My Mom and Her Angel Project Cards

Mom holding just a few of her
cards that year.

My Mom just loves getting Christmas Cards in the mail. She says it's a lost art that the advent of the internet has taken away from us. So two Christmases ago, I thought my mom could use some happy mail at Christmas. She was alone, with my step-dad, Jim passing away a few years earlier. The holidays can always be a little lonely when that happens, and I thought she would like some paper cheer!

Now I send cards through The Angel Card Project each year, but have never been on the receiving end, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I told her that I submitted her name, but there are hundreds of names on the list. I hoped she would get at least a few cards.

She got over 300!

I don't think everyone gets that many cards, and some may get more. I think it's because she lost her husband that people were extra generous. Either way, I was so thrilled for her. 

We don't always get to see how it is when people open our cards, so I filmed her. This was totally impromptu, but we got some really good laughs here in this short video:

Sweet Friend Valentine

Valentine's Day cards are my absolute favorite to make. They just naturally seem so happy and loving. And with Christmas just a week away and my stash still fairly full, I'm ready for some pinks and reds.

Today's card is made from two Stampin' Up! sets. Here's my complete supply list:

• SU! Sure Do Love You
  
• SU! You're Wonderful
• SU! DSP
• SU! Melon Mamba Ink
• Memento Black Ink
• Joann Cardstock (Park Lane)
• Michael's White & Black Cardstock 
• Misc. Rhinestones

I love making some Valentine's Day cards for friends to give to each other. Love doesn't have to be limited to a significant other! And I remember being single on February 14 and it can be a lonely time for some. Next up is one for my daughter and one for my mom!

Thanks for visiting and have a blessed day!

Ornament Cards

Today I'm featuring a card that I made last year but am just sending out today. It's what I call an "ornament card." Quite simply, you make something of a tag that's not really attached to the card, cut a slit in the top of the card and string the ornament through. I used washi tape to hold down the top of the string on the inside of the card.

What I love about these cards is that you can make them with just about any image. But mostly it's nice for the recipient to have a little something extra to hang on the tree or wall.

I'm featuring this today because I'm using it as a Thank You/Christmas Card for someone who made a prayer shawl that I received at church this past week.

Our church had a special "Blue Christmas" service for those in our community who were struggling with sadness or loss. I didn't fit that category, but I was working in the tech room, and someone brought it back to me. I too make prayer shawls for others on occasion, but it was such a blessing to actually receive one! Just to know that I was in someone's thoughts and prayers this season meant so much.

Here's the note that was
attached to the shawl.

The only thing I know about the shawl is that it was made by Martha in the Tampa area. I'm mailing the card to her church and I'm certain someone there will pass it on to her.

My supply list for this card is:

• Stampin' Up! Wonderful Blessing Stamp
• Memento Green Ink
• Michaels Gold Card Stock
• SU! Poppy Parade Card Stock
• Patterned Paper by Anna Griffin
• Misc. Gold Twine

As an adult who basically has everything she wants (except maybe a room addition, but who's going to get that for me for Christmas!:) it's really nice how Christmas can turn into a time when we really want to be a blessing to others. I really feel that this year, not only through this gift, but through several things that have happened by way of the Angel Card Project. Connecting with others is such a beautiful part of this holiday season.

Here's the prayer shawl that I received! It's not too wide which is great because I can wear it as a
scarf or drape it over the chair like this. Thank you so much Martha!

Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge 311

Tomorrow I'm having lunch with some of the vendors from our old antique shop. Since it's 11 days before Christmas I thought I'd bring a little gift to each of them. Thankfully there are only 3 of them, but one is a guy. Now I personally feel that guys need cards more than women do because women love receiving cards, but I don't think guys know that. Anyway, they all are getting cards, including the guy of the group! He's really nice and I think he'll like them, especially this one.

