Here is a very easy apple butter recipe...(since it is that time of year)....
7 cups unsweetened applesauce
2 cups apple cider
11/2 cups honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 teas. cloves
1/2 teas. allspice
Combine all ingrediants in a crockpot. Mix well. Cook on low for 14-15 hours.
That's it!!!! Pretty simple huh?!! and it is GOOD!!!!
Hot Caramel Dip
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
apple slices
Mix together all ingrediants (except apple slices) in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour in to a crockpot and set on low. Dip fresh apple slices in to the hot caramel.....Easy! and yummy!

Another "oldie"....my brother is on his favorite thing ...the old red rocking horse. I remember that rocking horse being in our family for years...it was used by all 4 of us kids! Wish we still had it! That's me with the big eyes looking at who knows what!? We had wonderful Christmases...my Dad always built a big platform underneath the tree for the old Lionel train...he used to make a little mini town with mountians that had little skiers on them...ponds with ice skaters...little houses that lit up...smoke coming from the chimneys and all! It brings back such good memories...I loved the little town at Christmas and my brother and I would sit and watch the train go thru that town for hours!! Look at the pajamas!!! We always wore those pajamas with the feet in them!

I cannot believe that it is Thursday already! For those of you who like to view the "older photos"..this is me sitting on the step (looking at what)????? and my little brother in the stroller...check out the old stroller...it looks ancient! It is going to be another beautiful day today...I finished the altoid tin with cards...and the atc's for the accordian book swap...now I plan on doing some altered postcards....(after I clean the art room). Since October is almost here..I plan to start reading "The Historian"...it is about vampires!

Okay...this is one of the reasons why I'm always cleaning my desk!!! This is my DESK in the art room...the picture below is the scene from the window..(when the shade cover is open)....I could use a LARGER desk...but this one is OLD..and I like old things!!!!

I am so GRATEFUL!!!!! This is the view looking out my art room window!

I went through this kick some years ago of painting animals on rocks...here is the "painted owl rock" that sits on the front porch.

Summer is back!!! After cooler temps and rain we are supposed to reach 90 today!!! I raked outside yesterday....and looks like today I'll be watering....all the flowers are still beautiful...I planted 3 Mumms and later I will plant 3 more. Speaking of flowers...the photo to the left is another cemetery photo..at least someone cared enough to keep flowers at this grave site....
I plan on finishing up some art projects today...the little Christmas mini atcs in a altered altoid tin...and 15 regular atc's for a accordian book swap...then start more projects!!! BUT!!!!!! before that happens..I MUST clean the art room...I always like to start with a clean desk area..but by the time the project is completed it looks like a tornado went through...that's some of the fun anyway!
Since it is going to be so warm today ....I'm going out in the yard and take some more photos....if you are reading this...Hi to An...Beth...Catherine...and Tina!!! I Love you all!

Out in the front yard.

This is a close-up of a very huge tree in the Union Cemetery...this big boy has seen "many a year".
It is quite abit cooler today and cloudy..although the weatherman says it's supposed to be in the 80's...I'm waiting for the sun to peek through those clouds. Last night we had the most spectacular light show in the sky..the lightening went on for hours and lit the entire night up..it was awesome! I love storms...I really get all excited...and love to go sit on the back porch and watch them...my little Toby sits on my lap and watches also...

I just love this old gate....it is actually raining here..the whole works with thunder and a light show..I tried taking some photos with the new camera to see what taking nightscapes could do...I learned about melting embossing powders today...from my friend Linda...she did something beautiful on sea glass and I can't wait to try it...so many things to do...so little time!

Old hotel marker and building at Smithflat Cemetery.

Union Cemetery at Placerville California

This is a collage on canvas that I did for a swap...the theme was "Moon and Stars"...today is Sunday...and right now it is so peaceful..everyone is still sleeping. I love early morning...I love watching the sunrise and the shadows of light it creates everywhere. I hope to get some art work done today...I'm working on some Christmas atc's for a accordian book swap. I'm also working on the altoid tin...I finished the 9 little mini atc's that will go inside the tin. Yesterday we took our garnddaughter Ty out to breakfast..we went to Dennys...she had the "smiley face pancakes" and An and I had the chicken fried steak...(our favorite). (They never give you enough gravy)! After we got our stomachs full at breakfast we went to the library (one of my favorite places)...once again I found some wonderful books on the discount table. We also managed to get quite abit of yard work done today...and I bought some flowers to plant in pretty Fall colors. I'm going to post more photos of the cemetery trips ......and some photos that Andy took of some lilies that are blooming in the yard.

