Another Great Book!

I just finished The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley.  It is a historical novel set in the year 1708 in Scotland.  Not only is that a great story, but the author writes her own story in between, where she goes to Scotland to do research for the book.  Lots of twists and turns and such a good ending.  You will love it!

4th of July!

In our family, the 4th of July has always been a special holiday.  I know it is my sister Darlene's favorite holiday.  Here's me in 1948 before the flag had 50 stars.  Alaska and Hawaii were not yet admitted to the Union.

Here's Adam with his Dad doing 4th of July black snakes that you light with a match and they grow long.  You can tell that Adam was in the pool before this picture.

When we owned the house in McHenry, Illinois, we had a family reunion on the 4th of July.  Here I am with my cousin MaryAnn, my Aunt Jo, and my cousin Barbara.

Here is a picture of the McHenry house with various relatives enjoying the day.

Here's my sister Darlene and her husband Robert clowning around near their house in Marion, Indiana, in the year 2000, which was the year they got married.  Duane and I also got married in the year 2000, and so did Heather.  Quite a year!  Duane took this picture when we were visiting them that year.

Last year Heather spent 4th of July with her friend Michelle, and here she is with my adorable grandson Reese.  Note the patriotic shirt.

June Birthdays

Maddie and Adam both celebrate their birthdays in June.  We had a little party at our house for them, and we had a great time. 

Maddie turned 7 this year and almost simultaneously lost her two front teeth.

Adam has always enjoyed birthday parties.  He hasn't changed much in 32 years.

Jason and Duane also celebrated Father's Day.

Maddie got a cute little puppy for her American Girl Doll.

Melissa is such a wonderful Aunt to Reese and Maddie.  We all love her to pieces.

Reese loved getting into the act.  Here, he's trying to take Maddie's birthday tiara off.

Just love those grandkids!

Grandpa got a Father's Day card that said to hold up the card and he can have the six pack he's always wanted.

God Bless Fathers!

Fathers are sometimes not given enough credit.  They are the steady force that we rely on for fixing our cars, faucets and scraped knees, not to mention killing spiders and holding us on their shoulders when we are tired of walking.  Lots of fathers I know should be given a hearty "Happy Father's Day!"
Here are a few of the best:

My Dad, Richard Grzonkowski, February 27, 1945, 5th from the left, after he and his comrades captured a Nazi flag.  He was in the infantry and saw battles in France and Germany.  I am very proud of his military service during World War II.

David Armit with son Adam and Daughter Heather.  Dave was a good father and died much too early.

My son-in-law, Jason with Heather, Maddie and Reese at Maddie's 5th birthday party.  Jason is such a good father, it is impossible to say enough about him.  He is totally supportive and involved in Maddie and Reese's lives.  I love him to pieces!

My wonderful husband, Duane, here with son Scott, who is getting a little shooting advice.  Duane does so much for our family, and I don't thank him enough-----sooo,  Thanks Babe!

My Step-Son Scott, with his "little" girls before they became all grown up.  Scott is a wonderful, fun loving Dad who loves to swim, bicycle and play ball with his daughters.  He is the "rock" they depend on.

Boating!

Boating has always been a part of my life.  In the early days, the family would rent a row boat at a lake.  Here, we have my Aunt Hattie and Uncle Stanley circa 1952 at Crooked Lake, Wisconsin where we all went on vacation.  Fishing was always a part of row boating.  Aunt Hattie, by the way, is my Godmother, and Uncle Stanley is my Grandmother's brother on my Dad's side.

Here we have Heather concentrating really hard and trying to catch a fish.  She is sitting on the back of a houseboat that we rented in 1977 on Lake Mojave, CA.  Notice the bleak landscape.

My Mom and I beside our cabin cruiser, about 1983.  We loved to take it to Huntington Harbor, and Long Beach in So. Cal.  Never got up the nerve to take it to Catalina.

Adam and Dave on the Fox River in Illinois.  Dave was teaching Adam how to row a boat.  Adam did very well at age 11.  This was what they called a "John Boat".  Don't ask me why.

This was the boat we had in McHenry, Illinois that we would take on the Fox River, Fox Lake, Pistakee Lake and other lakes within the famous "Chain of Lakes".  They were all connected and you could spend a whole day going through the lakes and channels that connected them.  My sister Darlene is waving.  She loves boating.

Finally, the cutest picture of all.  Maddie driving their boat with Daddy.  Guess it's in the blood.

My iPad

Well, my new iPad is fully operational thanks to great tutorials at Apple.com and Duane's help with technical jargon.  I do think he likes it better than I do :)  I already had an iPod and enjoyed putting music on it.  The iPad will do that too.  Next, I guess I need an iPhone just in case I run into a situation where I don't have WiFi.  Just a week ago I couldn't have said that and understood it.  We had one problem at first and it was that when you used the camera, everything came out looking like a photo negative.  Duane figured out that it was the black background, and changed it to white, and now everything is AOK.  Look out world, here I come.....

Lots of Fun in the Summertime!

Summer always brings with it memories of the beach, the pool and vacations.  Here's me about 5 years old wading in the Des Plaines River in the Forest Preserve near Chicago where we used to go each  summer.  I loved the water even if it was cold.  Note the beautiful waterfall in the background.

Here I am again (in the bathing hat) with my friend Pamela and her brother at Lake Zurich, Illinois.  Such a great beach that was with slides, rafts and other things to play on.

Adam has always been a beach boy, and loved finding shells, stones, driftwood and sand crabs.  I still have some of his collections.

Heather loves the beach too, but both kids spent a major part of their summers in our pool.  Both learned to swim and dive at an early age.  Here, she's probably 6 years old.

