Another snow day

We had another snow day today.

The school called 8 minutes

before we had to get up.

That was cutting it really close!

turned out that by 9 A.M.

it had turned to rain

and the roads were just slushy.

But earlier it was really slippery.

It's always so pretty when it first snows.

Everything looks clean and bright.

The dogs enjoy the snow tremendously.

Bentley loves to bury his face in it.

Today they went out and created a heart in the snow.

Come on....if you squint, you can see it.

But when I let them in

there was a definite odor of skunk in the air.

So we waited a while before letting them out again!!

The girls had a good day off as well.

Emily baked, Ashley got caught up on some homework

and Kayla finished a TV series

she had been watching on her laptop.

All and all it was a good day.

After lunch we watched a movie.

The girls were happy to stay home and

the dogs didn't get sprayed.

It all made me smile...............

may the best team win............

We are not an athletic family.

We don't watch sports and

participate in few of them.

But tonight is Super Bowl Sunday.

So we had Super Bowl food,

not very nutritious but easy to pick at

while we watch the game.

The Colts (Indianapolis) are playing the Saints (New Orleans).

It's the only game we watch all year.

We really only watch it for the commercials.

So far I like the Doritos commercials the best.

Doing anything together,

even watching a football game,

makes me smile......................

Sing, sing a song, sing out loud......

We were treated, today,

to a voice lesson recital.

Emily and Ashley have been taking voice lessons

since September.

The girls did really well.

Ashley had two solos and a duet with Emily

Emily had two solos as well.

The fact that they can stand

in front of an audience

fills me with awe and pride.

The recital was short,

with only 4 students and the teacher.

A small reception followed.

We all were filled with pride

and left with smiles...................

How to wrap a human around you paw

Bentley was not Dennis' idea.
That was all me!
Dennis wasn't ready for another dog.
And although I do most of the feeding,
walking, training, bathing......
(you get the picture) with Bentley,
Dennis is warming up to him.
Slowly, Bentley has wiggled himself
into Dennis' heart.
They now share the couch at night
while we are watching TV.
Sometimes Bentley prefers to cuddle.



Dennis wouldn't dream of disturbing him.
Animals have such a way
to give you what you need
whether you know you need it or not.
(Or will admit it or not)
Watching Bentley wrap Dennis around his paw
makes me happy and makes me smile..................

Awe inspiring morning

I love nature.

To me, it is, without a doubt,

awe inspiring.

It is ever changing, and always beautiful.

Often I say; I have never seen anything like it.....

More often than not,

I am saying this about the sky,

the cloud patterns, mostly.

This morning was one of those mornings.

I had never seen anything like it......

There was so much movement in the cloud pattern,

the sky was actually "lined".

The pictures won't do it justice

but they are the best I could do.

The clouds seem to radiate

from a central point

invisible to the mortal eye

It was fantastic.

I wish I had better pictures to share.

The girls are now noticing

this incredible beauty on their own

and are often the ones

pointing it out to me.

what a gift....

and that makes me smile........................

A Day FULL of Good News

Last night it was my printer
which needed maintenance.
Apparently it had enough of
all those printing jobs we send it
and decided to go on strike.....


But yesterday was such a good day,
I decided to update this morning.
First Dennis woke up feeling better
after fighting the flu the night before.
Thanks to all my good nursing and
homeopathic medications, we nipped it in the bud!
Then my day started with a visit Dr James Matthews
Ophthalmologist in Lexington

to get a second opinion
on a diagnosis I received from
a charlatan here in town.
Great news....I have neither
the beginning of cataracts
or an astigmatism in my right eye.
WHEW.....Dodged that bullet.....
Moral of this story, when your little voice
tells you something doesn't sound right
LISTEN and ACT ON IT.
Just because someone has a diploma on the wall
doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about.
Someone has to graduate at the bottom of the class!!!
Then in the afternoon
Kayla, Ashley and I went to the dentist
to get our teeth cleaned and have our annual exam.
Ashley has two minor cavities and
Kayla and I received a clean bill of health.
It was a great day with
brighter smiles all around.................

Phase two

The induction phase of my

low carb lifestyle is over,

although I'm not yet ready

to start adding carbs just yet.

I am , however, ready

to start exercising.

So I got our Wii Fit board out,

popped in the CD,

and got moving, today.

I did 30 minutes

(not much, but I need to start slow)

and felt great when I finished.

Tomorrow, I might feel differently

but working towards a healthier way of life

and setting a good example for my daughters

makes me smile......................

we are going to work!

I have been taking Bentley
to dog training for the last month.
We have now started a new class.
The intermediate class,
obedience, tricks and
introduction to agility.
He is smart and obedient
and learns quickly.
For such a young dog,
he is doing extremely well.
We call it "work".
School is where we take the girls in the car.
So this morning when I asked him
if he was ready to go to "work"
this is the face that greeted me....


