Quiet Trees: 2005

Saturday, December 31, 2005

Happy New Year Articles

Happy New Year!

Let Your New Years Be Kind
http://www.amomslove.com/hol-kindyear.html
Provide journals. (You might place the guys in front of the T. V.)You can pick some up at a dollar store or even rather well priced atyour favorite grocery store.

This Year's Resolution? Simplify!Stephania Munson
http://www.amomslove.com/hol-newyears-simplify.html
"With a nod to Thoreau, we can put a lot of life in sharper perspective by listening to what this early American thinker discovered during his self-imposed exile at Walden Pond:'...men labor under a mistake. The better part of the man is soon plowed into the soil for compost....'"

Learn how to make your homeschool more fun and a natural part ofyour day-to-day life.• Simple, stress-free steps to teaching your child to read.• What questions you should ask to help you determine yourphilosophy of education.copy and paste in your browser
http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/subscribe/secrets.php?hop=amomslove

Make It a Goal to Make Resolutions!by Sue Dickinson
http://www.amomslove.com/hol-newyears-goal.html
"I don't think anyone can go through a New Year's Eve without at least considering setting some "New Year's Resolutions". You know the standard resolutions: lose weight, make more money, spend less money, exercise. So many people make resolutions, but so often they are forgotten..."

Lose weight for New Years:
http://www.amomslove.com/health-staymomdiet.html

History of Modern New Year's Celebrationsby Michelle Gonzalez
http://www.amomslove.com/hol-newyears-history.html
"The tradition of celebrating the beginning of the New Year actually dates back as early as approximately 2000 B.C. - about 4000 years ago. The ancient Babylonians would begin an 11 day celebration with the first day of the New Moon after the Vernal Equinox (beginning ofSpring)."

5 Ways to Kick the Procrastination Habit!by Julie Plenty
http://www.amomslove.com/hol-newyears-procrastination.html
"How many of us rush around doing things at the last minute? How many times have we mentioned something that we felt we ought to do and said "yes, I'll get round to it" - but "it" never happens.Procrastination means to "defer action" and is a great delaying tactic - but it rarely serves us well,unless we know what's behind it and what to do about it...."

A Moms Love New Year's Menu
http://www.amomslove.com/moms-party.html

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

New Years Eve Menu and Recipes

A Moms Love New Year's Menu
by Caroline Shaw

Sweet 'n Sour Meatballs(recipe below)
tortilla cream cheese and salsa wraps(then slice into pinwheels)
potato chips
black diamond white cheddar cheese
pecorino cheese
pumpernickle bread
breton crackers
kielbassa from the strip
(http://www.neighborsinthestrip.com/)
salad with cukes lettuce tomatoes and homemade french...
(oil, vinegar, sugar, honey, paprika, salt, pepper)

gingerale, coke and sparkling grape juice

Sweet 'n Sour Meatballs

2 lbs. Ground beef
½ cup of bread crumbs
1 tsp. Salt ¼ tsp. Pepper
1 medium onion chopped
2 eggs
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Shape into 1-1/2 inch balls.
Brown meatballs in oil and drain fat.

Sauce for Meatballs

4 tbsp. Of brown sugar
3 tbsp. Of cornstarch
1 cup of water
2 cans of pineapple chunks (reserve syrup)
1 cup of syrup... from cans of pineapple
6 tbsp. Of apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp. Of soy sauce
4 green peppers cut into 1 inch pieces

In large skillet add sugar, and cornstarch tobrowned meatballs. Stir in water, syrup, vinegarand soy sauce. Heat mixture until boils andthickens, stirring constantly. Add pineapple,green pepper. Simmer covered, 15 to 20 minutes See http://www.amomslove.com/moms-party.html
and http://www.amomslove.com/hol-home-newyears.html

Friday, December 23, 2005

Christmas Articles on AMomslove.com

Christmas Hints

Read Best Gift Stories Here:
http://www.amomslove.com/contests-stories.html

OK I am making a list and checking it twice.
Stay tuned to AMomsLove Holiday Gift Guide:
Page One: ...gorgeous rings, candles,side tables, flatware!
http://www.amomslove.com/shopping-christmas.html

Page Two:"Honey, buy me anything on this page!"
http://www.amomslove.com/shopping-christmas2.html

Page Three:...something for everyone.
http://www.amomslove.com/shopping.html

Watch for more!

