Kitty Hope

Well, I know this is not a picture of either of our kitties! But I took a nice pic of Miles yesterday when I snapped the one of Ella with her dandelions and wanted a chance to give this little handsome boy his turn on my blog!

As for the kitties, if you have just joined us, our new kitten (almost one year old now) has been having some tummy troubles. Paris has been occasionally doing her #2 business outside of the box and lately I've noticed that there is some blood and mucus in the stool, which has been quite worrisome. A month or so ago I took her and our other cat Velvet in to the vet after some initial stool tests and trying some special food. We started out with some de-worming medicine and didn't see a change. I finally broke down and agreed to a fecal panel {which is NOT cheap}. I'm glad I did because the vet did find a couple of issues. First is a bacterial issue which I am now treating with antibiotics. I finally feel some hope that there is a good chance our kitty will get better. The other issue is viral. Which could just be a passing thing, but there is a slight chance it could mutate, take over and basically be fatal. That is part of the potential bad news. The potential worse news is that it is very contagious amongst cats, so Velvet most likely has the virus. The worst case scenario is that we will lose both cats. But I'm trying to be optimistic and believe that this is a passing virus and we will not be hit with the small percent chance that things could turn out for the worse.

And to continue to remember Frankie Manning, here is a video from back in the day. He is the guy in the overalls. Aren't they just amazing? I am in awe, they are a part of history and I got to "touch" that in a way by meeting Frankie and learning the dance. If you want to learn more about Frankie, check this out.

A Welcome Weed

Ella came home from school today and went crazy picking Dandelions.  Believe it or not, I was happy to see them too.  It means things are going to start growing again and my favorite season {Summer} is getting closer.

There are so many things to write about.  I will have to expound on some of the happenings in individual posts through the week.

Jason and I went on our first {get on an airplane and go someplace warm}- vacation in six years.  And without the kids too.

The kids were SO excited about the tulips that are about to open in our front yard.  And much like us, the warmer weather has them full of new life.

Dance classes are drawing to a very fast close as the recital is sneaking up on us in just 2 weeks.

I finally figured out what I was going to do about Arts Festivals/ Farmers Markets as far as presenting my Kitchen Stitchen items in our town and am getting excited.  Much planning and preparation ahead.

Our cat Paris was seen by a vet a month ago and continues to follow her plan to try to get to the bottom of her bowel issues.  On our end, things are getting worse.  Just got a call from the vet and a recent test (that was not cheap) found a couple of problems.  One involves a bacteria which could be taken care of with antibiotic.  The other is a virus which may or may not be bad news.  We will just treat her and see.

This is all I can think of at this time which I can write separate posts about soon.

On a sad note, a legend passed on today.  Frankie Manning {May 26, 1914-April 27, 2009} was one of the father's of the Lindy Hop (original swing dancing).  We were so lucky to meet this wonderful man, so full of life and love.  We heard him speak of history, took classes from him and danced with him.  It is a sad day in the dance world.  He would have been 95 and yet we all selfishly wanted him to stick around forever.

A How To Guide to Toy Usage

Have some toys that your kids don't play with anymore?  I have the sure fire way to get them playing with them {again}.  Round them all up with the intention of getting rid of them.  Put them in a common area and organize them, get them ready to go.  Have your mind set that you are finally just going to rid the house of these useless articles.

Guaranteed that the kid(s) will start playing with them again and you will not be able to bring yourself to get rid of the offending toys.

Daffodils Through Time

I don't know why I started this or what possessed me to do it every year, but it has become a tradition.  And when I saw the first daffodils blooming this morning, it reminded me it was time for this year's photo.

Ella was born in December 2003.

2004

(I was sure I took a daffodil photo outside in 2005 but I cannot seem to find it in our files).  So these indoor fake ones from the Mall Easter Bunny visit will have to do for now.

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Beautiful Boy

I really haven't done much with my photography lately for whatever reason, but had a hankering to use our 50 mm lens today to take photos of Ella by the daffodils in our back yard.  Almost every year I have taken a pic of her by the daffodils.  Perhaps because these are the first to bloom each Spring and I get excited about the flowers.

After her photo shoot I went inside to a crying Miles who wanted to go outside.  When I told him no, he told me he wanted me to take his picture.  And how could I resist?  Here is my favorite of his shoot...

Breaking the Silence

You may have noticed it has been a little quiet over here at Sunnypond Home lately. Today something happened which prompted me to blog again, besides easy family holiday photos and video. I written before about Quiltplay, the store where I entered my little creation into their unfortunate fat quart contest. They gave me a little brown bag with a fat quarter in it and my challenge was to make something pretty out of it. This is what I came up with. A fun pinwheel mobile.

The way the entries were judged was through "change wars." To vote for a project, you would add change to the corresponding ziploc bag and the bag with the most money would win. All money collected going to a local food pantry. The winner would get 12 free fat quarters.

Well today I got a call from Quiltplay informing me that I'd won! How exciting. I must say that picking out 12 fat quarters is a bit nerve-wracking. I don't have a project in mind currently for a bunch of fat quarters. But I'm sure I'll manage! And I plan to go tomorrow while BOTH kids are in school!

I finally got some shots of Ella in the shorts set I made for her out of the Wonderland fabric (which I purchase from Quiltplay) that I wrote about earlier:

I find the colors and patterns subdued but quite pretty. I love the tan and brown branch design, but the colorful flowers make it pop, just a little. Just what it needs.

