Great Moments with grandchildren....too many to recall...but ...

Starting with our last morning, and looking back through the week!

Beautiful teenage Lilia sleeping, I had to wake her so she could join us for breakfast!

Young Bindley in his Batman robe! Waiting for gluten free pancakes which his dad was making!

Steve playing with the three youngest! (Girls in nightgowns by me, pj bottoms are batman...also by this grandma!)

A lovely relaxed dinner on Christmas Day!

Opening gifts on Christmas morning with Nanny Donna too!

Santa brought a tent for the youngsters!

Children making Tasha Tudor's sugar cookies!

And decorating them with the neighbor children!

My sweet Nina...

And darling Sophie!

 

Laura, super-mom, gets a gingerbread house built!

And lest we forget the dramatic introduction, on this visit,to life with little ones, here is Sophie......and a tale of misadventure.....

A little while after our arrival, she was left unattended for a bit ( duh! I should have known!) ...she went into her teenage sister's room, got a jar of Mod Podge , applied some to the mouse and mouse pad...then carried it into the bathroom, settled herself onto the floor, poured out the rest of the jar and played in it with her hands....then she was tired, so she just lay down in it! Fortunately I found her just then and the tub and shower were right there for "easy"? clean-up!

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So now we head home, and carry these memories with us! Sweet children at breakfast this morning....

Nina and her brother's phone, on which she plays games...

And Sophie, sorting her bacon from the pancake pieces!

One last group shot before we depart!

 

Some memories of Christmas

In no particular order....

Nina and Sophie trying to find and reach candy canes on their tree! I remember their mother, my daughter doing the same!

Laura and the little ones having a tea party on the new table given to them by a friend.

A sweet tired Nina fell asleep at the dinner table....a memory which Mom is recording with her iPhone.

Sophie's delight and amazement on Christmas morning!

Christmas Eve ....grandson has just put out cookies for Santa and all stockings are hung!

Nina decorating those cookies!

Dusk on the lake behind their house.....Santa will come tonight!

Not my favorite photo of me, but I love Lilia's sparkle! [eyes not braces!]

A sleepy granddad taking Christmas morning photos!

Lilia showing her new ring!

My new ring....with black onyx and pearls.

Above, the night before....below, the morning after!

We are so blessed!

Back to projects...cooking and sewing

Last night I made this pistachio fudge! So PRETTY, tastes great too!

I made one change in this recipe, I substituted a box of instant pistachio pudding mix for 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar. It made it even nuttier in taste!

*****************************************************************************I have finally photographed two little dresses I made for Nina Kate and Sophie Jane....Size 3!

Above a photo of Sophie Jane and Nina Kate in the dresses on Dec. 26, 2013!
More sewing for the twins....Today, I am sewing two little fleece jackets using remnants of micro fleece! One is dreamsicle orange, the other is twirly, fluffy rosettes of pink, white and yellow! Will come back with photos later!

Yes, I do layer my fabrics to cut two at a time! One of the little risky ways I can't resist! now to go and find my interfacing fabric.....

Christmas us coming....10 days to go!

We tried a new recipe for Pull-apart pepperoni breadUses pizza dough, so we used gluten free dough,
(Available from Bob's Red Mill).

Use your favorite marinara sauce for dipping. Bake with lots of cheese and pepperoni...I added Canadian bacon too!
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My daughter has her beautiful tree up and shining!

I am working on some gifts. Fleece has been on sale so I have made some throws for family members!

A pink camouflage inspired throw for a sister in law who loves to hunt! And this throw with horses for a brother!

I attended a very sweet wedding yesterday in a town nearby.

The beautiful, happy bride! As she says, now, about herself, "Sadie, Sadie, married lady!"

I love her darling outfit, the beautiful flowers, and the wedding cake was red velvet with a white and black polka dot frosting! Might be inspiration for a painting soon!
Probably no painting until next year....we'll see!

Posted with BlogsyPull-apart pepperoni bread

Not that I'm catching up.....or anything.....

I'm not much of a blogger lately.  It all started when Blogger made changes which have been hard for me to work with.  Then we changed to a different camera and I haven't made that transition well either.

Last week, I took an even different gadget, my new iPad, along to my daughter's where I was to babysit 4 grandchildren while their parents had brief break in the Caribbean.  

So, I have lots of photos now on the iPad, but haven't been able to publish the blog posts from it...[.I'm still learning, and "yes" I do have the book  iPad for Dummies for Seniors!]

It was an intense week, and almost fun....I'm just not used to being "on" all the time...but do LOVE those grandkids!

At 18 months the twins are amazing! Nina Kate is on top of everything and never misses a beat. Here she is checking out the ornaments on the tree which her mom had just decorated before I was to leave.

Sophie Jane is a real brunette beauty and quite willing to be laid back and to let Nina be the boss...[I would post photos of Sophie, too, but have still to transer them to this computer.]

Once I got home, I was delighted to see that our amaryllis is bursting with color! Now I am doing some watercolor paintings of it. [photos to come, I hope!]

And I was also able to get our tree set up.  This year we have a quiet "empty nest" Christmas, but I don't think that will be too bad after all the "excitement" I have had recently!

May you all have a wonderful season and a time of blessings in the coming year!

Christmas mice? All creatures great and small......fun for the children!

You can find the recipe and links to more here .

A few minutes ago in our front yard.....the Red Sunset Maple tree was planted and watered.

It is our Christmas gift for each other and one day may look like this!

It replaces a huge elm tree with we lost last year! I feel so good about having a thing of beauty to

enjoy!

Right now, I have one Fuyu persimmon which I was using for still life painting. I am through with the paintings. Mom says, "You need to do something with that persimmon!" OK, Mom! LOL!

It is wonderfully and lusciously ripe so I have "mushed" it up ( my word meaning that I made it into mush in the food processor!) and am making some persimmon muffins....the one persimmon made 1/2 c. of persimmon pulp.

Off to google a recipe now!

[Here is a link to an NPR program about persimmons. Very informative!]

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F

I found a recipe from recipeland.com [this is the recipe, I halved it].

Persimmon Muffins

1c. flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. allspice

1/4 t. mace

1/4 t. cloves

1 cup ripe persimmon pulp

1/4 c, vegetable oil

1/3 c. honey

2 large eggs

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. walnuts.

Make persimmon pulp in food processor. Add wet ingredients. gently add dry ingredients.

Pour into prepared muffin tins and bake at 350-375 for 12-15 min.

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We are changing out our old computer for a new one. This has made getting posts done more complicated....as we learn how to load and save photos, etc. It won't even publish the post once I write it! So I will publish from Mom's computer!

I had a wonderful weekend and was too busy for a few days, with company to get a post done. My sister and my aunt were able to come for a few days. Because they were here, my two brothers and their wives came over too!

We had a wonderful time and now look forward to more company over the holidays when our children and their families are coming.

So, today in addition to making persimmon bread. I have been up and down a step stool ( a good one!) hanging more Christmas lights. I do NOT go on the roof....but we have well lit bushes and windows! Now off to buy another extension cord and some ornament hangers!

[Getting the indoor tree up too!]

How are you decorating this year?

Our last morning in Georgia.....why not make a special breakfast?
Panetonne Bread Pudding! I have "googled" and read several recipes. I think this will be a wonderful last meal with our loved ones and will get us started onthe drive home through, Georgia, Tennesee and Arkansas!

Now down to put it together, ready to bake in the morning!
[Image and recipe available at "Wives with Knives" blog.]

Christmas Morning in Georgia....(looking back through the photos we brought home!)


A bike and helmet from Santa waits for Lilia. She carries her little brother carefully down the stairs. [He is a load!]


We all watch as they find their treasures! [Grandkids are the best gift of all!!!!]