Christmas Hints:
Ask for extra boxes at stores,Take advantage of charity gift wraps

Last minute gifts:
candles, magazine subs (Vogue, Country Living)framed photos of you and your friend, the kids,an artful landscape you took on vacation,

Biscuit mixes, cookie mixes, brownie mixes in a pretty jar, make a tin of your favorite tea bags in a satin pouch or decorated tin,
Bath Care Set (lotion, shampoo, bath salts,loofahs...from a DrugStore or Grocer.
Bake cookies package in brown paper bags with ribbon...line with
foil or wax paper.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

So GQ

Chuck at Door for Mistletoe

Friday, December 09, 2005

Check out Incredible Christmas Music Light Display

You have to check out this guy's genius and these lights...although I don't get the peace sign??
http://members.cox.net/transam57/lights.wmv
and read the story on the guy that designed the display from a town north of Cincinnati.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/09/eveningnews/main1115306.shtml

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Before Christmas

We are waiting for a big snow storm here in Western PA.
Nice time to cozy up before a fire, or say, The Apprentice:)
Going to snuggle in and do a couple of lesson plans on the couch
and wait for the snow to begin falling.

I only wish we were in cook forest to watch the snow fall in a cabin.

Friday, November 25, 2005

The Day After Thanksgiving

We had a very nice Thanksgiving, except...Rachel,Peter and Julie,Joey were in Kansas, Gretchen,Nate, Sam were in Philly and Bridgie was at work (she popped in later tho and enjoyed the food)

We had Turkey, Stuffing, succotash, cranberry sauce, asparagus, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, thanks to Mr. Birchler's garden:)
Pumpkin and cherry pie for dessert.

Kelly, Dad, Damon and Charlie...and Bridgette and me were all at our table.

Mom

Saturday, November 19, 2005

A Few Days Before Thanksgiving

Hello,

Hope you are having a wonderful Saturday.

I just posted a couple of recipes for Thanksgiving.

One is Simple Butternut Squash:
http://amomslove.com/hg-recipes-thanksgiving-butternut.html

and
the other is Sweet Potato Casserole:
http://amomslove.com/hg-recipes-thanksgiving-sweetpotato.html

My husband is blowing leaves outside.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Decorate Naturally for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving…..if you are lucky enough to have wood floors: What an exquisite natural backdrop for Thanksgiving decorating.

Please find a wonderful tall rattan vase

And go out in your yard and pick some dried plants that will nicely complement the wood.
Place this as the centerpiece on your table or mantle.

Of course you can gather pine cones and dried gourds at your grocer and craft shop…place those around your centerpiece and throw some dried leaves as a muted yellow orange brown backdrop. The hydrangeas and marigolds, mums, asters can make a nice arrangement for your side tables.

Load this wonderful bowl with fruit and vegetables…acorn, butternut squash as a woodsy accompaniment to your natural décor. While you are out shopping make sure you pick up some fabulously fall fabric to drape over your windows as valances and across your mantle and buffet. Arrange some sheer material around your centerpieces to create an ethereal mist. Gather the grape vines and make some swags for your doorway or wreaths as door welcomes. Find a wonderful brass tray place some brown, pumpkin, cream, pillar candles. Your home can be sooo inviting…Want to make a quick but exciting change cheaply?

Throw around oriental runners and area rugs. I can't begin to tell you the wonder that lace curtains, scarfed valances from sheer fall colored material and fall colored runners and area rugs can do to your Thanksgiving atmosphere in your home for your guests.

And look at the prices here on ebay….Here is a beaut!

So you have the centerpieces, the candles, the swags, scarves, runners, rugs, fruited bowls… Now all you need is the food: Check out two great menus and recipes:
From The Stallion Store and
Lorrie Ann Danner's Complete Thanksgiving Dinner
Please remember to have somegrateful cider:
Caroline

Just remember …you don't have to use all these ideas. You don't want to have to take all this down to prepare for Christmas that's just around the corner.
Complete Thanksgiving Menu and Recipes by Lorrie Ann Danner http://www.amomslove.com/hg-recipes-thanksgiving.html

