New Ventures!!

It's been nearly two years of traveling around and photo-documenting our lives to sharing with the world, our family and friends.  What an incredible journey it has been, one that has been both reflective and fulfilling  I have loved it and found that blogging kept me going and pulled me out some of those slumps we are all prone to when tired, overwhelmed or discouraged.  It's been a source of motivation and connection to family and friends that we don't often get to see.

While I have spent the first several years of my career life as a teacher, it was a job that, for me, was as frustrating and stressful as it was fulfilling and rewarding.  My last year as a teacher before I went on leave to start a family, was incredible.  It was, by far, my favorite year, classes full of cheerful, kind students and much more balance in my life.  Perhaps a good ending note for my teaching career?  Time will tell.  But I've never been one to stand still in one place for too long.  Maybe one day, when I am ready again, I'll come back to teaching.

For now, on to other ventures!  Perhaps with a camera in tow, my most recent passion, one that thrills me, keeps me up in the evenings (when I should probably be asleep) and one that makes me eager to jump out of bed in the mornings.  Through my blogging journey, my love of photography has only grown over the past few years and I have found that more and more a camera has become an extension of my body. Both the photos I capture and the blog are a positive creative outlet for me.    That's the kind of thing I need right now. 

I still intend to keep the blog running.  But, check out the new site that's been developed for Magnolia Coasts Photography.  And if you so feel inclined and want to support me in my venture, you can find Magnolia Coasts Photography on Facebook.  And give me a "LIKE." 

Thanks friends and family for your support and encouragement on this new path!

Baseball, Airplanes and some new projects!

Ok, the blog seems to have taken a bit of a backburner temporarily and I apologize!  We've got a couple of big projects on the go (as some of you may have picked up on lately.  More on that later). 
 
A couple of weeks ago my parents were here.  And just in time too because we were missing them and I personally was just needing a little bit of a reprieve.  I know that my parents miss our children so much when they aren't around.  Skype just isn't enough and sometimes those periods between visits really lag on for them.  But the wonderful thing about Gabriel being two and half is that now he remembers them between visits.  Skype does help and pictures do too. Magdalene of course, doesn't remember them but that will come in time.

We had a pretty full week between Pirate Day, apple picking, visiting the Junction, and various other exciting projects we have going on around here--one which my dad started and another of my own.  But we still managed to find plenty of time to hang around the house.  My dad introduced the "paper airplane" to Gabriel (as yet another outlet for all of the throwing going on in this house).  My neighbors now have a whole plethora of paper airplanes in their yards that we have to periodically retrieve.  And every piece of paper from Gabriel's school comes home a little crumpled as his teachers tell me he was trying to make a plane.  Oh dear, what did we start?  Sigh.

Always the helpful brother, trying to feed his sister... somewhat successfully....

We had some good baseball fun in the yard too with Bumpa showing Gabriel some new tricks like throwing a ball behind his back and up over his shoulder to catch it.  Oh Dad, always a few tricks up his sleeves.  My parents sure got a workout while they were here, rolling around in the backyard (yes, rolling) and running along the trail behind our house playing Hide-and-Seek.  Gabriel would shout out "Nana's turn, Bumpa's turn, Mama's turn" and we would take off at full speed, trying to outrun him and find a quick spot to hide.  If we found a really good one, Gabriel would choose to hide there too, shouting with great enthusiasm, "I find a-ME!!"   Oh, you are a clever boy, aren't you.  He keeps us laughing for sure.

Bumpa did his usual repairs while Nana cooked and baked, etc.   And of course, Gabriel had to help at every point, lugging lumber around the yard and taking off with Bumpa's tools or eating handfuls of cookie dough when Nana turned her back.  One day, Gabriel accidentally broke his sunglasses.  "Oh, oh.  Glasses broken.  Fix at home.  Bumpa fix it."  He knows who does all the repairs around here, that's for sure.  We save them up for the next time Bumpa visits.  And really, we only get to eat muffins when Nana comes. 

A great visit to be sure.  Magdalene really bonded with her Nana, even if she wasn't quite sure what to make of Bumpa.  It was great to have my parents around and really exciting too because they started the ball rolling on some new ventures!  Stay tuned!

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• Apples!
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• Family Skate Date.

Corn, Ham & Sweet Potato Chowder

The other morning, as we were walking along the sidewalk, some little yellow leaves were flying around.  It wasn't really cold, but it was just a little bit coolish. Today is much like that and feels like a good ham chowder day.  And a good day to share another fall recipe.

This one is a favorite in our house.  Our son and daughter gobble it all up and would lick the bowl if we let them.  But then both of them are huge ham lovers and would eat corn every day of the week if it was their choice.

Corn, Ham and Sweet Potato Chowder

1 celery rib chopped
1 leek chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of water
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 Tbsp thyme
1/4 cup flour
2 cups 2% milk
salt and pepper to taste

1. Put chopped celery, leek and butter in a large soup pot and cook under tender on medium heat.
2. Add chicken broth, water and sweet potato, corn, ham and thyme.  Cook on medium heat until sweet potato is starting to soften.
3.  Mix flour and milk separately in a medium bowl until smooth.  Add to soup pot and cook until thickened.
4.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.


You might also like:

• Yum! Apple Crepes!
• The Most Amazing Warm Potato Salad.
• Marta's Pizza 
• Christmas Day Cinnamon Buns. 
• What is better than Tiramisu? 
• A Recipe for Rhubarb Punch! 
• Chocolate Salty Oat Cookies