If I'm going to make pancakes, other than from scratch, this is the only mix we use.  Good old 'Snoqualmie Falls Lodge' pancake mix.  The best in the west!!  When the kids were living at home, our 'big' breakfast day was on Saturdays, pancakes or waffles, apple fritters or whatever the majority of the children (there were six) wanted.

Don and I have the most wonderful veterinarians, Mike Dougherty and Rene Hilbiber.  Rene raises Aracauna chickens (aka Easter Egg chickens) because they lay the most beautifully colored eggs)  Every now and then Rene will send a dozen home with Don.  These are three of them, I used up all the green and light blue ones.  Fresh Aracauna chicken eggs, nothing better on pancakes.  The yolks are a golden brown and they are super fresh!!  Thanks Rene!!

Ready for Don to tackle.  A 'wagon wheel' pancake (you only need one!), freshly buttered,  fresh Aracauna chicken eggs, smokey bacon and maple syrup.....breakfast fit for a king. 

The All American favorite with orange juice and hot coffee!!  Yum!  Have to tell you the story of Cinnamon.  We had a neighbor dog named Cinnamon, she was a liver spotted Dalmation.  Well, Cinnamon knew we always had our big breakfasts on Saturdays and she would come down and sit outside our sliding glass doors looking in at our family enjoying their breakfast.

  We made it a habit of saving a pancake, waffle or bacon for her.  She was very patient.  You didn't dare let her in, she was a tank of a dog, thick and solid. Her wagging tail could almost knock you off your feet.  But eventually one of the kids would open the door and give Cinnamon her long awaited treat, she would head down the patio, tail wagging like crazy, and head for home to enjoy her breakfast.

  It was something we and Cinnamon enjoyed for years.  I considered Cinnamon my buddy, she would come down and lay next to me when I weeded in the flower beds and I would buy sacks of medium size Milk Bones just for Cinnamon, our dog, Jenny, wouldn't touch them.  I did this for years.

  One day I came home from the store and was unpacking the groceries, when my son said "who are the Mllk bones for mom?"  I replied "Cinnamon!"  We always would say "Seeeeenaaaaamaaaannnnnn!"

Von said, "Mom, they moved!"  I cried! No one asked me if they could move and take our buddy away.  I felt bad for weeks.  Then, as time does, the ache went away, but I would think of her so often.

One day, about three years later, I came home from work to have lunch.  I unlocked the door, stepped inside, looked across the dining room and who should be sitting on the step looking in, smiling that big toothy dog grin and wagging her tail hard enough to cause bruises?  "Seeeeeeenaaaaaaamaaannnnn!"  And that's exactly what I yelled as I ran and threw my arms around her welcome doggy body.  Apparently they had only moved about a mile away, Cinnamon had dug out and come back to visit.  Don't you ever tell me that animals don't remember things.  Oh yes they do!!  Love you Cinnamon!

W.C. 'Chick' O'Neall; Have Binoculars, will travel!

My dad 'Chick' O'Neall, on a beach in California in the 1930's.  Very dapper with his hat and vest.  I was able to clean this picture up fairly well in Photoshop, it was stained and creased here and there.

Dad was a sports announcer, he called the horse races in many different places; Caliente, Mexico, Longacres, Renton, WA, Yakima Meadows, Yakima, WA, Portland Meadows, Portland, WA and Playfair, Spokane, WA.  He wrote the handicap for the P.I. (Post Intelligencer) newspaper in Seattle, and was on the radio also.  This picture was taken in the 1930's, track side in Caliente, Mexico.  Looks like he is giving the results of a race after it had been called.  I like the hats, hope they come back into fashion.  Speaking of hats, here's a link to a great hat site:  http://optimohats.com/

Dad in the announcers booth at Longacres Race Track, Renton, WA.  He had a unique calling voice.  He was one of a kind!  Rest in peace dad!

Our snow days, 2012

We had our share of snow and ice this winter.  My husband shoveled the top half of our driveway, by the garage doors and then ended with one lane to the street, just too much to move, and too heavy.  Of course, after shoveling away the snow along the end of the driveway, the County sent road graders along our street and they promptly piled all the snow up in front of our driveway again.. Not much help.  It was beautiful though, here are our bird feeders covered with layers of snow.

We always enjoy how pretty the yard light looks wearing it's white, winter, hat.  It warmed up a bit and the snow started melting, forming icicles everywhere and enveloping limbs, trees and foliage.

A beautiful Mourning Dove perched in our icy, damaged Flowering Plum tree

The Juniper Tams in back were encased in ice

The branches of our Flowering Plum, in the front yard, encased in ice.  The tree couldn't handle all the extra weight and the limbs and part of the trunk split.

Our damaged Flowering Plum.  This is the second one we have lost to an ice storm.

The last squirrel to perch in our Flowering Plum tree in front.  As you can see, some of the main limbs had already been cut.

All that's left of the tree now.  When the rains cease, we'll dig around the base and cut the horizontal roots away.  Then our neighbor is going to use his truck to pull the tree and other roots out.

It makes us sad, this was a beautiful tree and has been a part of our lives for the past 25 years.

This is what it used to look like on a beautiful Spring day.

Crocheting Pullip Sweaters, skirts and hats 2012

I have my very own Pullip doll now.  Meet Sabra.  My granddaughter emailed me to say that she knew someone who wanted to sell a Pullip doll at a very reasonable price.  I needed one to have as a model for making clothing for my granddaughter's dolls.  So now Sabra is a part of my family.  I have  to admit, it is so much easier having a model to get the correct size for the clothing I make.  I just started crocheting sweaters and skirts for the dolls.  Here is Sabra in the very first sweater and skirt I made.

Oh this is soooo 70's, lol  Crocheted top and slacks.  Sabra is wearing the pretty ocean blue hat with the dolphin

Sabra looks as though she is about to fall asleep, maybe I'm overdoing it with the modeling.

I really  like this combination of Chartreuse green and grey.  the hat is one I made last year, the outfit goes well together.  The sweaters are 3 inches from the edge of the neck to the bottom.

Sabra looks lovely in this soft, Angora hat with a beautiful jeweled button.  I've been able to find some beautiful buttons on the internet, and very reasonably priced too.

Sabra in my multiple green hat and her new Mohair, Teal green sweater.  If you like to knit or crochet, don't miss out on bargains in thrift stores in your area.  I have been able to pick up Mohair, Angora and wool yarn at less than basement prices.  Estate sales are a great place to find yarn also.

Sabra models her blue heather sweater.  The hat is made from yarn I bought at a thrift store, microfibre and acrylic, so soft and originally $8.99 skein, for thirty cents a skein.

These are small necklaces I put together for the Granddaughter's Pullip dolls.  I'm always looking for small charms wherever I go, cheap of course.

Sabra in her turquoise hat with the sunshine charm, wearing the first cardigan sweater I crocheted.  I love the itsy bitsy buttons.

Sabra modeling her teal and off white striped hat.  She's also wearing one of the necklaces I made.

At the left is a child's hat, that is 9" from top to brim, at the right is a Pullip doll's hat, this gives you some idea of how small Pullips are. And their heads are much larger than their bodies.

Candy corn, something fun I crocheted.  So cute, they're about  4" high.

Our traditional St. Patrick's Day dinner, corned beef, cabbage, red potatoes and carrots

All dished up and ready to eat!

Don took this one, he decided it wasn't ready until the butter and pepper had been applied

For dessert, Shamrock cake with cream cheese icing.  Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!