Friday, November 11, 2005

Decorate for Thanksgiving

Years of having to make do have turned me into a…"There must be someway I can do this cheaper type person."
My old new house needs total make over. We are thinking about moving into my MIL's house. So I am walking around looking and thinking, my goodness, this will be way too much to do and then the old, "There must be someway I can do this cheaper type person" kicks in and I think, yah, there must.
First curtains need to be put up on the windows. I will check all of Grandma's fabric…and she has tons, and see if some of it can be salvaged for window treatments. Gee, today all you really need is a nice wooden Venetian blind and a swag or scarf.
I am thinking about sticking with the umbers I see outside this time of year (November). I already bought my border for the kitchen at a B&B we went to a couple of weeks ago, and it kind of has a sultry tone to it. You can do the same thing with fabric. Just take a quick trip to Wal-mart's fabric Dept. They are always getting rid of material at bargain prices. If you are doing a dining room for Thanksgiving, do swags/scarf for the windows and a table cloth, placemats and napkins.
It really wouldn't take as long as you think. Put up some lace curtains and make a scarf from the fabric you use for your table cloth..or maybe you have a plain white table cloth already available. Just make a runner that matches your window scarves, napkins and placemats.

Now what about the centerpiece? I like this idea on about.com Just has some greens and Fall leaves, candles…well, take a look: About.com It's one where you can just remove the fall leaves and replace with berries for Christmas. Saving time is what it's all about. Put up some wreaths on the doors and over the mantle. A simple grape vine with dried flowers in fall tones is nice. Use some wire ribbon to make a bow.
Put up plain candlesticks with fall colored candles and don't forget the whole theme of Thanksgiving is giving thanks for our bounty. Use displays of fruit and gourds, pumpkins and mums. Get out an old watering can and fill it with leaves to place on the porch, any old galvanized buckets? Put wheat or tall dried grass display in your bucket. Don't forget the grapes. Take a nice glass pedestal compote and cascade different varieties.
If you have a garden, pile the day's garden harvest into a wheel barrow at the back door.
Just remember …you don't have to use all these ideas. You don't want to have to take all this down to prepare for Christmas that's just around the corner.
Complete Thanksgiving Menu and Recipes by Lorrie Ann Danner http://amomslove.com/hg-recipes-thanksgiving.html

Friday, October 28, 2005

Music and for Your Halloween Party

Top Spot
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It is also a home business that your whole family will enjoy! My 2 year old daughter's eyes light up every time we open a jar and take a sniff of each incredible scent.
There are 3 ways to make money. You can retail this wonderful product, you can do fundraisers to help support organizations in your community and you can build a team of other excited candle lovers!
Please take a minute for yourself and discover a fun, exciting new home business and enter to win a free 16 oz. jar candle athttp://www.CandleDreams.ws
Sign up for the refundsweepers newsletter and get free updates on freebies, coupons and bargains! Available to U.S. residents only. http://www.refundsweepers.com/
Halloween Funhttp://amomslove.com/hol-halloween.html This article has it all...face paint, recipes, you name it.
http://amomslove.com/hol-halloween-homeandhearth.html Jello Brains and Finger Eclairs
Spooky Recipes Vegetable Lice and Deviled Eggs
Jack-O-Lantern Cookies
Music for Halloween:
Bright Eyes
Funeral Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Transatlanticism Death Cab For Cutie
Friends of AMomsLove Halloween Links Keep Your Kids Safe This Halloween Halloween Safety Tips How to Carve a Pumpkin and More Family Corner Halloween Pages
Work at Home Story: Excited about my Life and Family
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Subscribe: amomslove-subscribe@yahoogroups.comThe Loveliest, Coolest list on the net.

Monday, October 17, 2005

Red's Drink

Here is Red getting his drink from the bird bath.
Red is an alley cat that my mil took in. He is the gentlelest of cats.
we have mice and Red thinks of them as friends.
There is a stray kitten on the property...Red takes care of him.

Sunday, September 18, 2005

WorkatHome Story: My Family to Yours

Work at Home Story
From My Family to Yours
by Jen Baird

My name is Jen Baird, and I live in Corpus Christi, Texas with mythree children and husband.

I am blessed to have this large family,working from home around my family's schedule and to be currentlybuilding the house of our dreams, however, my life wasn't anything
like this just three years ago.I was a single mom of one little girl and living paycheck to
paycheck at a full-time Corporate America job spending most of my
income on rent and daycare. Plus, my daughter had been chronically
ill since birth with severe allergies and asthma, vomiting phlegm
several times a day, several days a week since birth. Medicines and
breathing treatments were routine and didn't help much at all.

Like many moms out there, I wanted to find the answers to how
Icould spend more time with my child and stop spending all of that
money on daycare and of course how I could make my little girl
well. I looked for a business I could do at home after work that
would bring me an extra income. I found a team called Stayin' Home& Lovin' It
and set an appointment with a lady named Cyndi who toldme all about her team
and amazing company. Our lives haven't beenthe same since.

