tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68252642144728063172023-12-12T12:56:12.551-05:00The Haney PlaceWelcome to the Haney Place! Just as Oliver and Lisa bought their happy homestead from Mr. Haney on Green Acres, we bought our own home sweet dilapidated home - a 170-year-old farmhouse - six or so years ago. Incredibly, it is smack dab in the middle of the city! The renovation adventures are nonstop fun!!!MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.comBlogger264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-32546477111865822522013-09-08T20:54:00.000-04:002013-09-08T20:54:13.453-04:00Liver....(meehhhhhh....)Liver. If you eat meat, it's a fact of life. It's only a fact of my life indirectly. But let's talk sense here, whether you like it or not. If you eat a burger or a steak, there's a liver out there somewhere waiting to be appreciated. Our dogs would NOT eat liver. They didn't like the smell of it, would not tolerate the experience of it in any way. Liver...NOT!!<br />
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BUT....we feed our goggies a whole prey diet. They are dogs (wolves) by nature, and their diet should be mainly meat, prey, including organ meats. So...................<br />
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In the past there was nothing we could do to convince them to eat liver or any other organ meats. But since we got that side of really sweet pastured, grass fed beef from the wonderful gentleman farmer at <a href="http://www.glensfallsregion.com/business/locust-grove-farm-smokehouse-and-country-store-6480/" target="_blank">Locust Grove Farms</a> the liver, heart, bones, you name it, are AMBROSIA! Bless their hungry hearts.<br />
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They went from this:<br />
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To this:<br />
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And then to this...ah yes, the sleep of the well fed, conscience clear, very, very, very good goggie.<br />
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I suspect the fact that these goggies have their nutritional needs met (as well as emotional needs), but are VIBRANTLY healthy from their diet and lifestyle is what makes them sleep soundly (when they are not on guard). Good Goggies! Thank goodness for liver! (I never thought I would live to see the day -- but that was another post, wasn't it?)<br />
<br />MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-204094358091291272013-08-31T19:19:00.001-04:002013-08-31T19:19:49.813-04:00A ReprieveBig Steve and I enjoyed sleeping a little late this morning, at least for us. Actually 9 am is excruciatingly late for us, and that's exactly when Elsa and Pearl decided enough is enough and licked our faces till we laughed our hearts out and got up and got going. It's so nice to start the day with doggie kisses. <br />
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We lazily went through our morning routines and then headed out to Argyle for an order of beef. I can't say enough good things about <a href="http://www.glensfallsregion.com/business/locust-grove-farm-smokehouse-and-country-store-6480/" target="_blank">Locust Grove Farms</a> out in Argyle. I have been buying meat from them for decades now. The cows are pastured, grass eating beasts. The gentleman owner who butchers them, Bill, is just that....a gentleman. Many of you know how I feel about eating meat. But it's the inhumanely, commercially raised meat that I have a problem with. The animals at <a href="http://www.glensfallsregion.com/business/locust-grove-farm-smokehouse-and-country-store-6480/" target="_blank">Locust Grove Farm</a> are healthy, well cared for and happy....cows, pigs, chickens. Bill is a truly kind and gentle man. I have a good feeling about eating meat in this way. When he calls you about your order (which doesn't happen instantly, he is very fussy about the beef he sells and picks out just the right beast for your wants and needs) he will tell you about the cow...details that only a concerned cattleman would know or care about. <br />
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They smoke their own bacon, ham, etc., make their own jerky, pies, candies, dressings and marinades, you name it. It's a real treat to visit that smokehouse - I encourage you to take the drive if you have nothing to do on the weekend or in conjunction with an apple picking day - I almost guarantee you will come home with a car full of goodness. Or a freezer full -- like this (don't be jealous, but there are THREE prime rib roasts in there):<br />
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I always feel so incredibly blessed when I fill up the freezer with this good beef. We'll eat well all winter. What a blessing!!!<br />
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At any rate, on the way out and on the way back, Big Steve and I had an opportunity to really talk. I guess we have decided to wait till Spring to list the house. Whew! It's not that I don't want to move, I really do. It's just that it was too soon. And if we sold the house and the coop with it and left the chickens, I wouldn't have a really good feeling about rookie urban homesteaders (chicken parents) overwintering my babies. I'm not sure we would leave the hens, but if someone wanted an established situation, we thought we might.<br />
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So the pressure is off. We'll do more to prepare the house for the next family than we originally intended to do. But we love this place. We can't control what the next owner does or doesn't do, but we have to do it correctly, our way, on our terms.MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-52801352214892674502013-08-30T22:25:00.000-04:002013-08-30T22:25:17.846-04:00All Good Things Must Come To An EndIt is with a somewhat sorry, but seriously excited heart that I write this post. We have decided to sell The Haney Place and find a place outside of the city with a little more land and a lot more potential. Don't get me wrong, urban homesteading has been a very good thing. A colleague did me a real favor at work yesterday. She didn't have to, and I wouldn't have even known otherwise, but she did it, and I truly appreciated it. So my hens sent her a dozen eggs. You can't buy that kind of neighborliness, it's just a gift. Even so, it's just time. This blog has struggled for a while because I have struggled because hey, there is just so much to say about "living in the city, fed the chickens, dogs, cats, cleaned up poop, spread poop in garden" that we could do. We adore the hens, dogs and cats, but we need to spread our wings. We would love the opportunity to raise a cow, a horse, a goat or two, make our own soap (not just the <a href="http://thehaneyplace.blogspot.com/2009/12/homemade-laundry-detergent.html" target="_blank">laundry detergent we make here</a> but real soap from goat's milk (like you have too much and you can't waste that precious goat's milk and you already made enough cheese, so we'll make soap).<br />
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So my first order of business is washing and dressing windows. Which touches my heart...I spent more than a little bit of time researching, purchasing, searching for vintage and making dressings for the windows here. I took a survey just now -- there are a total of 23 windows in The Haney Place (not counting doors). And I have lovingly dressed many of them....I would love to share the historical research I did, the period curtains I searched, considered, purchased. This Haney Place is market priced, but does anyone really consider the life and love of a home...some of my childhood/facebook friends can recall the criss-cross curtain discussion. I never did find a criss-cross curtain or a pattern, but I still did dress the windows with love. A few photos:<br />
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It's night and I'm tired. I know my photographic skills are limited. That second picture is a gorgeous antique lace that we found at a thrift store. It has been so happy here - Specifically in the "Amish Room". We've named every room here. Oh yes, it's going to be hard to say good-bye to this place.<br />
