BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Well, its my birthday! They seem to roll around quite quickly as I age. How can this be? I feel 19...ok ok 29! Put the music on and lets dance and celebrate!!!!!! I'm excited about my big 'surprise' party tonight...you all know I love a party! Thanks now for what will be a fun and love-filled evening.

I used to send my mother flowers on MY birthday because I have always been so grateful for my life.

I choose to focus on the blessings and the gifts of people that the Lord has given me. I rejoice in each one of you!!
You are the buttercream frosting of my life.

Thank you, Lord, for creating me and watching over me and

caring about every single thing that happens in my life.

You are my strength & my peace.

I love you.

Psalm 139

13For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

Off to Plymouth CA in the Sierra Foothills with my Red Hat Gals!

So my favorite Chenin Blanc at Spinetta Winery was half off today! Yes...now is that nice or what? mmmmMMMmmmm (They also tag it as "good and yummy" and it is!!)

Lunch at Taste restaurant began with Mushroom Cigar-ette's: a smaller version of their award-winning mushroom cigars, crimini, shiitake, oyster mushrooms, fresh herbs and goat cheese wrapped in phyllo OH MY GOODNESS delish!!!

Entree: Frito Misto: crispy battered rock shrimp & seasonal vegetables, (fingerling potatos, cauliflower, rutabagas) and saffron aioli and a chard salad... WOWZERS!!!!

Oh the bread was creative and my favorite was the walnut blue cheese dark bread...dipped in 18 year old balsamic vinegar and oil....heaven!

Dessert: Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with pistachio toppings scattered about! FABULOUS is all I can say.

(The flower farm was 'closed due to snow'--that's about 2500 elevation!)

FUN FUN RED HAT FUN. We all had a great time sipping wines, eating together and enjoying much laughter!

Fellowship is SO important to our lives!!!!! xoxoxoxxoxo to all of you who enjoyed my event...thanks for braving the weather!!!

Jack & Jeff - Really intelligent people!

I really do love being around smart people! I love talking with them and seeing a bit of how their minds work. It's probably because I'm not the sharpest crayon in the box. Everyone has gifts and I'm just fine with that, but really smart people expand my understandings and my horizons in a way that makes me happy.

I'm not talking about the pseudo-intellectual or the intellectual that has to keep on telling everyone just how smart they are. I'm talking about the gracious, kind and true intellectual. I think those kind are more balanced socially and have many interests besides book learning.

I spent the afternoon Wednesday at my friend Norma's home. She was entertaining Jack, an 89-year old retired orthodontist from Walnut Creek. Jack's wife had a meeting to attend and Jack has Alzheimers so instead of we ladies playing pinochle, we played Scrabble with Jack.

I've known Jack for about 20 years but never knew him very well. He's a good looking fella and must have been off the IQ charts in his youth.
Jack was one of the original Lil Rascals. I don't know which one. He loves to tell you that he was! Many times, in fact. Jack entertained us all afternoon and was thoroughly delighted to be in the company of four women. He told us that quite often as well. He had many pieces of chocolate caramel hearts because his wife won't let him eat candy!!

But what was fascinating to me was to play Scrabble with Jack. I originally thought, "Well, this will be interesting. I wonder if we let him think a word is correct that really isn't. I wondered if we'd have to help Jack. Oh silly me!

Jack knows how to play Scrabble and is still quite good at it. Jack had a couple of words that I had never heard before, and they were not those 'odd Scrabble words' people use. We challenged him and we lost! Pretty hilarious. He did concentrate, and was not playing an easy game for himself. He was consistently trying to make the best word for the most points, trying to fit letters in within other blocks of words so he would get the most points. He did it quite often. I just sat there amazed and thought about the fact that if Jack could play such a game of Scrabble at 89 years of age with diagnosed and very noticeable Alzheimer's, what pray tell was Jack like when his brain was fully functioning. It boggles my mind.

I also came upon this when taking care of my son, Jeff....a very intelligent crayon! His MS had taken many routes through his brain, making the MRI look like swiss cheese, yet, time and time again, Jeff could figure out how to do something he couldn't do anymore, but in a new way -- all was still far beyond me. He still was able to converse intelligently and only occasionally did he have trouble finding the right word. Now I knew this kid all my life so I was familiar with how he 'used to be' and the struggles he did have during those difficult MS years. I often told him that to still be this intelligent with a swiss cheese brain, he was more fortunate than most.

I think he and Jack would have had a great time together. God bless them both.

Shop Sassy Lasses!!

I decided to set up shop on my blog until I get my webpage done! Enjoy!

Tea Pot hand-beaded & charmed Infusers

$10.00

Specialty teas! Fruit Blend in 4 oz jar $7.00

Pomegranate Green & Chai in1.5 oz jars*

makes one pot or 10 cups of tea. $3.00

Herbs de Provence * $7.50*6 oz jar

This spice mix combines sweet French herbs and lavender with flavorful Italian herbs. Authentic, commonly used blend for stews, meat dishes, fish, eggs, and sassy sautees.
Ingredients: Rosemary, Thyme, Savory, Fennel Seeds, Basil, Lavender, Marjoram.



Cinnamon Sticks * Six, six-inch pieces tied in a cute ribbon * $5 per bundle

Tea Cup Infusers * $7.50

with hand beading & charming.

Fill with 1 t. of loose tea

Hand-mixed spa sachets

Choose from Eucalyptus, Lemon and Lavender

$2.00 ea.

Bath herbs are blends of natural botanicals that offer therapeutic relief for the body & mind. Special mixtures of herbs can help soften dry skin, calm sore muscles, clear congestion and purify the body of toxins. Drop one in your bath while hot water is running for a bath that will sootle your aches and pains (Eucalyptus), relax you (Lavender) and perk you up (Lemon).

Sweet angel pins

Who doesn't want an angel on their shoulder

watching over them?!

$2.00

Dipstix*$2.25 each or 5 for $10.00

NO MSG!!

Makes wonderful dips for chips & much more!

Here is a bit of information about the choices and ingredients!

Quality ingredients give the dips that "home-made" flavor

BACON
Bacon bits, onion and a smoky spice blend. Great on chips, veggies or as a potato topper.

BACON HORSERADISH
Just like the Bacon dip, bacon bits, onion and the smoky spice blend, but we've kicked it up a notch and added some dried horseradish to give this dip a little kick! Even if you don't like horseradish, you will like this this one!

DILL
Onion, dill weed and the secret spice blend. Mix with 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup mayonnaise

for a great tasting vegetable dip or add to your homemade bread dough!

GARLIC GARLIC
Like the name says, this one is double the GARLIC. Lots of minced garlic, onion, chive and the special blend of spices. Mix package with 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup mayonnaise, or mix with a tub of real butter and use for shrimp scampi or garlic bread!

ROASTED RED PEPPER
Sweet red pepper dip great for chips, veggies or crackers! Roasted red peppers mix with onion, garlic and our special seasoning blend Mix with 1 cup of sour cream and 1 cup of mayonnaise

For a cracker spread mix 1/2 packet to an 8 oz tub of whipped or softened cream cheese.

SALSA
Just the right blend of jalapeno, red and green peppers, onion, garlic and cilantro. Mix with a 14.5 ounce can of tomatoes, diced or 2 cups of fresh tomatoes. Just the right heat! Want it spicier? Mix the packet with a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies.

SPINACH
Spinach, onion, garlic and spices combine to make a tasty veggie dip. Try this in a bread bowl for something different Mix with mayonnaise and sour cream

.

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If you have any questions, or would like to place an order,

please email me:

Karenacadle@aol.com

THANK YOU!