Chestnuts roasting on an open fire?!

I wish I could say that roasting chestnuts was an old family tradition..but the truth is, we have only done it a couple of times. I am not sure why so rarely, because they are delicious!

We are packing for our Halloween "campout" at Perry Lake. Actually, we are "camping" in those cute little "trailer home/cabin/rustic shed" or whatever you would call them. I call them darling, warm, clean and comfortable!!! Complete with a queen size log bed with a very comfy mattress!!!

My husband did the grocery shopping today..and he is always adventurous and daring in the kitchen or over an open fire! He bought all sorts of delicious, fun things to eat. These chestnuts really caught my interest.

I googled a few websites to refresh my memory on a "chestnut roasting technique". The most important tip..you MUST cut a slit or X in each nut before you roast it, so the steam can escape and the whole nut won't explode! (and "put your eye out", but I digress..that is another Christmas movie! Comment, please, if you know which one!!! LOL)

Put the chestnuts in a pan that has holes in the bottom. Or if you use a skillet or flat pan be prepared to flip them over several times. Even in the open grid-type pan, you should flip them a little, for even roasting. No oil is necessary..they will steam in their own natural moisture.

Now, build your fire and when the flames have died down and you have that really hot bed of coals, place the pan over the embers, not directly on. Roast for about 25 minutes...then let sit for 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn your fingers, let them cool enough to peel the shell/skin back and remove the nut. Yummy!!! A glass of red wine or apple cider goes nicely.

It is a little early for Christmas music..but I had to throw in
"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire......"click on the Grooveshark link
"And I really hope Jack Frost is not nipping at your nose" on Halloween night!!

The Past, The Present and The Future

I recently had a nice chat with a friend from the past....remember the song "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold" ??

An old friend is going through something I made it through, almost twenty years ago. I am not going to say the word, but most of you know or can guess...the big 'D" word. It is not something to be undertaken lightly. ( didn't they say the same thing about marriage?) The "D" makes a huge impact on your life, one from which you can never really recover...it impacts everyone around you and causes us to question even the simplest but yet the most complicated of emotions... love.

Those that have not experienced this awful tragedy can probably not understand and may even treat it with disdain. Those of us that have fought the fight, lost the battle and retreated to go on to build healthy and happy lives, truly understand the grief and sadness that accompany the "D".

But yet it is an exhilarating landmark too! A time to try new things, new ways of living, coping and surviving. Life gets on and contentment or at least acceptance becomes the norm.

When the dust settles and the final tears are shed....no, that is wrong, the final tears are never shed....they last a lifetime. And the tears appear when you least expect them...like when you listen to "The Way We Were". Sorry, don't click on the groove shark link unless you want to shed a thousand tears!!! if you haven't heard the Percy Faith arrangement from " A Summer Place", then you haven't heard it!

When Autumn leaves start to fall.....

Well fall is here and winter soon approaching. My favorite month of the year, October, is almost finished.

This autumn has been unusually wet..lots of rain and cloudy days. But apparently we have had enough sunshine to cause the leaves to change. The trees have been especially colorful this season.

The website "Environmental Education for Kids" had a lot of interesting information about leave color. Some facts we learned in grade school but have probably forgotten:

There are three pigments that color leaves. Chlorophyll is responsible for the green, carotenoid for the yellow, orange and brown and anthocyanins create the red.

Chlorophyll allows the trees to use sunshine to produce food. Chlorophyll and carotenoid are in the leaf cells during the entire growing season. The chlorophyll covers the carotenoid which is why the leaves are green in the summer.

Anthocyanins are produced in the autumn and only only under certain conditions. Not all trees can produce anthocyanins.

Trees respond to decreasing sunlight by producing less and less chlorophyll. The tree eventually stops production of the chlorophyll. At that point, the carotenoid can finally show through, causing the display of yellows, oranges and browns.

Some identifying tree leaf colors:
Oaks: red, brown, russet
Hickories: golden, bronze
Dogwood: purple, red
Birch: bright yellow
Poplar: golden yellow
Maple: a whole range of colors, orange, glowing yellow, bright scarlet

Soon the leaves will be gone and we will be contemplating snow and ice! Until then...
HAPPY AUTUMM!!!
click on grooveshark for "Autumn Leaves"

Goodwill..Good Stuff!!!

Another great Friday after work shopping trip to the Goodwill. I scored this nice tea pot for MK for her vintage camper...MinnieHaHa. The tea pot is in just perfect condition and "Made in America", which is now rare. and the price was right...$3.00!

