Wordless Wednesday

Mail Art Keeps Arriving

Wanted to share my letters from Australia and Alabama.

Enjoy!

Have the day of your choice

Best
Tracy :)




Christmas envelope

 


And the back



I love this quote

Would like to visit this zoo

Mail art from recycle paper

More recycle items



Self Portrait

 

And thank you

           

Mr Snowman

Here is the snowman my daughter made during the last snow we received in the Upstate of South Carolina. For some reason she wanted to cover him with an umbrella--???? She worked on this snowman for about one hour.

Hope everyone will have a great week end!

Best
Tracy :)

Mr Snowman

Thoughts About The Snow

With all the snow we have received in the Upstate of South Carolina, I have been doing a lot of thinking. One thing I have been thinking about is one of my favorite poems and I would like to share this lovely poem with you.

Enjoy and have the week of your choice!

Best
Tracy :)


                    Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
                            By: Robert Frost (1923)
           
                        Whose woods these are I think I know.
                        His house is in the village though;
                        He will not see me stopping here
                        To watch his woods fill up with snow.

                       My little horse must think it queer
                       To stop without a farmhouse near                   
                       Between the woods and frozen lake
                       The darkest evening of the year.

                        He gives his harness bells a shake
                        To ask if there is some mistake.
                        The only other sound's the sweep
                        Of easy wind and downy flake.

                        The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
                        But I have promises to keep,
                        And miles to go before I sleep
                        And miles to go before I sleep.
                        

Taken on 10 January 2011

  

        

More Snow

The Upstate of South Carolina got more snow that started early Monday morning. When it was all over Greenville got between 7 to 8 inches and maybe more in certain areas. I had to leave for work around 5.00AM and the snow was still coming down--it was so pretty to see. Husband thought I was crazy taking pictures outside so early in the morning!

I can never remember getting snow within weeks apart(Greenville had a White Christmas). To tell you the truth, I do hope this is the end for the snow. Yes, it is nice to have snow but when you have to go to work early in the morning it can become a problem-the roads and walking in the slippery stuff is no fun for me. I am looking forward to Spring and Summer!

Have a great week-end!

Best
Tracy :)



Taken from my front porch



Another front porch picture

Let it snow!





Husband's truck



Taken at work and as you can see we got a lot more
snow than we did on Christmas Day(see post from
28 of December)



Wordless Wednesday

Ribollita

To warm you up on a cold winter's day--this is the soup for you.

 Let me share some of the history on this great soup.

Ribollita is a Tuscan Soup which means "reboiled"
The origins are peasant and is made from leftovers(bread and vegetables) from the previous day.
I have also read, if you let the soup soak in the flavors over night-it will be much better the next day.

Information is taken from Wikipedia.


Ingredients: 4 Celery Stalks
                  1 Large Onion
                  1Medium Potato
                  2 Large Garlic Cloves --I used more-love garlic
                  Diced Tomatoes (14 oz) --I use Pomi Chopped Tomatoes
                  White Beans (14 oz)--I used two cans of cannellini beans
                  Worcestershire Sauce
                  3 Cups Of Water
                  2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes --Chicken Stock is good to use--bouillon cubes
                  are to salty for me
                  A Few Drops Tabasco
                  4Tbsp Of Oil
                  Bread
                  Parsley
                  Pepper/Salt

Peel, chop and slice your carrots. Grate the garlic, but reserve 1/2 a grated clove. Dice the onions. Peel, wash and cube the potato. Rinse the white beans.
Heat 2 tbsp oil and cook the vegetables for 5 minutes. Add the potato cubes. Pour in 3 cups of water, the diced tomatoes and season with tabasco, worcestershire sauce and two crumbled up chicken bouillon cubes.

Mix it up, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Mix the remaining garlic with 2 tbsp oil, pepper,salt and dried parsley.

Slice the bread, brush the garlic oil on top and grill the bread until crispy. Chop a handful of parsley. Add the white beans to the soup and half the parsley and season the soup with pepper/salt. Simmer the soup for 10 more minutes. Stir in the remaining parsley and place one bread slice in the bowl and serve the rest on the side.

Enjoy!                Recipe taken from kayotickitchen.com

Tracy :)  

Ribollita

                                  
                                                           

                         

Looking Forward to A Great Year

I do not believe in resolutions, but I have made some promises to myself for this coming year. My family and I have been blessed so much and I feel it is time to give back--so this year my daughter has asked if she could go to a soup kitchen and help out. It is so hard to understand hunger in America and for it to be in your community has been a shock for my daughter. At her young age she understand children are eating one meal a day and going to bed hungry.

My weight loss is going great--40 pounds(the last forty are the hardest to lose--why??) to go and this coming 19 April will be my one year anniversary. I am hoping, I will find out more about plastic surgery at this Dr's appointment!  My life has changed so much and I am still learning how to accept complements and letting go of my oversize clothes. I feel, I need the big clothes for protection--I did throw away an old gown and had tears in my eyes--I felt like, I was throwing myself away.

I am walking more and even on my breaks at work, I will go out and walk around the hospital. I love to walk, because it's my think time and I am a person who does a lot of thinking. One thing I do truly look forward to this year is taking my daughter on a trip--"the mom and daughter trip."  We have been talking about this for almost one year and seeing her on an airplane for the first time will be a joy.

I do hope your New Year will be one that brings you much joy and remember "everyone has a story and feelings."

 I leave you with a thought that has left me thinking: "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
     J.K. Rowling

Best
Tracy:)

  
                                                                                                                

Hope






       

 

                                                         

New Year 2011

  I wish everyone a blessed and happy Near Year.
    May all your dreams and wishes come true!

Best
Tracy :)