Bunnies!

I am so    excited for spring....  even though we still have  smatterings of snow  lying about...  the temps today are  very promising.. it is 43 now and  will  reach 65....  loving that!!! And with the milder   weather,  the rabbits have been coming out of hiding.... 

Bunnies in the  sunroom are a  very welcoming addition...

 This happy fellow  is my new kitchen helper... he reminds me to eat my carrots!

Amaze Me Monday Pink Saturday Make It Pretty 

Eucharisteo (785-791)

785.  I am thankful for the  presence of the Lord  and His tender mercies especially during times of my most intense struggle and battles  before the evil one
786. I am thankful for the Lord's provision of peace  and  harmony in a  world that seems to  be  flying  apart at the seams
787. I am thankful for the  rivers of life that flow  from  Christian friend  one to the other    that  bind up  hearts and  shed  mercy among  the brethren
788.I am  thankful for the  sunlight coming through the blinds casting the  shadow  of the slats on the floor  but yet  demonstrate  the hope of a  beautiful bright day filled with  the    warming rays from heaven
789.I am thankful for the  study I am doing  about  finding contentment with less... and  learning to  hold loosely on  possessions.   It was so freeing to  take a huge load of items to the  salvation army yesterday....  I must remember that feeling and  choose to do it more and more!
790.  I am so thankful to have this  season of tired,  viral  malaise  behind me and  the ability to join  with  my  sisters in the Lord to  discuss and share  in Bible study....  how precious it is  to  be in unity around the Word of God!
791.  This week  I was  so touched by the  simple words of greeting and  recognition of  many  
folks at church who  genuinely demonstrated  their  delight in seeing me..  from  folks I barely know...  it  warmed my heart   yet it also quickened me to be more attentive  for opportunities to bless others in kind...

Green has Come to My House

               Even with 7 inches of snow  received on Monday,  I have  been  having  a  delightfully merry time  bringing forth  the greens  in our home this week...  and it is working... the snow is melting away today.... I have a wonderful Irish luncheon planned for  Friday,  and then  a couple over for coffee and dessert on Friday evening, so  it has been the impetus to spruce up...  Great fun!  
Because   I remember the stags  of  Dublin's  Phoenix Park.

then the    antlers  are  prominent  on the dining table...

        a short visit to my favorite consignment shop this morning                     produced this  cute  ceramic  blessing plaque...
                 "May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that  
                grow and may trouble avoid you where ever you go"

I am pretty excited about  my new  napkin fold I found on face book recently ... this thin napkin  worked  best of all..

  These thicker  cotton linen   looked pretty good

My Irish linen  damask    ones looked like  great  cinnamon buns!    But as long as they stay in shape.. I'm happy and it is  fun!

I have  4  of my best  friends for lunch Friday,  so  I am alternating  napkin color.. since I can't  find  any other green napkins....    oh, well!

I ordered these 8  salad plates from Replacements  to   use with my  white  dinner plates  ... just to mix it up a bit for  certain seasons... I don't need any more green..  this is just  a right  touch to set off the  sterile white

then at the consignment shop I did find this treasure... a gorgeous decorative plate... to begin a quest for other green display delights... now my clear glass plates will fill in...

 I did find  another  similar plate on replacment I am thinking of ordering for this  plate hanger.

The green doesn't quite show its deep emerald hue,  but I love the folk scene of a shepherd taking his rest by a stream whilst his flock rambles down the path guarded by the faithful sheep dog...

the mark on the back says Homer Laughlin. made in the USA ..after some research this pattern came out in 1951.. a year younger than me!

                                                                 

Well.. I'm feeling great about my luncheon plans now.... now only have to bake up my cottage pie which is similar to shepherd's                                              pie only I use beef..                                        

                                 

                  and I'm making a peach and blueberry clafouti

                                  

Clafoutis

Source: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I; by Julia Child, serves 6-8 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups milk

2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup flour

3 ripe peaches, sliced

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. ground cardamom

powdered sugar, for garnish 

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a blender blend the milk, 1/3 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, cardamom, salt and flour. Pour a 1/4 inch layer of the batter in a buttered 7 or 8 cup lightly buttered fireproof baking dish. Place in the oven until a film of batter sets in the pan (about 2-3 minutes).

Remove from the heat and spread the peaches over the batter. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter. 

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes to an hour. The clafouti is done when puffed and brown and and a knife plunged in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve warm.

Bon appetit!

                                                Table scapeThursday

                                   Home Sweet Home

                             

I Remember Ireland During Leap Year

Return here  for more
It struck me the other day that this is Leap Year... so

I rewatched  the film Leap Year this weekend and  I actually  cried because  there were so many things  I  saw  last year in Ireland  that  were  referred to in the  film..

There  was one  shot where  the couple was driving  along narrow  stone wall lined roads  but  more than that..  the yellow gorse  was  growing prolifically...  just like in this   ad for the film.

We saw gorse everywhere  in mid April

 So  I  found some gorse like  flowers in my  stash and created  a bit of    Blarney  in my living room  

Another favorite scene  of the film was  filmed here  over the  arched bridge of Stephen's Green in Dublin....We walked a few extra   kilometers  to stand  there, as well...  there were so many people there  I waited until we  got past the bridge to  take this shot of hubs!

