Update on our first set of kittens!

 Miss Stubby, the mother cat has been busy raising her very active kittens. The orange one has been claimed for a home as has the little gray one. We are still looking for a home for the 'runt' of the litter who is a sweet baby with white paws and a very inquisitive nature.

And, then there were three . . . more!

  Just when we thought we had it figured out and had found homes for two of the three kittens that came a calling two weeks ago, another mother cat showed up with her three babies! In this case, the mother cat is extremely friendly but the babies are a bit shy. It is the opposite with our first set of 'triplets'. We are back to looking for either homes for them all or finding a 'no kill' facility to give the pretty animals a chance. We call the mother cat, Mrs. Black Cat although we have yet to see a Mr. Black Cat coming around to visit!

Paternity Suit?

 The cat on the left, is the ancient tom cat we call Humperdink, who took up residence on our front porch a couple of months ago. He barely gets around although he is pretty fast if there is something tasty being offered. He is such a loveable old cat, that we often wondered what he looked like when he was a kitten. Well, a first-time mother cat showed up on our door step with three kittens in tow. Uh, I think she might have been inclined towards older men!

My latest quilt project!

 A good friend ordered a quilt this week. It is always more fun to have a destination for a quilt and know who is getting it. She wanted it for her parents for Christmas. My husband is on vacation until next week, so sewing has not been excessive this week but I did get the quilt blocks completed, pinned, and five of the sections quilted.

Flag Day!

June 14, 2012 - Every June 14th is designated as Flag Day in the United States. Our country and flag has taken a beating over the last three years-plus so today is a good time to remember what the United States stands for and cherish our voice and vote come November. There is a lot of symbolism in our flag and respect for it seems to have frayed it's edges. Our flag flew high over many battles to preserve our individual freedoms. It was a welcome sight when wars came to a close and other countries gained by the sacrifices of our soldiers. A flag is more than a piece of cloth on the end of a flag pole and should be honored by what it represents both in the past and with hopes for the future. The flag that flies over a country makes history. An honored flag carries a strong message, something to be remembered on Flag Day.

My mother was born and raised in Germany. At the end of the war, the Americans came into her little town and were most welcome. One has to remember that there were Nazis and there were German people. The German soliders, for the most part, were defending their country. The Nazis were making a greedy mockery of the country. When the American flag went up in the town square of my mother's town, there was rejoicing. My mother spoke English so was instrumental in helping with finding lodging in homes for the American soldiers. When it was decided to divide up Germany like the spoils of war, every morning my mother would bike down to the town square to see if the American flag was still flying. The morning she arrived to see the Russian flag replacing the American one is the day she escaped from what became East Germany. The flag said everything and she never saw her hometown again. People make the decisions but flags support the decisions.

We shouldn't ever take our American flag for granted. Every time we see one proudly flying, we should send a prayer of thanks to God that it is still flying. We should also pray for the politicians who often do not realize the treasures of freedom and free enterpise we have in this country.

I believe the last one, especially, to be very true!

"Character is what you have left when you've lost everything you can lose."
-- Evan Esar

"She was a woman who, between courses, could be graceful with her elbows on the table."
-- Henry James

"I no longer prepare food or drink with more than one ingredient."
-- Cyra McFadden

"A good listener is a good talker with a sore throat."
-- Katharine Whitehorn

Summer Time Salad . . .

Although I do not like the heat of summer, I have to admit I do look forward to the abundance of fresh produce on sale at the grocery store. Today, I couldn't resist the spinach, strawberries, and apples and they ended up as salad. Thought I'd share it with you.

Clean and crisp in icy water enough baby spinach to feed your family.
Slice up 10-20 strawberries
Dice up 1-2 apples

Place the salad greens, etc. in a large salad bowl and set aside.

Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil, your choice (I like olive oil!)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 shallot, sliced
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender and mix to smooth and combine. Add the dressing to your salad bowl and toss to coat every ingredient and serve.

The Dressing recipe is open to personal interpretation! That is the fun part of making salads, you can put in your own flavor choices.

The salad is very pretty with it's bright colors and a refreshing side dish to most any meal.