchased from a store or from a previous batch of homemade yogurt. I bought the first one, but now always use my own.
• Pour the mixture into the seven jars of the yogurt maker.
• Place the jars, without the lids, in the yogurt maker.
• Cover the yogurt maker with its clear cover and follow the timing instructions.
• It takes 7 hours to make yogurt with whole milk.
• Cover the jars with the lids and store in the fridge.
• You may choose to add any flavorings. I like adding either a teaspoon of honey or a few drops of rose water just before I eat it.

Have a wonderful weekend and for those of us on Spring Break, enjoy!

Romy & Clare

I just discovered Romy & Clare Designs for Fenton International and I must say I love it. Their studio is located in the tiny town of Jasper, Indiana. Have to visit there on our vacation.

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We are all still stunned by the devastating damage and loss of lives caused by the horrible tornadoes in southern Indiana last Friday. Small towns were wiped out in a matter of seconds.

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Take care!

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 Did I ever share with you that I make my own yogurt?

Peeking Out

If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft,

And from thy slender store two loaves alone to thee are left,

Sell one, and with the dole

Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.

This beautiful verse was written by MOSLIH EDDIN (MUSLIH-UN-DIN) SAADI (SADI), who was a major Persian poet of the medieval times. It is just one of the many beautiful verses in his book Gulistan ("The Rose Garden").

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I hope you are all enjoying your Sunday.

 We are celebrating my son's Birthday today, as well as his passing all his prelims and being ready to start research on his doctoral dissertation. Needless to say, I am very proud of him.

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I am looking forward to finally seeing "Riverdance" and "Celtic Woman" next month.

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Wishing you all a beautiful week filled with lots of sunshine.
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