kids and cakes

It has been well over a month since I've last been here. I promised myself I would not do that. I wasn't planning a daily thing, of course, but certainly I don't want the feast or famine thing, either.

Since I began this online journal to give my grandkids an insight into my life, should there ever be a desire, I have been wondering the best way to write. Do I write TO them or do I just write? I seesaw back and forth, but I have come to the conclusion that I will just write. Here's hoping they appreciate my efforts!

We have a new blessing! Naomi Grace was born on August 17th. So far, she seems to have a real spirit of contentment, which is a breath of fresh air for a mom of three who already has two live wires!

There is another blessing on the way! In April, we are expecting our fifth grandchild! Can it truly be? Was it not just yesterday that I was begging my mom to let me date before I was 16? Did my brother not just teach me how dive? Can I not even now feel the slickness of the water as I slipped in like a seal instead of splashing in like a big old dog? Am I honestly almost fifty years old?

Has it really been over forty years ago when I first learned to bake a cake? It was from a box - one of the only packaged foods my mom had in the house. This cake mix was my first experience of baking something myself, and ever since, I've been an enthusiastic admirer and consumer of homemade sweets. I love the smell, I love the taste, and I love watching eggs, flour, and sugar become the centerpiece for someone's special day. It just makes me smile.

Jordan, our oldest granddaughter smiling at my 48th birthday cake!

my gift to tom: a bicycle built for two!

I must say that I was so, so, so excited to give this to Tom. I really wanted to come up with something good. I knew I couldn't top his thirty day countdown idea, but I at least wanted to surprise him. He's not easy to surprise, and not easy to find gifts for either. So, when this idea popped in my head, I was absolutely thrilled on a few levels. First: he just had his 6th knee surgery about a month ago, and one of the things he can do is ride a bike. But, how much more fun could it be right next to each other. Plus, if he gets tired, I can do most of the work. Second: it's for an anniversary gift. The symbolism of a bike for two on an anniversary is so perfect! I think it should be the gift for the 30th from now on! Well, maybe a little earlier in the marriage - before knees are hurting. Ha Ha Forget the diamonds or pearls or gold or whatever. The bike inspires togetherness and activity and bonding and love! We can ride to the beach or the woods or take it with us out of town, so we can sight-see together. I can't wait!

one: bracelet

Happy 30th Anniversary to us! We have reached the final day of Tom's ever-so-creative gift to me. What a lot of work it was for him! What a lot of fun for me! Thirty different cards and thirty different gifts. Tom is an amazing man, and he e is the best gift I could ever have. He's my best friend, my knight in shining armor, my loyal protector, my generous provider, and above all, he doesn't just have my back, he is my back. (sigh) He lifts me up when I'm down, he encourages all my dreams, he makes me laugh, he challenges me, and he lets me be me. I know I was blessed beyond anything I could have imagined when God allowed me to be with this wonderful man he created. I am honored and humbled. I love you lots, honey!

two: chicken salt and pepper shakers

Yes! More stuff for the kitchen! Yes! More chicken stuff for the smiles! I don't like to go overboard on chicken decor, but these are awfully cute, and I really didn't have any salt and pepper shakers like these. Practical and adorable - that's a great combination. Only one more gift left....

three: cast-iron grill pan

Tom knows I love a good cast-iron. It is so perfect for cooking, and of course it is old fashioned, so what's not to love? This is a pan for searing meats. I wonder if he's hinting to me that he wants a good, juicy steak? Won't they look beautiful?

four: holly yashi earrings

These are beautiful earrings! When the sun shines on them, they cast glittery sparkles all around the room - like a disco ball. They are really appropriate because Tom used to go crazy over buying these for me in our early marriage - until I finally told him enough of the Holly Yashi earrings. It turns out the company, which was started right in our home town, is also celebrating their 30th anniversary: Extremely perfect!

