Happy Birthday Pete!

A Terrific 25

Happy Birthday to you - Happy Birthday to you - Happy birthday dear Peter! Happy Birthday to you! You are LOVED by all of us!!

May God continue to bless you and to watch over you. May you have a life that overflows with Joy and abundance. May you grow closer every day to God - and may you have His Peace that surpasses all understanding.

I love you Pete - Love CC

Wordless Wednesday

Say What?

Working on the Garage

Hello Everyone

Well this is what I have been doing all weekend. I decided that I was going to epoxy the garage floor for Paul for his Birthday. I have done one side the single stall side. I spent most of yesterday scrubbing the floor and getting all the stuff off. Today I got everything ready and trimmed the sides but because you only have one hour before the paint can't work anymore I asked Paul to roll the stuff on while I put the little chips of color on it. It really looks nice. You can't walk on it for 17 hours then up anything on it for 72 hours and you have to wait for 7 full days before you can put the car on it. Next weekend I will do the other side with the two stalls and the hall way for storage. That will take a little longer but now that I know what I am doing it should be a lot easier. Will hope everyone had a great weekend.

Love

Emily

5'ish miles at Island Lake Recreation Area

Yup, that's me! Carrie invited me to go on a quick 5 mile hike at Island Lake Recreation Area. It was highlighted in her guidebook as an easy 5 mile trail - sort of true - it wasn't a difficult hike - there were hills to climb but we were okay with that. Rather, the trail wasn't exactly 5 miles - more like six - which doesn't sound like a big deal - but my friend was coming over at 8 that night and we had to get home! So an extra mile was a big deal. We made it just in the nick of time. It took us a couple of hours - about 734 mosquito bites (I'm not exaggerating) - and 42 near death collisions with the mountain bikers to get back to the head of the yellow loop trail. It was a great time!

Here are few of the beautiful sites that we saw along the way!

Wordless Wednesday

Cookbook & Candy Apple Delight

Well - I am closing in on having the recipes entered into the cookbook. When I finish I post a list of all the recipes that I have so that you can send me the ones that you want to include but aren't listed. To keep you all excited about the cookbook - I am going to post a recipe each week! This weeks recipe is a BIG HIT at potlucks - I never bring any home! Candy Apple Delight Salad. I love that this dessert has "salad" in the name! At least it sounds healthy.
Enjoy

Candy Apple Delight Salad
Recipe By :Evelyn Nadeau
Categories : Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient
8 ounces cool whip Lite® -- thawed
16 ounces crushed pineapple -- drained
3 whole granny Smith apple
3 whole snickers candy bar
1/2 cup peanuts

-- Preparation Method--------
Combine cool whip and pinapple in bowl.
Peel, core, and slice apples.
Cut snickers bars into small pieces. Chop peanuts.
Fold all into coop whip mixture.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 266 Calories; 12g Fat (41.8% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 60mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Fruit; 2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : From Grandma Nadeau

I think they call that a "Varmint"!

Oh yes - we have had a few encounters with another kind here at tracy's blue house. It's hard to believe that I am sandwiched in between two major highways, in the middle of the city, and I have Varmints! We have seen quite a few things lurking in the night: skunk, raccoons, opossums, mice, and an occasional rat - yes I said rat.

The question right now is "What on earth did I trap in the garage this week?" I certainly know it had teeth. Apparently, it also has the urge to exercise. Last Thursday I was hopping in my car which was parked in the driveway to go visit my friend Kathy. As I was climbing in I heard a very loud machine like noise - it was really loud and it sounded like it was coming from my garage. What could it be? I pressed the automatic door opener and much to my disbelief - my treadmill was running at full tilt - 10 miles per hour - I was expecting to see smoke come out from underneath the tread. I turned it off and checked the LCD display - it had been on for 3.5 minutes! Holy smokes - what on earth turned that thing on? I unplugged the treadmill to prevent any further events - I can't even imagine the look on that varmint's face when he turned that thing on. I proceeded back to my car and on to my regularly scheduled plan!

Yesterday - Saturday - I was in the garage and noticed a bunch of blue plastic shreds on the ground. I followed the trail to my heavy duty rubbermaid container - the one that had - I say had because there wasn't much left - had the birdseed and grass seed in it. I used the heavy duty container - to keep the varmints out - apparently - it the lid is closed - they'll just find another way in - eat through the container. So after that - I realized I really had a varmint - so Sunday I vowed to clean out the garage. After much procrastination - I started at 3:00 pm!

I parked the cars in the driveway and began tidying up. I love to get that industrial vacuum going - slurping up every cobweb, spider sac, and dirty and disgusting thing that it's path can cross. It feels so satisfying - see you later spider!!! I swept up the little blue shard of plastic and made my way around. Then I began thinking to myself, "who was doing a wood project in the garage - there are wood shavings all over the floor. Wonderful - I guess I'll just vacuum them up with the rest of the mess." I went over to the window to open it and low and behold - more varmint evidence. That varmint must have been trapped in my garage - because he ATE my WINDOW casing - or at least a big chunk of it. That varmint!!!!!!

The folks over here at tracy's blue house now think that the varmint was trapped in the garage, he tried to get out by the window, gave up, and started searching for food. He sniffed out the seed and ate through the container when he couldn't get through it. He felt a little full and decided to take a run on the treadmill until I decided to finally open up the garage door!! What do you think? Crazy, huh?

Raccoon (I saw one sneaking around tonight!), opossum, rat, or squirrel? Let's hope he doesn't return!

We have baby deer

Hi

We have baby deer. We have two moms and three fawns visit us everyday. In fact they are out there right now! One doe has twins and one has one. The picture is of the twins. All three were out there this morning but they were scared off by the door opening to take a picture. They are really getting bigger each day. We also have many many many birds. I have to fill the bird feeder each day sometimes twice. I will include bird pictures in the future. In the meantime I hope you enjoy the fawns.

