Vanishing biscuits, holiday music and no turkey for Thanksgiving on the path least traveled…..

Diary from the path least traveled..

Hello Diary,

Here a bit early but with possible thunderstorms tomorrow (won’t be online) and preparing for the holidays, opted to pop in today and share a few thoughts…no weather here yet but a cloudy, cold, windy day, a good day to stay in by the fire and contemplate the tomorrows… were feeding the outdoor creatures and saw a red-tailed hawk, possibly attempting to get a early Thanksgiving dinner….

As it were, the hawk only got a drink of water…there were about 20 sparrows in the brush pile.. 🙂 and speaking of Thanksgiving dinner, were debating on what I was going to have…had chatted with my daughter earlier this week and she gave me an idea… ventured to the grocery and gathered the ingredients for T-day dinner… dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans and a Cornish game hen, and a bottle of Rose Red wine…

Were debating on how to prepare the hen..do not use the stove anymore, too inefficient, especially for just me, and thought the toaster oven was too small for long cooking, so decided on slow cooking in the crock pot, stuffed the bird with a bit of margarine and spices, coated with olive oil and ground garlic and put in crock pot…

Let the bird cook on Low for a few hours (while waiting I prepared the dressing, potatoes and green beans, and got the meals for the rest of the week ready also) and when done decided on putting the bird in the toaster oven using Broil for a few minutes to give it a “tan”….

And with everything done, I put helpings on a plate..

Sealed it in plastic wrap and put in the freezer so when T-day gets here, all I need to do is remove, pop in the microwave and eat…no being in the kitchen all day cooking and cleaning, can listening to holiday music and decorate, how cool is that?! 😀

I also had time to get out the holiday music..

And on Thanksgiving day, a tradition here, I will start the holiday music and trim the tree, etc..

While I am not into religion nor participate in the religious aspects of the holiday, I do try to get into the holiday spirit of things, especially giving… I am a sustaining monthly donor of the E.I. Foodbank…

And I do give some extra on the holiday to perhaps help someone have a wonderful holiday and not go hungry… so that is about all for the day, have a few things to do to bring the week to an end… will leave some thoughts by others..

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness.” – Helen Keller

“Every piece of the universe, even the tiniest little snow crystal, matters somehow. I have a place in the pattern, and so do you. Thinking of you this holiday season!” – T.A. Barron

“It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.” – Agnes M. Pharo

“Bread cast on the waters comes back to you The good deed you do today may benefit you or someone you love at the least expected time . If you never see the deed again at least you will have made the world a better place. “ Author Unknown

That being said, will take my leave now, venture on down the path least traveled, smelling the roses and chasing the rainbows, but shall return again one day on the path least traveled, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise..

Well, Dairy, have you ever found yourself in the same circumstances on Thanksgiving as the young man Jimmy Dean singing about?? 🙂

The heart will go on on the path leat traveled….

Diary from the path least traveled..

Hello Diary,

A bit of bleak morning weather wise this morning, but still a fine morning…winter has slowly made it’s presence known, though not official according to the calendar… 🙂 with crops gone, leaves falling and winter type skies, the mornings look a bit forlorn (taken yesterday)…

Another sign of approaching winter is the falling of leaves..while I attempt to keep the leaves off the grass, in the areas where there is mulch, I leave the leaves there (to act as mulch and add color)..

Looks a lot like a state park… 🙂 come spring the leaves will compost away, leaving the mulch..another indication is frost….the other night had a good frost and the rooftops had the appearance of a light snow….