I spent five hours a week, Monday through Friday on my home business
at night after I got my daughter home from daycare, receiving checks
each and every month that continued to grow in size. Within two
years I totally replaced my full-time income with residual monthly
income from my home based business with Stayin' Home & Lovin' It
which allowed me to pull my child from daycare and leave that full-time job.

I worked my business from home around my schedule, with
no distributing or collecting money and without calling people who
weren't expecting to hear from me and without any risk whatsoever.
The best part of all, is the team led me to the answers that I was
looking for on ridding my child of her allergies and asthma and
Iwas able to do that in less than one month!

If you are looking for answers too, please let our Stayin' Home &Lovin' It Team
assist you in finding them. I have plenty ofpartners ready to help,
all you have to do is ask.
Jen Baird – Email: MyShaliTeam@yahoo.com
Stayin' Home & Absolutely Lovin' ItVisit:
http://www.GetWAH.info and click GET MORE INFO
Call and leave a message for an appointment toll-free 877-216-1940
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Friday, June 10, 2005

Bridgette and Chuck

After Bridgette's Graduation...dinner at Olive Garden

Bridgette at Olive Garden after

Bridgette with Friend

Bridgette on right with friend.

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Graduation

Bridgette will be graduating tomorrow! I can look out the library window and see her practicing on the
field of the high school....I was fine yesterday until they played pomp and circumstance.

She is the first of my babies to graduate. I had three sets of kids...Those in the 70's (two...'70 and '74) one in the 80's (1980) and these guys...late 80's (87 and 88...three)... We always refered to them as "The Babies."
So the first of the babies is graduating from high school.

It's a good thing I started a garden...will help take my mind off Bridgie growing up so quickly!

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Gardening Again!

Finally after years and years it seems, I put in a vegetable garden.
Oh...what therapy. I do not need prozac or whatever the new calm
me down pill is this year, just give me some dirt and a shovel and
let me play.

I put in three different lettuces: romaine, endive and red leaf, 10 tomato
plants, 9 pepper plants...hot banana, cubanelle, orange and green; 10 pole beans,
three cukes, some green onions, radishes herbs: parsley, thyme, dill, oregano, basil,
rosemary and lavender.

In my Pumpkin Garden...I have no pumpkins:(...looked everywhere for seeds but couldn't find

any...so I put in acorn squash(2), butternut(2), eggplant(1), zuchini, crookneck and watermelon.

I tried something different...my kids raked leaves and never moved them so I put the pumpkin

garden in the leaves..nice mulch...we'll see how this goes.

I used a book called The Backyard Vegetable Factory by Duane Newcomb...published by Rodale Press in

1988. It is fabulous..has quite a few templates for gardens.

My Potting Station.

Looking at Tomatoes and peppers.

Vegetable Garden...herbs and lettuce

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Kennywood

We are on our way to Kennywood today, I am just waiting for my hair to dry a little before I blow dry it.
All the kids are going, two of my esl students are coming with me:)

I am just a little sad cause my hubby wont be able to make it.

It's a beautiful day...all the birds are chirping outside my sunroom.

Monday, May 30, 2005

Well, Memorial Day is almost over.
We had some nice company at our new house...we
still do not own it..waiting on the bank to decide,
but,
beautiful backyard, even tho it rained it was very
nice...on an off and just made the colors most wonderfully
green,

What a way to have a picnic.
I was out all day getting graduation invitations taken
care of....by the way kinkos must get an atta boy,
got a great price because I had to wait longer than expected.
Yay, Kinkos..good publicity.

I did my memorial day pages, and the most
heartfelt part of the journalism
was the discovery of the Quilts for Soldiers Site
"I gave away another quilt, and the big bad Marine cried. He is still on crutches, but he assures me he would have no problem carrying it to the car. It was one of the larger ones, and his wife said they will snuggle under it together."
USMC Twenty-Nine Palms--May 2005 "

You have to go on the site and look at the pictures of those soldiers who
received quilts.
It makes you want to grab your heart and say, "Stop NOW!"
Thank you guys and gals, for your sacrifice!
http://www.quiltsforsoldiers.com
"

So I say I love you every
soldier as you are
i love you every
soldier where you are
i cooked thanksgiving dinner
for you
i cooked picnic memorial day
for you.

i love you

Ownx