How can that face
not make you smile?.........................

another delicacy

Any household with children

is hectic in the morning.

Throw in a diet menu

and you could have total chaos

or simple abandonment of your resolve.

Unless you find delicious recipes

you can make in advance,

that are only 1.7 grams of carbs

and reheat in 15 to 20 seconds.

What could be better to start your day

but an egg, sausage, onion and cheese muffin?

They are cheesy and moist,

flavorful and quick.

One is enough to get you to lunch

without looking for something to tide you over.

And the nicest part of them

is spending time in the kitchen

with your daughter.

She helped, I think, so she won't feel guilty

for eating my "diet" breakfast

every morning.

Being able to find something

healthy and filling to feed

my girls before they go to school

makes me smile..................

A good day for baking

The snow finally came.
Overnight and early morning,
we ended up with 3"-4".

Nothing's more beautiful
than a field of pristine snow,
especially viewed from the warmth of your home.
Feeling a little snowbound,
Emily decided to make dessert.

She made delicious ginger cookies
topped with milk chocolate chips.
A recipe she found on her calendar.
Their fragrance permeated throughout the house.
Kayla, on the other hand,
had a Spanish project to finish for Monday.
Each student must cook something "Spanish"
and share it with the class.
Kayla found a recipe for "Fried Milk".

The milk is mixed with corn starch,
nutmeg and sugar.
After it thickens, it is refrigerated
for over 3 hours to "set",
then dredged thru eggs and bread crumbs,
fried and dusted with powdered sugar mixed with cinnamon.

As strange as it sounds,
it tasted pretty good.
Ashley helped with dinner
making a wonderful salad.
Watching my daughters
enjoying spending time in the kitchen,
experimenting with new recipes,
always makes me smile...................

Delicious Colours

It has been so gray and wet

and dreary and depressing and cold.

Today, everyone was gearing up

for the big snow storm

they have been forecasting

and reporting on.

I had to stop by the grocery store

and as soon as I came in and turned to my left

I was welcomed by an explosion of colour

from a display of bell peppers

in various colours.

What a sight!

The colours were warm, like some Caribbean vacation resort.

It made you happy just looking at them.

Because they were on sale,

they had them in different places in the store.

Several times, as we were shopping, we would turn a corner

and there they were.

Bright and inviting.

Each time, it made me smile.........................

Is that howling I hear?

The moon will be full in a couple of days.

When I first saw it today,

it was as wispy as a cloud.

It was big and low in the sky.

Not wanting to offend the witches again,

I looked up the date of the full moon in January.

It is indeed not tonight

but on January 30th.

This is when I learned an interesting fact:

The first full moon of January

is called the wolf moon.

I had never heard of that.

Learning something new

always makes me smile....................

What's that strange yellow light?

The big story today

was that the sun came out.

It had been so long since we saw it,

I wasn't entirely sure

what that strange yellow light was,

that was behind our neighbor's house

when I came back from

taking the girls to school!

As the day wore on

I marveled at how blue the sky was

outside my window.

I guess there is something to be said

for bone chilling cold weather.

The thermometer kept climbing.

By lunch we had broken the freezing mark.

It climbed all the way up to nearly 40.

At this hour, the clouds have moved back in.

But it was sure great while it lasted.

Seeing the sun today

Lifted my spirits and

made me smile.................

the taste of summer

During the summer

I cook a lot on the bar-b que.

One of our favorite meal

is flat iron steak.

I serve it with homemade cilantro sauce.

It is garlicky and a little spicy

fresh and flavorful.

We hadn't had it for a while.

So tonight I made flat iron steak with cilantro sauce

accompanied by cheesy mashed cauliflower.

DELICIOUS.

The best part, it's all very low carb.

But the part I loved the most

was the compliments from my daughters,

who all love the cilantro sauce.

That makes me smile................

A new breed of rabbit

Yesterday my computer was undergoing MORE maintenance.

But I'm back (not sure for how long)

Last October we got a rabbit.

Well, Kayla got a rabbit,

presumably for her SAE for her FFA project.

Her name is Mel.

Miss Elie appointed herself " bunny-sitter"

from the day Mel got home.

Their coloring is very much the same.

We think Miss Elie sees her as her child.

This weekend Miss Elie was napping

in her favorite spot, on top of the couch.

We put Mel next to her.
After a lot of sniffing and licking

Miss Elie turned around....

Which created a new breed of rabbit.....

If it were possible to enter a picture

instead of the animal

Kayla would surely win a prize

for breeding such an unusual looking pet

A rabbit with a big fluffy tail.

It actually looked pretty good.

and it made us all smile..............