MK loves her cup of tea at camp. While most of us are drinking beer or wine, she is pristinely sipping on a cup of herbal tea. I couldn't drink that stuff unless it had a shot of Vodka or Rum, but then it wouldn't be healthy, would it?!

I had been looking for a while, thinking she should have a tea pot dedicated to her camper..she has been hauling hers from home and the more stuff we can leave permanently in our campers, the easiest it is to leave on a minute's notice! If I could figure out how to keep my clothes in the camper and stock the non perishables, it would be great.

I kept trying to plan this afternoon so I could still make it away for the weekend..but just couldn't get it done. Plenty to look forward to in the next few weeks, so I am not going to complain .....Halloween weekend at Lake Perry, a trip to Key West in November, a short cruise in December, "Saddle Up" in Feb in the Smokey Mountains and Hawaii in May.. and, of course, there is that trip to Alaska this spring to see my new little grand baby!!!

Listen to "Tea for Two" click on my link!!!

George Orwell's "Nineteen Eight-Four"

I have my bandanna packed and I am ready to run away! Thanks goodness tomorrow is Friday and we have the weekend to look forward to!! However, I want to "run away", yes, I do, I want to hook up my trailer and camp for the weekend.

The problem? I have a lot to do here at home and hubby has a full social calender planned for us for the weekend. He didn't know but I reserved this weekend a long time ago, so I am in a dilemma..what to do? Go or stay?! Tough decision, but with the weather changing so rapidly there are fewer and fishing and camping days left.
So I am "semi-packed" as you can tell from my bandanna on the stick!!! I have a few clothes thrown together and my reservation was made months ago.....I have a mental meal plan and the cooler is still by the front door from our last overnight to the Lake. Just in case!

Do you remember this song "Runaway" by Real McCoy? Wikipedia was my info source on this, so I can't be sure of the accuracy. The lyrics to this song were based on George Orwell's novel "Nineteen Eight-Five". I never knew that and was fascinated..now I have to read the novel again. ( which we all read in 8th grade, right?) This song was released in 1995 by the German eurodance group, Real McCoy. It achieved #3 on the Billboard charts after becoming immensely popular in the USA.

Who Knew??? The lyrics to this song have always puzzled me, but I really love them and think they give a message. Well, now we know....."Nineteen Eight-Four" and Big Brother is still watching us!

Grooveshark link to the right so you can "groove" on Runaway

Bad Hair vs Good Hair

Every day is a new day for me in many ways! Especially in the hair category. Since the day the song,"Take the Ribbon from Your Hair" became permanently embedded in my brain, I have made the commitment to let my hair grow long! Don't laugh!! I can imagine pulling a beautiful Satin ribbon through my graying, split-end locks and just decided that was my next goal this year and into 2010.

So now I am fighting the battle of in- between...not long, not short, what's a girl to do??? I will keep you posted on this important life changing event!!! LOL

I posted the pic, MaryK took it when we were camping a few weeks ago, I thought it was a nice tousled effect!!! I had been concentrating on tying a fishing lure and drinking a Woodchuck Hard Cider. MaryK reminded me that I had been working on that same knot for about an hour......this fishing stuff is not easy, ya know!

Bet you haven't heard this in a while!!!
Click on the Grooveshark link "Almost Cut my Hair Today"

Here are the stars!!!

At least here are a few of the stars from my slide show! Some of the pics got lost in cyber space or somewhere on my computer! If you would like to see the slide show set to music, leave me a comment with your e mail and I will send you the link. We sure do love our pets!!!!

Absent in Mind and Body!

I have been absent for several days. We have been wandering around Perry State Park and visiting our little piece of heaven, our lot and boat dock, which is located just outside the state park and adjacent to the Corp of Engineers land. We visited with "neighbors to be" and spent a little time day dreaming about the house and garage we plan to build.

In other words, this was a lazy, nice weekend but I remain behind in paper work and house responsibilities. But I am satiated with Cape Codders and good food!!!

I have loved receiving all your dog pics and am compiling them, they are all so sweet!!! I will have the slide show ready soon..so if you haven't sent a pic, today's the day!!!! Include their name please and send to

janfilberth@yahoo.com

For some reason I am having trouble with the Bitmap Image pics, so send them in
another format if possible!!

PS: Cape Codders are cranberry juice and vodka..yum!