Anyway, the Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge was perfect motivation to get these cards together. Challenge 311 is to make something beginning with the letter "O." I was really hoping I had an octopus stamp-that would be perfect, especially for a little guy. You could stamp it with a sentiment that said "lots of hugs." But alas, no octopus stamp was in my stash. Then I thought "ornament" would be a good one, but truthfully I don't think most guys are into ornaments at all, although I could have made it work. So I played it safe with an oak leaf. Leaves are perfect for guys.

This is one of my all time favorite sets from Stampin' Up. Here's my complete supply list:

• 
  Stampin' Up! Vintage Leaves Stamp & Dies
• SU! Hardwood Background Stamp
• SU! Old Olive Ink
• SU! Baked Brown Sugar Ink
• SU! Mossy Meadow Card Stock
• Craft Card Stock from Michaels
• Sentiment from Verve Stamps
• Sentiment Die from My Favorite Things
• Copic YG61
• Raffia Bow

I loved seeing all the "O" cards over at Cardz 4 Guyz. So much talent! I did this one in duplicate and I'm thankful to get another two guy cards made for my stash. 

And before I go, here are my boxes of cards that are ready to go tomorrow! I used Stampin' Up!'s acetate boxes for these, but unfortunately I don't think they make them anymore. I still have a few left, but I'll have to order them on Amazon afterwards. I found some similar ones here. I've also put cards to give in baskets, brown paper bags and acetate bags from the dollar store.

I love having something to give to others that's not edible, and cards are perfect for that!

Thanks to everyone over at Cardz for Guyz, and a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa to everyone! :)

Retro Rubber Challenge 197

$5.00! What a bargain!

I saw this challenge about a week ago and thought I'd have to do some really creative thinking if I wanted to participate in it because I only have one stamp that's a coffee mug and it's a "pumpkin spice" theme. But this weekend while I was out yard sale-ing I came across this stamp set and the matching dies for $5.00 for both! At that price I would have picked it up no matter what, but it came in super handy for this challenge too.

Challenge 197 over at Retro Rubber is to get inspired by the picture below. I just love how cozy it is and I really don't know that I did it justice-I really wanted a glowing lights and kind of bokeh look. I saw a tutorial a few years back on how to do that, but with Christmas less than 2 weeks away I didn't want to attempt something too difficult.

My supply list is:

• Stampin' Up Time for Tea Stamps & Dies (2018)
  
• SU! Real Red Card Stock
• Anna Griffin Gold & Cream Paper
• Gold Paper from Michaels
• Copics YR23, Y22, R29, YG13, Y23, Y35
• Black Memento Ink
• SU! Real Red Ink

In addition to the stamp & die set, I got all these Copic Markers for $10.00. I thought most would need to be reinked, but I was wrong. Most color really well. Some colors are duplicates that I already have, but at $10.00, I'll pass them on to someone else at some point. I figured if I only use 2 of them I'll be doing well.

$10.00 for ALL of these!

Unfortunately the seller didn't have a ton supplies this time. I also bought some glisteny embossing paste and a Stampin' Up! embossing buddy, which I really needed. I've found the ones at from Michaels to not be as good, so I'm excited to try it too.

I really enjoyed making this card for their challenge. Now I've got to get busy sending out some cards to family and friends. It's hard to believe it's almost Christmas already!

Thanks again to Jane and everyone over at Retro Rubber for inspiring me to make something out of the ordinary this week!

Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa this year!

Try Stamping on Tuesday Challenge 585

It's been a while since I entered a challenge, but it's something that I love to do in my world of stamping. It gets me out of the box and forces me to create something that I wouldn't normally make, and I love that!

This week over at Try Stamping on Tuesday their Challenge 585 is a sketch challenge with an option to do a non-traditional Christmas theme. Since I love black and white cards, and since the stamp I used was a single color stamp, I thought I'd give it a try. It's different, but I really like the way it turned out. I'm hoping that someone who gets this card will like it too.

Here's my supply list:

• Stampin' Up Wonderful Blessing
• White Card Stock
• Memento Black Ink
• Recollections Gold Glitter Paper
• Hobby Lobby Striped Glitter Paper
• Misc. Gold Ribbon

Thanks to everyone over at Try Stamping on Tuesday for another fun challenge! 

