Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:45 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature displayed on my DTWS is 67°, but according to the NWS, it feels like 66° with a wind out of the east @ six miles per hour. The barometric presure is 29.45" of Hg and rising, which generally indicates improving weather conditions. However, with the NWS forecasting a 60% chance for additional showers today, I'm not sure what to believe. I think I'll use the  (LOTW) Look Out The Window method for more accurate information. I am sure of the fact that the sun will rise this morning in the east @ 7:50 a.m. and set later tonight in the west @ 7:13 p.m., as those numbers rely on the rotation of the Earth.

I had to do it, I just had to watch my beloved Red Sox fall to the Tampa Bay Rays, 0 - 5 last night. Worthy of note, is that Mary had to rescue me in the media room, as I wasn't able to readily locate Fox 

Sports 1 on my TV. She basically gave me that look that reinforced what I already knew, when it comes to too many things electronic, I too often lose the battle. 

At any rate, the Sox had slumber in the lumber, as they left the bases loaded and they were unable to muster a meaningful hit off of Rays pitching, which as previously noted, stymied the Sox Big Boppers. Unfortunately, LHP Eduardo Rodriguez was not very effective and thus the loss in game one.

The Sox and the Rays play again tonight @ 7:00 p.m. in Tampa, as Red Sox Ace, LHP Chris Sale, tries to even up the Best of Five series before returning to Fenway Park for a game on Sunday @ 4:05 p.m. Here's hoping for success tonight and also that an extra day off will give the Sox a chance to revitalize their struggling offense.

In weekend sports news, the 5 - 0 Wolverines of Michigan play the 3 - 3 Cornhuskers of Nebraska Saturday night @ 7:30 p.m. Some media sports pundits believe that Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines may be in for a surprise, as the Huskers have stayed close in most of their games, while the Wolverines have struggled offensively at times. 

The 5 - 0 MSU Spartans travel to Rutgers for a game @ 12:00 p.m. Saturday versus the 3 - 2 Scarlet Knights. The Spartans are solid defensively, whereas the Scarlet Knights may be missing their top receiver. 

The 3 - 2 Huskies of NIU are at Toledo to face the 3 - 2 Rockets in a MAC 10 game beginning @ 11.am. central and 12:00 p.m. eastern.

We made it over to the auxiliary gardens on Wednesday to remove this season's spent plants and the protective fencing that kept the deer at bay. We also got one final harvest of some peppers too.

A large banana pepper, some jalapeno peppers, and two small striped sweet peppers.

Today, should be a bit more laid back as I spent some time in the kitchen making vegan meatballs and burgers yesterday. Sometimes, a man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do. Mary has chosen and begun a new cross-stitch project. I started a new novel, Send For Me, by Lauren fox, a book that Mary had previously read herself and which she recommended, after completing a crossword puzzle and doing that aforementioned kitchen activity. Ciao. 

Vegan Thanksgiving 2015

I have much to be thankful for, first - Jack, Adam, and Steph. Love! Jack and I don't have to worry about being hungry as many do. Today's feast proves that. We started the day with a walk down to the channel. It was warm and the rain had stopped before it started again.

Then I spent the day in the kitchen. Meaning, I had a great day. It was just the two of us for dinner. The things I made don't lend themselves to small quantity cooking - so leftovers!

We started the day with the apple pie Jack baked yesterday. I knew we would have no room after dinner, so starting the day with pie seemed right. It is Jack's best pie to date. He started baking about 2 years ago and is now confident enough to go off recipe and try things. The result was excellent.

Click on pictures for better view.

I took a risk and tried a new recipe - "ham." I didn't realize that it would double in size during the 5 hours it spent in the crock pot. And, the recipe makes two. They will reappear all week as I use them up.

Munchies and Lion's football. The green onions are the last from our garden. The garden is down to lettuce and spinach in the cold frame and kale in a pot.

The first wash up. There were many.

Ready to be added to the dressing.

Yes, very 70's on the casserole. I got it as a gift at my bridal shower.

Next up potatoes.

 I used gold, left the skin on, and varied the spices a bit - recipes are suggestions.

I had planned a green bean casserole but the beans had fungus - not happy. So the next item to be made - biscuits. Jack made the dough cutter/scrapper back when he had a wood shop.

Last but not least, mushroom gravy for the biscuits and dressing.

A last minute "crisis" when I couldn't get everything in the oven ("hams" needed to go in to finish after crock potting) and I put them on too big of a sheet and with the two casseroles it didn't fit. With Jack's help, I got them in a smaller pan and all fit. Then we enjoyed.

The one thing I didn't make was the cranberry sauce. Jack will only eat the jellied canned variety.

With these leftovers, I won't have to cook all week. I hope Jack liked everything - I await his review.

Last batch of dishes - I think there were 4 total.

Thankful, thankful, thankful. Peace.

Trip to the Woods

Hello again. It has been almost a year since my last post. Why? Don't know, but I'm back, at least for now.

As usual when I travel, my trip was on the back roads.

My first stop was at a quilt/yarn shop in Newaygo. I bought a pattern.

Then I proceeded north through the Manistee National Forest. I came upon an historic site sign. I just have to stop at those. Click on the picture to read.

Unfortunately, the Historic and Cultural Center is only open on Saturday. The area is a mix of houses from big grand lake homes, average sized homes to small summer cabins. There was a clubhouse for Detroit folks to get together. I'm betting there was one for Chicago too. The area is large and I didn't see it all.

The lake is gorgeous.

As I was standing on the path, a boy of about 11 or 12 flew by on a bike. He came to an abrupt stop, turned and asked if I'd seen any bears. I told him no and asked if he had. "Yesterday, he was running across the highway. He was a teenager." He was so excited and I'm sure was, maybe still is, telling the story to everyone he met. I would have been excited too - as long as the bear was running away from me, not towards me.

Then I was off for a stop in Baldwin. I found fabric for the pattern I'd bought in Newaygo.

Then I was on to Reed City where I found a quilt store I didn't know about. And I had lunch.

Oh deer! I did manage a vegan meal with a very tasty red sauce.

Then I spent three days at Morning Star.

My cabin:

http://www.morningstarretreatcenter.com/cabins_kay_blue.html

The road in:

The view from my window:

No electricity, no Internet, no phone, no clock. Total silence. My only companion for conversation was this sage old tree.

I read, I walked, I knitted, I sat and did nothing. The time was restful, peaceful and renewing.

After three days, it was back to civilization and the noise. One more stop at a fabric store just south of Reed City.

I meandered home by a different route and found this wonderful sight when I arrived home.

Peace.

Lake Michigan at Muskegon

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Beautiful West Michigan Fall

For a bigger view, click on the picture.

Silver Lake a couple weeks ago.

Holland 10 days ago.

Yesterday - Hemlock Crossing and Rosy Mound.

I love West Michigan and Fall.