Sicily Yoder

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM_cjbTwmx0

Visit LaGrange, Kentucky where trains travel through the middle of Main Street.
http://bit.ly/11lW2y

Here is a Father's Day cooking video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cug0B-HTAU8

I have been working very long days, so haven't posted. I saved a lot of money at Walgreens yesterday through coupons and register rewards. Met a real nice lady, whose son is at EKU, the college I graduated from many moons ago. They ahve cut out the federal work study, and I think that is so sad. I did work study every semester- i had to to survive. I was an RA in the dorms for years and worked every other weekend. I am off today, so cleaning the house and cooking for the week, as well as doing my sales tax forms- I hate doing those. Seems like I get more done with an organized house. The Twitterthon Aquathon is next month, so July will be very busy. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!!

Go to http://bbltwt.com/7iw9y

I wanted to say, "Thanks" to everyone that has always been there for me, especially on this forum:>)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH3dI28pb_Q

Here are pics of baby Gabriel Nathaniel. I can't wait to hold him next month.

Andrea is only half a cm away from having baby Gabriel!!! And dad is a bit nervous- talked to me, then his biological mom, my twin sis, and he is oK now- seems like Melissa can calm him down where I can't at all. Andrea is tired and ready to have baby Gabriel- he is a big baby already, and that was why she was induced.

Go to http://aquathon2009.blogspot.com/ to read about the twitterthon we are having. Twitterers Kirstie Alley and _SteveWoods have launched the site. In July we will be tweeting for 24 straight hours. Our goal is 3 million followers. I am donating $1.00 per cookbook sold, as I am on tour that week, so I am challenging all readers to give $1.00, too. The money goes to get clean water wells for Africa.

OK, another Kentucky romance author has got me craving cupcakes. She ate two at Gigi's yesterday and I am craving them. I am baking cookies in the test kitchen ( actually they are already done) as I had to film a video. But I want cupcakes, so I will have to venture out to get confectionary sugar, as I am out. I make my own buttercream icing- YUMMY!!

I want to change my blog password where only I can get into it. My friend ( and I love her dearly) was on my computer when she was in town AND I did tell her not to post on my blog ( she is my former publicist, too and has my passwords, but she did. I do admit, we are close, and she has my Yahoo password, but I also have helped her check email, too, when she was on a cruise. If she posted REAL things, I would be OK, but she is all glamour and glitz. Well... she did post about my new grandbaby for an online newspaper and got attacked for doing that because it looked like a word-salad. She means well...she is retired and works for a lot of clients for little pay, but she doesn't know when to listen to me.

It is 84 degrees and thunderstorms are predicted this evening. I wish I was shopping like some of my friends. I am working on the computer, drinking a Mocha Latte. Mom has helped me develop my own version- very yummy, and it actually tastes better than other places. We are having Green Onion & Cheddar Potato Cakes, Mac & Cheese, and Mixed Soup Beans for dinner, topped off with a loaf of Sicily's Oven-baked Crusty Bread!! I a fixing some chilled beet soup with Creme Fraiche for tomorrow's evening meal. I love to cook, but have to say momma cooks much better than I do.

Pictured above is the church room where we always and still have potlucks.


Ok, I'm trying to persuade my friend to see that kids need time over things. I looked back over the years and jotted down what I remembered most as a kid, and it was usually not materialistic things. What's your list?

1. Playing on the rock creek near grandma's house.

2. Washing our arms off with Zest soap under the waterfall with grandma.

3. Picking blackberries with my sisters.

4. Going to the fair.

5. 4th of July watermelon and cookout at grandmas.

