Life's Little Instruction Book | Volume II, page 46

We all love these little tidbits of information on how we should be living, don't we?

Oh My, What Big Paws You Have

I'm sure this pup is tired of hearing that but seriously, look at the size of those paws. via

Sweet Attic Office

I love an attic office with a view. Mine is like being in a tree house. Since I got a wireless laptop I don't spend as much time there as in the past. It's so nice to be untethered. image

Canned Goods in The Cellar

I used to do this in my previous life :)

Irish Cottage

Aran Island cottage © KaitMauro

An Orchard with Red Tulips

©All rights reserved by blondepowers / Getty Images

Autumn

It's time to give the grass a crew cut so the leaves will blow away. I need a couple of sunny dry days before I get on my riding mower once again. Have a good week. Will you be driving to New England along with the other leaf peepers? via

Cookies Too Pretty To Eat

Rubber stamped cookies using food colouring and then hand finished with edible ink pens. via pinterest and flickr

Time to Prune the Roses

Have a nice Sunday puttering around the yard. via

Living with Antiques

Antiques really do make a house into a home, don't they? I wonder what's inside those two little doors behind the chair? I have something like that in my bedroom that gives access to the bathtub plumbing in the hall bath. Photo from ElleDecor

Salt Water Cure

Isn't this the truth? For the past couple of weeks I think I have rid my body of all its toxins with the hard manual labor I've been doing cleaning out everything for trash day and cleaning up after Irene. I've been helping an elderly lady clean out her house too. Honest sweat is a wonderful thing. After my initial tired spell, I started feeling really good.
Have a great weekend. via Original painting by Mae Chevrette http://maechevrette.etsy.com

Little Free Library in Madison Wisconsin

THE LITTLE LIBRARY THAT COULD

On Felton Place, a residential street in Madison, Wisconsin there is a very small library holding about 20 books. Not much bigger than a bird house, the little library is of rustic construction. A door adds to the charm and to the notion that the books are to be valued and protected. It’s based on the pay it forward principle. Take a book, leave a book. Read the rest of this wonderful story here.

Happy First Day of Fall

It's here as of early this morning. Are you looking forward to fall? via

Sweet Sewing Shed

This little sewing shed is very sweet, isn't it? I love the natural light coming in over the sewing machine. I ran across a big stash of vintage ticking I had completely forgotten about this week and it made me want to sew. Sewing rooms are probably pretty rare these days but they are a must for the serious seamstress. You can just close the door and pick up where you left off later. We always had one when I was growing up and my mother and I both sewed with a red-hot needle on our Singer. via

Bookshelves Over The Fireplace

Okay, light the fire and I'm there. I think this setup is perfect, don't you? via

Pomegranates Are In Season

Though the ancients used pomegranate skin and bark for medicinal purposes, only the seeds are edible. Fresh pomegranate is available from September until January. When refrigerated in a plastic bag, pomegranates will keep for up to 2 months. I love the colorful seeds in a salad or sprinkled on plain yogurt.

I superimposed this pomegranate scan from my Royal Book of Crests over one of my leaf studies with Photoshop. 

Great Book Bag for A Book Lover

"When the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen." via

Edinburgh Castle

Just a preview of what's to come. M J Turner photography

Wednesday Kitchen Love

I've looked and looked at this kitchen and my eyes always fall on something very pleasing. Agreed? via

A Wonderful Townhouse

I enjoyed a rainy day and was thankful for a break. The sun just came out in time to start setting. More rain is predicted for every day through the weekend. That means rain on Saturday for the annual auction and sale at the firehouse :(

I'm especially sad for the trash day stuff out at the road that is getting ruined before the scavengers discover it. I'm very thankful that I got an early start and the "good stuff" was picked up before it got wet. 

Don't you love this beautiful townhouse somewhere down south with the lights on inside and out at dusk? Is that a parking meter out front? via

Fall is For Apples

My favorite apples from New York State are in my local market freshly picked and unwaxed. They are 'ginger gold' and I love them. These beauties are crisp and slightly tart and they snap when you bite into them. Never buy an apple that doesn't have a stem still in place. I think I'll go have one right now. See you later. via

Cat Lookout

Don't you love little windows that were put there strictly for animals? And they always manage to find them too. I'm looking forward to the beginning of the fall TV season with some new shows and some old favorites. I should be in my pajamas any minute now after another day filled with lots of manual labor. Progress was made so I'm happy. See you tomorrow. via

Elephant Landmine Victim with New Prosthetic Leg

Raising her trunk, three-legged Mosha salutes her new prosthetic limb, which means she can get back on the jungle trail. She lost her leg at age 7 months in a landmine accident. Now she is 3 years old and has grown so much that she is now on her second 'jumbo-sized' artificial limb. See many more photos and a video too about this heartwarming story . . . here.

I wish someone would arrange a photo shoot with the giant tortoise I blogged about recently with a most unusual artificial front leg. Doctors who treat injured animals are heroes in my book.

Washing Hats, Scarves, and Mittens

When I put away all the winter gear for the summer everything smelled a little musty. I want to wash the hats, scarves and mittens this week in Woolite and get the cold weather season off to a fresh start. These items were drying on my kitchen radiator last winter. Hope you had a nice weekend. 

Lovely Sunday Morning

Enjoy your Sunday walking on country roads looking for castles and follies, real or imagined. via

Crepe Squares with Ham and Egg Inside

Ham and Egg Crepe Squares

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups milk

4 large eggs

3 tablespoons melted butter

9 thin slices ham

9 eggs

Chopped fresh parsley

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, milk, four eggs and the melted butter in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Let rest for 15 minutes.

2. Heat a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with butter. Add 1/3 cup batter and swirl to completely cover skillet. Cook until underside of crepe is very lightly starting to brown, about 2 minutes.

3. Loosen edge of crepe with spatula and then either using large spatula or your fingers, lift it up and flip it over. Cook another minutes and then slide out of skillet onto wax paper. Repeat until all crepes are done. You should have about 9 when you are done.

4. Preheat oven to 350. Place crepes on a rimmed baking sheet (you can fit 3-4 per sheet). Place am slice in center of crepe and carefully crack egg onto ham. Fold edges of crepe toward center, using the egg white as a kind of glue. Season with salt and pepper and bake until egg white is set, about 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve at once.

Recipe and entertaining dialogue found here. I will omit the sugar if I ever make this recipe. Wouldn't it be a nice dish for a Sunday breakfast or brunch tomorrow? Why not plan on making this?

Furry Friends

Enjoy the weekend and embrace the differences of friends and family.