five: dish towels

Aren't new dishtowels the greatest? Stain free, snag free, and beautiful. It's so nice to reach for a brightly colored towel. My other towels were very boring, and these are so cheerful. Some might not be exited for towels, but I love useful things - and I will dance around the kitchen with these! Yippee for new towels!

six: a toaster

Well, I guess no wedding or anniversary would be complete without the gift of a toaster! Ha Ha So, here's mine. Actually, I am really glad to get this from Tom. We have been without a toaster for at least a couple of months. Last time after I cleaned out the crumb tray, it quit working when I plugged it back in. It might have been the only time I cleaned it out. Maybe it just couldn't handle the stress. I'm not really sure. But, yay! We have a toaster again!

seven: cribbage board

About five years ago Tom found out there was a local cribbage club. Most of the members were elderly, but he didn't care. Tom really liked the challenge of cribbage. It was a numbers game, used lots of strategy, and above all: it was competitive. The club met every Thursday night at the Red Cross office. It cost $5.00 to play a nine game round, or tournament. Tom then found out about cribbage tournaments that were hosted on weekends in various locations around the United States. When he first told me he was going to Oregon to play in a cribbage tournament, I was a bit puzzled. I remember saying something like, "Seriously! Why in the world would you travel to play cribbage. That's just weird."

It turns out that there is a cribbage tournament available every weekend in some part of the United State and Hawaii. Again - seriously! There is a whole other world out there of people who sit at long tables during the weekend and play cribbage for 22 games. At the end, the score cards are tallied, and the top 25% of the cards go on to the play offs the next day. They play the best three out of five to move on until there is one winner of the whole tournament. Those who don't make it in the top 25% can opt to play in the nine game consolation tournament. There is an official American Cribbage Congress website where accumulated scores are kept: monthly, yearly, lifetime, etc. Those players who have been playing the longest have achieved one, two, and three star status. Some are considered masters: it's all based on your point totals. You only receive points if you win or place in tournaments. Otherwise, your tournament play counts for nothing.

There are also judges - players who have volunteered to study and pass a test of all the ACC rules of cribbage. If, during a game, one player commits a mistake of one kind or another, a judge can be called to rule. Generally two judges are needed. This brings up the point that there is a whole rule book on mistakes and misplays that can occur, as well as the penalties for each. The American Cribbage Congress has an Ethics Committee, a Rules Committee, and of course, a Board of Directors. Whew! Way to make a "game" stressful, right? But, that's how most games become.

And there you have it: the short version of official cribbage tournaments. This anniversary gift from Tom is exactly like a trophy board that some players win. We will play our first game on it soon - I hope I win!

eight: glass heart necklace

I Snoopy

Another necklace! Yay! This is a beautiful piece of glass art. And, it's a heart. I love hearts. I will wear this a lot!

What a cute card! I have to post pictures of the cards. They have taken so much of Tom's time. LOL

nine: necklace and earrings

Another year together and another pretty necklace. I think Tom is running out of ideas, and jewelry is always appropriate, right? 

I love this card, too. Yabba-dabba doo!

thirteen, twelve, elven, ten: family portraits

My grown-up kids!

A couple of days ago, Stephanie told me not to come to her house because Dad was having her do something for him, which had to do with the thirty anniversary gifts. She said I needed to call her first. I assumed, wrongly, that whatever she was doing would be inside her house. So, I called, like she asked me to. When there was no answer, I again wrongly assumed that she was all done, because if she was outside, she was obviously doing chores or something fun. I needed to go to Tom's mom house to put all her week's medicine in the container, and I decided to bicycle there. I pass by Stephanie's house on the way to mom-in-law's.

My little kids

As I get to Stephanie's, I hear all kinds of giggling, laughing, and happy screams. I think our grandkids are out playing, until I see Jimmy chasing a ball down: Jimmy doesn't live at Stephanie's. Then I see Casey, who also doesn't live there. First, I think, "Hey! What are you all doing having a good time without inviting me?" And I have to admit, my feelings were a bit hurt.