Rustic Christmas

There's just something about a manger scene that seems so rustic, so non-shiny; even so not red and green. Today's card seemed very much that way to me.

The stamp is from a Stampin' Up! set called "Best of Christmas." I picked it up at a yard sale this fall for $3.00-and it was brand new! My thought was to use the manger scene on the back of my more secular Christmas cards. I usually put a Bible verse or an inspirational quote on the back, but I thought a small manger scene would be perfect.

However, this is the first card I made with that little stamp and it's featured on the front. I used 15 different Copic's to color this in! Hard to believe since it's so small. The only thing I wished I had done differently is to make Jesus' robe a little less bright. Other than that I'm liking the card.

The inspiration to use the brown, which is actually Stampin' Up!'s Cinnamon Cider, came because I noticed today that it's really on sale for like $3.50 a pack since it will soon be discontinued. I wanted to check and see how much of it I had, and it ended up working perfectly for this card. I think I'll pick some more paper up because this is such an unusual color, and the price can't be beat!

The sentiment is from an old set of scrapbook paper that someone gifted me. It seems inevitable that as soon as someone knows I like to make cards they give me their unused paper, stamps, etc. I love it and am truly blessed in that way.

• Anyway, my complete supply list is:
• Stampin' Up! Best of Christmas Stamp Set
• SU! Cinnamon Cider Card Stock
• Gifted, Pre-Printed Sentiment
• Speckletone True White Card Stock
• Copics Y13, Y21, YR23, Y91, C1, C3, E01, E34, E55, E35, YG63, R83, V04, B21
• SU! Basket Weave Embossing Folder
• SU! Mossy Meadow Card Stock

I dearly love this card and will probably find a guy to send it to through the Angel Card Project this Christmas. I'll save the frilly and elegant ones for the girls, but cherish this one in my rustic heart.

The "You Are Special Today" Red Plate

Years ago, before I was even married or had kids, an item came out on the market called The Red Plate. The history behind this tradition is that in early American times, when someone had a special day, they were served dinner on a red plate.

Being a lover of all things Early American, I picked one up right away. I was going to make it a tradition in my family too. It even came with a special pen that you could write on the back of the plate each time you used it and for what occasion. I was so excited to make this a part of my family's memories.

But alas, my Red Plate lay virtually unused through the years as birthday tables were set with paper plates adorned with sentiments like "Look Who's Two" and superheroes and princesses designed to match the bakery-bought decorated cakes. Pokemon and Snow White were much more appealing to my kids than a decades-old tradition that seemed boring in comparison.

Granted, we could have used it for my husband's birthday; or for mine. And I think we did use it a few times throughout the years. But it never had the place of prominence that I had hoped. It got buried and forgotten under everyday dishes. But perhaps it's not too late.

Now that the kids have moved out, and would be mortified at the sight of a cartoon character under their dinner anyway, I'm hoping to start a tradition that I had hoped for so long ago. Today is my husband's birthday, and while he's special everyday, today I'm reminding him of that.

At first I was tempted to go out and buy some birthday plates like I have for years, but with the struggling economy, I thought this would be a perfect time to get this tradition going again.

If you love the idea and want to buy one right away, here's the link to the official website. They also have some really cool stories on their too. However, I have seen them from time to time at yard sales and thrift stores. I've even seen a blue one made by The Pampered Chef that says This Is Your Day CELEBRATE on it. I'm pretty sure you can pick that up on eBay or such. As of this writing, they're both running about $25.00 plus shipping, so if you're out thrifting, keep an eye peeled for one.

And of course you could start your own tradition with any kind of unique plate too. Perhaps just a simple red plate from the dollar store would suffice. Or an old plate from your grandmother's house would be a special heirloom that everyone could enjoy.

Whatever you decide, keep in mind that no matter what stage you are in your life, like me, it's never too late to start a wonderful new tradition!

