WAYWARD MOOSE INN…wayward we were

My husband’s family wanted to get away for Christmas this year…losing their mother in September left a big hole and the memories are every where in my sister-in-law’s home…so, off we went. 
Driving into the NC mountains to stay on top of one of them…at the Wayward Moose Inn and Guest House…



MAIN INN

Everyone had their own room and bathroom, yippee!

After moving luggage, food and
decorations into the house, we decorated the tree and various spots around the main Inn…we had the entire place to ourselves.  Then…it was time for our first GAME NIGHT…Taboo, explaining people, places or things without using specific words…it was fun!

CollegeGirl & Fitz-Mom

My room overlooked the valley in two directions…one set of windows to the East and one set to the West… awesome!

Fireplace In the Corner was FABULOUS

Our FIRST ‘touristy’ move was visiting Biltmore Estate…(the pictures on their website certainly beat mine) however I wanted to share a few because I have a very photographable collegGirl…isn’t she pretty beside the poinsettias?!

AWESOME Hot House

WAYWARD AS I took these shots ...before I knew there is supposed to be NO PICTURES inside the house...but, I didn't use flash, so I didn't break the biggest rule.

Entrance Hallway next to Atria

 

The reception area is always to prettily decorated at Christmas...what a beautiful atria.


ATRIA

I always love the view from the porch on the back of the house


Glorious View from Porch

WAYWARD AS WE HUDDLED while DRINKING HOT CHOCOLATE AND LATTES:  It was 19* while we were there; and even though my hormones were raging, I got cold!  Can you believe it?! 

So…I bought a felt hat I just LOVE!  I can wear it six different ways…here’s one way…I was standing in the Conservatory hot house with all the orchids…I can do a complete post on just the flowers I shot























WAYWARD WHILE STOPPING TO TAKE A SHOT...THIS IS what you see as you drive by the Estate. They had candlelight tours going on with more than 3,000 people parading through the house; so they wouldn’t allow us to drive down the front driveway…this is as close as we could get.

 Will post more WAYWARDNESS later…
Hope you had a blessed Christmas!

COTA FOR KATIE

Katie, my great niece, was born in 2006 with several rare heart defects resulting in the right side of her heart not working.  This required intensive medical care just minutes after her birth.


Katie after her Glen surgery @ 3mos.

















Her specific congenital defect is Ebstein's Anomaly, a pulmonary atresia and left ventricle non-compaction (medically speaking: Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome (HRHS), one of the most severe forms of congenital heart defects).  

 

Overall, Katie has undergone 10 major and minor surgeries (recently received 840 'courage beads' (check this out if you've never heard of this group...they were on necklaces/bracelets representing each invasive procedure success.)

Her critical yet successful surgeries helped redirect blood flow in Katie's heart so she could continue to grow, and each phased surgery gave Katie the chance for a normal, happy life for as long as possible.

 

But, as of July 3, her doctors determined there are no other medical options to prolong her life, so Katie has been placed on the heart transplant list as a status 1B outpatient.  The heart transplant team will be reaching them via pager as soon as a 'new heart' becomes available...any hour of the day.

 

She's living life as she knows best, inspiringly smiling every day and uplifting us with her quick ability to laugh while reading, drawing, dancing and dressing like many different princesses!  We've been celebrating her starting first grade this school year...a large milestone for her and her family.



MoMo and Katie

Katie's grandmother, Momo, is my sister, Connie.  She and I are working with several local friends of the family in preparing for various fund raisers which will help them as they go supplement their costs (transplants are costly as are on-going medicines/treatments that will be required to keep her body from rejecting the heart.

The family is being helped through COTA (Children's Organ Transplant Association)...and a very close friend is heading up all the fund raising planning, volunteers and financial details.  What a great friend she is!

I recently participated in my first COTA fund raiser...a canvas painting event...38 people came to paint and support Katie!


my KatieCanvas

 

Katie's right thumbprint is on my heart...she signed & handprinted the back  ;)

Canvasses Completed!

 

I'll be posting more about other events but wanted to share the background now. 

(I'm hoping to have a sidebar button that will go directly to the website where donations can be made to COTA and then properly funneled to the family on an as-needed basis (they have a tax id).  The website is shown at the bottom of the first collage above).


