Wants and needs!!

Today is one of those days when I want to sit in front of my sewing machine all day creating something beautiful out of fabrics.  What I need to be doing today is working on two different presentations I need for work.  Even though I retired in April, I still to some consulting and education.  I throughly enjoy what I do, but today...I will work on the presentations. 

It is a beautiful day here in East Texas..sunny and cold.  Duck hunters are not out today so we have ducks and other waterfowl everywhere today.  Went for a walk with Taz this morning and startled a deer, who jumped and startled me, and I spilled my coffee all down my robe.  Yes, I walk around my property in my pajamas and robe in the morning.  I should probably stop but, we only have 3 neighbors who live close - one at the front of the "neighborhood" who I only see driving in and out.  Two live out on the point near us.  One morning I was coming off a trail in the woods when our old neighbors came driving in, boy did they laugh at me in my PJ's and pac-boots hiking in the woods.  

Tried the biscotti recipe and need to tweak before I post - I added ground coffee and think I need a little more...will work on later this week.

New Years Day and Purple Peep Toe Platforms

New years eve in the country is not quiet.  We had fireworks like the fourth of July last night.  Gorgeous displays set off by our neighbors across the lake.  We loved them but our dog did not!!

Spent most of yesterday on line shopping for a pair of purple peep toe platform slingbacks.  My husband wanted to know why I need these, you going to hike with the dog in those??  Men don't understand what shoes mean to women.  Just because I live in the country doesn't mean I can't wear high heels when I go to town.  

I wish I had started this blog when I first retired, but we did not have internet when we first started building.  I started keeping a journal and will post some of those throughout this blog. 

This blog might be boring to some as I am just an ordinary christian american girl.  I will be writing about life, both my old city life and the new country life, cooking (I love to cook and baking is a passion), sewing, fishing and my goofy family (love you guys but we are goofy).  I love Frank Sinatra, the rat pack, old Humphery Bogart movies (African Queen is the best), Michael Buble, ZZ Top and Texas!!! 

Today is football Sunday and we must tread quietly!  Hubby starts with the pre-game shows and goes all day.  He still follows the Titans (who used to be the Houston Oilers) and the Texans even though we are now in Cowboy country.  If you are in the family room - no talking during game.

 I plan on trying out a biscotti recipe with cinnamon and hazelnuts.  Probably make a Derby Pie for dessert (like a big chocolate chip cookie in a graham cracker crust).  Got a new food processor for Christmas and want to try it out.  I also got a pasta crank and will begin making fresh pasta - can't wait to try out a ravioli recipe I think will be good.  If the biscotti and ravioli turn out okay, I will post recipes on my blog. 

Well, time to start cooking.  Bon appetit!

A New Life

Tomorrow starts a new year, but about 8 months ago, I started an entirely different life.  This new life is good, but it has had its ups and downs.  This blog will be about this new life..the life we now live on Squirrel Hill.  This is the name I affectionally call our country property in East Texas.  We have five acres on a hill sloping down to a lake.  There are deer, gophers, ducks, a red fox, and of course squirrels.    

We are almost finished with our house, we had a contractor do the dry in but we finished most of the interior ourselves.  Still have a few projects but house is livable. 

There is something about fall in the country that is just special.  The crispness to the air, the color of the leaves, the misty fog over the lake on cold mornings.  My personal favorite is seeing pink clouds at sunrise both in the sky and reflected in the lake...beautiful.