Another Holiday

I will be taking another holiday as we are going to the coast!

I am looking forward to some rest and relaxation

and will be back in three weeks :)

~Finding the amazing in the simple~

Thanks so much for stopping by!

One of My Favorite Things

I love linens and lace,

flowers and delicate china,

teacups and teapots and pastels.

But there is one things that gets my heart pounding

and gives me goosebumps of excitment.

Nope, not skydiving.

It's the sound of jets flying by at super speeds.

I love air shows!

Not only do I love the sound of the jets

and watching the acrobatic fliers

but there is also the thrill of trying to caputre

them on camera as they zoom by at warp speeds.

And there aren't only jets at air shows.

There are also gliders,

and parachuters,

and jet fueled

outhouses, and snoopy houses

and...

the Magic School Bus!

There's the new...

and there's the vintage.

There's the experienced fliers

and some who are just learning.

These three vintage planes do an aerobatic routine.

One instructor and two brothers who are learning.

There's the big and there's a small.

There is a little bit of everything at the air show.

But my favorite is the CF-18 fighter jet.

This is the one at the air show and if you look very closely

you would see 13 unique snowflakes,

each representing a province or territory.

Is there something you enjoy that is unexpected?

~Finding the amazing in the simple~

Thanks so much for stopping by!



Pantry & Freezer Cleaning

Just before it is time to start harvesting in the garden

I like to give my pantry and freezer a thorough cleaning.

This is pretty much an all day job but it is the best time to do it

as the freezer and pantry are at their lowest stocked points.

I start the day by unplugging the freezer 

and taking everything out and putting it in baskets.

I try to put like things together,

breads in one basket, veggies in another, meat in another, etc.

When I am done taking everything out

I leave the freezer and head over to start on the pantry.

I start by taking everything off one section and

wiping it down with a mild bleach solution.

While the one set of shelves is drying

I start taking things off the next section of shelving.

It is always handy to have a large garbage can nearby

to throw out any old items or packaging.

When I am about half done working my way around the pantry

it is usually time to head back to the freezer.

Once all the chunks of ice have fallen down

I scoop them out with a shovel.

I'm short and it's the easiest way for me to get them out - lol :)

I then wipe down the freezer with a very mild bleach solution,

rinse it and dry it.

As I put things back into the freezer I make a list of everything going in

with the quantity of each item.

When I am all finished I put the master sheets on top of the freezer

and as an item is added or removed I change the total on the sheet.

Once everything is all back in looking neat and tidy

it's time to plug it back in, shut the lid

and wipe down the outside.

Now it's all ready for the veggies that I will be freezing.

Then it's back to the pantry to finish the last half.

For some reason this side always seems to go a little quicker

but I don't mind.  By this time I just want to be done.

When the shelves are done I give the floor a good wipe down as well

and change and update any shelf labels that need it.

It's a wonderful feeling to have it done

and seeing those clean, empty shelves

just waiting for the canning from the garden.

~Finding the amazing in the simple~

Thanks so much for stopping by!



No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

This is one of the first recipes I learned how to make

way back when I was in Junior High School

and taking a Home Economics class.

The recipe was handed out to us on a sheet of

yellow colored paper that I still have

and pull out every summer to make these cookies.

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

6 Tbsp cocoa

1/2 cup finely shredded coconut

3 cups oatmeal

Combine the first four ingredients together in a pot

and bring to a boil.

Boil 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove the pot from the stove

and add the coconut and oatmeal.

Stir to combine.

Place spoonfuls on waxed lined cookie sheets, working quickly.

Let cool and enjoy.

I usually store these in the refrigerator.

~Finding the amazing in the simple~

Thanks so much for stopping by!



Simple Sweet Peas

My hubby picked me a sweet little bouquet of sweet peas from the garden

so I thought why not put together a table featuring the sweet peas.

I pulled out my pink tablecloth,

added some white placemats

and my everday dishes.

My favorite accent plates that seem to go with everything.

A simple white bowl and pink napkin

with my delicately floral wine glass.

A simple crocheted doilie and the beautifully fragrant sweet peas.

I wanted to keep this table simple so I just added

a tealight holder with these light pink tealights

on either side of the sweet peas.

I find that no matter how simple the meal

a pretty table makes it seem so much better :)

Now we use our table for a lot of things

so it's just not practical for us

 to keep it dressed up throughout the week.

I do like to keep with my weekly theme though

so this is what my weekday table looks like.

Two pretty little doilies for the tealights

and the bouquet of sweet peas in the center.

Simple, sweet and pretty.

~Finding the amazing in the simple~

Thanks so much for stopping by!



Around the Yard and Garden

Whenever we are away I always wonder

how the yard and garden are faring

so one of the first things I do when we get home

is take a tour of the yard and garden.

This is the first flower bed you see when you drive in.

It is my only shade flowerbed

but it is thriving this year.

The daylilies add a wonderful pop of color.

I was concerned how some of my flower pots would do

without their daily watering but they were fine :)

The chili peppers turned from green to red.

 

The pumpkins and cantaloupe over doubled in size!

And the spaghetti squash is producing lots of squash

and baby watermelons are beginning to appear.

I have been so blessed with a very bountiful garden this year.

The beans are almost done for the season

and the peppers are large and healthy.

We were able to pick our first cucumber

and the corn is filling out.

The strawberries are continuing to produce

and are nice and sweet.

The flowers in the garden are blooming

and bring me such joy with their beauty

while I harvest the vegetables.

The bachelor buttons with their various colors.

Dahlias and stocks.

My forgotten garden is also coming along nicely.

The light blue mushroom almost glows

surrounded by greenery.

I added this little solar light with a blue jay on top.

The blue jay is my daughter's favorite bird.

If you look closely near the back

you can see another solar light with a cardinal on top.

Cardinals are my favorite birds.

I also added a trellis in the corner.

It was wonderful to come home and see

all the beautiful blooms.

~Finding the amazing in the simple~

Thanks so much for stopping by!



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