If you can join us to raise funds in some small way, that would be awesome. 

But more importantly, please add Katie (mom, Kerri; daddy, James; little brother, 2yo, Ryan) to your prayers.  Our Lord hears the prayers of the righteous and He's blessed her with many miracles along her path.

Blessings,

WATCHING AND WONDERING…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

G IS FOR:

a "Good Green Get"...

in thrifter slang, that is. 

Do you like to go 'sight seeing' in second-hand shops or thrift stores? 

I've become familiar with many different shops in our area and now know their 'special days' or 'colors-of-the-day' for 25-, 50- or 75%-off deals. 

This week's finds didn't disappoint my hopes for another good deal.  These were 1/2 priced and I KNEW right where they were going to sit once they were washed and dried.

What do you think I paid for these two tall vases? 



Each measures 14"

They now flank the above-fireplace painting and I think they really help 'lead you into' the trail to see what's in the picture.
(my cost answer is in my comments below)

John 8:31  "If you continue in my word, then you are truly Disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

Blessings,

UH OH…

ALL DAY YESTERDAY, I was reminding myself NOT to forget…

REMEMBERED TO SET the alarm clock last night

8AM CAME VERY EARLY after only sleeping 4 hours

LEFT THE HUBS A NOTE of my morning activities

PICKED UP COFFEE for the small group

LEFT A MESSAGE WITH MY C0-volunteer since I was running a little late BUT on my way

ANSWERED MY CELL QUICKLY when co-volunteer called me back…our date to serve it NEXT WEEK

uuuuuuggggggghhhhhhh

so, I had to find something FUNNY…to help my mood

What about this?




or this?




or this?


What ‘hormoneless’ brain flatulence have you had recently?

FACILITATING FAITH, wk 6

Reviewing this weekend’s Saturday devotion from the UPPER ROOM, Janet Kerns of Virginia shared one of her favorite pastimes:  riding her bicycle on an old, abandoned, two-lane highway.  Most of her trail is smooth yet she related there have been times when she hit potholes and had to try harder to focus on the road.

For anyone who is facilitating a Bible study, hitting potholes on a trail could also be correlated to hitting roadblocks in Scriptures; those moments when understanding escapes us and we are left wondering if there is a meaning. 

One’s first thought might be to look at the bottom of the Bible’s page for other book/chapter references.  In addition, we should remind ourselves to look/read other Bible versions, such as:  21st Century King James, American Standard, Amplified, Common English, The Message, New International(NIV), Today's New International Version.

Study paths that have become too winding, too old-world wordy, etc., can be further understood by reading in one of the other versions. 
In fact, THE MESSAGE version of the Bible came about:

• to capture tone of the text and original conversational feel (of the Greek) in contemporary English.
• to hear the Scripture in different words/updated expressions to increase understanding.
• to relay the spirit of original manuscripts/expressions

Did you know:  THE MESSAGE is NOT a study Bible, but rather "a reading Bible" ?

• verse numbers, which were not in the original documents, are left out of the print version, facilitating easy and enjoyable reading.
• original books of the Bible were not written in formal language...The Message tries to recapture the Word in the words used today.

Praying focus for each week’s curriculum and His Spirit guiding us through any roadblocks we encounter during our study time.

Skoots1Mom

GOLD-MEDAL BLOGGING

JOINING JANE AND GROUP...

I LOVE THE IDEA of inspiring us to BETTER blogging.

As Jane, noted with her Latin mantra from the Olympics motto:

CITIUS,  ALTIUS , FORTIUS

(FASTER, HIGHER, STRONGER)

 

When I ponder how to incorporate these thoughts to blogging, here are my thoughts: 

1. short, concise info is GOOD (wordiness bores) 
2. spelling and usage counts  (effort shows)
3. bloggers LOVE big, clear pictures (focus matters)
4. give credit for others' work/images
5. announce 'time off'  (retains readers/commenters)

 

WHAT TIPS do you have to share with us?

 

John 8:31  "If you continue in my word, then you are truly Disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

Blessings,
Skoots1Mom

16yrs ago FAST PHOTO-PAST
(DisneyWorld w/ a 4yo)

NEED VS. CRITICAL

UPDATE:  CONGRATULATIONS, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA!!

