My Birthday

I am just now getting around to thanking everyone for all the lovely birthday wishes and to share how I spent my day.

We had been up north for Frank's work conference so when he was done conferencing we left and went to spend the day with our Traverse City Family.  Lili's birthday was the week before mine and I hadn't seen her so the first thing we did is take her out shopping for her birthday gift.

We let her drive.

She did a great job!

And she came home with lots of loot.

Then they took us out for dinner for my birthday.

We went to a restaurant called Fischer's and it was delicious!!

When we got home we played cards and visited and laughed and spilled wine and laughed and had the husbands think they were going to cut us off and laughed and laughed and laughed.

Just one more thing I want to show you.  These were new since I was last there and I was so danged impressed that I had Frank take a photo so I could share it with all of you.

See these paintings?

They were done by Jen, Lil and Spence.

Aren't they wonderful??

Wouldn't they make a great Christmas gift??

Do you think they will get the hint??

My Mother, the Thief

Isn't that a lovely sweater Mom has on?  The only problem is..it is not hers...we think it is Harriet's but Harriet can't remember and says if it is hers Mom can just have it.  

A few weeks ago, I walked into Mom's room and there was a stuffed dog on her chair.  I had seen this stuffed dog before in the cart of another client's walker.  She was very proud of her dog and was showing it to everyone.  When I found it in Mom's room, I thought perhaps it was the resident stuffed dog and that it was her turn to have it.  The next day the dog was back with the other client.

Then I found Mom in a sweater that wasn't hers.  She had no idea where it came from but her sweater was sitting on the back of a chair in the dining area so I switched sweaters leaving the other one on the back of the chair.  

The next inkling we had was when I walked into Mom's room and found some glasses on her night stand.  Mom was wearing her glasses and had no idea where these other glasses had come from so I gave them to the aide and they were returned to the rightful owner.

Last week, Dawn went to put some candy that she had brought Mom into the box that Larry and Mary had sent her filled with goodies.  Dawn opens the box and finds a pair of dentures inside.  Dawn took them to the aide and found out that one of the client's had been missing their's for 3 weeks!!!!!~

Then again today with the sweater....sigh....perhaps she is a kleptomaniac LOL..... 

Secret Recipe Club-Blueberry Margaritas

Woohooooo, it is reveal day for the Secret Recipe Club.  Today is the day that all members of SRC reveal whose blog they were assigned, what they learned about their assigned blogger, what recipe caught their eye and how it turned out when they recreated it.  It is fun!  You should join!  You can find out more about it right here.

This month I was assigned Nicole of I am a Honey Bee. Nic, as she likes to be called, lives in Massachusetts and is an architect.  She has a boston terrier pup, 2 rabbits and a long-time boyfriend.  I wonder how she keeps that terrier from going after those rabbits?  Now that our assignments are revealed, I can ask her!!

Nic has many options for you when you are perusing her recipes.  You can search by category, ingredients, holidays, slow cooker recipes, thirsty Thursday recipes and SRC recipes.  I was so dang impressed.  I can barely remember to add my recipes to my lone, sad, little recipe page.  Ahhhhh to be young and computer savvy.

The Jalapeno Cornbread Poppers caught my eye right away, the only problem is that Frank might eat one or two if they are mild but that is his limit.  I am definitely making the Sweet Pea and Mint Soup...wouldn't that be a wonderful starter for an Easter feast?  And the Fusilli with Fresh Corn and Chicken in a Garlic Cream Sauce is for sure cooking up soon in this household.  The Supreme Pizza Pot Pie will definitely be one of my pizzas for my Year of Pizza Challenge.  There are tons of sides and desserts from which to choose but then, being the teetotaler that I am (not)...I was drawn to Nic's Thirsty Thursday page.

SCORE!!!  There it was...screaming out "Hello Hot, August Summer Day...here I am, pick me!!".  So, I did. I chose to make Nicole's Blackberry Margaritas.  Except, I didn't have any blackberries so I used blueberries.  And it was delicious and refreshing and had quite a kick and we loved them.  Thanks, Nicole.  I enjoyed my visit.

Blueberry Margaritas

adapted from I am a Honey Bee

1 pint of Blueberries

1 T. sugar

1 T. water

Place all ingredients into a food processor and puree until smooth.  Pour through a strainer, reserving juice and discarding solids.

1 c. simple syrup ( you can make this by combining 1/2 sugar to 1 cup boiling water, stir until dissolved)

Juice of 2 limes

3 oz. Triple Sec

6 oz. Tequila

Lime Wedges and sugar for rimming glass

Place strained blueberry puree, simple syrup, Triple Sec and Tequila in small pitcher or carafe and stir until blended.

Rub rims of glasses with lime wedge and dip in sugar.  Fill glass with ice. Pour margarita over ice and enjoy.

Made 2 Jumbo Margaritas.   Print Recipe

I hope this recipe Inspires you.  Stop by Inspiration Monday for more Inspirational ideas!

An InLinkz Link-up

Our Little Bundle of Joy

It is amazing to me, what science and technology allow us to do now a days.  With them we can actually witness God's miracle while still in the womb.

