Homemade Chocolate Frosty

Can't you just imagine tasting this right now? ☺
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 Chocolate Frosty

Ingredients: 

1 c. milk
1/2 c. Nesquick (chocolate powder for making chocolate milk)
3 c. vanilla ice cream

Directions: 

Put all ingredients into a blender. Make sure the lid is on tightly and blend on high until smooth. Pour into a glass and dig in!

Charming Cottage Garden Retreat

Ooo, I can see myself here reading my devotions and sipping on my cup of morning tea!

Morning On The Front Step

Early every morning I fling open all windows to let in the fresh, cool air. I also love to hear the birds chirping as they visit my feeders and bird baths. Today I decided to sit out on the front step as the sun was making its ascent into the sky. Oh, it was so peaceful and absolutely enjoyable! Here's my view from that vantage point....

I Love Surprises!

While I was out in the flowerbeds working today, Dean had to run some errands. When he returned home, he motioned for me to come over to the vehicle. Much to my surprise, he pulled out a few things he'd bought to make things easier when I'm planting and watering!

First, he pulled out this claw tool to make loosening the soil and removing the weeds so much easier! 




Then he pulled out this 100 foot long, never kink hose! Wow. He must know how I wrestle with that other hose we have. Lol!

Last of all, he placed a package of these 3 nozzles in my hands since the one I've been using finally broke. They're fabulous!

Aw, thanks for the awesome gifts, Honey!! Mwah!! (xoxo)

In My Backyard

The grassy part of our patio enclosure.

The seating area of the patio.


Always begonias in memory of my paternal Italian grandmother.

A five gallon pail makes a great planter, too!

The clematis Becca and I just bought last year. We're both so thrilled with how beautifully it's growing!


I love to have brackets on the fence for holding planter boxes like this one.

This dusty miller and fuschia petunia look so pretty together!

One of the hanging baskets I did today.

Simple Enjoyment

Vintage pictures like this one are some of my favorites! I think it would be nice to start a collection of them.

Fruity Punch

For those hot summer days, something cool and delicious!
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 Embellishing your drink is always fun, too!

Fruity Punch

Ingredients:

1 scoop raspberry sherbet
1/2 c. pineapple juice
1/2 c. 7-Up or Sprite soda

Directions: 
Place raspberry sherbet into a drinking glass. Pour in pineapple juice and soda. 
Let sherbet melt slightly, then drink and enjoy!

She's Pretty And She Knows It

This is Jessica, or Jess, for short. She's my daughter's long-haired beauty, and I think Jessica secretly thinks of herself as a princess. 

Romeo sure has an interest in her. ;) First, he checks out the window to make sure that no danger is lurking.

Then he heads over her way and touches noses with her as if to say, "Hey, good looking!"

As you can see, "the princess" is not overly impressed. Lol! First, she lets out a big yawn. And I do mean BIG! (Oh my, look at those fangs.)

Then she begins to groom herself as if to say, "Tut, tut. I have more important things to tend to!"

*SIGH* Living the life of a princess is hard work!
Romeo has long since left her side because she snubbed his advances! ☺

Every day there is humor to be found with these animal children. Ha, ha!

Paper Clutter How I Loathe Thee

Sooooo, this afternoon, I tackled that pile of receipts to sort, bills to file, and all the other miscellaneous paper stuff floating around. Now our 6 foot long counter top, a.k.a desktop, is completely paper free! And boy, does it feel good! Do you ever notice how much worse you feel, how unsettled you are and how jumbled your insides get when you look at your paper piles that just keep growing? If you don't, I definitely do! Which is why I should never put off sorting and filing paper clutter as long as I just did. ☺

The Morton Salt Girl

 This sure was true tonight!

A Clever Outdoor Fountain


I would love something unique like this! Would you?

Memorial Day Family Time

 Honoring those who died for our freedom.

Sharing in family time with good food. Simple, tasty and filling!


Cupcakes decorated nicely for the occasion, made by my sister.

Taking time for a friendly competition of Corn Hole Toss.
Have you ever played this? It's quite fun and simple, but the challenge of getting your bean bags in the hole keeps the game exciting!

The Perfect Sign For Me

Imagine my delight when I came across this while shopping with Dean! We got a good chuckle out of it as he knows I love bacon. Did you ever see that commercial with a dog who smelled the Beggin' Strips? Well, that would be me, too! Ha, ha!

Picnic Meals


Sometimes the simple meals are the best!

Celebrating Memorial Day In The United States

Here's a little bit of history on this observance:

Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country. The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

The gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery are decorated by U.S. flags on Memorial Day weekend.
In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff. Supporters of Waterloo’s claim say earlier observances in other places were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.
By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities. 

It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called Decoration Day. It was then also placed on the last Monday in May.

Newly Planted Flowers

It's just a beginning, but hopefully this year they'll fill out nicely and bloom with lots of pretty flowers all summer long! Last year, I had a rabbit that literally ate all the leaves off my marigolds, leaving nothing but the flower on the stem, and they didn't end up doing so good! He didn't seem to like the petunia's or dusty miller's, thank goodness. ☺


These are pictures from my long flowerbed along the sidewalk leading to my front door.

Contrasting Views

In the same moment, there were such contrasting views in the eastern and western skies!
Looking to the east

Looking to the west

After The Rain

Beads of water on my rose bush leaves.


The World Is In His Hands

He’s got the whole world in His hands He’s got the whole world in His hands He’s got the whole world in His hands He’s got the whole world in His hands
 
He’s got the wind and the rain in His hands He’s got the wind and the rain in His hands He’s got the wind and the rain in His hands He’s got the whole world in His hands
 
He’s got the whole world in His hands He’s got the whole world in His hands He’s got the whole world in His hands He’s got the whole world in His hands
 
He’s got the little bitty baby in His hands  He’s got the little bitty baby in His hands He’s got the little bitty baby in His hands He’s got the whole world in His hands
 
He’s got you and me, brother, in His hands He’s got you and me, brother, in His hands He’s got you and me, brother, in his hands He’s got the whole world in His hands
 
He’s got the whole world in His hands He’s got the whole world in His hands He’s got the whole world in His hands He’s got the whole world in His hands

A Good Deed


Do An Act Of Kindness


Beauty At The Beach

Dean and I drove to check out this beach about half an hour away. 
It was empty, peaceful and very beautiful!






The tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveler hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.