~ Sweet History ~

The average American eats about 22 pounds of candy each year!

...more than 12,000 M&M's !

Nearly nine billion pieces of candy corn was produced in 2006.

The oldest branded candy is good and plenty.

Tell me what's your favorite treat:

Peanut *butter *cup

Milky*way

Kit*Kat

Tootsie*rolls

candy*corn

M*M's

And don't tell me you don't eat candy, because I won't believe it for a second!

***see stats above!

Here's some shots of my favorite little guy over the past few years...

Here's Alex with some of his friends at a "Halloween Bash " at a local park!

~ Wordless Wednesday ~

For more " Wordless Wednesday "...click here.

Enjoy the season...

" Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower "

Albert Camus

***

I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.

So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.-

Nathaniel Hawthorne

***

The hazy, cloudless skies of Indian Summer.

Leaves scurrying down the street before the wind.

The cold shiver from an arctic blast.

The last warmth of the sun.

Chilly mornings and glorious warm afternoons.

The Harvest Moon.

The Rainy Season.

Dry corn stalks clattering in the wind.

The touch of frost on grass and window pane.

The smell of burning leaves.- Keith C. Heidorn

~ Saturday Photo Hunt ~

This week's theme : PINK

For more "Saturday Photo Hunt" fun... click here!

~ Wordless Wednesday ~

Fish tank cleaning from the " inside out " at the Sandcastle hotel at Virginia Beach.
For more ~ Wordless Wednesday ~ entries, click here.

* See it Sunday *

This week's theme is: sky

~ Sunrise sky over the city ~

If you would like to take part in " See it Sunday " just click here!

~ Words for Life's Journey...

There is a large cemetery in our neighborhood ~ my father is buried there. It's a peaceful place with tree-lined streets and very little traffic. I stopped there today, and decided to spend an extra hour or so walking. I was on my way back to the car, when another car pulled up near mine and parked.
A young man, that looked to be about 30 or so, got out and walked up the hillside to what appeared to be a new grave. He knelt down and brushed the fallen leaves off the gravestone. I was still a good distance away and I don't even think that he noticed me.
A few minutes later, as he wiped tears from his face, he got up and taking the keys from his pocket, started towards his car. Then suddenly he stopped, turned around and went back to the grave and sat down. Soon I was close enough to see that he was having a one -sided conversation with his loved one.

As I got into my car and drove away, I wondered about this person he had lost. Was it his father or maybe his young wife or even a child......... and I wondered if he was saying the words he wished he had said when they were here?

written by Suzy

Before It's Too Late

If you have a tender message,

Or a loving word to say,

Do not wait till you forget it,

But whisper it today;

The tender word unspoken,

The letter never sent,

The long forgotten messages,

The wealth of love unspent –

For these some hearts are breaking,

For these some loved ones wait;

So show them that you care for them,

Before it is too late.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Frank Herbert Sweet

" Even More " things that make me smile ~

Indian corn and raffia
homemade soup
plump orange pumpkins
wood-burning fireplaces

bonfires and hayrides
piles of raked leaves
homemade crusty bread
tattered scarecrows

baskets of apples
bountiful harvest
geese heading south
crisp fall days

warm spiced cider
squirrels gathering acorns
canning jars of vegetables
warm bulky sweaters

And…
vibrant autumn colors !!

Enjoy the season!!

~ Wordless Wednesday ~

Honey, get me the landlord's number.....

Join in on the fun !........just click here.

~ Snapshots of summer bloomers-2007 ~

~ Saturday photo hunt ~

This week's theme is : SMELLY
Webster's definition of this word is: To give off a particular odor. ( good or bad ?)
This is my choice for smelly:

Join us over at tn chick for more photo hunt fun!!!

~ Wordless Wednesday ~

This week is truely "Wordless Wednesday" because there are no words to describe this photo!!!

To view more W.W. photos ..... click here.

~ All good things must come to an end ~

This has been the most wonderful spring and summer season that I can ever remember...with plenty of warm, sunny days.
I've always waited until the Memorial Day holiday to plant my annuals, for fear of a late frost. This year the weather was so warm that I took a chance and planted the first weekend of May. By mid- June, the new flower bed was filling up with plenty of color!


Neighbors were stopping to comment on the containers on the front patio.

Then thanks to the lack of rain, watering became a daily ritual.

Now summer is officially over...and yet we've been blessed in October with an extension of warm weather. It sure doesn't feel like fall when the forecast is in the 90's!

But that's all going to change in a few days. Temperatures will return to normal, with highs in the 50's. They predict a frost around October 21st. The leaves will continue to change color and Suzy's bloomers will wither off and get ready to sleep through the winter...and then start the cycle... all over again.