I would like to introduce all of you to our Little Princess, Baby Jacobson.

A wonderful relaxing day...

You know what I did yesterday??  Nothing.

I lounged.
 
I played on the computer.
 
I blogged.

I read.
 
I drank.

I ate.

I relaxed.

I sat on this balcony.

Enjoyed this view.

Then I went and lounged by the pool and enjoyed this view.

There were a dozen hot air balloons up over Lake Bellaire.

It was a beautiful sight to behold.

It brought back wonderful memories of the Hot Air Balloon Ride that Frank took me for the first year we were married.  We went over Traverse Bay and touched down in the Boardman River.  It was beautiful and an experience I will always cherish.

Happy Birthday to Me and The Weekly Menu

Today is my Birthday and I am handling it pretty well.  I sometimes suffer from the Birthday Blues but this year is not so bad.  Probably because I am not home and have other things on my mind.

Frank's conference ends this afternoon and then we will be heading over to my Jen and Randy's house to spend my birthday before heading home tomorrow afternoon.  While I am there I will be taking Lili shopping for her birthday present because this is the first time I have seen her since her birthday.  Jen was nominated to participate in the ASL Ice Bucket Challenge and she (at the prompting of Lil) nominated Frank so when we arrive we will let her and Spence help Uncle Frank with his challenge.  I wonder who he is going to nominate???

On Meatless Monday I will be sharing a Sauce that I make for Pasta using tons of those vegetables that are going crazy in your garden right now.

You might remember from last week's post that we are the proud owners of Turtle Meat so Try it Tuesday is going to be interesting.

Anyway enough with the chit chat....Here is my Weekly Menu.  Enjoy and please stop by each day as I share photos and recipes.  You will also want to stop by MPM for some great menu ideas.

Saturday
Not sure what Jen has planned

Sunday
Heading home-Dinner on the Road

Meatless Monday
Pasta with Grilled Vegetable Sauce

Try it Tuesday
Turtle Soup
Jalapeno Corn Muffins Cheesy Zucchini Bread
Peach/Cherry Clafouti

Wednesday
Korean Beef 
Jasmine Rice

Thursday-Dinner by Karen
Grilled Pork Chops
Roasted Red Skin Potatoes
Grilled Carrots

Fish Friday-Dinner at Mom Klik's
Grilled Salmon
Smashed Redskin Puffs  (pictured above)
5 Bean Salad

Michigan+Washington=Lots of Blog Lovin'

A while ago I told you about a new club I had joined called Local Flavors Swap, in which we are assigned a blogger who lives in another state or country (I guess) and we swap stuff that showcases our local area.

I love, love, love living in Michigan.  We travel quite a bit and we have seen a lot of beautiful places but I still think Michigan is right there in the top 10 for beauty.  But even if it were ugly as sin (and I am glad it is not), I still wouldn't want to go anywhere else because 90% of the people I love are here and the other 10% are scattered everywhere so I couldn't possibly choose anywhere else.

So I was very excited and pleased to be sharing Michigan with my new friend, Jennifer of Inner Workings of the Female Mind.  Jennifer lives in Washington State, loves soccer, high heels and reading.  She is a newlywed with an adorable Goldendoodle.  Jennifer's birthday is in August  and she was married in August just a few years ago.  My birthday is also in August and I love to read so we have those things in common.

Jennifer and I started sending emails to each other as well.  It was nice to make a new friend out here in blogland.

I quickly found some wonderful things to share with Jennifer.  These are things that I would love to receive which is one of the guidelines when joining the swap.  I hoped and prayed that Jennifer would like them and I eagerly awaited my package from her.

I found some wonderful soap made from goat's milk locally as well as a cool mitten ornament that is made in a neighboring city.  I put in some apple chips and blueberry preserves from Northern Michigan and a book about Michigan because I know Jennifer loves to read.  I also threw in some of my homemade pear butter, grape jelly and spiced pickled beets because after all it is her birthday and anniversary month.

On Thursday, August 21, I received my package from Jennifer.  I was very excited...this being my first swap and all and I couldn't wait to dig into it and see what I had gotten.  I am the same way at Christmas and on my birthday.  I love getting gifts and if I know someone has one for me it drives me crazy until I can convince them to give it to me.

Join me and see what wonderful goodies I got.  

The first thing I did was remove and read the letter from Jennifer.

She told me all about Washington and her reasons for the items she sent.

She told me that she loved the ocean and felt blessed to live in a State on the ocean.

Jennifer told me many companies got their start in Washington, including Starbucks.

She said that this mug came from the "first" Starbucks store.

She said that Washingtonians (?) are huge sports fans.

Being from Michigan, I can relate to that!!

She said that one of Washington's main crops was apples.

And being a soccer player and a coach, she of course included Washington's Soccer team.

Another company that had it's beginnings in Washington was Microsoft.

This is where Jennifer currently works.

Isn't this the coolest Local Flavors package ever?!!!

Thanks Jennifer and Thank you Chaotic Goddesses for hosting.