Masculine Get Well Card

I'm trying to make one card each day. Usually it's anything goes, or I turn to a challenge blog for inspiration. Unfortunately, the idea for today's card came as a Facebook post-a long time friend is having hip replacement surgery this week. He's definitely been in my prayers today and will be for this week too, but I thought it would be nice to make a card especially for him. He's not on Facebook (his wife made the post) and sometimes people can get overlooked. I'm hoping that something in his real mailbox will give him some encouragement.

Guy cards are virtually everyone's challenge to make, but Stampin' Up!'s "Vintage Leaves" and coordinating dies always makes it easy. In addition to that set, my supply list is:

• Speckletone True White Card Stock
• Old Olive Ink
• Copic Marker YG61
• SU! Thanks & Prayers Stamp Set

I'm looking forward to a speedy recovery for Mike and that this card will be a blessing to him! Thanks for stopping by my corner today!

Signs of Santa (& Mrs. Claus too!)

There's a girl in a town near me who often sells her Stampin' Up! supplies at her yard sales. I was thrilled to get this set, which I should have ordered when it came out, for just a few dollars-and it came with the matching dies too!

This set is called Santa's Signposts. It was so much fun to color and easy to cut using the dies. I love the sentiment too! Perfect for Christmas.

I took the card to church this morning and put it in my card display rack there. I donate many of my cards to other parishioners who may want to send a card but not be able to buy one. But mostly it gives me an excuse to keep making cards!

My supply list is:

• Stampin' Up! Signs of Santa Stamp Set
• 110# White Card Stock (Michaels)
• Memento Black Ink
• Misc. Glittery Background Paper
• Silver Background Paper (Michaels)
• Black Card Stock
• Misc. Silver Ribbon
• Star Dust Stickles
• Copics: R29, E01, Y21, G17 and C1

I hope someone who receives this card will like it as much as I do! I look forward to making more with this adorable set, but it will most likely be next year. There's so much still to do before Christmas!

The Kansas Museum of History

While driving my daughter back from Colorado to Florida, we had a wonderful opportunity to stop in Topeka, Kansas to visit relatives. We were very excited to see their farm, horses and honeybees. However, they don't yet live on the farm, as it's just a piece of property without a home. That didn't matter to me. This concrete jungle girl just loves stuff like that. I couldn't wait to get there.

However the day we arrived met us with torrential rain. What are the chances that on the one day we visited, it poured so much that the mud would prevent us from our farm visit. Instead, Betsy and Jerry, the lovely hosts that they are, had something else planned - a trip to the Kansas Museum of History.

I absolutely love history, but it really couldn't compare with horses and honeybees. Sadly, I acquiesced, but I was really in for a surprise. The Kansas Museum of History is an amazing place on so many levels. 

The exhibits weren't just documents and plaques on a wall, but life-size models that brought the frontier back to life. Here Clover stands in front of a native dwelling.

This looks like a painting, but it's an actual stuffed buffalo in a real prairie scene.

Here's an old quilt that features all the counties in Kansas.

I never knew there are so many kinds of barbed wire-and that they have patents too!

The "Admit Me Free" flag had to do with Kansas entered the union as a free state
rather than a slave state.

A look into a prairie cabin. And I thought my house was small!

An life-size cutout of an actual pioneer family. This really made it all real for me.
I think for the era that they look pretty happy, despite how difficult life could have been for them.

Between the depth of history, the authenticness of the displays and the life-size models, this museum gets an A+ rating. It's right along Route 70, so if you're going anywhere near Topeka, I highly recommend it. They also have some hiking trails too, which we weren't able to explore due to the weather.

The horses and honeybees will be there in the future. And so will sunny days. And while Kansas isn't exactly close to home, I do hope to get back to see them. But if not, I'm left with the wonderful gift of having gone to the Kansas Museum of History. I'm really glad it rained that day!

Vintage Ironing Board Trash Rescue

Driving down my mom’s street I saw this pile of junk waiting for the garbage truck. I passed it once, but the second time something amazing caught my eye. The photo below shows the actual junk pile. Leaning up against the post, there’s an ironing board.

