Green Tree Frog

I have a multitude of things that live on or near my front porch. Mostly there are different kind of lizards that love to sun themselves on the steps. I'd love to post pictures, but they scatter as soon as I grab a camera. So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw this little fellow on top of one of my wind chimes. I'm used to seeing them once in a while on the storm door since they love to catch bugs at night. But, this is the first time I've been able to snap a picture. If you'd like to read more about Tennessee frogs, take a look at TWRA's The Frogs and Toads of Tennessee. And, before you ask, I will not be posting a recipe for frog legs!

Signs of Wealth

August is the traditional month to return to school, so some of my friends have been pretty busy getting their children and grandchildren settled. One friend commented about buying an electric pencil sharpener for the kids. I immediately said that was a sign of wealth and she laughed knowing just what I meant.
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Back in the day before electric pencil sharpeners existed (or at least were unavailable in the hollow), we never seemed to have a little manual sharpener. So, if you weren't lucky enough to be in school when that pencil lead wore down, the pocket knife came out. I always, always hated pencils sharpened with a knife. It told everyone we couldn't afford a pencil sharpener. The next school day, I would immediately sharpen all my pencils with the lovely pencil sharpener attached either to the wall or the teacher's desk. Sometimes it would be full of shavings, and I'd be lucky enough to get to empty it.
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I probably should be in therapy because this helped lead to a life-long love of office supplies. Even if I don't need them, I love to browse the office supply isle in search of new things. Over the years, I developed a love of new ink pens. One of my former employers used to come into my office to sign checks I had written. He loved to walk off with my new ink pens. I finally got wise, and started ordering him his own personal box of perferred pens so he'd leave mine alone!
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It's funny the little things that we remember from childhood. I know there were much bigger things going on in my life at the time, but I still remember those knife sharpened pencils. And, I still associate that with being poor. So, any pencil sharpener, especially an electric one, is a sign of wealth to me. It seems like such a little thing now and I have to wonder what this generation will think of as wealth in the years to follow.

Still have my spots...

This little fella wandered into the yard recently. He's so cute and still has spots!

He's probably thinking something good is over there....

Or maybe a little shade since it's a hot day....

But, never fear, Momma is close by munching on some leaves. Thought you'd enjoy these pics. Have a wonderful day!

Aprons & Surprises

My wonderfully talented and crafty friend, Susan, made me this wonderful apron. I just happened to mention one day that I'd like one and described it. Well, she made the apron and then mailed it to me as a complete surprise. Isn't it beautiful??? I just love the Fall colors. Stop by Susan's site at Craft and Creations to take a look at some of the unique gifts she has made recently.

Lake Barkley

Just some random pictures I thought you'd enjoy. I took these at Lake Barkley. Aren't the clouds pretty?

Gardens & Friends

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You can't buy this in a store! One thing that you can always depend on during the summer - gardens and friends. Once a garden starts really producing, you always end up with an abundance of vegetables. And, you can only eat, can or freeze so much before you run out of room. Just looking at these veggies made me think of BLT's, vinegar & cucumbers on ice, and fried squash. Can you think of a better supper on a hot summer evening?
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In case you don't like fried squash, here's a quick casserole to try.
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Crook-neck Squash Casserole
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2 cups yellow squash, sliced thin
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter and add flour gradually. Add milk, squash, eggs, salt & pepper. Mix well. Pour into buttered casserole dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 325 degrees.

Love, Laughter & Blueberry Pie

I love blueberries. I especially love to freeze them for a chilly snack or to use in smoothies. That's what I ended up doing with this batch. Even as I washed and prepared them for freezing, I couldn't help remembering a blueberry pie Mom made years ago. This was back when the world was larger than today, but somehow we had a lot more time on our hands. Time to make a homemade pie crust. Time to sit and visit with relatives over a cup of coffee. Whenever my Aunt or Grandma visited, most of the time was spent in the kitchen. The house wasn't perfect and the food wasn't prepared before they arrived. It seems to me that part of the joy of those visits was three women cooking up food and chatting a mile a minute. I remember Daddy saying he'd never heard so much talking and laughing in all his life. Isn't that what life is all about? Looking back, those moments that seemed so small at the time stand out in my memory. A simplier time filled with love, laughter and blueberry pie.
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Mom's Blueberry Pie
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Pastry for 2-crust pie (8-inch)
4 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed & drained
4 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
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Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle lemon juice over blueberries & toss. Mix sugar, flour, lemon peel, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Gently toss in blueberries. Turn mixture into a pastry shell, heaping slightly at center. Dot with butter. Top with additional pastry crust, crimping around edges to seal. Pierce top crust with a fork in several places. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 to 35 minutes longer or until crust is light golden brown. Cool on cooling rack.