Here are some of the awesome photos that I took on my trip to the old cemeteries in the area. This is one of my favorites from the Union Cemetery located on Bee St. This cemetery is old...and very large...I remember going to this cemetery with some of my friends when we first moved to this area in the early sixties...it is quite abit larger now.....even though this cemetery is old...it is the "newest" of the cemeteries that I visited. This little angel was hidden underneath a tree in the shade and when I spotted her my heart just melted....she is so beautiful. This was the first of many trips I plan to take with the new camera...I went very early in the morning on Wednesday and Thursday...and visited 2 cemeteries each day...the first day I went to The Smithflat Cemetery and to the Uppertown Cemetery....the second day I visited St. Patricks and Union....it was so peaceful and quiet and very serene in all the cemeteries that I visited and I loved the trip...there are lots more very old graveyards in the county and I plan on visiting all of them at some time. Scroll down and you will see more photos. I plan on posting lots more photos from my trips. One more thing...I did see lots of graves of people that I knew...and names that I knew from some of the older families in the area...I saw one grave of a boy I knew in High School that died in the Viet Nam War...that was sad. Cemeteries are all about memories...good and bad...it helps us to bring back all the souls that have gone before us...because our memories never die. Here is some of my journey...... (of memories).

This is from the Catholic Cemetery...St. Patricks. It is located on Green St. in Placerville. It has been a long time since I was at this cemetery and I was very pleased to see they have done quite abit of work...it is beautiful. St. Patrick's has some very old graves..this is one of them.

These are the steps leading up to the Uppertown Cemetery in Placerville...this one is located at the very beginning of Mosquito Rd. The cemetery sits on top of a hill overlooking the freeway....it is covered in thick weeds and star thistle..I'm glad I wore long pants and had tennis shoes on. This is another very very old cemetery and has a beauty all of its own.

This is an old beautiful stone from the old historic Smithflat cemetery. This cemetery is small...but sits on top of a hill at the end of Cemetery Road in Smithflat California. Most of the graves in this cemetery are so old they have just plain wooden markers...I went to this one very early in the morning ...the sun was just coming up...it was so peaceful and quiet .....almost surreal.

The last lone tomato.....

This is a sad "little ole chair"...but I can't seem to part with it....it has too much character...and I've had it for a long time!
It is much cooler this morning...it rained all around us yesterday but we managed to stay dry...I was wishing we would get a few sprinkles to clean and freshen the air...don't you just love the fresh smell after a nice rain??? I do! I'm going to work on some art projects today...and do some more work with the camera...I might go to a old graveyard and take some pictures of the really old head stones...it's cloudy right now...so the weather would be perfect! I talked myself right in to doing that...so..I'm off to the old cemetery in Smithflat.

Happy Birthday An!!!!!!! Here is a picture of your birthday cake!!!!! Hope you have a great day!!! I Love You!!!!!!!!
Here is the recipe for An's Coconut Birthday Cake
Coconut Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teas. baking powder
1/2 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. salt
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter
6 large eggs
1 teas. vanilla extract
1 teas. almond extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 bag (14 oz.) flaked coconut
CREAM CHEESE ICING
2 packages (8oz. each) cream cheese (soft)...3/4 cup butter (soft)....1 teas. vanilla extract...1/2 teas. almond extract....5 cups powdered sugar.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. On waxed paper combine flour, baking powder,baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Beat in extracts.
Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in the coconut. Pour into prepared pans and bake accordingly..depending on the size of your pans...mine was 325 for about 35 minutes.
Beat all the ingrediants together for the icing Frost the cake when the layers are cool...and top with more coconut!!! (not a calorie in a carload in this one)!!!!!!!

Can you tell that I am loving having a new camera ! FINALLY!!!!!! This was taken out in the front yard.....This is a type of Sage bush.

more winery pics........the old red pump and a flower...plus Sarah singing.