The whole family!

So, I yell out, "Hey! What are you guys doing?" But I stay up on the road on the bright pink, Schwinn cruiser bike, complete with basket in the front (so cute) because I also think, "Uh-oh," when I see more of the family come from around the corner and everyone is wearing blue. Stephanie says, "Mom! I told you to call." I say, "I did, but you didn't answer. I thought you were done." At this point, everyone is laughing at me, teasing and saying, "You just couldn't stand it." "You had to come down."

Old-Fashioned Fun

Stephanie was the photographer for all these picture - and they are really, really good. Taking a picture of a photo in a frame does not do any of them justice. Thank you so much, Stephanie. You are a sweet, talented and generous daughter. Thank you to all of my kids, JW, Casey, Jasmin, Jimmy, Liesa, Jordan, Malley, and Samson for spending all that time giggling and smiling - just for me. And, thank you to my dear, sweet husband for being so thoughtful. I love all of you!

fourteen: the cutest shoes - ever!

I have a confession to make! I picked out these shoes. Oops! But, Tom was running out of ideas: he said it's more difficult than he thought it would be to find thirty gifts in thirty days. He said finding all the different thirty cards has been challenging, too. So, when I saw these in Kokopilau (a lot of my gifts seem to be coming from there) I started to buy them for myself. I had them at the register, and all ready to go, when I remembered my romantic husband, struggling to keep his creative mind flowing for gifts for me. So, my overwhelming generosity motivated me to just put them in the back, with his name on the box, until he could pick them up the next day. Now, you may ask how that was being generous. But, let me tell you, when you have the world's cutest shoes in your hand, and you have to wait, even one day,to get them: it's a sacrifice. Seriously!

I love these shoes! The brand is Jambu, and I highly recommend you find some. Check out the cute flowers on the sides of the soles - and matching ones inside! And, they slip on. They're a bit dressy, but extremely comfortable and still a bit sporty. They are like Mary Poppins: practically perfect in every way! Yay!

fifteen: yay! more signs!

I can't believe I predicted this! Tom had already gotten more signs. You see how it is when you've been married for almost thirty years! You just know things!

We have lots of quail running around our house. We see them in pairs right now, and sometimes we see their teeny-tiny babies following along behind. It's just the most precious, adorable thing. We have the perfect place to hang this - right at the bottom of our hill where so many of these little birds with the cute feather hats race into the brush.

Of course, we also have the Beware of Attack Chicken sign. We have no attacking chickens, but I think I will put this on the chicken house. Maybe it will keep out the foxes and raccoons!

sweet...blackberries!

On my walk a few days ago, I saw these, real old-fashioned blackberries on my driveway. I took this photo using my phone - not too bad, huh? I love making blackberry jelly and blackberry pie and blackberry scones! Yum, yum, yum!

fried taters in a skillet

Does it get any better?

I found this great cast iron skillet at a thrift store. I seasoned it, and now it's as good as new - or maybe I should say old. My mom used one every day, and memories flood me each time I use this one. Why did people ever stop using them? They are the best!

sixteen: sheepskin boots

Tom knows I love to wear sheepskin slippers and boots. I have lots of UGGs, but I use other brands to tromp out to the chicken house in the winter. But, first, I have to wear them around, and get them a bit dirty. I don't do that with fresh boots.

I got my first pair of UGG boots about sixteen years ago, when the kids were playing lots of sports. I still have them - check out the picture below. They are green, and they've been repaired on the toes. They weren't popular back then, and my kids were embarrassed whenever I had them on. It might have been because I always wore them with a big, green, down coat that almost went down to my ankles. I'm sure I looked like a big green marshmallow. I didn't care. In my mind, this was perfect nighttime soccer attire. I'd pull my hood over my head and shove my hands deep in my pockets: I don't like getting cold! Eventually, UGGs became popular, and mine were considered vintage. I remember young girls in high school telling me how much they loved my UGGs. Ha Ha

old and new

This is my newest vintage apron. My friend, Terri, and I were together in a thrift store, and she found this cute little thing for me. I think it might be a fancy apron - for those times when you entertain and want to wear your best stuff. Just check out the see-through fabric at the bottom and the dressy scallops. Ooh-la-la!

