you can't take it with you

. .. .well if you hadn't already figured that out . .. there you go.

I was hanging up my wash this gorgeously sunny day and I was pondering the play we attended last night.

Though the play was written in the 30's . . . somehow we had never seen it.

Somehow, it is still relevant today.

Click here for a brief storyline. .

We enjoyed the play so much .. laughed ourselves silly.

The cast did a fantastic job for opening night.

Don't you just love it when you hear, read or see something that only deepens your value system?

Though the play was a comedy and the characters were all hilarious,

I could easily see an excellent life lesson.

I'm sure that everyone who sees the play will come out with a different lightbulb moment. .

My beloved and I again said. .

we are so thankful that we committed in our lives to take Sundays or one day a week to rest from the things that can wait until tomorrow.

As farmers we absolutely need to tend the hens. . .

but we don't need to clean out the barns. . .

We live in a world where we take pride in our busyness, but feel tremendous guilt when we say that we relaxed.

We should not be living in a state of perpetual hurry.

If you are spinning your wheels ..

exhausted and weary. .

attend church this weekend. .

and then

kick back and rest.

(okay and maybe sit on a park bench and eat ice cream). . .

there now how can you resist?

Have a wonderful weekend. . .

take me to the lake

In the last few years digital photography and the computer have become some of my favorite things. ..

Day one. . . .

I enjoy the day to the fullest. . .

Day two. . .

I relive it a hundred times if I like.

These are two out of four of the boys I love the most. . .

I will NEVER tire of capturing them in a thousand different ways.

Photography is such a pleasure to my heart.

Suddenly I want to fill our home with pictures that I have taken. . .

this is new to me. . .

but I quite like it.

There is only one little thing that could have made my day more perfect. . .

but she'll come next time. . .

I'm going to show her the pictures and she'll smile her toothless smile .. .

and then I'll ask her if she wants to come to the lake too.

Of course she will.

One for each of us. . . .

to love and play with and protect.

This mother goose had no problem confronting us with a hiss ..

she didn't feel the least bit

self conscious about it.

A little further down the path, we found a Stellar Jay with a broken wing sitting on a log. . .

I saw little Stellar Jays sitting above in the tree.

I couldn't resist seeing the mother Stellar Jay do "her thing" .. .

She flapped her wings and flew to safety, her wing. . .just fine.

Once again I saw how wonderfully God created the world and all its inhabitants.

Today the sun is shining .. again.

Don't bother calling the house .. .

I won't be in it .. .

(snicker)

Have a wonderful weekend my friends.

the rain drop(s)

Droplets of rain. . .

amazingly clear and shiny. . .

clinging . . .

holding on tight. . .

bouncing off leaves. . .

Rain . . . I'll see you soon .. .

the sun is coming out. . .

I've been invited to the beach .. . . woo hoo...

"start the truck .. . I'm coming"

Have a wonderful day my friends.

Corinne's Decadent Chocolate Brownies

If you were with us yesterday and read the comments left,

you would have already noted and tested out the recipe that my friend Corinne left for us.

The lil' farm hand and his Mommy were over and we set to work preparing a batch for your viewing pleasure.

Corinne, has not a blog of her own but she has left such sweet comments on mine and I've noticed she has left some on a few others as well. You finally get to meet her. . .

I first met Corinne when we worked at a Doctors office together.

She was the main receptionist and well .. . I was her sidekick a few days a week.

I've always loved her natural kind interest in our lives. . .

she is a wonderful mom to four kids and she loves her hubby dearly.

Now, this is something new for you .. .

My sweet assistant is doing the photography for your amusement.

We were busy watching the food channel and it seemed rather fitting that we were watching this southern gal put together her recipe. . .

she isn't exactly known for low fat, high fibre fare.

We felt that we would fit in perfectly with today's Brownie recipe.Having a photographer seemed like such a fun idea. . .

until I looked at the pictures later. . .

yikes. . .

if there was a bad side that you hadn't seen before. .

my sweet assistant .. .

well, she found it.

I cropped my arm. . .

am I vain or what?

That my friends, is the 2 cups of brown sugar that you will need.
I'm not even going to pretend that this is good for anything but pure enjoyment.


As I was saying. .. . .
my sweet assistant and I worked diligently to offer up shots that have never seen before.

All you need is a bowl, a decent whisk and some muscle.

I told my sweet assistant that this would be going straight to my hips .. . .

It even smelled rich .. .

This is something never captured before. .

I did this shot just for you. . .

and yes .. .

it tasted delectable.

You must try it . .. .

Thank you Corinne.

I cut the recipe in half from what she posted in the comments yesterday.

3/4 cup butter. . .melted

1/2 cup cocoa

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

Stir the cocoa into the melted butter

Stir the brown sugar in the the butter/cocoa

Stir in the beaten eggs

Stir in the vanilla

Stir in the flour

Spread into a well greased pan 9 X 13 .. (I was a little light with my Pam and it stuck a bit)

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy my friends.. .

I'm off for a walk .. . . or two.