With most of the outdoors ready for the winter doldrums, have some time for closure, sorting through memories while contemplating the future…going through some old photos (did not take very many while I was growing up on the farm.. 🙂 ) I came across one of a cornstalk…

By some quirk of nature, this one particular stalk went ballistic and grew to over 20 feet and had 3 ears on it…in the picture that is my Dad and Mom on the ground, I am standing next to Dad with my sister and my brother is by the ladder..Francis Erle is at the top, it was his elevator where the picture were taken… the stalk was inspected by a number of scientists from different seed corporations.. It was put on display at the station WLS (was still country then.. 🙂 ) in Chicago..will share other memories as time goes along…

In keeping with getting ready for winter theme, I have posted my poem in the past but perhaps now would be a good time for a repeat…

I set here with my tea
And watch the leaves a fallin’
It’s becoming clear that one day soon
Jack Frost will come a callin’

Most of my bird friends have went south
In the southern warmth they’ll stay
But I’ll not shed a tear in sorrow
For they’ll be back again some day

All us creatures that are staying behind
To deal with the cold and snow
Are getting our house in order
And waiting for winter’s blow

The squirrels are gathering leaves and such
To insulate their winters nest
The possum is checking every nook and cranny
To find a place for his winters rest

The bee’s are picking up the pace
Gathering nectar with the morning sun
Storing winter food for the hive
Before their work on earth is done

A spider spinning it’s web of silk
I watched as it grew and grew
Soon to become natures work of art
With tomorrow’s early morning dew

This poem could go on and on and on
But alas, I have things to do
For, like it or not, don’t you see
I need to get ready for winter too.
(Larry “Dutch” Woller, 10/14/2007)

That being said, I shall say byeeeeeeeeeee for now and venture on down the path least traveled, looking forward to what Fate might have waiting…but I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise….

While bringing parts of life and the past to a close, as Andre Rieu will agree, the heart will go on…

Storms, poetry and 51 days till Christmas on the path least traveled…

Diary from the path least traveled..

Hello Diary,

Kind of a dreary Saturday with drizzle/fog, a good day to relax a bit, putter around the home and contemplate tomorrows…got all the outdoor creatures taken care of with food and water and the “hatches battened”.. as they say in New England, tomorrow the “glass” (barometer) will be falling and stormy weather predicted…

My approximate location is under the number 30 in the graph above,…don’t have all that much to chat about today, but thought I would share a few thoughts today, may not get online tomorrow…I am fully prepared here, including reading…some time ago I decided to buy a second Kindle Paperwhite and download all my Kindle books on it… it has more storage capacity than the Kindle I use to read so I have my entire library on it, 200 books and counting…

Can go to it should I lose internet or access to Amazon..I use the other reader, which has less capacity to do my reading… as you know, Diary, I have been sorting and cleaning in the garage, bringing closer to the past, and while , moving things around (and it being November), decided to bring in tugs with the holiday decorations, then take my time decorating for the holidays…

Not going to use any lights this year…people decorated for the holidays before Thomas Edison were born, thought I would give it a go… 🙂 in the past, I have mentioned about wearing wigs for two reasons, 1; is for mental health as I am not into bald and 2; it helps protect against the elements, reducing the chances for disease.. therefore, following the advice of my late wife and the folks at the cancer clinic, opted for wigs…I do like it long, etc and while I have talked about it, decided to show a picture..it is not very good one though not much will help this ole ugly mug… 🙂 not making any statement, just being me and loving it!… 🙂

Well, better close and venture on down the path least traveled, do a double check to make sure all is ready for any possible storms tomorrow, also need to turn the clock back tonight…follow the rainbows and dreams..and speaking of dreams, will leave one more thought from John Raines..

Dreams..
There’s a place where I go that no one else knows,
Where mysteries abound and excitement grows.
A place out of reach of any man’s hands,
Safely secluded in a far away land
Beyond the grasp of those who may plunder
The wealth of its power and its life changing wonder.
I go alone to my secret place, never leaving a trace
For someone to follow and discover my space
Where I keep my secrets, my fears, and my regrets
Away from the world and all of its threats.
It’s mine and mine alone!
The only place I can call my own.
I treasure the moments spent in this realm
Where anything is possible and I’m at the helm.
This place I describe is all that it seems …
It’s a magical place I call my dreams.
(John Raines)

That being said, HI HO HI HO it’s on down the path I go, but I shall return one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise….

Andre Rieu has some music to dream by..