What a BIG difference TWO weeks makes!!! AND UPDATE RECIPE...

I can't believe it has been two weeks since my surgery. Two weeks yesterday! I still can't wear my glasses, that is why I haven't been posting much. They told me to tape them to my forehead so they don't rest on my nose... You should see how silly they look,I only wear them like this at home!!!LOL But here I am with all the dogs doing just great. I will go back to work on Monday. It has been a wonderful holiday! I could not have done it without my family, they have been amazing!!! Cooking,decorating,cleaning and driving me when I get crazy sitting around the house!!!

All I have been doing is knitting scarfs for everyone I know. With my big needles I can see well enough to knit. I just put a cheesecake in the oven for tomorrow night. I love to make cheesecakes and I love eating them even more. This is a new recipe and it looks wonderful, rich, rich,rich and creamy!!! It will be hard to wait until tomorrow to dig into it!!! I will post pictures and the recipe later!!!

I want to thank everyone for all their prayers and well wishes while I have been down. I love all my blogging friends....

Happy New Year to everyone, and make sure you are careful tomorrow night if you go out!!!

Bless You All,

Lynn

Well here is what I promised you!

Toblerone-Topped Caramel Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cup Oreo Baking Crumbs

1/4 cup butter,melted

3 8OZ. Philadelphia Brick Cream Cheese room temperature

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tbs. vanilla

3 eggs

1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping

1(100gram)bar TOBLERONE Swiss Milk Chocolate, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix crumbs and butter; press into bottom of 9 inch spring form pa.

3. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.

4. Bake 40-45 minutes or until centre is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Spread caramel topping over cheesecake just before serving. Garnish with chopped chocolate...

A FEW CHEESECAKE MAKING TIPS I LIVE BY

1. always use parchment paper in bottom of spring form pan.

2. grease pan really really well around sides.

3. make sure your cream cheese is room temperature,beat it really well, you want no lumps in this smooth mix

4.put tinfoil around bottom and up outside edge of spring form pan.

5. when you put it in oven sit on a jellyroll pan; once in over add warm water to jellyroll pan so your cheesecake is sitting in a water bath, add more if needed while cooking.

6. cook recommended time for recipe; do not over bake. Let cheesecake cool in the oven, just turn oven off and let it sit for an hour. Take out let cool a little longer than refrigerate.

THESE ARE THE THINGS I DO SO I DON'T HAVE BIG CRACKS IN MY BEAUTIFUL CHEESECAKES...

ENJOY!!

What A Difference a Week Makes...

What a difference a week makes... We will go backwards with the pictures.
I got up this morning and got ready to go out for the first time since last Wednesday. Did my hair, put on LOTS OF MAKEUP, and Painted My Cast Bright Red!!! Tis the Season!!! Needless to say I got a laugh at the Dr. Office....
I figured have a little fun, Life is too short, Have A Good Time!!! Here I am with this young Intern (no Dr. in the week of Christmas of course) This was last night with no makeup, you can see where all the bruising has turned yellow all the way down my neck where it was so swollen.. But the swelling has really gone way down...

This was day two when I really didn't need any eyeshadow or eyeliner!!! LOL

But today is a great day after he cleaned my nose up and "I CAN BREATH" for the first time in years. I told Tom I just want to close my mouth and breath through my nose. That is going to take a little getting used to...

I am going to rest a little than Colleen is going to come get me for a little last minute shopping trip. I just need to get out of this house. The roads are finally clear after the 9-10 inches of show we got this weekend!!!

"MERRY CHRISTMAS"

Have a Good One,

Lynn

GREAT fRIENDS....

Isn't this the most Beautiful Center Piece you have ever seen???

Two of my Best Friends Mary & Patty had this sent to the house the other day after my surgery... I was so excited, it looks so great in my family room with the red! I love Christmas and this just made my day!!!

Mary even went to the shop and helped design this for me. It is so wonderful having great friends like these two. We have had so many fantastic times together over the years...

THANKS GIRLS !!!

Have a Wonderful Holiday Everyone

Lynn

Feeling better

All is well...
This morning I found a package in my door from the staff at school and this was the card attached.... DO THEY KNOW ME OR WHAT!!! This is the cutest card I have ever seen. I do love my Chihuahuas!!! They are so great at school, I love it there!!!

The card said, "Hope your insurance offers better coverage!" And as you can see all my babies are taking great care of me. If I am on the couch they are all around me, they haven't left my side. How do they know??? Mia at my side, Claudia right under my arm and Keegans little ears at the bottom laying right up against me. They are just too cute...
I am feeling a little better,but I look like a chipmunk with a mouth full of nuts. I am really swollen, with 2 wonderful black eyes... I AM BEING GOOD! Letting everyone take care of me. It ought to be an interesting Christmas and the Christmas Photos will be great!!!