WHO WON THE BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. 

THEY DOMINATED LSU.  WE'RE EAGER TO HEAR AND SEE THE LOCAL CELEBRATIONS THIS NEXT WEEK IN TUSCALOOSA!

ROLL TIDE!

Mondays are somewhat ‘hated’ days of the week  wonderfully welcoming on their own

…knowing you’ll be ‘getting back to work’ or ‘school’ Those things especially tickle your funny bone or eagerness to get started, don’t they?!

Our Monday was even further enhanced by having scheduled a ‘car maintenance’ appointment for BabyGirl’s car, YIPPEEEE, such fun not. 
We had mentioned the maintenance needed to be done earlier during the Winter Break but some of us like to challenge norms for this kind of ‘fun’

GOALS:

• finish work today
• corporate ‘recall’ replacement
• 110,000-mile maintenance
• yearly inspection
• reasonable cost 

Happily, I was successful setting and responding to my alarm clock.  (a praise these days)
…so I quickly checked BabyGirl’s room for ‘movement’ since dread had crossed my mind a time or two I was concerned at waking a sleeping college student.  Thankfully, it was washed away when she blurrily answered my inquiry at her door.

The weather channel had predicted rain and fog (because it’s January and we’ve been in the 60’s with thunderstorms…wha’z up?!).

After running downstairs and filling my travel coffee cup with Italian café/Almond Joy creamer,  I was sliding on my rubber rain boots when Daughter emerged from her room.  

We’ve gotten used to no one parking behind our cars in the driveway.  Why is it we have to “intentionally” remind ourselves there’s a car behind us when she returns home? 
(BabyGirl's car is black…and ‘little’?)  Oh, alright…I’m envious of hub’s ‘backing up’ alarm…it beeps when foreign objects are a foot or closer.  To remedy my not having that feature, I “back” into our driveway using my mirrors…and saving my deteriorating neck.

Arriving at the dealership, only two other cars were ahead of us, so we had accomplished the important task of ‘early’ for an ‘earlier’ finish.  Early bird gets the worm!

Update:  The service manager called with the ‘cost’ of 3 CRITICAL problems and 2 ‘needs’ found while handling the other 3 changes we requested. 

Oh.My.Word.

The early bird found a ‘rotten’ worm … or three.

p.s. We have two more vehicles to be inspected and/or repaired before the end of this month…
Oh.My.Word2.

METAMORPHOSIS MONDAY...acorns and sweet gum balls

JOINING BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH...

THIS IS SO SIMPLE, IT'S SILLY...

I SPRAY PAINTED THE ACORNS AND SWEET GUM BALLS FROM MY YARD

Blessings,

MENU-PLAN MONDAY

MONDAY: CROCKPOT CURRY/AMARETTO CHICKEN

Ingredients

· 4 to 6 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless·

 1/2 cup flour

· 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder

· 1 teaspoon garlic powder

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 1/4 teaspoon pepper

· 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

· 1 can cream of mushroom soup

· 1 can or jar mushrooms (4 ounces or more - or use fresh)

· 1/4 cup amaretto

· 1 teaspoon Gravymaster or Kitchen Bouquet

· 2 tablespoons lemon juiceInstructions

1. Mix flour, curry powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a plastic or paper bag. 

 2. Add chicken breasts (rinsed and patted dry) and toss to coat. Brown quickly in hot vegetable oil over medium high heat. Transfer to slow cooker. 

 3. Mix remaining ingredients and spoon over chicken. Cover and cook 

TUESDAY:   Ended up making "Spaghetti Squash Lasagna"

separating spaghetti squash from shell (after microwaving for 10 mins on high, with multiple holes in top of squash/sitting in a bowl)

After draining spaghetti squash, layer it the same as lasagna...placing in the casserole dish with 16 oz tomato sauce, leftover roasted-chopped chicken (2 breasts), 3/4c ricotta-1 egg w/ italian seasoning to taste mix, topped with 1/2 c mozzarella, bake 350*/30mins


Chicken Tagine     

By: KJones "Apricots, ginger, cinnamon, and cumin give this slow cooked chicken and vegetable dinner a savory and sweet Moroccan flavor." 

