Category Archives: flashback

2008 in a nutshell by Dianne

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Want to play along? Kelli over at ‘There is no place like home’  is hosting a meme. You take your first blog sentence for each month of 2008 and add a favorite photo from that month too. Be aware that most of my ‘first’ sentences have nothing to do with the photos. :O)
January-

That’s my life for the last few days.(I had been sick and so had Brian)
Yellow roses
February-

Let’s start off February with a fun event thanks to Lisa/Oceandreamer’s 2nd time around hosting it.(One World, One Heart blog giveaways)
Punch needle design
March-
This is my mom’s birthday last year and my youngest brother is giving her the cupcakes that I made to blow out the candles.(for a Photo Hunt)
Purple and yellow orchids
April-
It’s 70 degrees outside!!! I’m inside and wearing a sweater though.

May-
Thanks to Scrappy Jessi for hosting this fun event.(showing our childhood toys)

June-
Like I did last night!

July-
I really did see a camel! (a place on our road had several exotic pets or boarders)

Strasberg, PA 7-30-08, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

August-
Today I’m sharing my baby book.

September-
I can’t believe it’s September already!

October-
….the cataracts are gone! Well, that may be so for my mom in a few hours.(My mom had both her eyes done, and one got an infection, so she had to have a third operation!)

Celebrating after 28 yrs!, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

November-
This is from the Philadelphia Flower Show 2006.(We try to go every year since I am so snap happy)

December-
I just realized that I was pretty much on the go for over a week, since my birthday on the 19th.
ditori12261

Cookie baking!

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Peanut butter cup cookies and Butterballs
I finally got around to cookie baking. Not that I am finished by any means. I used the Butter ball (Russian Tea cakes) recipe from The Silver Palate cookbook. Now my oven is only two years old and I have to watch delicate foods like cookies. The recipe called for 35-40 minutes in a 300 oven. They were done in 15 minutes and got a bit too brown on the bottoms. It said it would make 36-no way. This is the recipe that the gourmet take-out place where I worked used all the time. Also made cookies with mini peanut butter cups-they turned out better! The recipe is similar to chocolate chips. Jennifer over at ‘Sweet Pea Stitches’ shared some yummy tried and true recipes, but I need some key ingredients to make them. I’ll do some more baking tomorrow, plus a ton of other things!
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I liked the way this turned out:
IMy only niece-age 9.5 with her gr grandmom's portrait
My dear only niece’s most recent school photo next to her great grandmom’s photo. They share the same middle name of Caroline.

Photo Hunt-Favorite

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PSHunt

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I could mention a favorite food, etc. but I decided I’d show one of my favorite family photos that I also used for my Christmas card this year. The bigger girl is my maternal grandmom Ruth, who was cuter than this; her twin brothers William and Frank and little sister Edna. I know it was probably the 4th of July and my grandmom had just turned 8 or 9 the day before. Two of their siblings are missing-an older girl Ethel had passed away about 3 years earlier from pneumonia and little brother Albert wasn’t born yet. Ruth helped to raise me and my three brothers as my mom was a single parent. A friend who received this said it was her favorite Christmas card ever, which made my day!
I used music at the top as they were all musical, the boys later played in a band and Frank may have been in the Leo Reisman band in the soundtrack of ‘Paper Moon’. ‘Mom mom’ had a lovely voice and could play piano; I think Edna could play too.

The tree is up-the tree is up!