The Dog....a man's best friend

You just call out my name and you know wherever I am, I'll come running, to see you again!
Winter, spring, summer or fall...all you got to do is call....and I'll be there ya,ya,ya... You've got a friend! (by James Taylor)

Everyone! Please send me a pic of your dog!!! I want to compile a friend folder!!Keep them coming!!! send them to: janfilberth@yahoo.com

And click on my Grooveshark link..You've got a friend!

Indian Corn....Edible?

No I didn't eat the Indian Corn! However, after my post from yesterday, you probably have the opinion that I will eat anything!! ( see "Dining Alone") And FYI, I did eat the leftovers tonight, as hubby is working late again....don't worry..he is just loves his work!!! Really!!! LOL

Meanwhile, back to the Corn....I went to the front porch to water my mums this evening and found my Autumn decorations scattered around the porch. The gourds were rolled around and the little pumpkin was knocked over..but the Indian corn was the most disturbed!! Look how some little critter had just gnawed it right off the cob!!! I thought that was so strange and funny! Last summer I noticed a little chipmunk "thingy", some variety of a rodent running about the porch and yard. I suspect he has moved in for the duration and had a nice feast on Fall decorations.

I remember another time a chipmunk "thingy" entered my life. We were at the YMCA of the Rockies with a group from our old neighborhood, Lake Lotawana. There were about eight of us staying in a cabin together....a single dad and his son ( Hi, Colby and Don!), a single mom and her son ( Hi Chris and Zach, I miss you guys!)me, my two boys, ( my hard working husband was at home, doing, guess what? working!!) and a few random, nice kids that we had brought along to share in the fun.

One evening that little chipmunk "thingy" got into the cabin and we couldn't get him out! He was running wild through the cabin, jumping off furniture and running circles around the kids, while they attempted to corral him into a box. We hadn't caught him by bedtime and I was terrified thinking he might be chewing on my ear in the middle of the night. I have been afraid of those little chipmunk "thingys" ever since that sleepless night.

And now to think I have been inadvertently feeding the little evil fella!!!
Go figure!! Can't wait to see what he will do with my Christmas decorations!!!

click on the the Grooveshark link: The Chipmunks "Christmas Don't be Late"

Dining Alone!

Seriously...don't tell my husband! He would probably leave me for another woman if he knew I ate this stuff!! So when he goes out of town, or has a business meeting in the evening...I pull out my secret friend!!
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese!!!

I know it is terrible..don't read the label or you will have nightmares for years to come!!! But there is something about it.....yes, it is high calorie, highly processed, disgusting stuff but I was looking forward to it all day!! In fact, I ate a salad for lunch today so I could justify all the calories I would be consuming tonight.

I remember a friend of mine (Cathy C.!!) would always have it for the Junior Sailing luncheon once a summer..and it was the kid's favorite place to go for lunch!! Hot dogs and mac and cheese..and no one died from it, at least not immediately!!! LOL!!!

Hot Dogs are another food that is outlawed, by my husband, at our house!! But he will allow the organic, natural veggie dogs! Oh Yum!! NOT!!! They are about as tasty as a sawdust rolled up with mustard and ketchup! I always make sure we get a hot dog roast at our girls only camp out....what Doc doesn't know won't hurt him, right??

Okay, now that you know my secret.."will you still love me tomorrow?" or at least like me? Please!?

Click on Groove shark for, guess what?
"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" by the Shirelles

The Northside Cafe

Last weekend when we were at the Covered Bridge Festival we decided we needed to go inside, to warm up and have a bite to eat. Across the street from the Courthouse, we saw this little place...it didn't look fancy but we were very cold, so in we went! Turns out we had inadvertently chosen the cafe that had been featured in "The Bridges of Madison County". As soon as we entered, we saw the long counter where Clint Eastwood, aka Robert Kincaid, had sat drinking coffee. It was the seen where the adulterous Mrs Delaney (actually Mrs Delaney to be, at that time she was just having an affair with the cheatin' Mr. Delaney). The cafe looks just the same as in the movie, wood paneling, booths and tables. The waitresses were dressed in t-shirts and jeans, not those funky waitress uniforms which were worn in the 60's and 70's ( I wore something similar in 1971, when I worked at the Dairy Queen!)

We had a yummy lunch and marveled that we had just happened on another of Clint's "hot" spots, if ya know what I mean! I took a quick pic, although the sign on the front door warned "no pics or videos in the cafe" I guess I got my due punishment when I accidentally deleted ALL of my pics taken on that Saturday, including the pics of the Roseman Bridge, with snow decorating it!!!

I will end on Robert Kincaid's quote...."This kind of certainty only comes once in a lifetime."