INGREDIENTS: 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut 

into 1-inch pieces 

1 eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes 

2 large onions, thinly sliced 

4 large carrots, thinly sliced 

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots 

2 cups chicken broth 

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons garlic salt 

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1 cup water 

1 cup couscous

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken pieces and eggplant in the heated oil; stir and cook until the chicken is browned on all sides but not cooked through. Remove the skillet from the heat. 

2. Place the browned chicken and eggplant on the bottom of a slow cooker. Layer the onion, carrots, dried cranberries, and apricots over the chicken. 

3. Whisk together the chicken broth, tomato paste, lemon juice, flour, garlic salt, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and ground black pepper in a bowl. Pour the broth mixture into the slow cooker with the chicken and vegetables. 

4. Cook on High setting for 5 hours, or on Low setting for 8 hours. 

5. Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Stir in couscous, and remove from heat. Cover, and let stand about 5 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork. 

WEDNESDAY:     White Chile (8-10 svgs)

6 c. chicken broth1 lb.
Great Northern beans (Clean and soak overnight, or use canned)
1 sm chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
7 oz. diced green chiles
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cayenne1 tsp white pepperSalt, to taste4 c. chicken, dicedFlour tortillas
Combine all ingredients except tortillas.

For canned beans, simmer approx 1 to 1 ½ hours. For dried, throw it all in a slow cooker and simmer all day. (best when cooked all day—flavors “meld”)
Put a flour tortilla in the bottom of a bowl and kind of cone-shape it so it follows the shape of the bowl. Fill with the white chile and then serve with desired garnishes. Easily adapted for a bigger crowd.

garnishes: shredded cheese (jack/cheddar), chopped green onions, chopped olives, chopped avocados, chopped tomatoes. 

THURSDAY:  Pork Roast with Hard Cider Gravy Recipe courtesy Claire Robinson

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon cold2 1/2 pound pork loin roast, trimmed and tiedKosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper 1 onion, peeled and sliced2 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced 1 bottle, (12 oz) hard cider

DirectionsPreheat oven to 375 degrees F.Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper, to taste, and sear on all sides in the hot pan until golden brown; set aside.

Add the onions and apples and season again with salt and pepper. Cook until they begin to caramelize, then pour in the hard cider and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and nestle the browned pork roast back into the pan.

Cover with a lid and put in the oven to braise until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove the pork roast from the pot and transfer to a carving board; tent with foil to keep warm. Transfer the contents of the pot to a food processor or blender and puree, then return the puree to the pan. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, to taste, then reduce the heat to low and add more cider if gravy is too thick. Add the remaining tablespoon of cold butter, whisking constantly as it melts. Remove from heat when the gravy is smooth and shiny and the butter is completely melted.

FRIDAY:   Tilapia Pitas 

 INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 cup Italian salad dressing 

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 

2 anchovy fillets, drained

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste 

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

1 pinch salt 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

1 pound tilapia fillets 

1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper 

salt and cayenne pepper to taste 

4 cups iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces 

1 small red onion, chopped 

6 pita breads, cut in half

DIRECTIONS: 1. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Italian dressing, feta cheese and anchovies. Season with cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. Mix until well blended, then set aside. 2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the tilapia fillets in the skillet, and season with lemon pepper, salt and cayenne. Fry until browned on each side, and fish flakes easily with a fork, 5 to 7 minutes. 3. Warm pita breads in the toaster or in the microwave to soften. Open from the cut side to make pockets. Fill pita bread halves with lettuce, onion, and tilapia fillets, then spoon in some of the feta cheese sauce. Serve and enjoy!

ICE IZ MY FRIEND

                                                       BIG THANKS to SWEET TEA for posting this appropriate representation of my 2-year seemingly bottomless abyss ofhysterectomy and bilateral ophorectomy...when they say "ooph", they mean it.

"Ooph" is an appropriate response to:

• being 'punched' with extra 'downs' after nights of NOT sleeping
• enduring the lid while lying in the chest freezer 
• 'knife-digging' migraines
• trying to fan 'just me' when hubs is 'cold' in the air-conditioned church.

THANK GOODNESS humor helps
'cause you have to laugh!


Jer. 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." 