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Tomorrow we'll travel to Argyle for a side of beef. I know, we're moving. We'll move the beef with us, when the time comes. After all, these goggies need their meaty bones! After that, I'll come home and polish all these hardwood floors and post more pictures.<br />
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Yes, it's going to be hard to leave this Haney Place.MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-76010284594970493002013-07-02T21:09:00.001-04:002013-07-02T21:09:34.124-04:00Lessons Learned from Hens (Not Roosters!)When you shop in stores for decorative kitchen items, there are roosters galore. I'm not debating the usefulness of roosters, although we here are not looking for anything but edible eggs from our hens, so we have no use for roosters here at the Haney Place. We are in no way rooster detractors, but roosters just don't have a place here at this time.<br />
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Where is the appreciation for the hens? Those dear henny-penny girls who show up day after day to feed the masses? Those unsung heroines of protein and vitamin A. Those quiet and gentle creatures who tolerate blistering heat, freezing cold, soggy wet feet and feed (lately here in Upstate NY) or our solid clay soil which makes it impossible to find even one worm/day. What about them?<br />
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I was contemplating my henny penny sisters tonight, and why I need to learn from them. I closed up their pen tonight, and encouraged them into the coop to go to bed. They knew what I was doing. I only got gentle "thank you" coo's from them. They had no resentment. I understand that my hens are blind after dark, so I'm sure they appreciate the guidance.<br />
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I want to be more like my hens. I want to be blind to darkness, and appreciative of the leadership of my Lord God in the darkness. This world is getting darker every day. I try to tell myself that what is going on around me every day has been foretold, and God has everything under control. I believe this, I take it to heart, and it encourages me every day. And yet, tonight, caring for my hens, I see that I have a long way to go toward trust and understanding in the darkness.<br />
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Tonight I am thanking Heaven for my hens! God works in mysterious ways, that is for sure, and yet, His creation isn't that mysterious. <br />
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Even so, there are always WOLVES outside!!! It's just our dear Pearly girl in this instance, but even so, she is capable of harm without supervision. So we always supervise her, just as our Father supervises those that might harm us. I think my Father in Heaven loves me with a much more perfect love than I have for my hens, as deep as my love is. It is difficult to comprehend that level of love. But I truly do believe it is so. I'm going to wrap myself in that love tonight.</div>
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MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-39747082350306571442013-05-22T19:09:00.000-04:002013-05-22T19:09:38.738-04:00Oh My! This Could Be an Episode of "There, I Fixed It"!Now Big Steve is in love with his vehicle. We have two vehicles, but the one he is in love with is a 1982 Dodge Ram Van. It has an engine that makes itself known, for starters. We took it to a nice fellow named Buddy recently, and the two guys acted like it was Christmas Morning and their first date with a girl all rolled into one. No disrespect, it's a guy thing, men say we women folk are mysterious, oy....but I digress.<br />
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Here's the van (I appreciate it, but I'm not necessarily in love with it:<br />
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So anyway, for anyone who hasn't yet heard the joyous news, we here at the Haney Place will be hosting a wedding for my daughter Kimberly in July. This has put us in PUSH mode for remodeling projects and sprucing up. We're working like crazy people. (Ever seen Steel Magnolias?)<br />
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At any rate, Big Steve has been hard at work remodeling this place for several years now. But NOW, with goodness knows how many guests due to swarm on us shortly, we're working on several SHORT TERM projects, like temporary flooring for the kitchen we haven't gotten to yet. And here is where the van comes in. <br />
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Tonight we took the van out to purchase 'temporary' flooring for two separate rooms. And I noted on the console, what looked to be a roll of white duct tape. Thusly:<br />
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As you can see, it is attached with a piece of itself to the console. I asked Big Steve "is this white duct tape" - and he immediately responded "Yes" and then without a moment's pause or a blink of his eye he added "It's my cup holder".........</div>
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My mind stopped at that point. Is this genius? Insanity? Redneck living at it's finest?</div>
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So just now, while the supper's cooking on the stove, I took the very symbol of redneck living, the party cup, and tried it out.</div>
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Eureeka! It works!!! Call it what you want - but it does work. I can't argue. I'm especially glad I don't ride in that van very often, but even so, it has Stiva's zest for life written all over it!!!MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-24435813515474143142013-05-12T18:26:00.001-04:002013-05-12T18:26:34.237-04:00Mother's Day Musings And A Recipe 'Cause I Know That's Why You Come HereThere was a local media flack about who should get presents for mother's day. Wow.....a lot of strong opinions. The older I get, the weaker my opinions get, I find. If you don't have children, some say, your husband shouldn't give you gifts for mother's day and get all in a huff. Frankly, if your husband loves you and wants to give you a gift for any reason, that's already a blessing and I say amen to that! What is the definition of a mother? For me it was somewhat complicated. Not early on, of course. I always had an awesome maternal unit at home to care for me and raise me and feed me and show me the way to go. A Godly mother (and father) who taught me to pray (not words reiterated over and over again) but to really pray - to hold conversation with a loving God. We took a lot of awesome family vacations, and I always remember my father on his knees, humbly asking God for travelling mercies and blessings on his family. So I really have a lot to be thankful for in all respects. At some point, I may just look up that birth mother of mine, just to let her know that I'm fine, and that I thank her for her sacrifice and goodness to let me grow up with fine people like my mom and dad. I truly do appreciate it.<br />
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When I got older the realization that these wonderful people adopted me and took me in as an orphan really hit home. And let's be honest....I was a rambunctious child and teenager. I gave them causes to pray!!! But pray they did and they got me through.<br />
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I don't care in what sense you're a mother today. If you're a mother in any sense, you're important, and it's your day. In my case, since I was just over being sick (lost two days of work this week), I had one adult child home today and SOMEONE (won't tell who) made some wonderful fresh blueberry pancakes and bacon with real Vermont maple syrup. Wow...decadence....<br />