Would you agree? Being the skeptic..I say "I disagree". But I would re-phrase and say..."I am certain that one often feels that this kind of certainty only comes once in a lifetime"

But I did LOVE the movie! Click on Patsy Cline "Your Cheatin Heart"

Frost on the Pumpkin!

I am home now, have unloaded the trailer and drinking a beer, contemplating my next move...a shower!! Everything is either muddy (from the snow) or smells of smoke, from the campfire. My face and lips are chapped and windburned and I think I even have a small patch of poison ivy! It was a swell trip!!!

We had so much fun!! Winterset, Iowa is a beautiful little town. We got to tour John Wayne's birthplace, there is a museum with all sorts of memorabilia from his years of movie making. We visited six covered bridges and "shopped til we dropped" buying all sorts of souvenirs and postcards. We ate like Kings or little piggies, you can choose the word which seems more descriptive and/or politically correct!!!

A wonderful highlight was watching "The Bridges of Madison County", on the big screen at an old fashioned local movie theater!! FOR FREE!! Funny thing, what we used to think of as a big screen is very small compared to today's movie complexes. The theater was almost full to capacity for the 4:00PM showing. Everyone was munching on buttered popcorn and slurping big diet pepsi-colas. ( ugh...I prefer Coke!)
But towards the end of the movie, the slurping stopped and a lot of sniffling and nose blowing competed with the on screen voices of Robert and Francesca. It was so enjoyable to see that movie, right there in Winterset, where it was filmed, after we had spend the day touring the bridges and walking on ground where CLINT EASTWOOD had trod!!! I know it sounds corney, but it was a thrill!!!

Thanks to the community of Winterset, Iowa for hosting such a special event!!! Put it on your calender for next year. The second full weekend of October, make your reservations early! We camped in Pammel State Park, if you pull a big rig, make sure you mapquest the alternate entrance. There is a low tunnel that you must pass through, if you enter form the highway 92 side! Be careful!!! It certainly startled one of our gals pulling her big fifth wheel!!! And once you start down that route, there is no good place to turn around!!! So you would be backing up a long way!!!!! That is not good!!!!

Laureen, being a super driver, got through but made it a priority to figure a way out of the park, avoiding the tunnel!!

Remember Charlie Brown's The Great Pumpkin? click on the Great Pumpkin Waltz link over on the right!

Snow Day!

This morning we awoke to a Winter Wonderland, in October! Looking out the window, I was amazed! There was at least an inch and a half of snow!! It was so beautiful and COLD!!! We are re-adjusting our schedules today!! We have had a leisurely breakfast of omelets, hash browns and fruit! And now on to the fun!! Snow is not going to slow us down!

Today it is "Bridges of Madison County" on the big screen at the Iowa Theater! And of course more touring of Covered Bridges and the festival/ craft booths, even in the snow!

Madison County

We are here in Madison County, Iowa. It is beautiful, the town of Winterset is small and quaint. Today we toured three of the covered bridges, did some antique shopping and browsed the local Ben Franklin store. We had lunch at a neat little "back to the fifty's" style dinner. It was a lunch counter and tables at the back of the Montross' Pharmacy. We were told that is where the locals eat. We had a great burger and a piece of pie.

I can't wait to download all my pics...looks like I got some nice ones of the bridges and of Pammel State Park, where we are camping. A bonfire and a super meal outdoors completed our evening, so I am going to call it night - night and enjoy a good sleep in my '59 Winnie!

Don't let the bedbugs bite!!!

Denver, Colorado

When the weather starts to grow cooler, I begin to think about Colorado. When the kids were younger, we went every year, sometimes twice, to ski and enjoy the "Rocky Mountain High".

And when I think of the Rocky Mountains, John Denver comes to mind. I have always loved his music, his gentle voice and expression. On October 12, he will be gone for 12 years. I have many of his albums and listen to them often, especially as winter sets in and the Holidays arrive. I have his Christmas Album, which is one of my favorites.

When traveling to Colorado, we would turn up the volume on "Rocky Mountain High", as soon as we began to see the Mountains! The kids giggled and thought we were corny, but soon they were singing along. That song can bring me to tears and I thank you John, for that. I will treasure your songs my entire life and will remember the precious gift of music, the legacy you left behind.

A Lake Lotawana neighbor of mine, when seeing my collection of favorite CDs, suggested I update my musical tastes!! ( Rob, I forgave you for that!!)

But when he loaded up his teenager and mine, to head west for a Colorado weekend of skiing, I sent along the CD!! I don't think it ever found it's way into the disc player, but I felt better just knowing John was in the car, in spirit!