Blessings,

MISC. + MONDAY

JOINING CARISSA AND GROUP...

1. AVOIDING THE YARD...

it's going to be 94* with a heat index of "Lord knows what"...

it has been horribly hot this week; so I find myself struggling to be thankful. maybe this heatwave is killing some kind of fungus or bugs...i can ALWAYS hope, God's ways are NOT our ways.

now, must go cut grass with the help of a breaking-the-door-down-to-get-to-the-lawn-mower "wanting-to-stay-in-bed-but-her-daddy-put-his-foot-down" 18-yo teen (who looks much better in her shorts than me, hahahaha).

oh, humiliation....goes alongside the embarrassment awaiting me once i've taken my turn mowing around the yard...i'll look like i've just jumped out of the neighbor's pool. (hey, that might be a GOOD idea)

can't i AT LEAST look thinner from all this VAPORING (you know, us southern peaches DON'T sweat) from the continual flashes?!!! THANKFUL is a good word for having the ability/means to cut the grass. there, i did it. sometimes being thankful is painful, too!

2. NORMAL? NAH, HRTs

as barabara johnson said, "NORMAL" is just a setting on the dryer!!

here to tell you...NOT enjoying 'normal' these days.

HRT(hormone replacement therapy, which really should be named 'HER RECEIVING TORTURE') is NOT working.

flashes have calmed some--able to sleep at least 3 hours in a row last night;but, tell me, wouldn't you enjoy thousands of ants running around under your skin? surely this fun is too good to pass up? (it is just in my imagination though, some doctors have said so)

doctors, please excuse...you've worked hard trying to get less complaints in this struggle while being wonderfully compassionate. please come on over to my house and i'll give it to for an afternoon of your pituitary gland feeling as if it's swollen to its max just waiting for the opportune moment to blow out your frontal lobe in my body.

just sayin.

3. POT STORE, ANYONE?

'pot' store today...the home d'pot', that is.

finishing my 'project' will be the goal after the yardwork. last week's $5 square trunk FIND from the thrift store is 'gradually' morphing (which did mean the downfall of the five white ducks on the blue background...they ARE NO MORE, bless their hearts, wah, wah, waaaaaaaaah!)

scrounging around in the metal cabinet in the garage proved beneficial...found multiple cans of spray paint; however, they weren't full...now they've run OUT of the good-color and a small investment must be put out for a new can.

once the trunk is complete, our strewn-behind-the-recliner throws will be in their new home.

so, what projects are being tackled at your home this summer?

"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38

MACRO MONDAY...ROMANS & DOGWOODS, TOGETHER AGAIN

IT WAS A VERY BUSY WEEKEND AROUND HERE...SO, I WANTED TO PUT UP A 'LESS COMPLICATED' POST TODAY.

Lisa's Chaos is hosting...just click on her Macro Monday picture above to join us.

LAST WEEKEND WHILE CHAPERONING LATIN CONVENTION, THERE WERE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR MACRO SHOTS...OF NATURE AND 'OTHER THINGS'.

(click the pic for a larger view)

HERE'S A CLOSEUP GLANCE IN THE ROMAN ENCAMPMENT ...LOOKS PAINFUL TO ME.

OH, THE DOGWOODS WERE BEGINNING TO BLOOM...THIS IS A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES, FOR SURE! (not a macro but thought you'd enjoy seeing its glory)

NOT SURE WHAT THIS TREE IS...IT'S SWEET SMELL WAS ADDICTIVE...i really wanted to get a macro shot but my camera power was waning and had to go re-charge.

A BABY AZALEA THAT HASN'T BEEN IN THE GROUND VERY LONG WAS EAGERLY BLOOMING

MAGENTA FOXGLOVE...JUST LOVE THE 'FUZZIES' IT HAS AT THE TOP

EVEN THOUGH THESE WEREN'T 'NATURE-MADE', THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ENJOY SEEING HOW OTHERS EXPRESS 'FUN'...EXUBERANT COLORS CAUGHT MY ATTENTION...ANKLES USUALLY DON'T CAPTURE MY EYE :)

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WHY DON'T YOU SHARE A MACRO, TOO?

GOD OUT DOES HIMSELF EACH SPRING, DOESN'T HE??!!!!

Jer. 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Blessings,