Have a Great Week,
Lynn

All is well!!!

Hello friends, mom's surgery took a little longer than expected. Dad said they had a hard time waking her from the medicine.....but if you know mom it is hard to wake her anyways. Everything went well and she has been resting like a good patient all day. She said she is a little sore and yes both of her eyes are black. She might even look worse off than my grandma did a few weeks ago. I am sure things will get worse for a few days before they get better. I won't take pitures just yet, but I promise they will be coming. Right now she kind of looks like a character off of Dr. Seuss's Grinch. I will keep you posted on everything.
Hugs Colleen :0)~

A Wonderful Surprise!!! from "my" Balisha

Today was a great day and it only got better!!! It was my last day at school until the first of the year. I am having surgery at 7am (but I have to be there at 5am) I am not a morning person!!! We had our little Christmas party in our classroom today, with all kinds of goodies. The kids made cookies that were beautiful!!! Lots of friends stopped by and grab a bite, so all in all it was a great day. I made a few stops on the way home and when I walked in the door my husband said what did you order? It came... I hadn't ordered anything so I looked at the box...

To my surprise it was from a wonderful friend!!! How funny things happen sometimes... Out of the millions of people that blog I have really bonded with one "FINE LADY"! We have so much in common. Except for her exceptional Poetry that she writes, I couldn't write like that,Ever!!! She even wrote me a beautiful poem to go with my "Beautifully hand painted Gourd Birdhouse!!! That is one thing we really have in common is our love for painting. Now I see first hand what beautiful work she does. I know the time it takes to do a project as this one, and I know when I used to paint for someone it was special because I thought about that person the whole time I was working on it. So that makes it even more special to me that she took the time to make this for me!!!
I love you Balisha and I will Cherish it forever!! You are so special.... This wild lady is going to be just fine tomorrow and Colleen will get on here tomorrow after she gets home from work and let you know how things went!!! With me and my big nose and black eyes!!!LOL


I sincerely thank you for the beautiful gift I truly love it!!! It made my "WHOLE" day
Talk to you soon, tell that cute young man of yours I said HI!!!

Check out my wonderful Blaisha at: http://balisha-neverenoughtime.blogspot.com/
ttyl,
Lynn

Blogging Buddies for ever!!!

A Wonderful Surprise...

I just want you to know I have two wonderful daughters, daughters that thought mom could not go without a Christmas Tree in the living room... Let me fill you in, we always have a big live Christmas Tree that we go out and cut down ourselves. We usually make it a big family thing, even though the girls don't live at home anymore....But this year is different. I am having surgery on my nose on Tuesday. In my instructions it says do not sneeze for 2 weeks after surgery. Well I am allergic to pine, yea and I sill have a live tree. Go Figure, we love them. But this year I said no to the tree, so we weren't going to put up the tree in the living room. Well my daughters weren't going to have that! So my youngest daughter Amanda had 2 trees and brought one down on Thur. morning while I was at school and did all the decoration.... I was so excited when I got home Thur. evening to find a tree not only up but decorated with all my favorite family ornaments. This tree is a lot smaller than the ones we usually have, but she found all the right ornaments she knew I would want on it!!! It was so beautiful, she made me CRY!!! My girls really do take care of me!!! This one is hers !!!

and the one she made me that looks quilted...

Her sisters first Christmas Stocking....

and Colleens "First Baby Ornament" bulb also....

How cute is this with her name on it in 1988...

I'm sure we must have gotten this at some craft show at the mall years ago for Colleen...

One of my very first cross stitch ornaments...

And a hand painted one I did years ago... It is actually a little box I would hide small gifts in...

And I bet know one can guess what this one is made out of??? It is a piece of dried Okra painted to look like Santa. One year I painted 100 of them and sold them all at a craft show...

These two had to get in on all the action this morning. There is a tree in "THEIR WINDOW"... and of course that is where their "sun" is also in the mornings. So they climbed right up with the tree to get warmed up this morning, all snuggled together..

This is Toms "Star Trek Tree", all of his ornaments....

Have A Good One,

Lynn

In Panic Mode!!!

Does it look like me??? YEA IT DOES!!! Do you ever feel like this???

Because of the Insurance Company and how they tell us what and "WHEN" we do things. I am having surgery on the 15th! Ten days before Christmas.... It's not anything serious just a Deviated Septum "A Nose Job" that has been causing me lots of infections...
What was I thinking?

My family always says I get crazy at Christmas trying to do everything, but this year everything really has to get done really early and fast. BUT I AM REALLY GOING CRAZY THIS YEAR!!!