5. Going to the Railroad Salvage Store with mom and dad and my sisters.

6. School Field trips

7. When mom was 4-H room mother and brought the whole class Christmas cookies and soda.

8. Church camp

9. Pathfinder camporees

10. Church potlucks at The Game Farm

11. Mom making me new Sabbath dresses.

12. Singing in the backseat of the car with my sisters as we went riding in the country.

13. Riding on the river in grandpa's boat.

14. Working in the garden with Grandpa.

15. Little League cheerleading with Ms. Gash as our coach.

Ok, I've been trying to help this family that lives in another city. The husband got downsized and the wife's hours have been drastically cut. They have children, all of whom are high-maintainence kids.
I have been a foster parent to five kids all of a sudden, before the foster care money started rolling in and know how it is to be a single- parent ( well I had mom to help me, but I was going back to college, the only one who drove, and worked as a deli manager at a c-store.) It was hard, and I know all about the cries for Happy Meals and Chuckie Cheeses. OK, I wish I could say I was perfect, but not many of us do all the right things. "Yes", I splurged on Chuckie Cheeses and Happy Meals...sometimes. I look back and wished I had done better.
Now I see my friend and want to help her not make mistakes like I had made. The kids, all but two, are adopted out, and I wished I had spent more time with them instead of working, more trips to the park, more pool excursions, noodles in tow, etc. I've tried to talk with her and make her see how terribly I wish I had put time over things and, well, its not working. She just bounced checks to get pizza, when I had emailed her a pizza recipe that you can make for under $6.00. Any tips?

I went to The Cincinnati Zoo this past week for a segment. It was 86 degrees and sticky hot. I did like the 4-D movie, though. It was about how Africa's Wildlife is tracking animals to try to save them, as well as how they educate tourists on safaris. I took a train ride around The Zoo, too. It was fun, and the cool breeze was a much-needed relish from the sun's rays. There were several schools there on a field trip, laughter everywhere. Seeing the joy and sparkle in each child's eyes as they came upon new experiences reminded me of my foster parent days...and the great patience and dedication I had as a school trip chaperone. I can't wait to share these trips with my new grandbaby and my other new grandbaby-on-the-way ( they are inducing Andrea on June 7th.)

Tiffany was found today and she is home snug and safe. I am so glad that God answers prayers!!! I got tons of hugs and have balled my eyes out, but I am thankful they were happy tears.

My cousin's daughter, Tiffany Florence Hill is missing. She was last seen on Wednesday, May 13th at 1:15 PM in a black Toyota Corolla 90s model. Please go to www.celebritytravel.typepad.com for more photos and info.

OK, I have to confess, I'm addicted to Twitter. I love it so much that I have got to Twitter on the road. Anyone else do this?

I am finally done staging mom's house for the appraisal. We had a quick dinner of pizza and crazy bread. I ate a piece of the wonderful Key Lime Pie that Nancy who is the owner of Carousel Cakes in Rockland county, NY sent me. It was very good. It is 1:44 PM, so I am going to bed. Got to weed the garden tomorrow and water the cabbage, onions, etc. We have tons of crisp, fresh lettuce from our garden. I will make a sweet-vinegar dressing and boil some eggs for a salad for dinner.

Today has been a long but blessed day. I had to get a tooth extraction, but I am doing fine now. I am finally caught up on reports-HOORAY!!! Can't wait to venture off tomorrow. I am going to Fairfield, Ohio.

I am headed out to the garden and will be helping mom on the house renovation. I love to incorporate my college textiles skills into real life...but mom has the final say as to what goes where, and she is very organized. After that, I will be back to the computer desk and test kitchen...I have got to test variations of recipes that will go in a new cookbook; I also have to edit some chapters, too. It will be a busy day!

Granny Joyce passed away this morning at 4:30 AM. I got the call at 5:00 AM. We spent half the day te Gash Memorial Chapel, here in Lawrenceburg, to finish everything. Granny had everything paid for, and picked out a casket exactly like papaws. I am glad she isn't suffering anymore. I am extremely tired, so going to lay down.