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We went to the<a href="http://www.blueribbonrestaurant.com/" target="_blank"> Blue Ribbon Restaurant</a> in Schenectady. It used to be the Blue Ribbon Diner. It was awesome 30 years ago, it's even more awesome now!!!!! I had Coquilles St. Jacques....not sure what anyone else had. I was too busy nomming and smiling. I think I heard about stuff like stuffed sole, moussaka, etc. They were all nomming and smiling around my table. :-) And UNLIKE most local restaurants, they actually had a page of MOTHER'S DAY SPECIALS in addition to their regular menu. Not a separate overprice special day menu, actual SPECIALS!!! So for under $20, you could get the aforementioned dinners, along with soup, salad, sides, warm rolls w/butter. And the desserts were to die for!!! I know a lot of "diners" present their desserts are something special. But then you get your mouth full of that sticky diner "whip" greasy and hard to digest. Not so here. The Bavarian Cheesecake was a full (overly full) slice of really creamy cheesecake between two layers of the moistest, lightest chocolate sponge cake you ever experienced lately (and I've TRIED to do this at home) with chocolate whipped cream atop. Not that chocolate whip where it kind of lubes your mouth with not-food lubricant. This is real whipped cream friends. And chocolate, to boot. I am now a <a href="http://www.blueribbonrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Blue Ribbon Restaurant</a> devotee, and I have only been there once in 30 years!!!<br />
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To make my day weirdly wonderful, you may know how I avoid Wal-Mart at all costs. Well, this morning, Big Steve and I went there really early, (for kitty litter, you know) and one of the managers came over and gave me this: <br />
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Just a lovely coral carnation. I must admit, it softened me a bit. After all, we don't judge a church by the denomination any more than we judge a person by their workplace. This local manager was a kindly man, trying to do good (even his employees acknowledged that he was a good man). So kudos to you, Rensselaer NY WalMart manager for softening my bitter feelings toward your employer.</div>
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And lastly, if you want to make that awesome crispy bacon for your loved ones, but just can't bring yourself to do it because of the mess:</div>
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Take however much bacon you want to make (and a little bit more because you know you will all eat it!!!). Lay it out flat on an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet. Put it into the oven cold and dark until 20 minutes before your breakfast should be served. At exactly 20 minutes before the rest of our breakfast should be served (pancakes, eggs, whatever) turn that oven on to 400 degrees. I guarantee you crispy perfect oven cooked bacon - no clean up whatsoever!!! It's a holiday miracle!!! This is what mothers live for, after all.....</div>
MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-86482594819562270392013-05-08T20:40:00.000-04:002013-05-08T20:40:09.663-04:00On Chickens and Eggs and Spring and Such!Well, things seem to have calmed down in the henhouse to some extent. But I will say that the "old girls" are giving the "new girls" a run for their money. For the most part, they are living amicably and not upsetting our neighbors very much. Now remember, we are urban homesteaders and our house is right up close to our neighbors on either side. So when I heard those hens yelling their heads off at 5:45 am Monday morning, it was not at all awesome!<br />
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But again, for the most part they are getting along. I heard the screaming this morning (much after 5:45, thank goodness) and ran out to find the two older girls pecking and harassing one of the new girls trying to settle in to lay an egg. Well bless her heart if she didn't lay the daintiest egg I ever saw. Not surprising for such a youngster, but very much appreciated! And darned if she didn't come out of the henhouse to loudly proclaim her achievement!!! Big Steve witnessed and recounted it - just wish I had my camera for that dear moment!!!<br />
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Can you see the dear tiny thing there, amongst the other more grown up hen eggs? Well, it's not as tiny as it looks. To give some perspective, this is how our older girls' eggs stack up in an extra large egg carton:<br />
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That's right, they're even too big for an "extra large" carton. So that dear "tiny" egg in our estimation is probably a grade medium at least.<br />
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Chickens are so easy and cheap to keep (once your dear husband builds you a sweet coop). And they're real characters! They have very docile personalities (at least our Red Star hens do) and they're friendly and amusing and great for comic relief. And bottom line - they provide a ton of really healthy, organic protein and all kinds of other nutrients to pay for their feed. I don't know why everyone doesn't keep a small backyard flock of chickens!!!<br />
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MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-79466313499744095252013-05-05T18:05:00.000-04:002013-05-08T20:14:56.871-04:00I Promised You Drama - I'm Giving You Drama!!!LOLOL!!! I knew there would be all kinds of girl drama when we brought home a few new hens. Watch the "reality show" action while my home girls represent!!!<br />
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What a GORGEOUS gift of a weekend!!!! And it came at the end of a challenging week, and somehow God put the 34th Psalm into my head before the week was over. It's awesome. Well now somehow, He is GOD, after all, and he does what he wants with me. And apparently, He wants to strengthen and encourage me!!! Thank you!!!<br />
<br />See what I mean right <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+34&version=KJV">here:</a><br />
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At any rate, we are so thankful for these new hens. I shouldn't tell this, because as a Christian, if I tell you and you congratulate me, I have lost any Heavenly reward. Which is ok. Because I consider this an investment. But the extra hens are going to help and lay eggs for the Capital City Rescue Mission in Albany, NY. These people are SO AWESOME!!! And they are transforming downtown Albany. They are taking folks who are at their lowest, and bringing them right up to be soldiers for the LORD in downtown Albany! I can't say enough about what they are doing. If you're local, please see how you can help them. And if you're not, you can always do a few $$$ if you have them to spare. And thank you!!! Nose around their website and see how awesomely the Lord is working there!!<br />
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<a href="http://capitalcityrescuemission.com/">The Mission</a><br />
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OK, so lastly, here is the DRAMATIC video I promised. I pray they will all be securely on the perch in about 90 minutes. If not - there will be one heckuva post in the morning, lol!!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqxUeZODSrY&feature=youtu.be">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqxUeZODSrY&feature=youtu.be</a>MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-85909085474374739592013-04-25T21:47:00.001-04:002013-04-25T21:47:55.345-04:00Time for TeaAnd so we're back. It's as easy and gentle as that. We won't share how we cleaned the coop today, or were scolded by hens, or shooed frisky dogs away, or cleaned the litter boxes, or did our full time jobs. But we'll share that there were tremendous amounts of love here for the past 24 hours. And tremendous amounts of work in the name of love to come. So very cryptic - but those who felt the love know who they are and those who will receive the love will likely never know where it came from. More on that in the near future.<br />
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But for tonight, rest assured,we've been working and busy. And glad to be back writing and blogging. And tonight, I'm pooped, and it's time for tea. Tea is always a good thing!!!<br />
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Oh yes, of course, it's always sleepytime tea for me, and those aren't orange slices, they're meyer lemons. And you're blessed if you can find them.<br />
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Night Nights friends -- I'm happy to be back!!!<br />