More winery pictures...the pictures below are of everyone getting ready to chow down at the picnic table...and me and my friend Cecilia...(I'm on the right).....the grounds at the winery are really beautiful...I tried to get some pictures of all the flowers...this place brings back lots of good memories for me...in High School I had a friend who lived here ..so this was some of my "stomping grounds"...it was not a winery then...just lots and lots of fruit orchards...the Boegers who bought the place put in grapes...and now it is a very fine winery.....my friend moved away years and years ago...but we still live across the road in the same house as I did then.

pictures from Boeger Winery....we went Friday night over to the winery (which happens to be across the road) to have a "night" picnic and listen to some music. My friend Cecilia...her daughter Sarah provided the music along with her wonderful singing...had a good time...I got to see my friend...we had some gourmet food and wine...and the best thing was we didn't have to drive home very far...I played with the camera...and even took the "noodle".....

Welcome Home to my Dear Friend Catherine!!!!!!!
Does this remind you of something C ? It is so good to have you back...I have missed you! Someday (I hope) we can sit on a balcony just like this one in Greece and sip something delicious...and enjoy the sun and water and each others company....

Here is my Shaquille..he is 16 years old. He is "chillin" under the big Quince bush in the yard...enjoying the morning!

This is my poodle Toby...sometimes I call him "noodle" or "noodie"...depending on my mood he gets called all kinds of nicknames! One thing does stay the same and that is I LOVE.....LOVE.....LOVE....him!

Bells hanging from one of the pine trees in the back yard...I told you I went CRAZY with the camera! I love the spider's web in this one.

Been busy....busy....but did manage to go outside yesterday morning and take pictures. I went crazy! I haven't even touched the surface of what this camera can do....here is the fig tree loaded with figs that is in the front yard. All these beautiful figs go to waste every year because I don't know what to do with them! One of the apple ranches up the road said they would buy them...I haven't had time to pick any. It is beautiful here today...warmer weather is returning! I love the "morning light" on the leaves in this picture.

The days go by so fast!!!! I'm anxious to start taking pictures with the new camera...but I need to sit and study the instruction book...have to run around today and do some grocery shopping...look for some new pants...and mail some art work. It just so happens that I must go by the thrift store on the way to the post office....ummmm! It is still cool outside...but the afternoons are perfect! I'll take some photos of everything I find at the thrift store today...and maybe make some stops along the way in Apple Hill....might even stop for a caramel apple covered in nuts...oh yum!

"Believe"

It really does feel like Fall in the air...Early for us here in Placerville...it usually runs 10 degrees warmer. I had to put an extra blanket on the bed last night! It is Apple Hill time ....we went up to one of the many orchards in the area (Boa Vista) and bought some nice peaches for 1.00 a basket...I made peach dumplings...we had them last night with vanilla ice cream...yummy! An took off from work today and we went camera shopping...we have been wanting a new camera for a very long time ...welllllll........we got ourselves a camera!!! and am I excited! It's got everything we wanted in our price range...5 megapixels and 10x optical zoom! I can't wait to start taking some photos...I have lots of art work to photograph...and lots of trips planned for some awesome scenery shots....can't wait to get out there! (of course it will take me some time to learn how to use all the functions etc.) The camera is a KodakDZ740...if anyone knows anything about this particular camera, let me know!

A much cooler Saturday morning...and a collage "Soul Always" that I finished last night....

Whoa!!!!! It is so much cooler this morning!!! It could even rain.....and I am so not ready for that! Usually September is still very hot in this neck of the woods....it is supposed to reach 81 today...we will see! My son's birthday went off without a hitch yesterday...I made a huge tray of sugar cookies with icing on them...and sprinkles! (his favorite)....I prepared a paper plate full for us here at the house....ummm! there is only 2 cookies left on the plate!! (wonder who ate those)??!!?? It is going to be a good Friday for working in the art room...I'm planning on doing some Halloween atc's...and if I still have energy after that I plan on raking some leaves and (Mimosa thingies).....I've been waiting for the new Santana CD to come out...the date has been moved up to November now...sooo....I think I'll listen to Los Lonely Boys ......hope everyone has a special Friday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SON !!!!!
TONY
You are 34 years old today!!!! and I am so very proud of the man that you have become!!! I love you very very much..... have a WONDERFUL birthday!!!
Hugs and kisses from your (goofy) MOM!!!!!!!!!
Please scroll down to see a little smattering of your LIFE!!!!!

And...this is your
element!!
The outdoors!!!!!
Hiking..biking...
AND!!!!!!

Now YOU are a Daddy!!!!
and I am MOM-MOM!!!!!!!
and .......

A trip to Yosemite with Mom
AND there is more!!!!
TO THIS!!!!!!

to the 1st grade....

FROM THIS !!!!

Autumn apc....the leaves on this card are covered with beeswax.