The First Stop on our Journey

As you may have heard I was on vacation last week and what a vacation it was. Our final destination was 18 hours away making it
necessary for us to divide our trip into two days. Knowing this we decided to make the stop over more then just a stop over. We figured out how far we wanted really needed to travel the first day and then we looked at the map. It was an easy decision to make. I have always wanted to see this place. I mean it was on my bucket list. So at the early hour of 3 AM Saturday I got up got Mom in the car and piled in the back seat with pillows blankets and all kinds of other stuff we needed along the road, by 4 AM everyone was in the the car and we were on the road. I slept until we got to North Carolina and then I helped with the driving. Our long 12 hour ride was thankfully uneventful and easy. We had some of the best Mexican food somewhere in North Carolina when we stopped at JR'S the biggest cigar store and more. The restaurant was so empty it didn't look open. I pulled in the drive way any way and parked. The best decision I made so far this trip.

 We were one of two tables to be occupied so the service was almost quicker then fast food but the food was not doubt slow cooked and homemade.
By the time we finished our lunch the place was filling up. Turns out we were just early in fact if we had been a half hour earlier we would have missed an absolutely delicious lunch. 

  As planned we arrived at our final destination for the day around 4 PM. We found a nice hotel outside of town and settled Mom in then we went to see what there was to see. The first thing we realized is that the hour we planned on walking around seeing the sights wasn't going to be enough.

 In fact two hours wouldn't be enough to see all there is to see in Savannah Georgia you need a week at the very least. We did our best to take in as much as possible before we had to get back and have dinner with Mom.My camera was almost on auto pilot clicking away a mile a minute.   Our first sights of Savannah after getting out of the car were almost surreal.

 Take away the no parking sign and the warning sign on the steps and you can just see the markets set up with fruits and breads and people moving about in long gowns and long coats with big white ruffles. You do feel like you have stepped back in time as soon as you reach the bottom step down to the river side road.The buildings alone take you back in time with the railings, balconies, and old red brick. Steamboats with paddle wheels sitting on the river and winding paths behind and around the buildings all give a little hint of what life was once like.

   We never left the river road there was so much to see. I didn't get to see the old homes and plantations this time but I saw so much I walked away satisfied. The people were so friendly and happy to be there even the people working were happy and very friendly.

  You can't go to Savannah and not visit this iconic restaurant and store. The restaurant was jam packed so I didn't even get to peek inside a little bit, but the store was fun and my pig shaped wood cutting board with the Paula Deen Logo branded into it will always take me back to the fine hour I spent in Savannah. 

 Saturday we got up and taking our time we got ready to hit the road again, but before we got on the highway heading south we took Mom and drove along the river road so she could see Savannah too. In the sleepy morning with no cars or people moving around the beauty of Savannah's river side shines through just like the morning sun rise.

 As we said good bye to Savannah I knew it wasn't a final good bye. We will be back and we will be back for more then an hour you can bet on that.
 Have a cheery Monday! Thank you for stopping by.   

Going On Vacation

I have been so so busy this week. Busy beyond busy really. Saturday we leave for a real vacation. Not a weekend get away but a full 7 days away to an exotic location. At least it seems exotic to me. Blue water, white sand, and sunshine.
  This will be my last post until I get back. I have decided to unplug while I am away. That is right no computer no face book or any other social media. I am taking my camera and my Kindle( for reading only) as well as my phone but that is the only technology going with me. When I get back I am sure I will have a weeks worth of post about all the fun and life I enjoyed with my family and friends.
 Now let me see if I can make you all hungry enough to drool. 

   A week ago or so I wanted the flavor of lasagna but not the work. I also didn't have lasagna noodles on hand. The craving was strong so I went with it. I chopped the onion, garlic, and strained the spinach while the rigatoni and sausage were cooking. Once the pasta was aldente and the sausage well browned.I mixed all my ingredients together and tossed it in a 400 degree oven. A keeper recipe. I have the feeling I will be craving this a lot. 

 Lasagna Casserole 
 half a box of rigatoni cooked to aldente ( it was an open box and I believe more then half) 
 4 links of Italian sausage cooked and cut into round slices.
 16 oz tomato sauce + a little extra for topping.
5 cloves of garlic minced 
1 onion cut in half and then sliced thin
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 box frozen spinach
slices of provolone for topping.
 Mix all the ingredients except the provolone together in a large bowl. Pour into a greased baking dish top with extra sauce if you think it needs more.Cover with provolone cheese and put it in the 400 degree oven. Bake  covered 30 to 40 minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to turn golden brown and the casserole is hot all the way through. uncover the casserole for the last 10 minutes. Let sit a few minutes before serving.

 This is a casserole that can be adjusted anyway you want. There are so many possibility with this recipe.

 Have a great week! Thank you for stopping by. 

Sunday at it's Finest.