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<br />MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-50730048481795256482012-06-30T13:25:00.001-04:002012-06-30T13:25:26.171-04:00Where there is love.....I've been ignoring this blog for a bit whilst I work out some housekeeping chores (web hosting, etc.). I'd much rather write than housekeep. But yet, everything that strikes me compels me to write about it. Last night, Big Steve and I (and Pearl and Elsa) sat outside in the very late last rays of the sun, to thank God for His blessings, and to appreciate the fact that the lightning bugs were giving us a wondrous display. Who needs fireworks when you have God's glory to soak in?<br />
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At any rate, I just went out to check my mail and was greeted with another blessing. Earlier this year, due to a misunderstanding, Big Steve pulled out the hedge on one side of the house. I had explained to him that our neighbor was concerned over the unsightliness of that portion of hedge. He took it to mean that the neighbor wanted the hedge gone, and so he tore it out. I was HORRIFIED!!! And yet, we came up with a plan. Now, here at the Haney Place we live a very low-budget lifestyle. And so it was important to choose a replanting that would suit, and fit into a frugal budget.<br />
<br />So God heard our plea. Big Steve was able to find a first year (small, early) rose of sharon. I have always loved that rose of sharon, and dearly wanted one for years. So in it went, with no fanfare, and not much thought to its after-care (all things considered, there is always a lot going on her).<br />
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So....considering it was planted in the city, on the street, without a lot of after-care....I present the blossoms on my rose of sharon!!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehaneyplace/7473424862/" title="DSC02062 by marie__123, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC02062" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/7473424862_f101c3ec45.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Then I turn around, and am face to face with some sweet and wonderful morning glories...must have been planted at some time in history by Mrs. Newton (God rest her soul)...and again, I am faced with beauty in my world.<br />
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Finally, upon my return to the house, I take note that Pearl, one of the best dogs ever, was keeping guard, standing watch, seeing to her mommy's back. I thought she was in the other room, chewing her ill-gotten tupperware and watching Dick Tracy on TCM....but no, she's ever watchful, always on duty...</div>
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So I'm surrounded, on this first day of my stay-cation, with life and goodness. And I decided to thank God today that where there is love, there is life. Even right here in the heart of a city.</div>
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<br />MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-1661709784296362762012-04-02T21:50:00.001-04:002012-04-02T21:52:10.649-04:00HorseradishSo.........choke, choke, gasp.....we prepared some horseradish tonight after our day jobs. After we got home, Big Steve dug up a few roots, and then while he was out procuring himself a chipper/shredder from Craigslist, I was cleaning, grinding said horseradish roots.<br />
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My batteries for my camera ran out, so I had to use my phone. Ain't technology great? At any rate...you gotta dig them there roots:<br />
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After you get those roots, you gotta peel and cut them up. You need to grate them. You can do this with a grater (only if you have a death wish --I kid you not) or you can do it in a Vita Mix blender like we did. So you trim and grate those roots, and be DAMN SURE to add some white vinegar. Those roots have a protective instinct, and when you cut or grind them, they give off something similar to the skunk in a protective nature. I'm not kidding you. If you don't believe me, just try it for yourself, you darned fool!<br />
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So............................grind it up real good and add some white vinegar/water. You know when it's right. BELIEVE ME, you'll know when it's right. Then pack it all into jars. And you've got yourself the freshest, most wonderful horseradish you could ever know.<br />
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<br />MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-30016137525507999462012-03-31T22:42:00.001-04:002012-03-31T22:44:19.907-04:00Introducing Big Red!!!I don't care how many people I spoke with this past week. The response was always...?????....<br />
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So YES, we made a conscious decision some time ago to add to our family responsibly. And we waited and waited for just the right addition. Big Steve has repeated over and over again - I CAN"T BELIEVE I'M IN A HOUSE WITH TWO DOGS AND TWO CATS - I COULDN"T LOVE THIS SITUATION FOR ANYONE BUT YOU... Ahhh...the love of a good woman...means the love extends to rescue animals, foster kids, but I digress....<br />
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I am so proud and happy to announce that today we added a most precious member to our family here at The Haney Place..BIG RED!!! OMG - how awesome is that name, anyway? At any rate, for those who are wanting more info...here is tonight's video. Mind you, it's our first night together...even so...<br />
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Bless him...I think he may have just attempted to unseat Big Steve...this is another video, lol!!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehaneyplace/7033780825/in/photostream">http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehaneyplace/7033780825/in/photostream</a><br />
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<br />MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-61666194907034835722012-03-18T20:32:00.001-04:002012-03-18T20:32:51.712-04:00Pineapple Angel Food CakeThis is the easiest cake recipe in the world. It's moist, quick and barely even heats your kitchen in the warm weather. Tuck this one away. It's not my recipe -- I'm not sure where I found it. But way before the internet, I made it for my kids when we lived up in the Adirondack Mountains.<br />
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Just two ingredients:<br />
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Angel Food Cake Mix<br />
One Tall Can Crushed Pineapple<br />
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Mix together well (about 1 minute) with your electric mixer.<br />
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Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees until it's done (you already know how to tell when a cake is done).<br />
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Moist, light, sweet but not too sweet. Dessert as good as it gets.<br />
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<br />MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-47148419699724332302012-03-04T20:20:00.000-05:002012-03-04T20:20:27.390-05:00Caramel Pecan Pumpkin PieWow - we had this tonight, as the crowning glory to a wonderful meal. Simmered country ham with home grown horseradish, potato pancakes, homemade applesauce, a lovely melange of green beans, wax beans and baby carrots, and finally the piece de resistance, a caramel pecan pumpkin pie. Everything was freshly made from scratch, including that classic pie crust. The pie took a few more minutes than I'm used to, but it was a day off from work after all, and the guys really seemed to enjoy it.<br />
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If you know me at all, you know I especially appreciate vintage recipes. This one is from 1939, and I got it from Better Homes & Gardens All Time Favorites (1999).<br />
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1 single crust pastry<br />
2 slightly beaten eggs<br />
1 15 oz. can pumpkin<br />
1/4 cup half and half or milk<br />
3/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 tablespoon all purpose flour<br />
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel<br />
1/2 tsp. vanilla<br />