This one is my newest, new apron. I found it at Tuesday Morning - such a fun store! This is a work apron, made with Waverly fabric that I just love! I used it today when I was making sugar cookies for Steph's baby shower. I will post pictures of the cookies in the next day or two. Right now, they are on the counter drying. I also wore this apron out to the chicken house when I gathered eggs. Aprons are awesome. I don't really use them to protect my clothes, because I don't care if my clothes get dirty. Most of all, I love the cute fabric and putting my cell phone in their pockets. I will post pictures of all my aprons after I get through with the Thirty Days of Anniversary gifts! Whew! It's getting closer.

seventeen: thousands of books

I love to read. As a little girl, I like to say I was either reading or running. Being the youngest of six kids, I remember being starved to read. I'd especially watch my dad, who, in my mind, read all the time. He worked in a lumber mill, and he left for work in the afternoon. Right before work, he'd lie on the couch, relax and read. I so wanted to read, just like he did. One time I saw him read a fat comic books for kids - in one day!  Boy oh boy, was I ever impressed. In one day! Of course, he laughed at me when I told him that I couldn't believe it.

When I started Kindergarten, it was my first school experience. It doesn't seem like there was really even preschool, which I wouldn't have gone to anyway, because mom was home. Kindergarten back then was to prepare for school. That was where you learned letters and numbers and how to behave. Nowadays, it's almost absurd what kids need to know before they go to Kindergarten. I was taught to read in Kindergarten, and it wasn't very common. Our teacher picked just three of us to leave the classroom, where we got special treatment to learn to read. I was so thrilled! After that, I practically ate books!

So this Kindle is such an amazing invention. It holds tens of thousands of books. I have the Kindle app on my iPad, but when my friend Tamara recently got a Kindle, I was convinced that I should get one, too/ This became really obvious after I decided to read my iPad and take walk at the same time. I was in the middle of the Hunger Games, and just had to finish the book. It would have been fine and dandy, except for in the bright sunshine, the iPad has a terrible glare. Plus, even though the iPad is light, the Kindle weighs next to nothing. If I drop it, it probably wouldn't even hurt it, but the iPad would definitely get damaged hitting the blacktop.

Walking outside and reading might sound a bit tricky, but all I do it walk up and down my driveway - which is about a half-mile long. I don't have to watch for traffic or anything like that.

eighteen: warning - chickens ahead

How cute is this? I am very excited to find the perfect place to hang this sweet sign. I think I definitely need more than one. Since my chickens fly, maybe one that says "Chickens Overhead". Or another that warns of Guinea fowl on the loose. By the way, the Guineas are definitely getting louder. So far, I don't mind their sounds. But, I also don't mind a rooster's crow. People ask me if mine crow at three in the morning, and they don't. Now that might bother me. 

Here's the front of the card. I couldn't find a good way to take a photo with the sign - not that I'm a professional or anything. It just wasn't working for me.

nineteen: soccer ball

As, I've already mentioned, many, many years ago, when we were just wee young things, Tom and I played lots and lots of soccer. We played on co-ed teams together, and separately on men and women leagues. We both learned the sport as adults, since it wasn't offered when we were kids. In fact, it wasn't a game we had really even heard of growing up. It was a difficult sport to learn because all the sports we had ever played relied on your hand-eye coordination, and, of course, in soccer, you use your feet. There was a learning curve, and a humbling time, but after we "got it", we were totally excited about playing. It required great conditioning, there was body contact, and being aggressive was what made a good player. In fact, in later years when Stephanie was playing high school soccer, we told her that for every person she knocked down, we'd give her five dollars. It didn't take long for her to understand that the fun was in the battle, and we had to stop the payment because she was getting too aggressive. We surely loved soccer, but we had to give it up after our kids began to play. Plus, Tom, ever the weekend warrior, had eventually gotten too many knee surgeries to overcome. Sad, but that is life.

