Saturday, January 13, 2024

Friday's Dinner Party and Saturday's Critters! Plus Amber and Harrison is in Salt Lake City! HOCKEY Time!

 The temps are starting to fall after yesterday's high of 70 degrees!

Friday morning our cats were all warm and cozy around the bathroom heater - as were we!


Chicken Little came up savaging for food - which I fed her with flour tortillas and salad sheds...you know - the cores from the lettuce and tomatoes. 


They make a mess up here but I can't help but feed them!


It turned colder midafternoon and we took a hot chocolate break in front of the heater in the bathroom.

I started the preparations for our dinner party and then we both took hot showers and dressed up!
That meant clean overalls for him and a velour gown for me.
Warm and cozy with thick socks to complete our outfits!
Mine were from Finland and as warm as toast!


Son Dean smoked some great cheeses, olives and sweet peppers....
divine!


Sherry had an appetizer tray of gourmet crackers and meat and cheese.


It was fun like a party!


Dinner was my shrimp/crab/pasta/cheese bake - but this time I cooked it in a crock pot since I don't
 have a real oven down here.

I made pepper poppers - always!
Sherry brought garlic toast and her good green beans while Rosey brought a delicious salad....


and a bottle of good wine!

I served margaritas along with our appetizers and we all visited and had a wonderful evening together!



And I am so grateful for Rosey!
She came into our lives at a local bee meeting several years ago and has become part of our family of choice.
She has been a comfort and support to me personally in the loss of my sister and the life events I am going through now.
Every one needs a friend like Rosey.
She celebrates me, embraces me, comforts me and prays for me.
I know she loves me every bit as much as I love her.

Saturday morning arrived with no clue as what the weather will be in the coming days.


I sipped my coffee and had my quiet time comfortably in the front room - sipping from a special cup my friend, Dee Dee, sent me a couple of years ago.

My sister, Rita, and I visited over my second cup and made plans for a visit in February.
We wrote the date in and it's always subject to change - but if we don't PLAN it - it will most likely never happen! We do have a PLAN and I am so excited!


Our critters give us such pleasure!


They are loving it here at the ranch!


And the mops are such good dogs!
Dean and Sherry left this morning to pick up some hay for the horses, goats and chickens.


I distracted the mops as they left so they would not follow them. .
I love these critters and enticed them into our gated yard until their 'parents' were well down the road!


We are all preparing for the cold temps ahead of us this week.

I made a pot of rice with butter and sugar and served that for our breakfast with crisp bacon and buttered toast.


Louis Dean only wanted a big bowl of Raisin Bran for our late lunch today.


I had a good salad of some of the leftovers from last night's dinner party and the rest of a rotisserie chicken from HEB - along with a nice glass of Chardonnay.


It was a good day for reading and this is a book that takes you in to another culture and history.
I am hooked and read a chapter here and there throughout the day.

In other news.....


Amber and Harrison are in Salt Lake City for a hockey - what? Meet? Tournament? 
Amber is an awesome Hockey Mom and enjoying every minute of it - much as I did when I was a synchro mom when she was in the Pirouettes of Texas!

Her sport was IN the water while her children's sport is on TOP of it!


Cute! CUTE! CUTE!


Snow country!


Cheering the Texas Warriors from afar!


Harrison Blvd!
I love it!!
GO, Warriors!!




10 comments:

Deb J. in Utah said...

Hi Linda. It's always fun to see what you are up to! Your and L.D. always seem to be doing something fun and interesting. That place where Amber and Harrison are is about 30 miles north of my house! I hope you enjoy the rest of the long weekend.

Ginny Hartzler said...

Harrison must be having a ball. Just as you are at the ranch!

Susie said...

Linda, We are freezing here in Indiana too . Stay warm and safe there please. So glad Dean and Sherry share dinner and time with you and LD while you are there. I am praying for some beautiful sunshine and a bit of warmth. 66 days till Spring. I just think Sunshine in winter helps dealing with cold. Hold tight to one another, love you. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

MadSnapper said...

i never noticed until this photo, how much Harrison resembles his mother. same shape face, smile and dimples. Amber is such a super mom to all four of them. and so much help for you too.
the lunch looks super good and you know i love those Mop Faces.

Arlene G said...

Linda, Cutting for Stone is one of my favorite books. I see the author has a new book out and I am thinking of purchasing it to read this winter. Sounds like yall are having a ball at the ranch. We are hunkering down for the cold here as well. I have a stack of books and some needlework to get me through this cold snap. Hoping we do not lose power!! The quads are just looking so grown up. I miss the days when my grands were little....I do not see them as much as I used to and that makes me sad. Life is ever changing and I must move along with it. Hugs to you and Louis Dean.

Rita said...

Really good friends are the best treasures!
Sounds like it was a great little party.
Really cold up here in Fargo. It's -14 right now with -32 wind chill.
Stay safe and warm! :)

photowannabe said...

How exciting for Harrison to be in that tournament and his mom is an absolute diamond..precious..
Love your parties and wish we were closer..I would so enjoy that kind of friendship.
Sue

Deanna Rabe said...

Stay warm!

Your dinner party sounds like a fun time! Good friends are treasure in our lives!

We are cold here and expecting snow later on today.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Your parties are the best, Linda, with good company and delicious looking food. Your shrimp, crab, cheese bake looked good just from the photo! Yeah for hot chocolate, cozy socks and heaters because cold weather is arriving everywhere. Hope all went well at Harrison's tournament and it's wonderful that hisparents are such supporters.

Judy said...

Harrison Blvd! How special is that!

It sounds/looks like the best dinner party over there.

Stay warm and cozy...I see the Canadian cold front has moved your way!