The greatest gift

After a good archery tournament today

at which the girls did well,

we went to see a movie.

It's a good movie taken from a true story.

As a parent it was hard to watch.

At times like these I realize

I don't thank God nearly enough

for having three healthy daughters.

They say God doesn't send you more

than you can handle.

I often joke that I am grateful

God has such little faith in me!

But I honestly am humbled

by parents of catastrophically ill children.

Listening to the girls play on "band hero"

after we got back from the movie

and later on listening to them argue

today, instead of being annoyed,

I smiled.............

the soundtrack of our lives

Yesterday was busy

so I apologize for being late.

We have a radio station

that plays "oldies".

Mostly 70's and 80's music.

Music I danced to, sang to,

music that instantly conjure up images

of places and friends and times

of my life....good and bad,

heartbreak and greatest joys.

As I was driving home yesterday

They played a particular string of songs

that brought back one happy memory

after the other.

And as I drove home in the rain and fog

I smiled.................

Their hard work is paying off

(These pictures are a little hard to see

but if you click on them

they will open full screen

and you can read them better.)

The girls work very hard

at their school work.

They are dedicated, get good grades

and are well liked by their teachers.

Kayla and Emily have been invited

to several academic programs:

Duke University Talent Identification Program,

Young Leaders of America and a few others,

not to mention receiving numerous awards at school.

Ashley has also received school awards

and is expecting the same invitations as her sisters got

when they were in her grade.

Today the mail brought

new invitations

Emily got one from Mary Baldwin College's

Program for the exceptionally Gifted.

Kayla got a nomination for membership

in the National Society of High School Scholars.

Both due to their outstanding academic achievement.

Every child loves to get mail

but getting something like this

really brightens their day.

As a proud parent, seeing the pride

and satisfaction on their faces

really, really makes me smile..................

No paparazzi....

Our pond has several inhabitants

throughout the year.

In the past week the mallards have moved in.

Every year they come to lay their eggs

on the little "island" in the center of the pond.

There must be 6 or 8 couples this year.

The mallards were enjoying the weather today,

(water on the back of a duck!)

swimming around the pond.

So I stopped the car to take a picture

and as I approached

they all took off, leaving a beautiful

pattern on the water.

All but one couple flew away.

Who knew ducks were camera shy?

Seeing them paddling around

as we drive by every day

makes me think of my dad

and how he would have enjoyed seeing them.

And that makes me smile.............

This place is going to the dogs!

Is it my imagination

or does Chum look awfully guilty?

You see, Bentley never used to sit on the furniture.

But Chum, who wouldn't be caught dead

on it during the day,

sleeps there at night.

I know, because lately, he doesn't even wait

for us to go upstairs

before he makes himself comfortable.

(usually with his head on the pillow)

So when I saw that he was being

a bad influence on Bentley,

I had to ask myself......

Is he doing this because it's nice and comfy

and he wanted to share with his friend

or is he trying to get the annoying

newcomer in trouble

so we will finally come to our senses

and get rid of him?

The look suggests the later,

don't you think?

Either way, seeing them side by side

on the couch like two old pals

made me smile..........................

And they're off.....

The title today is in reference

to the pounds I'm hoping

will just be falling off,

now that I am starting

my low carb. diet.

Since the induction phase

of the low carb. diet

can be a little monotonous,

I have been looking for

new and exciting recipes

to help me stay the course.

Breakfast is usually

when I have a hard time

finding something that

will satisfy me and

will be quick and easy.

I found this recipe for Scottish eggs.

It's a homemade sausage mixture

wrapped around a hard boiled egg.

The "meatballs" smelled delicious

as they were cooking

and I had one for lunch

and found it succulent and filling.

This recipe is a keeper.

Each "meatball" only contains

1.7 grams of carb.!

Something that good

will help me start my day

with a smile..............

today was not so "springy"......

Today was one of those days where
I have to dig really deep
to find something that made me smile.
Not that anything terrible happened....
and for that, I am grateful.
But there wasn't anything
that made an impression either.
The one thing that I think
we would all agree on,
is that we (well mostly everyone else
in the family) got to sleep in.

Bentley and I were up early
but EVERYONE else slept peacefully.
Sitting in the family room,
before the sun came up
(hard to tell today, it seemed like it never came up)
listening to complete silence.....
and knowing everyone
was getting the rest they so badly needed
made me smile..................

Spring in January

Although it was gray and cloudy all day

it felt like spring.

The thermometer in the car

registered 58 degrees.

So it seemed like a good day

to do some housecleaning.

Now cleaning isn't my favorite thing to do

but being helped by my daughters,

almost willingly......,

and the end results

really make me smile

A gift from the heart

Kayla has been planning her

best friend Megan's birthday present

for months now.