Now I’ve been wanting a vintage wooden ironing board for some time. They run about $100.00 in antique shops-too pricy for my thrifty soul. So the first thing that stuck out to me about this were the wooden legs that you can barely see. To everyone else it probably looked like junk, but I sensed a treasure.

YouTube Video: Taking off the decades-old cover.

I knew I was on to something good when I saw this label. I Googled the company and found out that this piece was most likely made in the 1940’s.

The finished project did disappoint! This is exactly what I was hoping for as an addition to my craft room! And I especially love it because I rescued it from the trash. I could have paid the $100.00, but this is so much nicer. We have a story together!

All polished up and looking good!

I continue to look at piles of junk as I drive down the road. You never know what treasures are lurking there!

Vintage Blow Molds

Give things 70 years and suddenly they're cool again! Blow molds are no exception. You may have seen them at yard sales or vintage stores, or even new. But first, what exactly is a blow mold?

According to Wikipedia, it's described as a manufacturing process for forming hollow plastic parts. And apparently there are three ways of making blow molds. The original process was made in the late 1930's and was a spinoff of the glass blowing process, but for plastic. Decorative blow molds most always have a space for a small light bulb inside so they illuminate the plastic and their glow can be seen from a distance, but not always. A classic example of a blow mold are those plastic orange jack-o-lanterns with the black handles that kids carry around to collect candy on halloween.

I think that the reason they're so popular is that they remind us of our childhood, and perhaps a simpler time. Another appealing aspect is that they look great both during the day and at night.

My earliest memory of blow molds are the Christmas candles that were about 3 feet tall and had the word "NOEL" written on them in yellow or white letters. I loved those! People who had two of them framing their front door were the very classy in my 8-year-old mind. The vintage ones from the 50's and 60's are plentiful on places like Facebook Marketplace, but they can be kind of pricey. The really good news is that they're still available today as brand new items, and I think they may be safer with their new wiring and plugs. I just found these on Walmart's website:

I'd pick up some for my own house, but I try to limit my outdoor Christmas decorations, and my manger scene is the centerpiece with just a few white lights. More about that at Christmas.

But my really big (in more ways than one) purchase this year was my jack-o-lantern blow mold pictured above. I've wanted one of these for a long time and almost bought one brand new at K-Mart a few years back. I didn't purchase it when I saw it (big mistake) and when I went back they were sold out. They never got them in after that and soon the store closed for good. When I saw this blow mold on Facebook Marketplace this year for $35.00 I scooped him up right away. He's much bigger than the one I almost purchased, and the cool thing in that he too came from K-Mart. The one I was looking at about 10 years ago sold for $30.00 and his sticker says $14.99, so I'm thinking he's about 25 years old. His plug does look a little old, so I'm going to just have him out for one night and keep a close eye on him. But I'm so excited to have him visit our trick-or-treaters this year!

Some people confuse modern day shaped holiday decorations with blow molds. They may be made in a similar way, but the vintage (and new) true blow molds have a thin wall about 1/16 of an inch thick. They're not the thick pumpkins that you see at the craft stores today. And they're not the inflatables that are popular today either. Both of those are cute, but there's just something about a true blow mold that makes me quite nostalgic.

The Historic Smallwood Store

I love historic things that accurately take me back to the past. It's a pleasure to know how people lived and shopped over 100 years ago, especially in rural places. Ted Smallwood's store, which is now a museum, is a perfectly preserved testament to the people of south Florida in the early 1900's.

There are quite a few stairs to get in because being built on stilts
was the only protection from hurricanes they had back then.

The most difficult thing about visiting the Smallwood Store is it's location. I was born in and spent most of my life in Florida and didn't get here until my 59th year. It's very remote, but I think that really adds to the interest. It's hard to imagine people living in this area even now. As of 2020, only 1,136 people lived in Chokoloskee, the town where the store is. But over 100 years ago it seems almost impossible impossible to have carved out a living here. But they did. And the stories we heard on the video in the back of the store showed a rich and vibrant area bursting with adventure and a sense of community. 

This is one of my favorite images from the store. Because I love textiles,
I like to think of the women who frequented the store in search of thread, fabric
and notions. It's a hobby for us today, but back then sewing was a necessity.

