How Does Your Garden Grow?

The female cardinal perched for a while in the honeysuckle vine. I think she was checking for a potential nesting spot.

Heavy rains caused water in the swale and in the basement to run quickly.

After the heavy rains, came more light snow.

Heavy winds during the middle of the night caused a tree to come down in the New Girl's yard. We thought it was a weird thunderstorm. And then wondered why an electric company bucket truck  was parked at the end of our driveway. We didn't lose electricity, but the tree must have taken wires down from the pole in the middle of the picture to the corner of the New Girl's house. The crew took 4 or 5 hours to repair the lines.

Poor Dido shivers in the cold of the latest snow.

Clearing skies and hopefully the end of the never ending Winter.

About the only good thing about snow at this time of the year with the high angle of the sun, the snow is gone by the afternoon.

How does your garden grow?

Saturday Afternoon at the Movies

This idea came from a Facebook meme:
Over 10 days, post your 10 all time favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:me favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:

Ghost Rider (2007), Nicolas Cage, Sam Elliott

If you haven't seen this movie, you can rent it on YouTube.com

The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week.

1. The female cardinal was in the honeysuckle bush looking in the sunroom and kitchen windows to make sure Dad's birthday preparations were going on.

2. 100th birthday party for Dad

3. The male cardinal perched in the honeysuckle vine. Dad thanking me for his 100th birthday party

4. The Vernal Equinox and the cardinals visited the honeysuckle vine. I think they are looking it over as a potential nesting site.

5. A student brought in an individual apple pie for everyone in class. It would have been her daughter's 21st birthday. Her daughter didn't like cake, but loved apple pie so the pies were a way to honor the memory of her daughter.

How was your week?

Throwback Thursday - The Notebooks

To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

My next look for a job was with the Veteran's Administration in the Insurance Division.When we went into the Service, the Government offered each inductee life insurance. It was optional and one could sign up any time. At the time I had ten thousand dollars worth. I filled the long application and a short time later I was hired. At 26 years of age I began working for the Government.

The previous summer I got talked into taking courses by Mary. I wasn't so sure that I would go to college. I took two law courses. Your mother suggested that I go to college and see if I would like it. I knew I would.Reading and learning were things I enjoyed doing.

Mary and I talked things over and she thought I should study law and become a lawyer. It wasn't my wish as I still thought I would like to be a social worker.

I signed up and went into the law school. It was called Portia Law School Today,, it's called New England School of Law. Eddie Dressler also went there where we met and became friends.

I had completed my pre-law requirements when I when I worked in Waltham. 

In the day time I worked  at the Veteran's Administration and at night I would go to the law college. The professors were all practicing attorneys. They knew their business. Uncle Vincent [ed: a lawyer] when he learned that I was studying to be a lawyer said if I made the Bar, he would help me.

I worked for the Veteran't Administration for 8 years. I got promotions and also an increase in salary to train a section leader who spent more time in a bar room than at the office. He was a political appointment.

I also was selected to be one of the people who would work the the auditing group and certify the amount of the insurance and interest to be paid.

Of course, my going to law college made my parents happy, my in-laws, and Mary who thought it was great. And my father-in-law, since I was at night school, would set my dinner to one side. No one in the family could eat until he set my portion to one side.[ed: This was done so Dad would not have to eat the leftovers as he got the very first portion]

I was also doing well with my grades. I had a to do with one of my teachers. When he marked me absent. I told him that I was there because I could not afford to miss a class. When this came up prior to this incident we had a test. And I had created the impression I wasn't that intelligent. He said for a student who isn't smart you did very well on the test. I asked if he could tell me what I got. As it was a tricky sort of test on the giving of and applying the law of another state in your own state. He said 100.

Later after I graduated I met him on the street. And he asked me how I was doing. I said I got my first case, a tort, but I'm waiting for my cousin to help me once he finishes with what he is working on. He said do you have any of your letterhead? I said yes. He had me go to his office. Talked to me what the matter was about. And he dictated a letter to his secretary and I mailed and kept the copy.

The fact that a person is a lawyer means nothing. You need additional training in the real world.

Wordless Wednesday

T Stands For Happy 100th Birthday

St. Patrick's Day, 17. March would have been my dad's 100th birthday. We always had a family party for him on his birthday and with this being the 100th birthday, I thought he needed a celebration. I invited The Brother and His Wife, The Nephew and His Wife, and they brought the adorably cute Grand Niece.

Earlier in the week, the female cardinal (Ma) perched in the honeysuckle vine to supervise the party preparations.

Festive decorations.

Just before the Brother and Company arrived, a herd of turkeys crowded around the bird feeder and the seed I had thrown on the ground. Himself said it was all my dad's brothers, sisters, and their husbands, wives coming for the party.  😸

The coffee and tea station was set so guests could help themselves. Keurig pods of Dunkin' Donuts Coffee, and Dunkin' Donuts Vanilla Coffee.

Himself and I mostly prepared a Keto friendly meal. Mixed green salad, eggplant Parmigiana (the eggplant dredged in almond flour, egg and fried by Himself). When I was planning the menu, this just didn't seem to be enough food. I'm Italian so there has to be mass quantities of food on the table. I was very happy when a few weeks  ago, I found a fabulous recipe from Jan at The Low Carb Diabetic. This was a Greek Style Roasted Mushrooms with Red Peppers. Keto friendly and very easy to prepare and to customize. I don't like Feta cheese. I don't like any raw cheese, and I wasn't sure the flavors of mint and lemon would go well with the gravy (tomato sauce). So I marinated the peppers in balsamic vinaigrette and used basil and oregano as the herbs. Himself roasted the mushrooms and put the dish together. This side dish got a rave review. Thank you, Jan. 

Dessert was where Himself and I would go off the Keto reservation. On the table from left to right: the dessert Himself had made me for Valentine's Day, Gluten free Brownies with Strawberries and Chocolate Ganache (not sugar free), Ma's Anise Cookie recipe made gluten free and sugar free.  And the very special

San Giuseppe Zeppole or Sfingi (Sicillian) which is a sort of cream puff. The filling can be a custard cream filling or a Ricotta Cannoli Cream filling which is what I used. Ricotta cheese is Keto and to make it sugar-free, I used the Swerve Powdered Sugar sweetener which is also Keto approved. No need to go totally off the reservation. 

The zeppole is supposed to be crowned with an Amarena cherry (couldn't find), maraschino cherry (didn't have and not Keto), so I used the Keto approved Black Berry.

These zeppoles are made only once a year to celebrate the Feast of Saint Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. The feast is celebrated on 19. March and is Dad's name day. It's also Father's Day in Italy.

I spent all week practicing to get this pasty right. I actually tried to convert it to gluten free the way I had with Ma's cookie recipe and I tried to halve the recipe while practicing. The pastry is a choux pastry and didn't puff. It really needed the gluten and the whole amount of ingredients to work. Fourth time was a charm.

I was so pleased with how the zeppole came out, and I'm sure Dad would have loved them. We also had a wonderful visit with the family. Ma and Dad would have loved that, too.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

95

days until the Summer Solstice and the first day of Summer. Yes, I know the Vernal Equinox and the first day of Spring is in two days. Though I'm happy that signals the end of Winter, New England Spring weather can be cold and wet though not as much snow. Still a bit Wintry.

So I'm looking forward to hazy, hot, and humid weather. I can hear you groaning.Winter just lasts too long.