Warmth by chocolate

November 18, 2014January 6, 2015 ~ Tara R. ~ 14 Comments

When I woke up Monday morning, it was 66°F inside my house. Now, if you live anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line, you’re probably playing a tiny, imaginary violin and making,”wah, wha” noises. Sure, make fun of the cold-weather challenged. Typically, it’s not this cold in Florida, this early in the peri-winter season. I’ve gone … Continue reading Warmth by chocolate

Hungry, hungry hippo

November 16, 2014January 6, 2015 ~ Tara R. ~ 4 Comments

I was pondering what to make for dinner tonight, and that led to reminiscing about what we dined on as children. Here I was trying to figure out what to do with some ground turkey, and ended up salivating over the carb laden meals of my childhood. “Back in the day” there wasn't all this … Continue reading Hungry, hungry hippo

When pie is king

November 12, 2014January 6, 2015 ~ Tara R. ~ 15 Comments

This Thanksgiving we will have an added visitor sharing dinner with us. My daughter’s beau is to be a honored guest. A unique situation for me, since this is the first time a swain has been invited to our family celebration. I do Thanksgiving up right. I start cooking early in the week, prepping what … Continue reading When pie is king

Hiking companions

November 7, 2014January 8, 2015 ~ Tara R. ~ 8 Comments

These two - my furry, nuggets of unconditional love - are my always eager hiking companions. They are quick to rush out the door, straining hard against their leashes, taking me along whether I'm ready or not. Hershey, our nearly 8-year-old grandame, a Valentine’s presents from a long-gone high school boyfriend, is the calm to Asta’s amped … Continue reading Hiking companions

Millefiori

November 3, 2014January 6, 2015 ~ Tara R. ~ 14 Comments

When I was young, my aunt Sharon taught me how to make granny squares. She gave me a skein of yarn and a little H aluminum crochet hook and off I went. i kept up with this crafting skill over the years, teaching myself how to read pattern charts and make special crochet stitches. I’ve … Continue reading Millefiori

Shamailer

October 31, 2014January 7, 2015 ~ Tara R. ~ 23 Comments

Yesterday I got a “shaming” letter in the mail. Typically, I toss any and all mailers in the recycling. Most of them are junk - advertising goods and services I’m don’t care about. This one, pointed out to me by my son, was from Citizens for a Better Florida, an Orlando-based PAC that calls itself … Continue reading Shamailer