My sweet hubby, Clark, getting an old-fashioned coke.

Smallwood Store remained open until 1982 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

An antique butter church sits on display. In the background you can see a
life-sized man sitting at a dining table. They actually ate their family meals right there.

The original sink still works, judging from the bottle of Palmolive nearby!

The back porch today looks over the water, but back in the day it
served as a dock for traders on boats.

Along with serving as a general store and post office,
Smallwood also was a trading post for furs and hides.

Below is a screenshot of Google Maps giving you it's location. If you find yourself on the west side of Florida heading over to Miami or the Keys, and if you're a fan of history, this place is a must see!

And if you do go, another great side trip is an airboat ride in the everglades. They're abundant, so much fun and so educational too.

Lastly, a picture of the plaque telling about the history of the Smallwood Store. And for more information, check out their website at smallwoodstore.com.

The Olde Spanish Sugar Mill & DeLeon Springs State Park

NOTE: You may see online that this restaurant is closed. That was true for a short while but it is now under new ownership. We visited there in January 2023 and it was open and back in business..

For decades our family has enjoyed a special place nestled in DeLeon Springs State Park, just 1.5 hours north of Walt Disney World. It’s a cozy little restaurant called The Olde Spanish Sugar Mill.

What makes it special is that you get to make your own pancakes complete with yummy mix mix-ins. Each table has a griddle in the center where everyone can reach it. You pour either regular or whole-grain pancake mix on the griddle then add mix-ins like fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate chips or granola. And not to worry if you not a pancake person, they have sandwiches, burgers and fries too.

The wait can be long, up to 3 hours for us sometimes, but usually it’s about an hour. Thankfully there’s a lot to do while you’re waiting. The grounds alone are beautiful with a canopies of Live Oaks and Azaleas. Just wandering around there is spectacular. They also have a boat ride that you can take that goes out into Spring Garden Lake. If you’re brave you can rent a kayak, but I don’t recommend it because of the alligators.

And if you’re cold-hardy, the swimming pool is a wonderful place to cool off. It’s a natural pool that’s fed directly from the spring and the water temperature runs around 68 degrees year round. It’s great especially in the summer, but it’s still way too cold for me. What I love about the pool is that it’s separate from the lake, so no alligators there!

They also have a hiking trail, gift shop, and a side food window where you can get a snack if the wait time is too long. And my favorite thing while waiting is looking at the old sugar mill machinery which dates back to the mid 1800’s.

If you’re ever visiting the central Florida area and love historic things, this is one place you won’t want to miss. It’s a step back in time away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities and beaches. And make sure you come hungry because the pancakes are all you can eat!

Hand Carved Wooden Goose

When I first walked in the rec center of the senior living facility, this goose screamed at me. I knew he was different from 20 feet away. I asked to see him immediately and told his owner that yes, I would give her the $30.00 she wanted for him.

He was exquisite in so many ways. First, he was real wood; so heavy that he had holes drilled underneath him to keep the weight down. Second, as a testament to his hand-carved nature, his head was removable. It could be taken off and moved in any of four positions, as the base of the head was carved in a square.

Here are the holes drilled in the bottom to remove some of the weight.

My mom and cohort in antique shopping thought I was crazy. She didn’t see his beauty. He did need a little sprucing up. 

Once home, I gave him a slight dusting of new paint and accentuated his eyes and bill with a little colorI played around with placing him in just the right spot in my house, and truthfully he just didn’t seem at home. Perhaps he was too large for my small place.

So, just for the time being, I stuck him in our antique booth. Beforehand I researched carved ducks and geese on Etsy and Ebay. I really go a deal! Some similar to mine were going for 200-300 dollars. On a whim, and because he didn’t quite fit in my home, priced him at $150.00. I really didn’t think he would sell. Our shop isn’t heavily trafficked. And we’re not in the ritzy part of town. In my mind I was just storing him there until I found the right spot for him at home. 