"A beautiful blossom is a fleeting thing, It stays for a moment and then takes wing..." - Albert Richards

If you like butterflies...

then ya gotta have a butterfly bush in your garden. I have counted as many as 15 butterflies on a bush at one time !!!

The Hummingbird Moth loves it too. It's amazing how much they look like a hummingbird!

Have a great start to your week!

~ Saturday photo hunt ~

Today's theme: curvy

The maids designed this with the towels in our hotel room in Canada !

For more "Saturday photo Hunt " entries, click here.

~ Odds and Ends ~

Rake leaves for 60 minutes and you'll burn approximately 281 calories!

My Mom makes a great Pineapple Rhubarb jam !

Here's her recipe:

5 cups rhubarb, chopped

3 1/2 cups sugar

1- large can crushed pineapple

1-3 oz. box strawberry jello

Mix all ingredients in large pot. Cook until rhubarb is soft. Keep stirring mixture. Remove from heat and add box of uncooked strawberry jello.

Mix well and pour into scalded jars.

Yield: 7 small jars. ~ keep refrigerated.

******************

Here's my favorite recipe for chicken from a local restaurant chain:

Max & Irma's Tuscan Chicken

4 fresh Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

4 Tablespoons olive oil

8 oz. medium mushrooms, quartered

1 (8 oz. can) artichokes, drained and quartered

4 oz. onion, cut into thin strips

4 teaspoons fresh garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

3 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup white wine or chicken broth

12 oz. roma tomatoes, quartered lengthwise

2 oz. butter, cut into small pieces

In a small bowl, combine chicken breasts, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir to coat chicken.

Wash and quarter mushrooms.

Cut onions into strips. Chop garlic and cut tomatoes. Drain artichokes and measure out other ingredients.

Place chicken in broiler or on grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, prepare the topping for chicken in a large saute pan.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil until it is hot and add onion and garlic and saute until softened. Add the mushrooms and artichokes and 2 teaspoons of pepper, Italian seasoning and salt.

Continue cooking for 2 or 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over to continue cooking. Add your white wine (or broth) to the mushrooms and artichokes and cook to reduce to 1/2 volume.

Toss in tomatoes and heat until just warm. Just before serving, add the butter just until melted.

Place the chicken breasts on a platter and top with the tuscan vegetables from pan. Serve immediately and enjoy!

**************

" Old people shouldn't eat health foods; they need all the preservatives they can get "

Robert Orben

~ Wordless Wednesday ~

Statue of King Neptune on the boardwalk at Virginia Beach, Virginia

For more Wordless Wednesday entries, click here.

More Pittsburgh Firsts.....

These are things that were created in Pittsburgh......and were the "first" in the U.S.

• The First Automobile gas Station - December 1913 - built by Gulf Refining Company in Pittsburgh.

• The First Zippo Lighter - 1932 - George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo lighter in 1932.

• The First Polio Vaccine - March 26, 1953 - The first polio vaccine was developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, a 38 year old University of Pittsburgh researcher and professor.

• The First Baseball Stadium in the U.S. - 1909 - Forbes Field was built in Pittsburgh, followed by similar stadiums in Chicago,Cleveland, Boston and New York.

Have a great day!

Tag....I'm it

Today, I was tagged by Linda, over at "this and that" to do the following meme:


1) What I was doing ten years ago: Sept. 97 - Working at Michael Arts and Crafts as the Ordering Specialist.

2.) Five years ago : Sept. of '02 - Had recently started working for Target, and was spending time with my youngest G.S. Alex.

3) One year ago: Sept. of 06 - Moved to a new neighborhood, which we love!

4.) Yesterday: Did a craft show with Hubby, selling “ Thera - Hugs,” our out-of-home business.

5.) 5 snacks I enjoy: chocolate candy, chocolate cookies, chocolate ice cream, chocolate-covered oreos and M&M’s.

6.) 5 Things I would do if I suddenly had $100 million: Give my 2 week notice, pay any bills, help my family, travel, hire a cook.

7.) 5 locations I would like to run away to: Any place that’s warm and sunny!

8.) 5 bad habits I have: worrying, procrastination, staying up too late, spending too much time on the computer, buying too many books.

9.) 5 things I like doing: Staying up late, blogging, buying books, traveling, and antique stores.

10.) 5 TV shows I like: Lost, Cold case, ER, Ugly Betty, cooking shows.

11.) 5 things I hate doing: talking on the phone, unloading the dishwasher, cleaning out the fridge, exercising, being at work at 6 am. Sundays.

12.) 5 Biggest joys of the moment: My grandchildren, a hubby that‘s good to me, spending time with my 89 yr. old mom, a peaceful home, and Christ in my heart!

Anyone that would like to try this meme, consider yourself tagged!!