Tonight she worked on

the finishing touches

and she let me help.

I can't show you any part of it

because Megan's party is tomorrow.

You will have to go to Kayla's blog -

A picture a day -

Sunday or Monday to see pictures of it.

All I can show you is the wrapping.

This present was conceived and executed

from Kayla's heart.

She poured love and creativity into it.

And the fact that she let me share,

even a little bit, in the making of it

Made me smile................

Here comes the sun.....

What a glorious day

we were blessed with today.

On the way to school this morning

we were greeted by the most beautiful,

colorful sunrise we've seen in a while

Then it got better.

The thermometer slowly rose

all the way to 48 degrees by 3 P.M.

It was hard to believe,

yet real easy to take, for mid-January.

After so many gray, cold, dreary days,

having blue skies and warmer weather

sure made me smile............

old friends, new friend

We have, here in Lexington,

one of the best bookstore

I have ever seen.

Besides the obvious,

they also have an excellent bistro.

This is where "the ladies" and I

met for lunch today.

We try to have lunch together

at least once a month.

We had a fifth person join us today.

Bonnie already knew everyone.

Everyone that is but me.

It was a perfectly seamless addition

to our little lunch group.

We laughed and told stories,

learned a thing or two........

I hope Bonnie will want to join us

for our future lunches.

Meeting new friends always makes me smile..................

Donkey's back....Donkey's back!!!

As you may know,

we have a donkey that lives

in our neighborhood.

He is just a boarder

but we all see him as

one of our own!

Over a week ago,

I watched, helplessly,

as donkey ran away.

I was upset to see him go.

More for Emily than for myself.

Emily is very fond of the donkey.

He is often her sounding board, her confidant.

I never told Emily that the donkey was gone.

The call came yesterday

from our "Golden neighbor",

"donkey's back!"

Sure enough.....here he was,

standing there as if he had never left.

I rolled down my window

to take a picture and welcomed him back.

As if he recognized my voice,

donkey brayed and ran over to the fence.

He looked as if he was saying...

"Hey I'm back, I've missed you"

Looking into those big brown eyes

really made me smile..............

A day filled with blessings

A myriad of good things happened today.
The girls went back to school,
(although this seems to depend on who you are!)
Dennis got to Korea safe and sound,
(although his bag didn't make it)
and Bentley graduated from
beginner's dog training class!
(This is the only one for which I have a picture)

He came through with flying colors,
and I must say, he is a changed dog
and a pleasure to have around.
Still young, at 10 months,
and having miles to go,
he listens much better.
Next is intermediate training,
tricks and beginning agility.
Watching him obey in class
and making me look good,
makes me smile.............

You just have to laugh

As most of you know,

Bentley got his first grooming

over the Holidays.

He came back a completely different dog,

in looks and personality.

If he didn't answer to his name,

I would swear she gave me the wrong dog!

It has taken a few weeks,

but he has finally grown into the cut.

You know how a new haircut

doesn't look right for a couple of weeks?

Well it seems to be the same for dogs.

Bentley also experienced his first snowfall this week.

He REALLY likes it!

I let him out the front door in the morning,

and a little while later,

after he has taken care of things,

and played with Chum a little,

he shows up at the back door.

Most often covered in snow.

This morning, this is what greeted me,

when I answered the " OK, I'm ready to come in" bark.

How in the world can that be any cuter?

I had to laugh.

He looked so cute and so happy.

All day, each and every time I thought of

him standing there,

I smiled.............................

toe your bow

The girls had an archery tournament today.
It was a welcome activity after being cooped up
for the last two days, because of the snow.
It is always a thing of beauty
to walk into a pristine gymnasium,
with targets lined up and quivers at the waiting.



The girls enjoy the sport and so do we.
They participate in as many tournaments
as time permits.
They have good form and are becoming
quite good at it.

(not the best example of it but it is hard
to get them all at the same stage)
Today, Emily and Kayla tied
and Ashley got her best score ever.
Watching them, standing there
toeing their bow,



makes me smile........

sleeping soundly

It snowed all day yesterday.
And part of the night.
It didn't amount to too much,
maybe 3 inches....maybe.
Kayla and I shoveled the driveway
so it wouldn't get too slippery.
But overnight, it got covered again, in places,
because of wind
and additional snow showers.
When Dennis left for work this morning,
I looked out the window,
from our bedroom on the second floor,
and saw these prints in the snow.

It occurred to me
that when we are all tucked away,
sleeping soundly,
safe and warm in our beds,
there is a whole world going on out there,
without our knowledge.
Last night we had visitors.
Rabbits, no doubt.....or very, very small deer....
and although I know
they are only waiting to devour
my garden in the spring,
seeing their little foot prints
in the snow this morning,
made me smile.......