The last few weeks I have been borrowing movies from the library and found myself really enjoying Jane Austen adaptations as well as my recent choice of "Jane Eyre," the Masterpiece Theatre version. I never read that book in school, but the movie was excellent and I may need to read the book next year.

I continue to read books about the bible and do bible studies. This year's reading is dedicated to just that to learn and review more about my faith and its background.

In the last two week I have also been making time to work out more. In fact in the past week and a half, I've worked out more than I had since Jan. 1, 2009 up until that point.

Today after working out, I headed over to garage sale, which happened to be an Estate Sale. It was very odd. It didn't seem like the home of empty nesters. There was stuff from all members of the family there and everything was for sale. I can't imagine what happened!? Plus this house was amazingly large, lush, rich, mansion-like... you name it. Lovely furniture, but too expensive and one piece would take up an entire room in our house! I ended up getting an alarm clock for Miles, two Barbies for Ella (they were both thrilled) and cute salt and pepper shakers for my mom. She likes chickens. She grew up on a farm that had them. Though she says she has enough, I just couldn't resist. Not my style for our house, but very cute anyway!

Easter Sunday

Before church we had our family Easter Egg hunt.  Luckily, the weather was nice enough this year to hold it outside.

Ella spots the eggs.

 

She discovers the baskets left by the bunny in the playhouse.

 

Miles delights in a musical present.

Ella's basket.

 

Miles enjoys the hunt.

 

Too high.

A beautiful day!

Family shot.

Easter Video

2 Giveaways!!

Remember Marie?

You can WIN a Marie of your very own!

YouCanMakeThis.com is launching a new website YouCanQuiltThis.com this April and to celebrate, they are giving away a Marie Osmond 200 Quilter’s Companion sewing machine from Janome. Hey, that’s what I just got!

For complete detail on how to enter see their blog. In a nutshell you get one entry for each of these things: sign up for their new “You Can QUILT This!” Newsletter, tell them why you love quilting or what quilts mean to you, blog about the contest and/or tell others about the contest through your various social media sites, add their button to your blog. And for each or these you do, make sure to leave a comment on their blog, for each additional comment you leave telling what you did, you get an additional entry.

The second giveaway comes from the blog Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice for a copy of Foods and Flavors of San Antonio by Gloria Chadwick of Cookbook Cuisine. For the many ways to receive entries to the contest, go to the blog above. The deadline is April 7. Judging from the Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe that I made from this book, I think it is a recipe book worth having!

Signs of Hope

This morning did not feel like hope.  I half awoke from my Nyquil induced coma to my son crying.  Expecting him to whine on about his big sister tormenting him, he instead crawled in bed with me, stopped crying and fell asleep.  We slept like that for a while until he woke up again wailing in agony that his tummy hurt.

All three of us (the three that don’t work full time) have been through this awful flu-like illness, what now?  And why?  I dragged myself out of bed, my body exhausted and wondered how we were going to make it.  A few hours later, I too had some troubling tummy ailments. 

By the grace of God, Miles was better in a few hours and I seemed better too.  I also seemed to have more energy.  I suppose you would agree as I mopped the kitchen floor three times (twice with a mop and finally on my hands and knees with a sponge) and I pulled out the refrigerator to clean the unmentionable seething mess of spills and dust bunnies which had been sitting there for way too long.  As I was about to clean out the inside of the fridge, I received a request for a special order through Etsy.  I abandoned the fridge interior to attend to my very important customer and whipped up a towel to provide a match to the remaining red beater towel in the store.  Not to worry, the fridge got it’s attention later.

I also managed to whip up a Tortilla Soup recipe (minus the tortillas) from this blog.  I will talk more about that food blog hopefully tomorrow (includes a giveaway).  But I have to say, even without all the ingredients (I did have most of them), this soup turned out very delicious and I have my entire family to back me up on that one.  All bowls were cleaned, not a drop left.  It’s a keeper recipe and a must try for you, my friends!

 

On top of all of this, the snow is melting away, it feels more like Spring is coming again, and I feel the best I’ve felt in several days.  I decided to use the earnings from my last sale to buy more of the Red Beaters  fabric because I just love it to pieces and cannot fathom not having any items of that fabric in my shop soon (only one potholder left)!  Plus I just love it you know.  That makes me feel good and gives me an excuse to go into the quilt shop again.

Delightful Banana Cake

Got some bananas that need to be used up immediately? 

Instead of making banana bread, why not try this yummy cake from Taste of Home’s  Healthy Cooking magazine?

Cake:

• 2 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter, softened, divided
• 1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 1 cup mashed bananas (2 to 3 medium)
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chopped pecans

Drizzle

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fat-free milk

1. Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat 1/4 cup butter and 1 cup sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes.  Add egg yolks'; mix well.  In a small mixing bowl, beat the bananas, sour cream, applesauce and vanilla until blended.  Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to the butter mixture alternately with banana mixture.  In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and remaining butter; stir until smooth.  Cool slightly; stir in water.
3. Beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.  Fold into batter.  Fold in walnuts.
4. Coat a 10-in. fluted tube pan or whatever you have if you don’t own one of these with cooking spray and sprinkle with flour; add a third of the cake batter.  Drizzle with half of the chocolate mixture.  Repeat layers; top with remaining batter.  Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. For drizzle, in a small heavy saucepan, melt butter until lightly browned.  Remove from the heat; stir in the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency.

By Vicki Raaz of Waterloo, Wisconsin