Saturday, October 31, 2009

Anything BUT Scary!


Worries are for the Birds!


Worries are for the Birds!
Life is a journey of never ending possibilities.  I read a wonderful page in a book today (Starting and Ending Your Day by Joyce Meyers) which read: "Life is not based on enjoyable circumstances.  It is an attitude of the heart."
How true is that! It is not work, or circumstances that cause our discontentment, discouragment, sadness or anger.  It is the way we react to those circumstances that make us feel the way we do. 
I am going to make it a good day today and change my approach to some of the things going on in my life. God has gratiously given me so much to be thankful for.  Today is a great day to get out and enjoy life!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Hey....it looks like Fall out there!

This curious little guy was scampering around in the maple tree when my son captured this great shot today!  Gather, Gather my friend, as Winter is just around the corner. 

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Birds of a Feather all Flock Together! Build Your Own Homemade Concrete Pillar Birdbath!

This project was really easy and cost less than $15.00 to make! All you need is a bag of concrete, some sand, water and/or water and leftover paint, a piece of 4 inch PVC pipe, one concrete pillar form (can be found at Lowes or Home Depot),an old bowl and some really pretty rocks! (I love rocks!!!) The PVC in the center makes the finished project lighter and easier to move, as well as allows for a fountain hose if a fountain is what you would like to make instead of a bird bath.

To begin, gather together the following supplies:
  • 1 bag of concrete
  • 1 bag of sand
  • Leftover paint (if you have some leftover from a project and want to use it up, plus it gives the project a better color rather than just the fresh concrete look)
  • A bucket of water
  • (1) Sakrete 10 In. x 48 In. Tube For Concrete (can cut to desired length)
  • 1 length of 4 inch PVC pipe - cut 2-3 inches shorter than your concrete form. You can find small sections for really cheap at rebuilders centers or builders resale shops.
  1. Begin by cutting your concrete form to desired length and then cut your PVC pipe, 2-3 inches shorter.
  2. Find a flat surface out of direct sunlight (in garage maybe or on the North side of your house) and place a large garbage sack on this surface, followed by the concrete form.
  3. Place your PVC pipe in the center of the form.
  4. Next you will want to get a large garden tub or wheelbarrow to mix your 4 parts concrete / 1 part sand. The amount of concrete mix that you will need, depends on the desired height of your pillar. Most likely you will need the whole bag. If using one whole bag of concrete, mix in 1/4 bag of sand.
  5. Next you will need to decide if you are going to add paint for a slight touch of color or just use water to mix in with the concrete. If you are going to use paint, it takes quite a bit to change the color of concrete, so don't be shy! With this one I used 1/2 gallon of old paint with enough water to make a muffin batter consistency mix. Make sure the mixture is not too wet and runny as you will end up with a watery mess! Some concrete mixture will ooze out of the bottom, just keep an eye on it. This is why you need a very flat sturdy surface.
  6. Use a small shovel or scoop to gently drop the concrete mixture down into the tube. Avoid getting any down into the PVC pipe. (It is best to wad up an old rag and place into the top of the pipe before adding concrete, or tape some heavy plastic around it)
  7. As you add more concrete, tamp it down all around the edges with a stake or old broom handle to get all of the air bubbles out.
  8. I wanted my bowl to sit down into the pillar. To allow for this you will need to find an old plastic tub, (I used an old margarine tub) and fill it with sand so that it is weighted down. Spray it with Pam cooking release spray all around the outside.
  9. Place the tub filled with sand onto the top of the PVC pipe and the concrete mixture. Continue to fill the concrete form.
  10. Once your concrete gets to the top of your tube, flatten it all out and place the tub filled with sand on top of the tube.
  11. Continue filling the rest of the pipe with the concrete mixture until you reach the top. Pat it smooth on the top and as it dries, to get a more rounded edge, use an old spatula to gently pull the concrete in away form the edge of the form.
  12. Wait patiently for about a week, until it is really dry and set. If the weather is warm out, cover the entire project with plastic and keep out of the hot sun to avoid cracking.

Now the fun begins!!! Once it is dry you can begin to unveil the pillar by taking out the tub with sand, and then tearing the form off by layers. You may have to give it a good start with a hacksaw but be careful not to damage the concrete. I found my bowl for .25 cents at a Garage Sale and then filled it with some great rocks that my husband and I found on a trip to Eastern Oregon. These were the rejects from one of our tumblings, but they sure look awesome here.

The birds love the water and the neighbor girls love picking out a rock to take home each time they come over. The rocks always look better wet :)
Have fun!

Don't know what to do with all that Zucchini?

Did you end up with an abundance of Zucchini this Fall? Here's a recipe that I know you will enjoy. You can make these up ahead of time too and stick them in the freezer.


Zucchini Pancakes

(Recipe from the July 2007, Better Homes and Gardens magazine)


Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 4 minutes



Ingredients
  • 4-5 medium zucchini (about 1-1/2 #'s)

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 4 eggs

  • 1 clove garlic

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

  • 1/4 teas. ground black pepper

  • Sour cream - optional

Preparation

  1. Trim and coarsely shred zucchini (about 5 cups). In bowl, toss zucchini with salt. Place in colander to drain. Place plate on top;weight down with cans of food. Drain 15 minutes;discard liquid.

  2. In bowl, beat eggs and garlic. Stir in flour, cheese,onion and pepper just until moistened (batter will be lumpy). Stir in zucchini just until combined.

  3. For each pancake, spoon 1-2 heaping tablespoons of batter on hot lightly oiled griddle or skillet, spread to 3 inch circle. Cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

  4. Serve topped with sour cream if desired or cool, layer in freezer container with waxed paper in-between, and freeze up to 3 months.

  5. To re-heat, preheat oven to 425'F. Place frozen pancakes in single layer on greased baking sheet. bake uncovered, 8-10 minutes or until hot and slightly crisp.

ENJOY!!!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

In Search Of Glorious Fall Color

Sunday Morning...My husband and I decided to head out and find some glorious fall color via Hwy 14 on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge,then onto the Old Columbia River Highway for another stretch of breath taking views. As you can see, the roads can get a little bit curvy to say the least! We found the most vivid yellow and red leaves that you could ever imagine. Our next stop... off to Cascade Locks for some fresh salmon!














Friday, October 16, 2009

Simplicity at it's Finest


I was searching through some old family photos last week and found one of my mother's "fruit and veggie" cupboard. Oh... the beauty of freshly canned fruits and vegetables! It brought me back to the long days of summer, in which all 8 of us kids would sit around the green sagging picnic table and snap beans. A few would be lost here and there from bean fights but nevertheless, look at those jars of goodness.....A True Work or Art! Thanks Mom for the memories and the lessons in life we learned from working and playing together.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

The Mountains are calling and I must go!

The mountains are calling and I must go. ~ John Muir

How often do we procrastinate about taking the time to seek the great outdoors, the miracles that God put before us to enjoy with open arms? What's holding us back? What is keeping us from getting in the car, on our bikes, or simply by foot, to breathe the fresh air and feel the brush of an aromatic cedar tree against our skin? There is so much to see right in our own back yards! It is amazing; the life, the beauty that abounds all around us, if we just took the time to soak it all in and appreciate all that has been given us to enjoy. How I long to get outside today after a long day at work!
Despite all of the troubling things going on in the world today, we can find peace in knowing that God is always with us. We do not have to go far to find him! "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." PSALM 118:24