I know I am a control freak, and I want things just so so, and I know this isn't going to happen this year. So I just need to breath and let things happen as they will and know that it "WILL" be ok!

If I don't get a chance to post again before than my daughter will keep everyone posted!!!But I won't let her post any pictures of me with 2 black eyes!!! LOL It would ruin your Christmas!!!

My flowers have no clue it is November 28th! And the Wonderful West Virginia Mountains

It is November 28th and unseasonable warm for West Virginia. By this time of the year there isn't usually a flower in sight! I haven't even gotten out my winter coat yet! I just can't believe what it still blooming... Take a look!!

This is a new coneflower I planted from seed this summer, I planted them late never thinking they would bloom until next year. But here it is going crazy...

Of course all of my ornamental cabbages are doing great, they love the cold. But as you can see the sun was shinning today when I took the pictures. It will be almost 60 tomorrow, when Tom will be putting up Xmas lights!

I love the color the cabbage and Kales give your yard in the winter. Especially right by the front door...

This is my favorite, all that white and purple!!!


Than there was the wonderful hunting trip for my husband. He took my camera, that is why I didn't post this week. I couldn't take any pictures! He didn't shoot a deer but at least he got to bring home enough deer meat to make some deer Jerky one of the guys gave him! I told him he had to come home with enough for my Jerky I love it!!!

He even took a picture of a Tombstone on Shavers Mountain. This is who the mountain was named after Peter Shaver. I love the Tombstone " Killed By Indians 1781".

It finally snowed late in the week. They had T-Shirts on earlier in the week, all they wanted was some snow!!! This was at deer camp.

Isn't that beautiful, Seneca Rocks...

It is worth it each year if he just sees one Bald Eagle!!! and he DID!!!

This is the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River...(did you get all of that!!! LOL) Just down stream from Seneca Rocks... It would have been prettier with snow!

Beautiful water...

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and survived Black Friday... We are really into the Holiday Season now!!!

Have a Good one...

Lynn

Beautiful Weekend Trip with Friends!

We went away this weekend and it was the best!!! It is always fun to getaway with a bunch of friends. We went to the mountains to a great little Inn. As soon as we all got checked in we decided to drive up the mountain to a ski resort. Our friends Paulette and Dave decided to ride the bike since the weather was so beautiful, unseasonably warm for November almost 70 on Saturday afternoon... and in the mountains that is really crazy warm! I haven't been on a bike in 28 years when we were kids and had our bike. So I ask Paulette if I could go with Dave??? She said sure and dressed me in all her leathers to keep me warm and away I went...
They made my weekend!

You can't tell I'm excited... Can You!!!

What a beautiful bike, Nothing like a Harley!!! Riding up that mountain with all the curves brought back many a memory!!! I had a great time...

Here is our group standing in front of the Inn on Sunday Morning

From left to right : Tom & Lynn - Dave & Paulette - Mike & Mary

Can you believe November 15 and 65 degrees... A perfect weekend to take a trip...

This is the owner of the Brazen Head Inn, Will on Bass. We really enjoyed hearing all his stories Will and Jill told us about the Inn & listening to the music all evening..

Tom & I...

It was an evening of playing dominoes with great friends.... Mexican Train Dominoes... Wonder who's winning....

Jill is on fiddle, her and her husband Will own this wonderful Inn.. They jammed all evening, while we were there. We all sang along to the tunes we knew. Such a wonderful place to just kick back and have a great time!!! I can't wait to go back!

Earlier Saturday evening when we drove up the mountain to Snow Shoe Ski Resort

What a beautiful place with a great view...

Elevation 4800 ft.

This is the girls sitting on the biggest chair I have ever seen in the Village...

Paulette, Mary and Me...

Part of the Village at Snow Shoe. But it was really quiet up there,no snow they don't open until next weekend. I'm sure there will be snow by than. But it was in the upper 60's this weekend. It was a perfect weekend...

After we left on Sunday we took a drive to National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Green Bank we got some great shots of it...

On Slaty Fork looking at the beautiful deer and scenery...

Now this is a country road... Beautiful!!!

Just looking up at that beautiful sky...
As we were coming around a curve this is what we saw. It about scared me to death! But it is fake the guy is all stuffed... But how real it looked as we rounded that curve. I made Tom turn around and go back to take pictures... LOL

This was right across the street...

Some beautiful barns, I love to take pictures of them...

Cheat Mountain in Randolph County on this beautiful sunny day...

The end of one of the best weekend trips we have taken in a long time!!

Lynn


PS We missed the rest of our croud that couldn't make it this weeend, but we will do it again!