Outdoor Wednesday - A baby bird in the palm...

I took these photos a few weeks ago while my brother-in-law was visiting. He walked by our Sago Palm and was surprised to see this. He thought at first that it wasn't real and that I had placed the baby bird in the palm. I guess I have a reputation of over accessorizing!!!

I wonder if he fell from his nest or had just taken his first flight out of the nest and was resting.

He let me get very close!!

So cute!! Thanks for joining me for another Outdoor Wednesday. ~Karen~

Cloche Party - Rabbit Under Glass

Please visit Marty at A Stroll Thru Life http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com to see amazing displays of Cloches in "It's a Cloche Party"!!

My husband always jokes that when he comes home from work things are always moved around (in fact once many years ago when he came home from an overnight trip, the entire bedroom had been moved to a different room, but that is a story for another day....)

When he passed my newly acquired cloche a few months ago he commented - "Hmm...Rabbit under glass..." I found this cloche at Tuesday Morning on the clearance aisle and loved the etching. As always, thanks so much for visiting my little spot in blogland. ~Karen~

Foodie Friday ~ Devil Dogs

This is my first Foodie Friday post. Many thanks to our wonderful and talented host at Designs by Gollum!! Please be sure and visit her blog to experience lots of beautiful photos of FOOD!! http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/2009/06/foodie-friday-5-minute-raspberry-cream.html

I am going to share with you a favorite from my childhood...Devil Dogs! My mother would occasionally make these treats for us girls (I am lucky enough to have 3 sisters of which I am the oldest!!)

And this is my new cake plate I bought at the Christmas Tree Shop last month while in New England. I stupidly put it in my carry on suitcase, and when I got it home (much to my disappointment) it had broken in to several pieces! I have glued it back together the best I could....

Did you think I was going to share my "other" devil dogs? No, really they are my sweeties.

Barnum Bailey Here is the recipe that my mother gave me many years ago: Devil Dogs 3/4 cup shortening (12 Tbsp) 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 3 cups flour 3/4 tsp baking powder 2 1/4 tsp baking soda 3/4 cup cocoa - Hershey's unsweetened 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 cups milk 1/2 tsp salt Mix all the above ingredients at medium speed with electric mixer and drop on greased baking sheet (I use parchment paper on my baking sheets instead) by the tablespoon (I suppose if you like a smaller size drop by the teaspoon and bake a little less). Bake 7 - 8 minutes at 425 degrees. Cool on wire racks. Filling 3 Tbsp flour 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup sugar 4 Tbsp butter (at room temp) 1/2 cup Crisco shortening (8 Tbsp) 1/2 tsp vanilla dash of salt

In saucepan, cook flour and milk at medium-low heat while stirring until thick. Set aside to cool.

To the cooled mixture add: sugar, butter, shortening, vanilla and salt. Beat with electric mixer at high speed for approximately 8 minutes until fluffy. Now I have to go and put everything away and clean up the mess I have made!!

I hope you enjoy these Devil Dogs as much as we have. ~Thanks for visiting my blog~ Karen

Three Or More Tuesday - Collection of Nancy Drew Books

This is my first time joining Tam at The Gypsy's Corner in Three or More Tuesday. I thought it would be fun to share my collection of Nancy Drew Mystery books by Carolyn Keene, as well as some of my bunny rabbit collection. Please join Tam at http://gypsycorner.blogspot.com/2009/06/30th-three-or-more-tuesday.html to see lots of other fun posts. As a young girl I was always reading, and most times it was a Nancy Drew book.

I still love a good mystery to this day!

Happy Reading and Thanks for visiting! ~Karen~

Memorial Day Tablescape on the Patio

Please visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ to view many wonderful tablescapes!

We had a quiet Memorial Day here in Texas. My brother-in-law came to visit and we grilled chicken and sausage out on the back patio.

I found the red felt flowers at the dollar store. I just cut the stem down and wrapped them around a plain napkin ring.

These red, white and blue placemats came from The Christmas Tree Shop in Nashua, NH. At $1.69 each, I could not resist them. I love the paisley design on top of the small blue and white check. I love red geraniums. They remind me of my grandmother, Annie Thayer. Every year she would have red geraniums in her planters. When I was young I would pluck the red petals off and place them over my nails and pretend that I had just had a manicure!

I have to confess that for the first time ever I have placed silk flowers outside!! These geraniums aren't real! I found them at Garden Ridge Pottery and was amazed at how real they looked. I don't have a green thumb and thought I would give them a try, and.....I really like them!

Here are my Fleur De Lis dishes from The Pottery Barn outlet in San Marcos Texas. This is a seedless watermelon - it doesn't contain any black seeds and is the sweetest watermelon I have ever eaten.

~Thanks so very much for visiting! I really appreciate it ~

Karen

Outdoor Wednesday in Massachusetts

I visited my sister in Pepperell, Massachusetts recently. Pepperell is an old mill town about 35 miles northwest of Boston. It was settled in the late 1700's.

A carpet of Lily of the Valley....

White Lilacs An old Town Hall... A momument with a plaque listing Revolutionary War soldiers in the town center.

A beautiful blue sky and white steeple...

And...we went on a scenic drive and visited the Yankee Candle Village in South Deerfield, Massachusetts.

Thanks for joining me in my Outdoor Wednesday in Massachusetts! Please check out many wonderful Outdoor Wednesday postings at http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/