Two weeks later he sold at full price! I should have been happy with my find and profits, but I wasn’t. I was sad and missed him instantly. I still do. But that’s part of the business. Our original shop owner told me once to never get attached to anything. It’s just stuff passing through our hands. 

My only consolation in all this is that the woman who bought him is very happy. In fact, she saw him in our booth on Facebook and sent her daughter down to put him on layaway right away. I hoped they would change their minds, but alas, they didn’t. He went to his happy new home. 

The picture on the left shows how his head could be moved into four different positions so he could look any of four ways. 

The picture on the bottom shows the hand-carved detail in his feathers. When I painted him, I painted that a little darker and then lightly brushed over the feathers with a topcoat so that the detail would show.

I doubt I'll ever find something like this again. But from now on I’m a little more cautious about selling things. Yes, I do have a small house, so I need to be careful what I fall in love with, but when I do find that perfect item, I’ll think twice before selling.  

Visiting the UF Bat Houses in Gainesville

Here they come!

Some may disagree that visiting a site where thousands of bats emerge from their homes every night and take to the skies is not exactly a "quaint" travel. But I love bats (like, in the sky and in their natural habitat, not in my house). And going to see the bat houses in Gainesville, Florida has long been on my bucket list.

Located on the campus of the University of Florida, the bats come out each night at dusk. That has always been somewhat difficult for me because they are about three hours north of me, and dusk, especially in the summer when they are most active, would put me home at almost midnight.

Here's a view of the bats emerging. It can seem scary, but they didn't fly at the spectators at all. They swoop around looking for mosquitos and other bugs to eat.

Well recently we finally had the opportunity, while on an anniversary getaway, to spend the night near the bat houses. I thought there would be a few people there, but when we pulled up there were hundreds! Apparently I'm not the only one who likes to see bats fly around at night.

It's a family-friendly event with tons of kids. They loved it!

I first got interested in bats at a nature show at a county park years ago. Different booths were set up showcasing things like trees, rivers, etc. One girl had a "bat booth." I waited patiently as she spoke with another person because I thought she may have a bat to show us. I wasn't disappointed! She had a small bat that was injured and she was nursing back to health. We got to gently pet it. It was so cool!

Years later there were bats in the attic when we stayed at a lake cabin in Shohola, Pennsylvania too. I continued to be fascinated by them. There weren't a lot of them, maybe twelve. But watching them at dusk while we sat around the firepit was such a treat.

Recently I even realized that we have a bat or two in our neighborhood. While walking the dog at night I noticed something flying around. I would have taken it for a bird except that it flew in such an erratic manner. From seeing bats in the past, I realized that they were indeed bats in my front yard!

It's fun to see and identify them, but never ever touch a bat for any reason. They can carry diseases that can make you sick or even kill you. But having said that, for the most part, they're harmless when watched from a distance.

To find bats, look around outside your home at dusk. Stand for a few minutes and look up. You may see something flying around that can easily be mistaken for a bird. Often times, it's a bat. And Halloween may be just the time to do that!

Pumpkin Pudding Recipe

When my son was young and my daughter not even born yet, I worked part time at a daycare center. It was a wonderful place that provided so much for the kids. At the time, they even had a cook on staff (think peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and goldfish crackers) that provided breakfast, lunches and snacks for the kids. One autumn day the cook got creative and make Pumpkin Pudding for the kids. I loved it so much that I saved the recipe for all these years.

The recipe on the right is my original recipe from 24 years ago, but it's NOT the one that I'm making now. How she put an uncooked egg in the mixture is beyond me. That sounds dangerous to the kids, but I'm not an egg person. The only place I want to see an egg is baked in a cake. So I tweaked this recipe and came up with my own version. It's so delicious, and made with milk and pumpkin, it's has some good nutritional benefits too. I think that fresh milk is better for everyone than evaporated milk, especially kids. It gives the pudding a really fresh taste.

Below are some sweet memories of me with my daycare class. I'm sitting on the floor on the bottom left and my little guy, who's now almost 26, is on the front row in a striped shirt. It's amazing how quickly time goes by!

And finally, the recipe: