Lilac Love

I was born and raised in Arizona, in the desert, where a shrub is often considered a tree, and the total rainfall seen in a year's time is maybe a couple inches...for the entire year! So, moving to luscious, green, rainy Washington has been a complete night and day transformation to what I am used to on a day to day basis, and I am LOVING it! I must admit, I miss the vibrant Arizona sunsets and laying out in the sun trying to see how tan I can get every summer, but who could possibly ask for more, when surrounded by all these lilac bushes. It's like they grow wild here. I've been driving around the Air Force Base (where we now live), trying to find lilacs that do not seem to be already claimed in one way or another, they're not in someone's yard or in a very public place where just anyone driving by could see me, JUMP out of my car, run over to the bush with a pair of scissors and snatch up as many as my arms can hold, and rush back to the car before being seen as some crazy person who has never seen a lilac bush before in their entire life. Funny thing is, I have seen lilacs before. My parents had a bush growing in their back yard, that on some years would be abundant with bright, beautiful, amazing smelling lilacs. Since I was a child, my favorite scent has always been that of a lilac, and now my nose is in heaven as I walk through my house that is full of fresh {stolen} lilacs. I had fun doing a photo shoot with them in my light box. Enjoy!

Visualize Peace

My Sweet Serenity image has been published in Literacy Head magazine. Literacy Head is an online, subscription based magazine whose goal is to provide educators with weekly instruction ideas for their students that explore the connections between textual literacy and visual literacy. A big part of what they do involves the use of artwork to help teach different reading and writing concepts.



Sweet Serenity was paired with the term "peace" to illustrate what the word means. Thank you Literacy Head for choosing my work to be displayed in your magazine as a representation of Peace.

Cowboy Cookie Recipe

My husband recently informed me that it makes him feel special when I make him cookies, so yesterday I got out the family recipe book and made my grandma's amazing Cowboy Cookie Recipe.



Cowboy Cookies - Recipe By Barbara Reichmuth (my grandma)

1 Cup - Margarine (I used butter)
1 Cup - White Sugar
1 Cup - Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp. - Vanilla
2 Cups - Flour
1/2 tsp. - Baking Powder
1 tsp. - Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. - Salt
6 oz. - Chocolate Chips (I did about double this because I am a chocolate nut)
2 Cups - Quick Oatmeal, uncooked

Cream margarine in mixer. Add white sugar, then brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat 1 minute. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and soda together in separate bowl. Stir flour mixture into batter with spoon. Add oats and chocolate chips. Mix well and drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yield: 8 dozen amazingly scrumptious cookies.



ENJOY!

My Daughter's New Favorite Book - "Tickle Monster"

With bright eyes and great enthusiasm, my daugther (Addison, we call her Addie for short) brought me her new favorite book this morning and crawled into my lap.


"Tickle Monster" by Josie Bissett is the story about a loveable monster with big puffy mitts who has just arrived from Planet Tickle. His mission is to bring joy and laughter to planet Earth. How? By doing what he does best, tickling his lovies!

With a great rhyme and cues for when and where to tickle, I enjoy this book just as much as Addie. We both squirm and giggle until it is difficult to breath. I also just discovered these Magical Tickle Monster Mitts. Which we are going to have to buy next, they're designed so your fingers are free to turn pages and tickle too.