 What a great weekend. We had the pleasure of the Granddogs company this weekend. Bowser is always an enjoyable ball of energy and this week end was no different. Uncle Domino and Uncle Getty are at long last getting use to him and tolerating him better. I even caught them actually playing with Bowser once or twice through out the weekend.A picture I wish I would have gotten.
  Sunday was the perfect ending to an already wonderful weekend. My son and his family came and spent the day with us. We just hung out and did what ever we wanted all day. It was a beautiful day with blue skies, sunshine, and a very cooling breeze. There was a taste of autumn in the air for sure.A day made for playing outside.

  I have pretty much given up on taking pictures of Bowser outside he isn't one to sit still for too long making getting the right setting and focus on the camera all but impossible. Yesterday was no different but I had my camera with me so I gave it a shot. I didn't get a single good shot, but what I captured was the true Bowser and the clown that he is. So I cleaned the pictures up the best I could and I am going to share them with you because while the exposure isn't the best his expressions are. 

It is just as clear as day what a fun little guy he is.
  I was smart and planned a dinner that would be cooked in the crock pot making me free from the kitchen. Well almost free Madeline, her mom, and I we baked cup cakes for dessert. My first experience with gluten free baking. I used a cake mix so I didn't have to add anything and still I was unsure as I put the cupcakes in the oven. The gritty texture of the batter had me worried. I worried for nothing they were a complete hit.

Madeline as usual did a bang up job of decorating each and every cupcake, she did an even better job of eating them.
 We ended this glorious day by sitting down and having dinner together. The food was very good and the company was the best.

 There is nothing better then sitting at the dinner table listening to my family talk and laugh as they enjoy a meal I cooked for them. Always the perfect way to end the day.

 Have a cheery Monday! Thank you for stopping by.

Bee's and Their Keepers

 It is a rainy Saturday afternoon. The perfect time to take a nap, or curl up on the couch with a good book or even a movie, that is unless you are me. If you are me it is the perfect time to curl up on the couch and write about the absolutely fabulous morning I had attending a Bee meeting. 

  I am not a bee keeper I am married to one. My husband and his friend work together to keep bees. I usually stay away from this activity due to an allergy to bees. I view the hives from a safe distance and normally stay completely away from the area when the guys are harvesting or maintaining the hives. The bees do get a little aggressive when there home is being invaded so I think it smart to stay away during these necessary intrusions. I peek out here and there and try to get photos of all the interesting stuff going on, but for the most part I leave the Bees to my husband and Tom.
 Since Tom wasn't in town this weekend the hubby asked me if I would like to go to the bee meeting with him. You know I said yes. We had a bee bonnet for me and the EpiPen on hand in case of a sting. I am happy to say I didn't need either the bonnet or the pen. I had a great time playing with my camera and the bees, watching all the fearless bee keepers being up close and personal with the bees gave me the confidence to step close and take the pictures I wanted. I stepped far back at times when the bees were more active, but I would be right back up close as soon as the bees would began to settle back down. 

The Queen

I learned so much this morning. In just two short hours my whole way of thinking about bees and keeping them changed. 
  Over the winter last winter a good portion of the hives died out. When I asked the guys why this happened I got shrugging shoulders for an answer. I totally understood that answer because I know so little about bees and bee keeping that I thought, well that you just put the boxes for hives out there and the bees just moved in and took care of them selves. Today I learned that more bees are killed by the keepers  themselves then by anything else. One of the biggest killers of kept bees is the lack of knowledge. 
   You have to maintain and care for your bees if you want them to survive a cold winter season. You need to know about mites and beetles. How to prevent them or remove them if you get them. You need to be able to recognize them when you see them. You need to know when and how much to feed bees. Yes I said feed bees. It was a surprising bit of information to me as well. You also need to know what to feed bees.

 That ladies and gentleman I am sure is just the tip of the iceberg in the amount of knowledge you need to have to be a good bee keeper.
  Did you know that bees can't fly when it is cold? Or how about that if 1 bee eats they all eat or they all starve to death together? I didn't know any of this. Turns out the bees we lost didn't freeze but starved to death over the cold cold winter we had last year. Bees cluster together during the cold weather and don't move. Their food only has to be touching some of the bees and they will all eat. Heavy healthy hives will winter over every time. 

     Did you know there is an art to smoking the bees? Well it is a learned skill that if you Look to see, and listen to hear you will learn easily. To little smoke and you have angry bees to much smoke and you have even more aggravated bees. It is kind of like Goldie locks and the porridge too hot, too cold, and just right.

  As I have already mentioned bee keepers are fearless.

 Some use the bee gear and others don't but they all get up close and personal not worrying one bit about getting stung. As I watched them take hive after hive apart to inspect and test for mites I was just completely impressed with how friendly they were with the bees. Bees landed on them on bare skin and fingers and the keepers would talk to the bees and wait patiently for the bees to mosey on their way.

I am not saying I am going to go out and make friends with our bees but I was moved a bit to see the friendship between the keepers and the bees. I say keepers but that sounds so wrong they aren't keepers they are helpers. 
  I had so much fun this morning and learned so much more. I hope I get to go more bee meetings. 
 Have a wonderful weekend! Thank you for stopping by.