You might wonder then, what we will do with this brand new soccer ball. Well, Tom planned for that by buying a ball that is a youth size, and it is already in the hands, or I should say feet, of our grandson, Malachi.

here a chick, there a chick, everywhere a chick, chick

Before there was television, people used to watch chickens.

                                                             - author unknown

A little Ameracauna hen peeking out from under a Japanese Maple
 - one of my favorite chickens because they they green or blue eggs.

Red Jungle Fowl Rooster.

He's a wild chicken and didn't like getting his photo taken.

Going in for a landing.

Hanging out with some young Guinea fowl.

Some of my girls, winding down their day.
Fiona's got her eye on one to chase.

twenty: love's baby soft cologne

When Tom and I first met, this is the perfume I wore. I loved it because it reminded me of  baby powder - so sweet and subtle. He said he loved it, too, and he probably did at the time. Since then, Tom has changed his mind about perfume. It makes him sneeze, so I hardly ever wear it. I don't like heavy perfumes, but even lotions will get his allergies acting up. Sometimes, I try to sneak and wear a little tiny bit of something, just to test him - but I can never get away with it. I guess he's not faking. 

twenty-one abalone necklace and earrings

Yippee! Again, Tom found some beautiful abalone - this time a necklace and some earrings! You may not know it, but abalone shell is very difficult to work with, because when it is cut, the dust generated is really toxic. We have lots of abalone shells lying around our house, but I haven't been clever enough to come up with an idea on how to use them artistically. The are kind of tacky in their natural state - kind of like big bowls with holes in them. The best I came up with was to border a little flower garden: I alternated shells - one rounded side up, and one rounded side down.  The cool thing is that they have natural holes in them, so the water drains right out.

I love abalone's many colors. It reminds me of one of my roosters, which is a black, Long-Crower. You know how an oil slick on the pavement has iridescent colors winding through it? That's what my gorgeous rooster looks like - purple, green, and blue feathers sparkle in the sunshine. Every time someone comes over, I'm constantly dragging them out to look at him. They usually aren't as impressed as I am - ha ha.

Here's a close up of the necklace.

twenty-two: chicken socks

Yay! Crazy chicken-lady socks. How fun are these? I am so excited to wear them, but it's been kind of too hot lately. Just look at that happy hen on the very top of the sock: so proud of herself for hatching out a chirping little chick. Fun, fun, fun.

lemon cheesecake - yummy!

Happy Birthday, Casey and Jimmy....

Here is the dessert I made to celebrate. It was delicious!
Cheesecake recipe from The Perfect Recipe Book.
Lemon curd was from America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book.

The boys decided one cake would be enough for both of them.
They ARE growing up!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I couldn't find any birthday candles - what kind of mom isn't prepared with birthday candles on a birthday? Seriously! So, out came a tapered candle. We all assumed that they could share, and blow out the single candle at the same time. But, Casey, funny Casey, had other plans. Can you see that Jimmy looks suspicious of his older brother and won't take his eyes off him? Sure enough, Casey sneaks in and blows out the candle right before we finished the song.

Now you can see the gleeful satisfaction on Casey's face, and the "Really?" expression on Jimmy's. We all thought it was hysterical - including Jimmy.

Dad steps in and gives Jimmy another chance.

It was a happy day!

twenty-three: heart-abalone box

I love this silver abalone heart box. Look how it resembles the ocean's waves - so beautiful!