1/4 tsp. salt<br />
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg<br />
1/8 tsp. ground allspice<br />
1/2 cup packed brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup chopped pecans<br />
2 Tlb. butter, softened.<br />
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Prepare pastry and line pie plate. <br />
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In a large bowl, stir together eggs, pumpkin and half & half (or milk). Stir in the granulated sugar, flour, lemon peel, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. <br />
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Pour pumpkin mixture into pastry lined pie plate. To prevent overbrowning, cover the edge of the pie with foil. Bake in a 375 oven for 25 minutes.<br />
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Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, pecans, and butter until combined. Remove foil. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over top of pie. Bake for 0 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and topping is golden and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.<br />
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Enjoy!!!MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-34534336823970656392011-12-23T21:23:00.000-05:002011-12-23T21:23:36.795-05:00Christmas FudgeThis is another heirloom recipe. Something my family has been making for as long as I can remember...meaning more than 50 years. I remember as a young lass sleeping in an upstairs sparest of bedrooms, just off the dearest of non-scary attics, realizing that my mother stored her beloved fudge in a wonderful gold and white fruitcake tin in said attic. I don't know how many years I stole and enjoyed this fudge covertly. Just suffice it to say it happened multiple times. And my mother was a wonder of housekeeping and bookkeeping. Which means I was an equal wonder of cover theft (or else my mum just forgave me and moved on, but that's neither here nor there).<br />
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Christmas Fudge<br />
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In a large pot (or bowl) break up and mix:<br />
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12 oz german (sweet) chocolate<br />
12 oz semi sweet chocolate (just use chips)<br />
1 pt. marshmallow fluff<br />
2 cups chopped nut meats<br />
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You'll need a strong arm, or a willing fella. Which makes this a very romantic Christmas recipe.<br />
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So while you're strong-arming that in a bowl, the more delicate of the pair shall do the following:<br />
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In a heavy saucepan, mix and then boil:<br />
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2 Tlb. butter<br />
1 13 oz. can evaporated milk<br />
4 1/2 c. sugar<br />
1 pinch salt<br />
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Just stir it up, bring it to a bubble, and stir it for 6 full minutes (at the full bubble). When it's all done, pour it into the chocolate/marshmallow mixture and strongarm it once again:<br />
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So strong arm it all together, and push it into a nice big pan. This makes a wonderful amount of fudge...more than enough for a family, but never enough to share. We sent all of our first batch with soldier packages. We've got some post Christmas soldier packages to send out, and even so, there's plenty of good, mellow, creamy sweet fudgy goodness for everyone.<br />
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To me, if there is fresh fudge, it MUST be Christmas!MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-91863733406782178022011-12-21T21:37:00.000-05:002011-12-21T21:37:42.808-05:00Figgy Cookies!!!Oh bring us some figgy pudding<br />
Oh bring us some figgy pudding<br />
Oh bring us some figgy pudding<br />
Oh bring them right here<br />
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Oh bother (sorry, that's Pooh, not Dickens)<br />
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I have no idea what that line in the classic carol talks about because I've never researched or baked a "figgy pudding". I honestly don't care. I know I should care because a baked pudding is enchanting, and I do have some cooked figs in the fridge tonight. But I do care about figgy cookies. Because they are really and truly awesome. So for tonight it's figgy cookies -- for Christmas weekend, who knows! With Google, many things are possible...<br />
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And we DO have a recipe for figgy cookies tonight. It's not anything-free, but if you're like us, you'll adjust and adapt so that you can enjoy this and every recipe, no matter what your dietary restrictions may be.<br />
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This is a sacred (more than 50 years in my family) recipe. Use it or not as you wish, but it must not be lost, so I'm sharing.<br />
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So......My Nonny's Fig Cookie Recipe<br />
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1 cup dried figs (chopped)<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
1 3/4 cups flour<br />
2 tsp. baking powder<br />
3/4 tsp salt<br />
1 cup margarine (that's what the recipe says, we use butter)<br />
1 cup brown sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1 1/3 cup flaked coconut<br />
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Cook water & fig. Cream margaring, sugar. Add egg & vanilla. Add cooked figs, flour, baking pwder & salt. Roll in balls and in coconut. Press down center with half pecans. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBteU9Ate-bgqxVQtrUB3XcFmgBoDZ4kj1ePxCNvF18b5Pe9Fo6a8IXt41wJWLB-_7u9mP7IwHgYGrjEovz0AhpJa9QRG6VBIPIeQ6mkZ9Owk4YSD4JoOI0pgkzax6uiXBYDfhNulf-gZN/s1600/DSC01911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBteU9Ate-bgqxVQtrUB3XcFmgBoDZ4kj1ePxCNvF18b5Pe9Fo6a8IXt41wJWLB-_7u9mP7IwHgYGrjEovz0AhpJa9QRG6VBIPIeQ6mkZ9Owk4YSD4JoOI0pgkzax6uiXBYDfhNulf-gZN/s320/DSC01911.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>Now a few notes of reality. I cooked my figs this year in the crockpot, covered with water while I was serving at my obligatory day job. When I got home, I shut it off and cooled the figs, then drained them and added them to the recipe.<br />
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Another thing, even if I could find margarine, I wouldn't use it. It's unhealthy. OKOKOK, I already know. White flour, brown sugar, none of it is healthy. But I only ever use butter. That's just me. I STRONGLY suspect my mother wrote margarine because she was a child of the depression. At some point, margarine cost 10% of what butter cost. Yeah, well, do whatever you need to do. If you use "spread" you're throwing your money away and you'll waste your time and ingredients and your recipients will think you're a really lousy cook. These cookies are awesome with butter. I can also remember them being awesome with margarine, but I don't really think you can find "mazola, corn goodness" margarine any more, so don't even bother.<br />
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Another note, that was a "depression era" amount of coconut. You'll need a lot more. Trust me, it's worth it.<br />
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</div>Hugs to you all tonight, I really hope that you appreciate this insight into the culinary history of us humble folk here at The Haney Place. Thank you all for your continued support, despite our recently sporadic publication. We truly do appreciate it. We are so encouraged by the fact that folks do find our posts helpful and informative. MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-69036672397302737122011-12-10T15:11:00.001-05:002011-12-10T15:15:18.115-05:00An End - And A New BeginningWe've been quiet for a while. It's not that there hasn't been plenty going on. For a time, I decided to forego the blog to make time for another writing project I've been working on. Well...as it just so happens, I don't think it's the blog that's taking up my time. Also, there are so many times I've thought "I need to blog this or that". This blog has a life of its own. Even for me -- at the very least it's an archive of me and my family. Recipes, moments, good times, food, food, food.... well.....<br />
