Peek-A-Boo

The other day when the weather was really nice, not like today when the weather is really not nice,  I was about to walk out the back door for a jaunt in the woods with the dog.  I saw these guys snacking up at the beginning of the trail.  I grabbed my camera and tried to zoom in.  Can you see them?

One deer here.

Number two deer there. (Oh no, now I'm sounding like Dr. Suess!)

How about now?  Click on the pic and hopefully my attempt at drawing a line around them will be evident.

  Oh well.  They were gone as soon as they heard, saw, or smelled Eddy the Boxer and me.  They like to play hide and seek as much as they like peek-a-boo!

Cheerio!

Yes, I was feeling a bit British today after watching the season finale of Downton Abbey last evening....I won't go into the gory details but it was a heart stopper and required a stiff upper lip to get through it.  I so wanted a scone afterwards.  I'm  really looking forward to season four.  That's saying alot because season four will air next Winter and we're not even done with this Winter yet...thinking about another Winter is making me sadder than season three.  To make me feel so much more jolly,  Jack and I watched another hilarious episode of this other British show:  Miranda

Just looking at her face makes me laugh, but her show really is a knee slapper!  But I knew I must return to my roots and get over this obsession with these TV shows from across the pond.  After dinner tonight I had a desire to make some Greek yumminess.   My favorite Greek pastry is Galaboboureko...Now that's a mouth full!  It's a custard pastry and even though I enjoy making Baklava, it's not my favorite.  This pastry just reminds me of my Mom, home and comfort.

It's made with Phyllo dough like Baklava, but the filling is made with eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, butter, and an ingredient that always surprises people.  Farina....or maybe you call it "Cream of Wheat" cereal. 

Oh my...I wish you could take a bite of this warm, syrupy, creamy goodness!  I'm taking it to work tomorrow since I don't want it hanging around my house tempting me!  You're welcome to join us there and give me your opinion....this pastry or Baklava? I make it..you decide.  On a final note...my roots are also connected to my Dad's side.  He was German and today he would have been 93...he passed away in 1976 at age 56 and I miss him everyday.  Happy Birthday Dad!  I may like Greek food better than saurerkraut, but I love you  more than anything!

Sharing The Love

We don't celebrate Valentines Day with big "go out for dinner and movie" plans.  We're content to stay home and enjoy time together. And we enjoy sharing the love with family!  I decided to make dinner for my Son's families....So I put together a couple of different meals..one for Phil's family and one for Jack's.  I got a frantic call from my daughter-in-law, Amanda as soon as I came home from work asking if I could watch the girls until Phil got home from work because she was going to work.  Sure, no problem!  So these 2 monkeys came and played for a few hours while put together the dinners I had planned.

I had fresh strawberries for some homemade icecream I was going to make...good thing I bought extra!
I took off for a bit to drop off some food at Jack's and caught him home with his 2 boys.  The girls were out working...and doing a school project.  So it was men's Valentine's dinner night I guess.

Cameron with his glaring glasses, my son Jack still in his hospital scrubs (he works at a different hospital than mine) and Anthony....Hope you enjoyed the meal boys!

I found these beauties waiting for me when I got home from work.  I love the vase with it's sparkly jewels around the rim and also jewels on some of the flowers..can you see them?  I think you can see one on the pretty purple leaf:

 When Jack left for work in the morning I knew he had on his Valentine themed tie...he has themed ties that he wears for any and all holidays...He's festive like that.  However, when he came home I happened to notice something else he was wearing. The conversation went like this: Me: "What are those?"  Jack: "Socks" Me: "Where did you get them?"  Jack: "From my sock drawer"  Me: "Who gave them to you?"  Jack: "You"
Me: "I gave you those socks? When?"  Jack: "Probably around Valentine's Day".....We have many stimulating conversations that pretty much go in that direction. Well, here's what caught my eye and I give him 10pts. for wearing them and for enjoying the simple holiday made for love...Love you Jack! Happy Valentine's Day a day late!

Being A Bruiser At Work

Time for a little post about work.   I work in a very dangerous place...dangerous in many forms, not like a policeman, fireman, or Indian Chief, but in the form of cords, wet floors, needle sticks (dirty needles),  low hanging lights, just to name a few. Items like these:

See all the wires? See the IV poles with the legs that stick out? There are also knobs on the tables that you bump into and let us have permanent  bruises on our legs.  Battle scars! But last week our good friend Donna fell in the operating room on a wet floor.   She tore her hamstring muscle on her right leg.  She gets the biggest bruise award.....Don't look if you're sqeamish!