Emily

Thought you might like to see the sweater done

Hello All

I thought you would like to see the sweater that I was working on while visiting this 4Th of July. I finished all the hand embroidery and trim. Paul talked me into photographing all my projects to keep a record of them. So those of you that I have done things for I will be asking to take a picture or two to add to the file. He thinks that I lost track of all the things I have made. I think he is right! so I hope you enjoy seeing this one

Emily

a Yummy U.P. Lunch at Barb's Pasties

Tim, Carrie, and I had a yummy U.P. lunch. We picked up pasties from Barb's Pasties in Clawson. They were yummy but certainly not good as Grandma's!

Concert of Colors and Harry Madness!

Tonight I had the opportunity to visit with some friends who went on the South Africa trip this year. We ate went to Mexicantown in downtown Detroit for dinner at Los Galanes Restaurant. We all had the buffet - boy was I stuffed - tamales, enchilades, beans, veggies, tortillas! It was delicious. We then went to Orchestra Hall for the Concert of Colors. I went last year to see Ladysmith Black Mambazo who is a phenomenal group!! They were featured on Paul Simon's Graceland album. Anyhow, tonight we saw Hugh Masekela who is a South African jazz artist who participated in the Graceland album but is most noted for his song Grazing in the Grass . He actually played jazz in Detroit at Baker's Keyboard Lounge in his early days.

The concert was quite late and we stopped back at my friend Shelly's house afterward - so I was driving home and was able to see the Harry Potter Madness unfold. I passed several bookstores on my way home and there were lines circling around them - just to get the final book of the series called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. As I rode through downtown Royal Oak - I saw many people walking home with their books! It was a riot to see at 12:15 AM - that's right - it's just past midnight!! The reviews are already coming out and they are of course - raving. My friend Carrie is at Borders with our librarian friend, Kathy, to get Kathy's copy. Carrie - pre-ordered and is guaranteed to have her copy in the mailbox tomorrow. I am not necessarily crazy about Potter - not really for - not completely against Potter - but I am glad that it has ignited the fever to read. It is my feeling that reading is a KEY element to educational success. Part of me, though, has to wonder what this world would be like if folks were as "crazy" and "excited" about getting a copy of the Bible. I do believe - this world would be a different place!!

Well that's all for now - it's late out.
p.s. I added lots of recipes to the cookbook today!

Tracy's Pick!

I thought I'd share with you about the daily devotional book that was recently given to me: Streams in the Desert, by L.B. Cowman, Edited by James Reimann. I have been reading it every day (at least trying to) and have really been refreshed by these streams. You can check out some of the entries at back to the Bible.

Tourtière: research for the family cookbook

So I have been working on the cookbook (thanks Debbie - for getting me going on that again). I was looking at some of the edits we had made and I came to Carol's wonderful beef and pork pastry dish. I had titled the recipe as "French Tourteries" from Carol's notes but as we came to that recipe when we were doing the edits, we decided that it was torte "care". Somewhere deep in my mind it was aunt "CAR"ol's torte! What a wild imagination. Anyhow - Linda and I wrote sp? next to the "Tourteries" and rewrote something like "Torteccaire". Have we just been pronouncing this wrongly? So what is it? a Teries or Care?

Here is an interesting blog posting about tourtière.
And an interesting CBC radio show debating the wonderful world of Tourteries.

First Fruits . . . make that vegetables!

Top:Herb Garden
Bottom:Tomatillo

Top:Green Peppers,Zucchini, Cucumber
Bottom:Purple cone flowers

I love July because the first vegetables start coming in. So far this year we have English cucumbers (they are delicious), zucchini, and green peppers. In addition, we moved the herbs to the planter attached to the garage so they aren't getting full sun all the time - and wow - they are growing out of control. The guinea pigs love it because they have fresh parsley and basil to munch on. The weather here has finally cooled off - it is very pleasant now - low humidity and 70 degrees F! Hooray I hope you are all doing well - I would love to hear from you!

what season are you?

Find out what season you are by following the link below and then let us know!

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

What Season Are You?

New Family Photos

We had a chance to take some pictures this past week.

Happy 4th of July

Dear God - Please watch and keep over our country. We long to preserve the freedom we have to freely worship You here. Turn our hearts toward You - and shine Your face upon us. Amen

Fathers. . .

Hello Everyone - It has been a LONG and TIRING week. I am leaving today for South Africa. There are 18 people on our team who are going to serve the Zulu people of South Africa. We have been preparing since January this year and now have 54 bags to check in and 18 more to carry on loaded with many generous donations of medicine and medical supplies. I am so thankful even if it has mean some really late nights. It is such a privilege for me to go and I am so thankful to all of you who supported me in so many ways.

The only BIG bummer about going on this trip at this time is that I am going to miss FATHER's DAY. I know that we have some of the BEST FATHER's a Family could ever have. They are loving, supportive, kind, generous, provide good counsel, love to have fun, and well . . . they are so many things I could say.

I am overflowing with thankfulness for my Dad, my Grandpa, and my uncles. They are so so so special to me. Love you, Tracy

Tim's new job

I accepted a new teaching position as Director of Bands at Rochester High School in Rochester, MI.

Rochester High School has approximately 1800 students and is one of three schools in Rochester. It was built in 1955 and renovated in 2002.

Rochester is home of the Falcons; blue and white are our colors. The band program has over 200 students in 3 concert bands and a marching band.

I'm looking forward to this new adventure especially starting at the end of July when I take the band to marching band camp on the campus of Michigan State.

For Better or For Worse!

Today's For Better or For Worse reminded me so much of Grandpa. I thought you all might enjoy reading it as well. Click here to read!