Tom loves to dive for abalone - or maybe I should say - he USED to love to dive for it. Every year, at least a few divers drown by getting tangled in the seaweed or from getting fatigued. Some have even been killed by sharks. Eek! I don't know which has convinced him more, me or the accidents, but he now has agreed to rock-pick instead. He still gets fairly large abalone. When you ab dive, you cannot use a tank: it's only free-diving. So, however long you can hold your breath is how much time you get to locate and then pry off the ab from the rock. I've gone with him before, and it's not easy. I didn't like it. It was cold and the movement of the seaweed underwater freaked me out. Plus, did I already say it was cold? Cold, even with a wet suit on! Let the men do it!

I told Tom this card is gross. Funny and true, but still gross. Here's the inside:

Here's the back:

 

twenty-four: birds of northern california

We have only just recently begun to appreciate the birds around our house. My brother made us an awesome bird feeder, and we also have a finch sock. Unfortunately, we think the bird feeders double as cat feeders. Sad, but probably true.

Birds we've seen:

- tons of quails. (so stinking cute! probably my favorite)
- some blue jays (loud and obnoxious, but I still like them)
- golden finches (beautiful and so interesting how they like to cling to the sock while they eat)
- black-headed grosbeak (just okay)
- chickadees (adorable)
- some others we don't recognize. Maybe this book will help us a bit.

Oh. yeah! Some of our chickens like to fly up to the feeder, too. We think it's funny!

Inside of the card. Tom is so sweet!

happy birthday to son #1

This is Casey, our oldest son, and his lovely bride Jasmin. Casey turned 27 years old yesterday. He used to think that the 4th of July fireworks were in honor of his birthday. Just-missed, Casey!

Casey, we are so very, very proud of you. You are a great daddy and husband, placing your family first with God's guidance, and there is nothing we hold in higher esteem. We love you!

best whole grain pancakes - ever!

This is my favorite cookbook!

I love to bake - and eat anything sweet, especially if it's homemade. But I always feel guilty afterwards. That's why I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my King Arthur's Whole Grain Baking Book. If I'm gonna eat my dessert, I want to cancel out some of the bad with some yummy whole grains!

This book is amazing! Everything I've baked from it has been so tasty with the exception of Chocolate Chip Banana Bread - which I don't like anyway. I've been making notes on every recipe I try, so that my future bakers will know just what I thought.

And what do I think of the whole grain pancakes? Well, let me just say, this: there is no reason to make any other kind again! Forget the crumbly, white flour kind you find in a bag or box at the grocery store. Yuck! I never used those mixes anyway. These are tender as can be and taste so fresh and wholesome! The first time I served them to my son Jimmy, I had to be sneaky and didn't tell him they were whole grain because, at the time, he didn't think he liked anything whole grain. I'm excited to report that he devoured them, and so did his lovely wife Liesa!

The full recipe is at the bottom of the page.

These are the ingredients

- Whole Grain Pancake mix

(Made from the book and stored in the freezer for quick use)

- A large egg

- Milk

- Yogurt

- Orange Juice

(The OJ takes away the bitter taste that some people find in whole wheat)

After you stir everything together, you let it sit for fifteen minutes. 

This allows the bran from the whole wheat to be absorbed.

This is what mine looked like after I let it sit for about an hour. 

Like the three bears - I went for a walk.

Cakes on the griddle.

Yummy! Even Tom likes whole grain pancakes!

My plate - I ate every bite! 

The eggs were fried in my cast iron skillet without using oil.

Here's the modified King Arthur recipe for the mix:

3-1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (grind them until their chopped fine, but not a powder)
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon soda
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix dry ingredients first. Add the vegetable oil slowly while mixer is still running until a clump of mix will hold together if you squeeze it in your hand. If not, add one tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct. Store indefinitely in an airtight container in the freezer.

For pancakes:

1 cup mix
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 large egg

Stir together, then let stand for at least fifteen minutes or the batter will remain thin. Cook on griddle or cast iron skillet for 3-4 minutes on first side; 1-2 minutes on second. I never oil my griddle. If you've got a great griddle, and  it gets to the right temperature, you shouldn't need to. Enjoy!