This is the back of her thigh...bruised from the knee up! OUCH!  Then to make matters even better,  yesterday one of the Docs accidentally stabbed her with a drill point...double OUCH! Yes, we work in an interesting environment!  But I snapped this pic of Donna with another co-worker, Stephanie...Donna looks great and she's a real trooper..or she takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!

The past couple of weeks I've been helping one of our RN's...Shay, learn how to be a scrub nurse.  Here's a few pics of our adventures in scrubbing for a total hip replacement.

Getting our helmets and battery packs on so we can survive in our space suit get-ups...we call them "togas". I'm hiding behind Shay...I'm so shy!

Shay is getting all zipped in while I get her ready to be "gloved".

Toga on.....check!  Gloves on...Check!

Success!! She's laughing, I'm waving...so  lovely.
Shay turned 40 this week so of course that was reason to celebrate and bring food to work.  I  made my Greek chicken recipe the night before and Jack got up early and threw it into the oven for me...(thanks Babe!) then I took these little bits of yumminess out of the oven:

House smelled great at 6am! Then it was into a crockpot to keep warm all day and arrived at work to put them with the other tons of crockpots full of yumminess in different forms....we know how to party!

Yep, we may get bruised,  bitten, smacked by patients, stuck by needles, tripped by wires, slip on wet floors and stand for hours in space suits...but we know how to party and how to do a good job for our patients and also how to love what we do, inspite of what we do.....

One Pic Post

You know me and my trusty camera...always on alert, always ready to share a ton of pics... Today I will just share one photo....

This is my lovely niece, Amy....she delivered her 2nd child today!  A boy named Parker John...I haven't seen any pics yet but my Mom says he's cute and has hair....most important, right? This makes #28 Great Grandchild for Mom!  What was really fun was her rush to the hospital.  Amy and her hubby dropped her daughter, Ella, off at Mom's...my Sister Midge (Amy's Mom)  (2YaYa's) lives there too....at around 2:45am...and rushed to the hospital where Parker was born at 3:16am! Just a few minutes after arriving! She's a nurse and her hubby is a fireman, paramedic...yep, us medical people are so smart!  Congrats Amy and Eric and Ella on the new member of your family!   

Making Tracks

This weekend was one filled with "making tracks"....first I spied these on a walk:

Some little critters making their way to their home I imagine.  Then I made a few tracks myself.  First I made fast tracks to get my hair cut on this trail:

Lots of farm land on my way to the little town of Nova where my hairdresser does her magic!

  Tracks back to Whispering Pines...I always tell everyone to watch out for the white fence and then you'll see the pine trees...don't miss the driveway!  The next tracks were made up to the church for our annual chili cook off and skit night....traditionally called "Cheap Nite Out".

Tables filled up and the chili was judged.  I didn't enter this year. If you recall, (nobody probably does except me!) I won the "best tasting" category last year. But I digress...

Our emcee, Greg, starts the festivities after dinner with the winners and awards. Then we moved into the skit portion. My 11yr old Scouts were first:

Followed by many other fun and enjoyable talents.  I have pics of all the other acts but my post would be too long.  I just have to show the winners of the skit contest....It was these 2 crazy ladies:

They fell off a turnip truck on the way to somewhere!

They were a hoot and did a great job of ending the night of good food and good fun!  Late this afternoon Jack and I made the final tracks of the weekend up to the Creepy Woods for a little hike.

Top of the hill you can see the lights of Ashland..almost looks like Christmas lights!

I said it was late when we went up to the woods, but it really wasn't quite this dark..just my camera...but I thought it looked like a bunch of campfires in the woods...we don't call it "Creepy" for nothing!

Final tracks back to home and getting ready for the week ahead.  I hope everyone had a nice weekend, unless you were out East and battled storm "Nemo"!  Now it's time to make tracks to watch Downton Abbey! I always want to eat a scone and drink a cup of  herbal tea while watching!

Short Month..Big Snow

February has started out with more snow than all of January.  I don't care what the stupid groundhog said, it's Winter!  Here are some scenes from the Pines:

Come on down our country road..the plows have been here!

Pull into the driveway and don't let the archway of Pine trees intimate you...think we need a trim?

You'll know it's us by the rock formations...Any Starkey whisperings usually make it to the blog!

Once inside, it's pine heaven!

But we do have other sights...take some time to enjoy the gurgling of our little creek that runs from the woods all the way down our side yard.  Today we're having a mini snowstorm...about 4in. is expected and the schools are letting students out early because the roads are getting slick out in the country. Here's a little video I took this afternoon....hope you don't get seasick..I almost did!