Loving the beach runs in the family, and here is my niece, Chantelle with her Mom and my sister, Darlene enjoying the warm California sun in So. Cal.

Another Book Finished!

This book, The Girls From Ames, by Jeffrey Zaslow, is not a novel, but a true story of eleven girls from Ames, Iowa who have remained friends for 40 years.  These girls allowed Mr. Zaslow into their lives, and sometimes their secret lives as they tell the tale of friendship that has lasted despite the normal ups and downs of life.  Except for one girl, they do not live in Ames anymore, but all over the United States, and still get together as a group whenever possible.  It's an interesting book that has you reflecting on your own friends and life.

Dancing Queen

We so enjoyed Maddie's performance at her dance recital.  Here she is in all her glory with flowers from Aunt Melissa and missing her 2 upper front teeth!  The tooth fairy was busy the night before.

Here she was last year missing her bottom teeth, with yet another bouquet from Aunt Melissa.

Mother's Day

I feel so blessed to have Maddie and Reese in my life.  Here he is eating pretzels---and did you notice the pretzel behind his ear?  Just like a little contractor with a pencil.

 Here we are in Adam's beautiful backyard.

iPad

Can you believe it?  I've actually ordered an iPad 2.  This time I am bound and determined to read all the instructions and actually learn to use it.  I have an iPod and have been able to download a lot of music onto it, but I know it has other capabilities that I have never heard of.  I'll keep you posted on my progress....

Book of the Week

I just finished the book, "Minding Frankie", by Maeve Binchey.  I love it, as I've loved all of her books.  This one is part of a series of stories about a group of people in Ireland who live in the same neighborhood.  It deals with day to day problems that we all have, but the best thing is that it is a story about people who care about, and help one another.  I know this is the way people are meant to live, and it is sad that in the media, we are always reminded of the worst in people.  If you want a shot of good old caring and compassion, this is the book for you.

Sprinkling Cans

To keep our garden in peak condition, we try to fertilize every month or two.  We use Miracle Grow, and I add 2 tablespoons of the powder to a 2 gallon sprinkling can of water.  I love sprinkling cans----they are so nostalgic.  I have many, but some are so pretty that they stay in the house as decorations.  There are those attachments you can use with a hose, and Duane is very proficient at using them for the lawn, but I prefer a good old fashioned sprinkling can.  I do use Bayer Rose and Flower fertilizer for the roses because it not only fertilizes the roses, it keeps the aphids and other bugs off.  The sprinkling can in this photo was a gift from Adam and Melissa, and except for this picture, it stays in the house.  I love it!

ANOTHER EASY RECIPE

Roasted Cornish Hens and Grapes (or you can substitute bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss 1 1/2 lbs of mixed red and green seedless grapes with 8 shallots or small onions.  Add 6 sprigs of thyme, stem and all, pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil all over with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Mix with your hands.  Use 4 cornish hens, or 4 chicken breasts.  Tie the legs together if you are using hens.  Nestle hens or breasts in the grape mixture.  Utilize olive oil on the bottom of the pan to also oil the hens or breasts.  Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, and some additional thyme leaves.  Roast, basting poultry occasionally with pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the leg or breast registers 160 degrees....about 40 minutes.  Yum......

A "Friend" in My Garden

Duane and I saw the gopher snake again today.  This time it was in the shade on the side of the yard.  I really want to get used to seeing it, and to view it as our friend.  After all, it has some of the same goals that we do.....getting rid of ground squirrels, mice, bugs, rattlesnakes, and of course gophers.  So, we've named him "Hector the Inspector" partly because Duane is an Inspector of Record for California.  Hopefully he will keep inspecting and ridding our yard of unwanted pests.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was fantastic for me.  I still can't believe that my children are having Me over these days.  Adam and Melissa hosted the celebration, and Heather and I were the guests of honor.  I think I should now call Adam "Emeril".  His cooking is superb!  Not only did we have the best tri tip roast ever, but the appetizers (made by Melissa) were out of this world.  I hope to post the recipe for their smoked jalapeno peppers soon.  The ambiance was perfect too, with music from their new ipad selections.  Of course we can't forget that the grandkids were there too.  Cute little Maddie made me the best stepping stone ever for my garden.  Thanks to all for a wonderful day!

More Mothers....

Here are some of the best.....After Uncle Rick from left to right we have my Aunt Tillie, my Maternal Grandmother Augusta, My Mom and My Aunt Jo.  In the front we have my cousin Barbara, Aunt Jo's daughter who is very special to me too.

Happy Mother's Day!

A tribute to a great lady who was like a mother to me in many ways, my Aunt Jo.  Here she is with baby Heather in 1974. 

Remembering Special Mothers

My Mom with sister Darlene in 1956 on Wooddard Avenue in Chicago.

Sister Darlene with Heather, and Me with Chantelle at Grandma's farm in Koleen, Indiana.

Heather, me and Adam about 1988 at the Shirlmar house in San Dimas, California.

At Heather's graduation from Cal Poly, 1997.  I was so proud!

Heather, with Reese and Maddie on Mother's Day 2010, love, love, love them!

My sister Darlene, with her daughter, Chantelle in Belize for Adam's wedding.

Melissa with Kevin and Lindsey's baby, Peyton.  A "natural" mother for sure!

Tasty Marinade

Here's a great all purpose marinade for grilling steak, chicken or pork:

Mustard-Soy Marinade

1 tablespoon dry mustard                           
1/2 cup water                                            
1 cup soy sauce                                         
3 cloves of garlic minced
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of bourbon or whiskey

Mix mustard with a little water to make a paste, then add other ingredients.  Pour over meat which is in a glass dish or plastic bag.  Marinate in refrigerator for one or two hours.  You can baste meat with it too while the meat is cooking.