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At any rate, a chapter closed this past week with the passing of Big Steve's dad. He had been quite ill for some many months. Even so, it's so hard to say goodbye. Once again today (as has been his habit for the past several months), Steve ran the course of the NYS Thruway on his way home from his parents' house, and this time, he brought a remembrance. So I took a picture:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ze9j8JrMPmnVKBobOaa2PpfZ5S6hfTxT6NXCVF0Kx2L22IeetZjWBepb60adZKUDRGZibtGCBguTvC-JTvtZphddMpyNF0zQrDu50sQjm_by4OgvAEQLO-pNXgyZIYWQYWAJPXpaESnt/s1600/DSC01879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ze9j8JrMPmnVKBobOaa2PpfZ5S6hfTxT6NXCVF0Kx2L22IeetZjWBepb60adZKUDRGZibtGCBguTvC-JTvtZphddMpyNF0zQrDu50sQjm_by4OgvAEQLO-pNXgyZIYWQYWAJPXpaESnt/s320/DSC01879.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some cards and well wishes, along with some really fragrant flowers from a memorial service. My own plants add a bit of symmetry. This is a remembrance of someone whose art was much too far-reaching for me to even try to represent in this blog. This is our dining room right now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So on to the kitchen, and what greeted me this afternoon as I passed through. I'm torn between being sorry that it bloomed so early, and will be gone by Christmas, and then the beauty of it flows through me, and God's beauty knows no human season. I was so overcome by its glory, I hope this digital photograph shows something of the newness of life that I felt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XjCUb97Qul_DRAMR3DaEZYSXR6PdTlnK-COaQfoBmRG2kNFI0BMDSgiOMIeGh9uJLvc7jlj9vwdNvM016wu0HTz1OK4Tp3ZaNmjXe8xSZr8ej9HCnkLSo_HaZQPZV9vB4dKsn2GUcQya/s1600/DSC01882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XjCUb97Qul_DRAMR3DaEZYSXR6PdTlnK-COaQfoBmRG2kNFI0BMDSgiOMIeGh9uJLvc7jlj9vwdNvM016wu0HTz1OK4Tp3ZaNmjXe8xSZr8ej9HCnkLSo_HaZQPZV9vB4dKsn2GUcQya/s320/DSC01882.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If I was a real photographer, I would have staged it with proper lighting, etc. But then it wouldn't have projected exactly the simple, yet exquisite beauty that I enjoyed while entering my kitchen this afternoon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At any rate, I guess I'm back to blogging. Thank you so much to everyone who has inquired where we've been and fear not, Christmas baking and merry-making is in our immediate blogging future.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Thanks so much each and every one of you who has stuck by us this far. It humbles us to realize what an effect this silly, simple little blog has on people. Thanks again.MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-61995164742742083382011-10-09T17:24:00.000-04:002011-10-09T17:24:05.842-04:00Clean House(Pets) and also, the Withering Look....Well, it would appear we had a flea problem earlier in the week. Oy! It seems much longer than a week since that fateful day we took Elsa and Pearl to be groomed. Oh, ok. I know, I KNOW. We can and should be doing this ourselves. BUT...bottom line, we took them to a groomer.<br />
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So.............they came home clean, BUT WITH FLEAS!!!! I kid you not, and actually, it's not surprising Lots of puppies are there only for flea relief, and fleas being the pesky sons-a-guns they are, well, it was just a matter of time.<br />
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So....like proper yuppies (well, we don't really want to be yuppies and if you call us that we'll deal with you in short order, but when we're miffed, we try to do it, but we don't do it well at all!!!), we went back to said groomer and they said they would be happy to re-bathe said puppies at no additional cost (mentally does the math -- what on earth??? More fleas????). So no, that didn't work. I don't need even more fleas. <br />
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We purchased the vet supplied chemicals to eradicate fleas, which it did, but then the poor pups suffered with toxic diarrhea/other symptoms. It's been so long since I have dealt with fleas, that I was ill prepared to the task at hand, so again, Haney Place dogs deserve the best we can give them. Henceforth, these puppies will only be dealt with homeopathically and naturally, but too little too late, we still had itchy, toxic puppies here. Something HAD to be done!<br />
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Steve rigged up really AWESOME dog washing apparatus in the upstairs (master) bathroom. Oy.... It was effiencit, for real, but dogs being what they are, and the fact that they have never been bathed at home yet, the tension was mighty high. I rolled up my sleeves and prepred to get down to business!!! <br />
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Yes, well, I'm pretty sure he told me the status of the various valves, switches and stuff, but long story short, the warm water wasn't forthcoming. I saw a valve I thought was at fault. I had to step up on something, tippy toed, face fully extended to the shower head, and WHAM!!! Before we even began, a face full of something...<br />
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Oy....but anyway, we proceeded. I don't know if you've ever experienced a shy dog evacuating their anal gland, but...it should only happen in the shower, just sayin'....<br />
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Wash one dog in emollient oatmeal shampoo (huff, puff, puff) and turn to second dog (WTF????) No way, and yet, by golly, I've raised kids meaner than you, so in you go, and the second one gets a good bath. So sweet, so happy, so relieved, we're all really proud of the job we've done. So we RUN for the back door, and that AWESOME rare October sunshine. This weekend really is a gift to Upstate NY after all we've been through recently.<br />
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So.....................Big Steve is sitting in the sun out back, sipping something bubbly and cold, and when I express my (then) stress over all the water upstairs, he counters with something like "Didn't you put towels down on the floor"?????<br />
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NOW....THE WITHERING LOOK!!!!! LOLOL!!! Men, don't try this at home. That look could wither the oldest walnut tree!!! <br />
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So we proceed to the cat. Egads. It has been decades since I bathed a cat. Not a pretty sight. Lots of blood (mine). But hey, I figured I had trendy goods, which any cat would be proud to be bathed in!<br />
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</div><div align="left">I don't know about you, but I absolutely adore and look forward to those cherished moments with my stylist. Oh, wow. The warm water, the massage, the fixing of everything that's wrong with how I appear (in her power, albeit...but I digress). At any rate, Calvin wasn't exactly into it, but he was really ok...God love him, he was really ok!</div><div align="left"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Well, what I was dreading most (bathing the cat) turned out to be the easiest task of all. Glad I saved it for last. Mr. Calvin Cat totally accepted and even seemed to enjoy his bath with his trendy shampoo. I won't say he loved every part of it, but I can honestly say that I have the cleanest, and calmest cat on the block. And this episode of fleas is over. For real. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And this has all inspired me to complete the homeopath training for once and for all. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Chemicals stink, in your nose, and metaphorically. I'm done with them. And so are my furbabies! I almost feel like we've won a small battle today!