Pink Scarves Made With Love

In December I posted about the Pink Scarf  Project.  This was initiated by Vicki at 2 Bags Full.  Vicki and I are collecting pink scarves until October of this year to be given away to women undergoing treatment for breast cancer.  Vicki chose 2 blog friends who have breast cancer to visit the places where they received their chemo and radiation and give scarves to the women there.   One of the bloggers is my best friend Donna from Starkey Hollow.  Donna, thankfully, is doing well and back at work after almost a year of surgeries, chemo, and radiation treatment.  She is one gutsy gal!  She is still feeling tired at the end of each work day and I know struggles with trying to get back into everything full swing.  My wish would be that there would not be a need to hand out these beautiful scarves....a wish that would include breast cancer wiped from the face of this earth because of a cure.  I know that's not reality at this time, but we can hope someday it will be.  In the mean time we will celebrate life, celebrate love, and celebrate giving, by sharing the beautiful and thoughtful handiwork of my co-workers and family and all those that have given Vicki beautiful scarves also.  I have collected 28 scarves so far and here are just a few examples of the ones I have.

 These were made by my Mom.  She saw a scarf like this one in a store and just knew she could replicate it.  She found some wonderfully soft material and made a bunch for us.  Oh, did I mention my Mom is 86yrs young? (You can find her at my Sister's blog 2YaYas)  She also loves Donna!  She had the pleasure of knowing Donna's Mom too.  Donna's Mom also had breast cancer and sadly passed away a few years ago.

I wish you could feel how soft these are!  I'm always surprised to open my work locker and there will be a bag with pink scarves in it....many times with no names attached.  I usually find out though!  These were donated by Becky Roland's Mother. Thanks Becky!

This beautiful scarf was the handiwork of a young lady in my Church.  She made scarves as one of her projects for completing her "Personal Progress" booklet and earning her medallion. Her name is Kayla Crawford.  Her Mom Stacy has a blog called Crawford Clan Weekly.  Thanks Kayla and Stacy!

This was one of the scarves that was left in my locker with no name.  I'm fairly sure it was made by another coworker's little daughter...she's still in grade school! Look at the cute embellishment!

I love the little heart button! I'll give credit to Claire and if I'm wrong I will correct it!

These were done by a knitting club that is attended my coworker Lisa.  The ladies there have given me others and keep their needles humming as long as I keep supplying them with wool!

I saved this one for last. I wrote about it back in December but it's a sweet story that I hope you don't mind if I repeat.  My coworker Nancy gave me this scarf last fall when she heard about the pink scarf project.  She said it had belonged to her Mother.  Her Mom passed away from cancer.  Nancy's Mom was a nurse too.  She worked until she was 80yrs. old then got cancer shortly after retiring. She was a wonderful lady.  I had the pleasure of meeting her on a few occasions and Nancy was very close to her. She told me, with tears in her eyes, that she wanted someone else who was going through treatments to have it in memory of her Mom.  I asked her several times, with tears in my eyes, if she was sure she wanted to part with it.  This picture does not do it justice.  The color and softness of the silk are amazing as well as the beautiful beads throughout the scarf.  We will be choosing the owner of this one very carefully and prayerfully.  Thanks to all who have donated and I will post other pics later in the year as we get closer to October. 

And The Winners Are:

The grow your blog party was a  nice way of visiting new blogs and meeting new bloggers.  I was surprised that I had about 20 new visitors comment on my blog.  I guess I'm surprised anyone would find it at all interesting.  So I want to first say thanks to all who have been to Whispering Pines. You are great and thanks to all that decided to follow us here.  Thanks also to my good blog buddy regulars. You are a delight to know and I'm always amazed at the talents and fun you share with me. I sure wish I could send everyone something but this is a contest of sorts and I decided to do a double giveaway...one for my newbies that left comments and one for my already blog buds who put up with me every blog post. Thanks to all....now on to the winners....but first here's the gift I'll be sending. I got these at my favorite little shop that is right down my country road, nestled inside the cutest barn ever.  The Parsley Pot!

There is another plate for the other winner with a different saying but I liked the candle holder because it reminded me of a flower and that reminds me that Spring is coming...never mind it's very cold here again and snowing too!
Winner from my new friends:

Jennifer Shelby from "Motherhood: My Latest Adventure...Congrats Jennifer and please email me your address so I can send it out ASAP!
Winner from my already blog buddies

Deb, "Poetess Wug"...Congrats Deb! Email me your address and I'll be getting these out to you too!