I wanted to update all of my blog buddies about granny. She has slept all day, as she is getting IV Morphine every hour. The doctor said today that he has never seen anyone be so strong like she is, as I found out today, that she started renal failure 13 days ago, due to the tumor on her liver. Her sister hasn't been able to be there, but she is coming tomorrow. The doctor thinks that, when she comes, granny will be able to let go and rest in sleep, until Christ comes again. I have cried all night, on the way home, and I'm clinging to my mom, and I think I am because granny was like a mom to me, as I lived with her while in high school for awhile. I told God I was able to finally let go tonight, but half of my half is gone, and will never return.

I have been at The University of Kentucky Medical Center all day, and will be back there early tomorrow morning. My granny, Joyce, isn't doing well. Her kidneys and liver shut down yesterday, and they are just keeping her comforatble with hourly Morphine via IV pump. The doctor said that she wouldn't make it past tomorrow. I had to come home, to call my side of the family, and send emails to those whom don't have landlines, but have work email. I'm so sad.

I had the opportunity to visit Tandoor, an Indian restaurant in nearby Lexington, Kentucky. The new manager and Executive Chef fixed me my own flatbread right before my eyes. They are cooked in the Tandoor Ovens. They make the dough from scratch, form them into nice-sized balls, then cover them with saran wrap until they are cooked. I love the lightly-sweetened dessert, Savoy, that they serve hot on the lunch buffet.

I went to The Raggedy Ann Festival today. It took my mind off granny's illness, but I later got dizzy- from being outside too long, as the pollen is very high right now. I met Terry, who is related to the inventor of Raggedy Ann.


Pictured above is Terry, who is related to the inventor of Raggedy Ann. He is also an orthodonist in Florence.


There were lots of booths set up with everything, from homemade strawberry lemonade soap to antique Raggedy Ann dolls.


You could even take a camel ride...of course, I wasn't that courageous.

I met a woman, Sharon Fryman, who walked sixty miles in three days for a cure for breast cancer. She herself is a breast cancer survivor.


They had a live band playing, too. They harmonized real well.

I am back from my trip to Vevay and Florence, Indiana. I stayed at Belterra again. This time I remembered to take some photos of some of my plates from the buffet. It was yummy, as usual.

OK, I felt like cooking a treat today, so I pulled out my recipe collection from my 2009 Christmas cookbook, "An Amish Christmas." It is an Amish Strawberry-chocolate Oat Pie with shortbread crust. I also made some shortbread cookies. I am feeling much better. Have only had a little pain today, so I feel very so blessed to not be sitting in the ER, hurting, like last night.

I am writing a newsletter right now, so had lunch at home. We had our Easter dinner last night. I took my stepdad and mom their baskets. I always make them baskets. Mom liked the china doll that I got her more than the candy.
I made my own lunch today and cleaned the refrigerator out. I have been trying to do better about not wasting, but it is so hard when I travel for weeks at a time. I made oversized Tuna Tea Sandwiches and had some tortilla chips and fresh fruit for my lunch. I am drinking a bottled spring water, too, trying to not get sick again, due to excessive soda consumption. I will be staying at Belterra Resort and Spa Monday thru Wednesday, so will eat there. I will also have pictures from my mini-vacation. I will be visiting the Amish Goods Store in Vevay, where they sell my cookbooks. I like Vevay and Madison, for they are such quaint little towns. I'll be dropping a signed cookbook off at the library in Bedford, too.

One of the things I do several times a day is thank God for everything, and I realize how blessed I am. I spent the night and early morning in ER, so I am very thankful to be able to work today. I had promised some of my accounts that I would help them stock for Easter, so I'm headed out. I had a burning sensation in my toes, and, being a former trauma RN, tried to provide my own diagnosis. Well, I was a bit off, and the doctor thinks it was where I drive all the time and spend so much time on the computer. And the shoes I had on had to go,for he thought they were irritating my feet.
I actually cooked oatmeal and had some fruit in it for breakfast. Now I am taking spring water with me to work. I slept a couple of hours, with my feet elevated, and they feel much better. I am off to work. I will be back on when I come back...but probably not for long.