I wish I could find the still of those magnificent swans  flying up off of the pond..  Im sure  you remember from the film (below is from images)

  but we did see the swans as we stood on the bridge

Also,  Im pretty sure  that the scene  where  the thugs steal    Louie Vitton.. the couple  was walking into  this area

and we were  just right there... almost..  our bus wouldnt make the trip,   we were here  at Moriarity's  and you can see the gap oin the background

 I  bought the painting there to bring home with me..

 this area is right near  Killarney which would be on the way from Dingle to Dublin!

And, of course, the end of the film ... so  romantic.... Im sure shot  on  the   Dingle Peninsula 

 but we saw   this in Northern Ireland..

 The cliffs Of Moher!

Boning up on my Irish at home!

It is so much fun to  bring out the   new seasonal colors and items...
Time to find the soda bread recipe...

Perhaps    reminisce  about  teatime in Dublin last  April!

  I'll  have my  Irish breakfast tea in the morning in my  Royal  Tara  cup...

 I love this time of year!!!

Friends Sharing Tea 
Teacup Tuesday

  Grace at Home

 Thursday Favorite Things
No Place Like Home
 Home and Garden Thursday  

Some Monday Blog Parties

The Simple Woman Daybook 

and a  bit of    party  fun!

For Today...

February 15, 2016

19  and  snowing..  we have about  7 inches at this time

with 3-5 on the way

Outside my window...
from the dining room

from the  living room

 from the library

it was  a fine snow this morning,  then  it poured in huge  flakes,  but now  it  may be   bit of sleet.. a messy day all around..   a good  day to  stay  all tucked up inside!!!!

I am thinking...

this is a  great day to put away  the reds of  valentine's and  start planning the greens of March..  along that line while the  table is clear  I can get the  sewing machine out and  do a bit of  sewing!

I am thankful...

that the meds the ENT prescribed  are working and I am feeling so much better.. that post holiday virus really threw me for a loop!  Thankfully,  prednisone puts a  lilt in my step and  I  get  more done around the house than usual... I intend to take advantage of that!!!

I am wearing...

and probably will wear my pj's and  terry robe all day....  it is my  winter  retirement garb!!!!

I am creating...

I  still have  that lovely  winter  material  that I purchased to make  cute  matching aprons for my sweet girls...  but, also,  I bought some great green Celtic  fabric to make an Irish table runner  which is really  my inspiration for actually getting that  machine out today..

I am going...

to put all the reds of valentines away and  start pulling out the greens of spring....  that will chase away  the winter doldrums and    it marks one step closer to  the  glories of spring

I am wondering...

if my  new purchase  will arrive tomorrow as promised ....
 I must confess to my huge weakness in  transfer ware. It does me no good to  peruse  the Replacements site for when I find a bargain  I cant help myself
2 sets of 4  salad plates in   Johnson Brothers

Fruit Basket design..

due to arrive tomorrow  in the post...  well, I am Irish, after all!
Ok, they were  only 19.99  for each set of 4.. now who could  pass that up!  Now to find  storage space...  oh, my!

I am reading...

not much except my Bible Study work  

I am hoping...

 to get my   new crock pot  this week.. maybe today...  this seems like a great  time  to  make a lovely  chicken stew... yummy for a  cold miserable icy day!!!

I am learning...

to  try to make the most of each  realm of my  existence each day..
  physical...  mental...  spiritual!

In my garden...

I  was inspired by the new lovely porch and garden magazine I  bought at the market this weekend...  such beautiful outdoor spaces...  I want to  do  some  sprucing up this spring!   More on that  at a later day!

In my kitchen...

Since the prednisone is  sending my  blood sugar  levels into the  stratosphere  I  am trying to  eat  less and less carbs so  for brunch today  I have  a lovely  crustless  quiche  in the oven....  yum.. it smells so tasty!!!!

A favorite quote/scripture for today...

A word from our timeless and never  irrelevant Scriptures

1 Cor. 2

6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.9 However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,

what no ear has heard,

and what no human mind has conceived”—

the things God has prepared for those who love him—

10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord

so as to instruct him?”

But we have the mind of Christ.

A peek into one of my days... 

Let's peek in  at our  past Saturday...  Hubs took my out for  dinner to one of my favorite Valentine  restaurants..
Carrabas

Love their  fresh baked bread and dipping sauce

what is it about men that  they  can't see that it might be a nice idea to say, "  Honey...  you might look  better if you'd adjust your jacket.. you know for the photo!"
 I ordered the Tuscan  tenderloin  with Marsala....  doesn't get any better than that!!

One of my favorite things...
I know I shared about  doing this wall a few weeks ago...   it  finished up the  main decor in our  new kitchen...  but  I really do  love   displaying plates on the wall. I didn't get my hangers until I  got my Christmas order from  Amazon... I didn't know where else to get the hangers... but now all I  can think of is  where  else can I hang a plate! HEHEHE

but I am also loving the "Eucharisteo" plaque Amanda  had made for my Christmas present..  hanging it  here  is a great reminder to me to praise the Lord for  all his benefits and blessings...  Ann Voskamp coined the word in her book, One Thousands Gifts... a highly recommended read!!!!

From the board room...

for a bit of Irish inspiration visit 
Farmette. You will find  amazing recipes and  other   Irish  goodies here!

A tidbit!

Post Script

I am  just  ecstatic to  have  valentine's behind me..  time to move ahead  and  enjoy the thrill of coming things....  for one thing... my cousin, Pam is coming  in early  March    to spend a couple of days    digging into our  ancestry...  and share  about our  last years separate

 adventures to Ireland

So  thus  you see   my ambition to  celebrate  my Celtic roots..

 Slainte'

 I am also sharing  on

Bernideen's Tea Time, Cottage and Garden Blog Party