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Brian got the tree out of the attic and it sets up quickly. I had trouble locating the multi-color lights I planned to use. Over the past few years, I’ve done pink and white, white and blue and red and white, so this is back to our ‘traditional’ look.
I met my mom at the Farmer’s Market, which was crowded and then thinned down. First I stopped at the TD Bank and got $117 for the coins I had. It kept telling me I had a lot of coins-no kidding! I split it up and saved $50 for Bri, but used the rest at the market. What a great feeling! I got mostly stocking stuffers for Sean. I have to watch what my mom picks up, so that makes me a little nervous. Got lots of yummy candies and Amish made salads, etc. for tonight and the weekend. We had pulled pork on rolls with fruit salad tonight. It was so much better than what Ruby’s passes off as pulled pork (I had it last Saturday and it was all dried out on top). Mom bought us half a chocolate cake-yum! I bought a little red poinsettia that looks like it has pink spatters on it and a new Christmas cactus-one of my favorite plants.
While in the end store I saw someone who looked familiar. I asked if she had gone to my high school and she said yes and I asked what year and she said ’77’! It was Lynn my old classmate shopping with her daughter. It’s so ironic as I am friending so many of my old chums on Face Book and Bri and I just went to that get-together last week. : ) I told her to come next time. She was a brain and great tennis player in high school.
I got an ornament exchange from Peggy in NC today-a great surprise! She sent a penguin made out of a light bulb-adorable!
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She makes soap and lotion from her goat’s milk, so she sent me some. I’ll have to take photos tomorrow. I have her ornies almost ready to go. I had to make a few too.
Tomorrow I’ll decorate the tree-can’t wait. I hope my back holds up!

Another reunion?

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Dianne and Kim, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I recently got an email from Scott, our reunion guy who said if any of us ’77ers wanted to meet up in my hometown they had some tables for us. We stopped to see my mom (and brought her dinner) and then headed up to the little restaurant. I think about 20 people showed up! I haven’t seen the lady here (Kim) for 31 yrs. It was nice seeing the old gang. So sweet to see the ladies who are BFF still hanging out.

Photo Hunt -Ruin’s’

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PSHunt

Tulum, Mexico, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

This was a long time ago (1984), but I’ll remember the trip on the bus through the jungle to see these ruins. We saw little huts with tv antennas. It was really difficult to climb the steps of this Mayan ruin in Tulum, Mexico. We got a good view of the Carribean there and it was so crystal clear. It was our honeymoon. We were staying in Cancun, but took the trip here one day.

(I finally used a drawing tablet I got almost a year ago-hence my siggie. Does anyone else use one of these?)

siggie

Show & Tell

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This is one of the two elementary schools that I attended. The other school was called Rose Tree and was within walking distance of this school. When I was in grade school, we walked to school. I remember kindergarten in the basement and trying to drink milk (out of the little cartons) that I didn’t care for. The basement was also used for the cafeteria. I fondly remember the see- saws and singing ‘Mockingbird’ which turned into a hit for James Taylor and Carly Simon a few years later. Speaking of James and Carly, their daughter Sally Taylor must have known a teacher at Walden School, as she has a photo of herself with students doing the ‘Ring around the Rosie’ in the yard there (it use to be labeled, so that’s how I knew).

Suddenly music became a serious option in Taylor’s life, if not the only one. And this week she will make two area appearances — at the Painted Bride on Sunday, September 12, and at the Walden School in Media on Monday, Sept. 13 (1999).

Her response to my question “why the Walden School?” was most illuminating. “This is actually my second visit to the school. And I’m really looking forward to it this time. When my booking agent first suggested it, since the school really seemed to want me to perform there, I said I’d have to think about it. I was never more nervous about an appearance in my life! What was I going to sing or say to these children?

Here is the beginning of the year sample of my cursive writing for 3rd grade. I struggled with handwriting as I am left-handed. When I knew we were doing these, I cringed and couldn’t hardly stand to do this. We did it until 4th or 5th grade too. I’m lucky I had one sample of this. Maybe I ripped up the other ones. 3rd grade writing practice 3rd grade writing practice & Sandy Bank
Here’s a sample of my ‘now’ cursive. My husband bought me a tablet to use with the computer (last year) and I just tried it. It’s not that easy to use!
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Holiday Cooking and Show & Tell

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holidaycooking

Overwhelmed with Joy asked me to submit a recipe or two this year to her annual exchange. I was a bit stumped as I think I included my favorite dessert recipes over the last few years. I didn’t want to repeat myself. I asked Brian what he liked that I make and he said ‘chili’. I don’t measure anything and I use either ground beef or turkey. I decided everyone makes their own version of chili. What I did find were a few recipes that we tried that are tasty and healthy from Martha Stewart’s Everyday magazine, which I have recommended here a number of times. The little magazine would actually make a wonderful gift for the holiday-(IMHO).