John...... Rest in Peace

Click on the Grooveshark Link to the right to hear amd appreciate "Rocky Mountain High"

"Senior" Orvis Dog

I have to start by saying..excuse the rope around Betty's neck....I had forgotten her leash when we were away this weekend and was afraid she might run off.

This is Betty Jane, our 11 year old chocolate lab. She is so photogenic, especially if I can just get her to hold still!! As you can see, she is really showing her age, those gray whiskers. You can even start to see her eyes are becoming cloudy..probably cataracts. She has been bumping into a lot of things, and banging her head.., though she never seems to bothered by it. Recently, she had a hard time finding her way in the garage and wound up in the corner, instead of by the kitchen door.

When we brought Betty Jane home from the breeder's house, we had no idea what we were facing...we had gotten Peggy Sue, a yellow lab from this same farm and Peggy was such wonderful dog, we knew we would return to Barbara, for our next pet.

However, Betty turned out to be a handful! The breeder stretched the truth a bit about her age. When we got the paperwork in the mail a few weeks later, we learned that she was close to one year old, the breeder had said she was six months. For those of you that have had puppies, you know how that first year can really determine the outcome of the behaviors of the pet.

Well, Betty had not been socialized, I think she had pretty well been ignored, not mistreated, just not socialized. She was afraid of everything..just the sight of our kitchen stove startled her! She didn't understand the steps. She was reluctant to go outside and then when we finally got her out, she was hesitant to come back in. She was terrified of strangers and would alternately bark loudly at them, or run and hide. Always unpredictable, I was afraid to let her around other people or dogs, not trusting her behaviors.

Three years of constant struggle with her..just getting her to the Vet's office was a huge undertaking requiring, two adults and a strong child finally resulted in a really good dog..actually it has probably taken seven or eight years, but as she has gotten older she has settled down. She still hates other dogs and I have to keep her separated..she does adore her cousin, Peggy Sue. In fact, she has always loved Peggy, she is constantly seeking Peggy's approval...Peggy just tends to ignore her!

The kids have left home, Ashley taking Peggy with her. Peggy is now 14 years old, which is a milestone for a Lab Retriever!

The house is quiet, except for the gentle sound of snoring, as Betty sleeps!

And my husband and I have promised each other, in fact we "pinkie-finger shook" on it...NO MORE PETS!!!! When Betty is gone, there will be NO MORE!!!

I have gotten over the "empty nest thing" with the children..I will get over the "empty dog bed thing" with the pets!

At least I hope so!!!

Click on Puppy Love! Link on the right!

Touring the Covered Bridges

This weekend is our long planned "Bridges of Madison County" trip! There are nine of us ladies packing our cameras and hiking shoes for a great sightseeing/camping journey. I have prepared, recently, by watching the movie several times. I have been researching on the Internet and was happy to find maps depicting the location of the six existing covered bridges, at one time as many as 19 covered bridges existed in Madison County! All of the current bridges have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Just reading that phrase, gave me goosebumps and anticipation of what we will see this weekend.

The Imes Covered Bridge is the oldest surviving Madison County covered bridge...it was built in 1870, renovated in 1997.

The 107 foot Roseman Covered Bridge was built in 1883 and sits in it's original location. It was renovated in 1992. This is the bridge that was featured in the Robert James Waller novel and also the movie, The Bridges of Madison County.

The Madison County Covered Bridge Festival has been held annually since 1970. Each year, on the second full weekend of October, Madison County residents invite thousands of visitors to celebrate the historic covered bridges. The movie was made in 1995, the book copyrighted in 1992. I thought it was really neat to think that the covered bridge festival was going on long before Francesca Johnson and Robert Kincaid met in the pages of the Robert Waller novel!

Please click on the right,my Grooveshark link, to hear the beautiful "Doe Eyes"
the theme used in Bridges!

Rainbow Trout...a feast!!

We had a great weekend at Lake Perry. We had brought so many good things to eat...one of which was the Rainbow Trout from the White River (or maybe it was the Buffalo River, not sure) I wish I could say I caught it but it was given to me by my sister/friend, Cheri. She had cleaned them so nicely, they were beautiful. My husband had hoped I would be bringing home a "mess of fish" but I had absolutely no luck...I have a lot to learn about fishing a river. When Cheri heard my plight, she reached into the cooler and brought forth those beautiful fish!!! THANK YOU, CHERI!!!! We really enjoyed them this weekend!!! Delicious!!!!