</div>MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-56968805075410182152011-09-22T20:39:00.000-04:002011-09-22T20:39:59.861-04:00Regarding Babies...and Dust...and Such....I shared this with a friend tonight....and it brought back such wonderful memories. I've got lots of firsthand knowledge of babies, but of course, no two babies are the same, and no knowledge of any one baby gives one the right to assume they know about babies. Babies are something else. They change your entire world. Everything you think is important is either still important and elusive, or else it's not so important any more. At any rate, there is no denying that babies, human or otherwise, change our lives forever. Someone shared this poem with me when I had three babies in diapers. I took it to heart, and I believe it's as true today as the day it was written, and the day that author was born, and her mother was born, and her mother was born, and...well, you get the idea...To my mind, it just proves the greatness of God....<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Song For a Fith Child, by Ruth Hamilton. 1958</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">empty the dustpan, poison the moth,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">hang out the washing and butter the bread,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">sew on a button and make up a bed.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Dishes are waiting and bills are past due</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">and out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">but I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">for children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-52394767998855378452011-09-02T20:18:00.000-04:002011-09-02T20:18:06.850-04:00Fall - New BeginningsI love the fall. I love everything about the fall. I love that there is change in the air. I don't mind that the days are getting shorter, but even still, they're not that short. I love that feeling of "vacation's over, back to work" even though Big Steve and I didn't enjoy much vacation goodness this summer. When I was a little girl, I used to LOVE the smell of that new box of crayons for school. I loved the new school year, the clean slate, the potential A+'s, the new teacher I hadn't aggravated yet. It was all so good.<br />
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There's a precious little girl in my life with all the same optimism. Even though I assured her the garden was spent, she wanted to explore. I tried to explain how the weather made all the veggies come in extra early this year and there wasn't the same Labor Day bounty we have come to expect. Nothing would dissuade her.<br />
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So....as one should expect, eternal optimism paid off. I need to take a page out of little Lekya's book. Expect good things, expect blessings, and that's exactly what will happen. As evidence:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now, I assure you. We did not plant pumpkins this year. It's a gift from God. We didn't sow, but we reaped. And what a lovely pumpkin it is!!! It came out of the compost pile, just the way that God uses the compost of our lives to bless us and those around us. What a wonderful Father!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-2685117267275922292011-09-01T20:06:00.000-04:002011-09-01T20:06:09.558-04:00Zippy ChickenOK - I know that's a lame title, but that's just what it was. Tasty, zippy chicken. If I did it again (and I will) it would be just a little bit zippier (a little more red pepper flakes). But it was so good, and the leftovers are my lunch for tomorrow. Yummy!!!! And cheap eats. I'm guessing dinner for two with leftovers for lunch -- under $5. Good stuff!<br />
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Big Steve and I started low-carbing a week or two ago. We've both lost several pounds already. But we had reached a crisis stage. You see, we had a wonderful houseguest for the summer who ate neither beef nor pork. No problem, we adore chicken and meatless meals. So we had chicken this and chicken that during the summer. I enjoyed it, but Big Steve is a red meat kind of guy. So he got a bit overdosed on chicken and a bit underdosed on red meat. So for the past two weeks it has been red meat this and red meat that. Honestly, I was just about to puke red meat two days ago.<br />
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So..............yesterday we had awesome shrimp and the last of the green beans from the garden. But for tonight, I took some so-so looking drumsticks from the freezer and wondered what to do with them. I wanted something with a soy sauce base. <br />
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Enter zippy chicken! (And mashed faux-potatoes...low carb yumminess!!!)<br />
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<a name='more'></a>So here we go - and it couldn't be easier. <br />
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Put your chicken parts in a baking pan - the smallest pan you can make them fit in. Then pour over a "zippy" sauce. Tonight our sauce consisted of:<br />
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<ul><li>Lemon juice</li>
<li>Soy sauce (we always use Bragg's Liquid Aminos)</li>
<li>Olive oil</li>
<li>Whatever seasonings you like - we used sea salt, fresh ground pepper, red pepper flakes and granulated garlic.</li>
</ul>Mix the sauce and pour it over the chicken. Bake in a slow oven (325) for about an hour, then turn them over and bump it up (we bumped it to 375 on convection, or 400 for non-convection ) for another 20 mins.<br />
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Take it out of the oven and ENJOY!!!<br />
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For the mashed faux-tatoes, we steamed a head of cauliflower, and then drained it and mashed it like potatoes. We added butter, cream cheese, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, shredded cheddar and fresh garlic. Wow - so yummy! I'm definitely going to scrape the pan when I go out there and clean the kitchen as soon as I hit "publish" tonight.<br />
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Enjoy!!!!! Who says scrumptious can't be really easy and really cheap????MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-63246898686018590582011-08-17T09:49:00.000-04:002011-08-17T09:49:09.490-04:00Pineapple Angel Food CakeI won't try and kid you into thinking this is in any way good for you, but it's got the be the easiest "homemade" cake for summer. It's light and refreshing, did we mention easy? Two ingredients - and you're done. And it would be perfect to take to a picnic or a cook-out. One of our guests had his with whipped cream and cherries. But I don't really think it needs a topping. Unless you're young and trim and can afford the extra calories!<br />
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</div>It just couldn't be simpler. Using a mixer, blend an angel food cake mix with one large can of crushed pineapple till it's light and fluffy. (A minute or so). Then spoon into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 about 30 mins, or until it's done. You won't believe how it turns out. So very moist, and light as a feather. Try it and see! MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-25011128492101722752011-08-16T09:26:00.000-04:002011-08-16T09:26:49.319-04:00Spicy Summer Chicken & A RevelationTonight we had something I'll call "Spicy Summer Chicken". I had some chicken breasts to use up and I was trying to think of something new. I also wanted to tap into the goodness of the fresh garden veggies. <br />
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Now when I'm alone in the kitchen cooking, my mind is usually going a million miles an hour. Tonight was no exception. So I'm cutting up onions the way I always have - I cut them in half, then in quarters, and then slice them right into whatever I'm making. It makes a slicey dice. It's just the way I do it for lack of a better way. So I get to thinking "someday I'm really going to have to learn to chop onions the right way". And then it hits me...I've always done it like this, it has always worked. I raised four children doing it this way, also fed countless others goodness knows how many thousands of meals over the years (I'm a feeder). I'm content, it gets done, what am I thinking??? No, seriously, this was my revelation. It may seem silly and small, but why do we always second guess ourselves? Why do we always think someone else has a key or some knowledge or skill that we don't? Why can't we just be ourselves and be content?<br />