I never ate that much salmon, but I like it now:

Herb-crusted salmon with spinach salad
Ingredients
Serves 4

  • 3 slices white sandwich bread
  • 1 cup fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 4 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 5 ounces baby spinach
  • 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. In a food processor, combine bread, parsley, and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Pulse until coarse crumbs form.
    2. Place salmon on prepared sheet; season with salt and pepper. Spread top of fillets with Dijon; top with crumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Roast until salmon is opaque throughout, 11 to 13 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine lemon juice and remaining oil; season with salt and pepper. Add spinach and onion; toss to combine. Serve salmon with spinach salad.

    herb_salmon

    Photo from the Everyday Food website

    White Bean and Tomato Salad

    Ingredients

    Serves 4

    * 1 can (14 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
    * 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
    * 4 scallions, thinly sliced
    * 2 tablespoons olive oil
    * 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    * Coarse salt and ground pepper

    Directions

    1. In a medium bowl, toss together beans, tomatoes, scallions, oil, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
    2. To store, refrigerate up to 1 day.
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    My paternal great grandmother was the author of this book:
    Cover of Honeymoon on Horseback
    Back cover of Honeymoon on Horseback

    I have read it a few times and my son read it for a book report. The book itself is in better shape that it’s cover! (It was published in 1970).

    Great grandmother was a very good writer, very detailed and interesting. I love the outdoors, but I couldn’t even think of living in a tent or to go camping! I like indoor plumbing and a warm, soft bed. I guess you did what you had to do.

    This is written from the diaries I kept during the years 1908-1912. Each forest man was required to keep a daily record of everything he did, but his report was strictly statistics, so I kept one to remind me of the homely everyday happenings, and to get down what went on behind the scenes. Some days were hectic, and some were peaceful and quiet. There never were two alike.

    The wedding went off as planned. The only things that got a little out of line was the bride. When the minister asked if I would “take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband,” I was so tired and nervous I just gasped, “Yes” and the tears began to roll down my face. I kept it up to the end of the ceremony and Archie had to kiss me through a veil of tears.

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    Update on me: I went to the GI doc (not the one I thought I was going to see-rats) and he wants some more bloodwork and I have to get a colonscopy in the new year. He mainly suggested that I eat more fiber. I tend to have wacky liver enzymes (as do two of my brothers), so he wants to check a few a bit more in depth. I may wait until the beginning of the new year for the bloodwork too as I just had some in April. I want to make sure the insurance pays for it. He didn’t act like I better do it soon anyway. The doc is like that Ned Ryerson character from ‘Groundhog Day’ (with Bill Murray) but without the big mouth. ; ) Anyway, I’ve been going to doctors about these issues since 1999-about a year after I had Lyme Disease! I’ve heard really bad to they didn’t know. Very perplexing for me!

    Who’s this? And the start of a new meme/share

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    I was looking at someone’s website (not related) and saw this photo of him when he was almost one:

    I sure hope they didn’t call him by his given name of Colbert back then. Look at the fine hair and then look at his little Dockers!

    Flash forward about 23 yrs and here he is with his gorgeous bride:

    Did you guess it was the Phillies MVP for the World Series- Cole Hamels? He got married to Heidi Strobel back on New Year’s Eve 2006. Heidi was a contestant on Survivor the reality show (one of my favorite shows-I’ve watched every season!) when it was set in the Amazon. Incidently, Heidi turned 30 the night the Phils won the Series. To see more of Cole’s favorite photos check out his site.

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    I’m going to start a meme/share! I think every Sunday for now. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try another day. It will be called ‘I Recommend’. That can be anything-from food, to a book, to a tv show, it’s up to you! I had books in mind at first, then I thought I’d extend it to include more. I have to make a button for it today. I’ll have Mister Linky too! Please join in the fun. Watch for more later.

    Thanks Jennifer, no, I didn’t lose weight, black is a slimming color-I ‘recommend’ it. : )