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I'm wondering how much of this negativity toward myself I really do carry around. It's good to examine and improve ourselves, but probably not a good thing to always think we're not quite up to the mark. So I'm going to try to be more conscious about this in the future. <br />
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I'm not sure if this makes sense to anyone else but me, there it is.<br />
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And now a recipe, or as we call it here, a method. <br />
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I know that's not a good picture, but it's the best I could get in a dim room.<br />
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At any rate, I cut up the chicken breasts into tenders-like pieces and put them into an oiled baking dish. Then I made the sauce.<br />
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Drizzle some oil in a skillet, then add<br />
chopped onions (we used two medium onions tonight)<br />
chopped garlic (as much as you like of each) <br />
(You could also use peppers, if you wanted them)<br />
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Stir over medium heat till the onions just start to soften.<br />
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Then I added:<br />
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3-4 large fresh tomatoes, cut up (you could use canned)<br />
salt & pepper<br />
whatever you like to make it spicy - I added crushed red pepper, tabasco sauce, cumin<br />
Soy Sauce (we use Bragg's)<br />
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Simmer this 5-10 mins, then pour it over the chicken in the pan. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.<br />
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Voila! It's low fat, it's fresh and taty. It really was tasty, and the chicken was nice and tender.<br />
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On the side, we cooked some zucchini in chopped tomatoes with garlic, oregano, etc. Yummy!<br />
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And then there were mashed potatoes. <br />
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It was really very satisfying, not really expensive, and you could actually do a lot of it before work, if you like, and then have an easy meal to come home to.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-4097849599643771262011-08-08T14:08:00.000-04:002011-08-08T14:08:17.608-04:00Help Orphan Puppies - You CAN Help!Today I'm asking all my friends to take just a second of their time to help our friends at <a href="http://www.helporphanpuppies.org/page/page/2205284.htm">Help Orphan Puppies</a>. You may or may not know that these are the good people who brought us our dear <a href="http://thehaneyplace.blogspot.com/2011/06/welcome-pearl.html">Pearl</a>. Pearl is such a joy to us, and a real comfort to me and Big Steve and Elsa upon the loss of our dear friend <a href="http://thehaneyplace.blogspot.com/2011/08/tuffy.html">Tuffy</a>. They knocked themselves out to see that Pearl and her littermates received the best of care and attention. She came to us as a healthy, confident puppy, who had received optimatal care and plenty of expert handling and training at her tender age. I can't say enough good things about them.<br />
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Now for the request - and it's a simple one. Just PLEASE go vote for our friends at the <a href="http://www.refresheverything.com/helporphanpuppies">Pepsi Refresh Your World Contest.</a> You don't have to sign up or do one thing, unless you want to power vote. Power voting is easy and fun. You can get a bunch of votes with one click simply by entering the code from your Pepsi product. I did it just now, and believe me, I am NO computer genius!<br />
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So pleae go vote now, and vote every day! And power vote if you can. If I can do it, anyone can! It would mean a lot to me, and I know it would mean a lot to Tuffy and Pearl.<br />
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Thanks friends!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4memRJaYVP21FIP4C1CHkE5eqFfabsfbuwL1KLbe69CduHZ47ldcK6CfrThCYCUdkVrYavwVMF4bhKvVqboLvUwi30on8EaiMWAWdCpGXlmBIrt0uu92ArMlNr_ddYw8srmn5PN0Plav/s1600/Tinker+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4memRJaYVP21FIP4C1CHkE5eqFfabsfbuwL1KLbe69CduHZ47ldcK6CfrThCYCUdkVrYavwVMF4bhKvVqboLvUwi30on8EaiMWAWdCpGXlmBIrt0uu92ArMlNr_ddYw8srmn5PN0Plav/s1600/Tinker+1.jpg" /></a></div>MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825264214472806317.post-46546891433295882732011-08-06T17:22:00.001-04:002011-08-06T17:25:01.581-04:00Tuffy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTo6stnAR7qbSBt2VsKuY2_CUaipquGRnDSGYCClFvi0YHQnitSzO905mdn-OUvyiqno4tzQowHXFydP2ewvkcZZLMpt-eCBnVceygURFXtZYGWn7W-dzUORakO8k8SLXYYypBqXZDt9um/s1600/Tuffy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTo6stnAR7qbSBt2VsKuY2_CUaipquGRnDSGYCClFvi0YHQnitSzO905mdn-OUvyiqno4tzQowHXFydP2ewvkcZZLMpt-eCBnVceygURFXtZYGWn7W-dzUORakO8k8SLXYYypBqXZDt9um/s320/Tuffy.jpg" t$="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
Today our hearts are heavy with the loss of our good friend Tuffy. Tuffy had been with us for only five years, but he accomplished so much in that short time. We had never even heard of the breed, keeshond, before we met Tuffy. But true to his breed, Tuffy had a perpetually cheerful outlok and disposition. He was sweetness personified. He was a kind and gentle companion to many, beginning with my Uncle Bump. I'm not sure where Tuffy's journey began, but at four years of age, my uncle got him from a rescue organization. Tuff and Uncle Bump absolutely adored each other for six years, at which time Uncle Bump passed on. Tuffy seemed lost and heartbroken when he came to live with us shortly after that. He cried and cried at the front and back doors night after night.<br />
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Tuffy proved to be a gentle and loving companion to our elderly dog Theo, until Theo passed away. Then, upon the loss of Theo, Tuffy went suddenly mute. He would lay each night just looking at Theo's empty bed. Big Steve and I thought it would be good to bring another dog into the house to help Tuffy return to his happy self. That new dog turned out to be Elsa, a super-shy (I am thinking puppy mill) dog we got from <a href="http://peppertree.org/">Peppertree Dog Rescue</a>. (They are wonderful people if you are looking for a dog, or if you want to support a great rescue organization). Once again, Tuffy showed his true colors of love and compassion as he helped ease Elsa's fears and showed her how to be able to live happily with humans. I really do swear that dogs communicate just as we do, only not with words. <br />
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During the time Tuffy was with us, he was a perfect "starter dog" for many people who were really afraid of dogs. From foster kids who were terrified to be in care to begin with, and then further terrified of dogs, to kids on the street, to all kinds of house guests. Tuffy used his gentle nature and sweet disposition to disarm the most fearful human. <br />
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He came to be known as "Tuffster" "Sir Tuffs-a-Lot", "Tuffalupagous" "Little Buddy" and other names. I used to like to recite the poetry to him "Blessings on thee little man - barefoot boy with cheeks of tan". He wasn't the brightest dog in the pack, but he was certainly the sweetest. All he ever wanted was pets, pets and more pets from humans. I really believe that tonight he has the sweetest pets from Uncle Bump as well as the angels. Such a good dog MUST be in heaven.<br />
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Run and play now, Tuffy, like you were a puppy - this time you will DEFINITELY not end up in a rescue situation. We've given you back to Uncle Bump. You were only ours for a season, after all. We surely will miss you though.MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969726940011164807noreply@blogger.com0