Happy New Year, everyone.

Favorite Day around here...Boxing Day.
I spent the last few days clearing things out, packing things up and making the little mouse house more livable for the winter months ahead. The tree is outside now to be filled with treats for the resident birds and squirrels.I'll put it in view of a window.

I had some help.

                                                              This box stays.

I hope Simon is asleep and will stay underground for a few weeks. It is supposed to be cold for days ahead. The last I saw of him was Christmas day.

Santa was so good to me and I am now enjoying some of my gifts. Christmas teas, gorgeous hand lotions and soaps, books, kitchen accessories, and some fun things to decorate the mouse house. One gift brought tears and I will cherish it for all Christmases ahead.

                           My angel, Kane on a jingle bell.
 

To help with all the extra calories consumed last week, we received a pair of snow-shoes each. I look forward to getting out on them.

Another year has flown by, and although it has been a hard one with many losses, I have appreciated your friendship all the way. I thank you for your thoughts and prayers; for your humour and your kindness. Oh my goodness, you all have a heart of gold.

 I have enjoyed following along with your blogs to share in the good times, the surprises of life's journey and to be there for you, too, during the down times. You are all very loving and talented people.

As we carry on with life's gifts and burdens, I wish you all a love-filled, exciting new year.


                "Happy New Year, everyone."

                 "Here's to your best year yet."

hugs, Deb
the retired-guy, our family & Sierra, Annie, Audrey and sleepy Simon.

Snow

Well, we now have our familiar blanket of snow for our area in December. It fell all day yesterday until dark. It's pretty, for now, and we will make the best of it. But I know I will be dreaming of Spring very soon.

Sierra

The birds seemed to panic with this sudden snowfall and were fighting over the food at the feeders.
The juncos were chasing off the doves and sparrows.The blue-jays were being their normal bully selves but there was plenty for everyone. It was certainly keeping a little someone very occupied watching all the activity.

 

Audrey

Annie

 Simon is under the snow now. Hope he stays put for awhile.

I was a little bored yesterday so I started playing with my step-back again. I wanted it more cheery to chase away the winter doldrums.

 

 

 

 

I'm heading out to the feeders then for a much-needed hour walk. Time to pull on the old boots. :)

Have a great day.
Hugs, Deb

Winter Wonderland.

It was a beautiful scene on Sunday as the ice hung on tight to the trees.

 

 
By Monday,  our temperatures had dropped and we were being warned of a snow-storm on it's way.
This is Tuesday and we have a winter wonderland surrounding us.

Out to the feeders, plug in the birdbath & shovel a bit. That was the start to the day. I spotted chickadees, juncos, sparrows, female cardinal, blue-jays, downy woodpecker, mourning doves & the ever comical black crow. No sign of Simon as I imagine he is fast asleep.

I had bananas that were taking up too much room in my tiny freezer so baking cookies and loaf cakes were on the agenda.

Banana Bread Cookies 

1/4 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of butter softened
2 organic brown eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 ripe bananas mashed
2 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of chocolate chips
1 cup of walnuts

Preheat oven to 375.

  Cream together the butter and sugars. Is there anything better than butter...NO! Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda and cinnamon to the creamed mixture and mix well. Mix in the bananas, oats, walnuts and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls on to parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

 Can there be anything easier than this?


 Quick Banana Bread
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg beaten
1 cup bran
1 1/2 cup mashed bananas
2 tbsp water
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (you can put them in the mixture or add to the top of the bread)

Cream the butter, gradually adding the sugar.
Add the beaten egg and the all-bran. Mix thoroughly.
Stir the mashed bananas with the water.
Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and soda.
Add this to the creamed mixture alternately with the bananas.
Add vanilla and mix.
Put in 8 x 8 bread pan
Bake 350 for 1 hour
If you want to make this into muffins bake for 25 minutes.

               Banana Bread Cookies with a few chocolate chips added.

Cats are most playful as kittens but healthy cats play all their lives. =^..^=

Unless, they are too lazy to get out of bed.

hugs, Deb  

Let's help our birds this winter.

Chickadees are among the easiest birds to lure into your yard, especially during winter. Here are a few tips to help attract them:

• Put out sunflower seeds, either in the shell or cracked. They have a high fat content, essential to the birds’ winter survival, and are a favorite food of all chickadee species.
• Almost any bird feeder will attract chickadees, but they seem to be especially comfortable eating from a tube feeder.
• Chickadees will frequent yards that have adequate natural cover near feeders, giving the birds an area to hide quickly when threatened, as well as a protected night roost.
• A small birdhouse with a 1 1/4-inch entrance hole, placed in heavy natural cover, may provide both a winter roost and summer nesting site for chickadees.

After reading the above on google,  I added a few bird houses to the brush at the front. Maybe, just maybe, it will help a wee chickadee survive the cold nights in Ontario. They may use them not only for the warmth but for the safety from the local hawks that frequent our property.

Audrey has been a busy girl sniffing out the dog that we have been caring for. Our grand-dog, Forrest, came to the mouse house for two days while my daughter travelled. It was nice to have him here although he had to stay in the garage because he is a worry around strange cats. And we all know Audrey falls in that category. He didn't mind though. He had his own couch to sprawl out on and
he was with the retired-guy most of the time. They enjoyed a few drives in the van and many walks around the property. He was fun to care for...did us good.

This is off the Cats in windows website.  There is a lot of that going on around here today. Looks a bit like Audrey, don't you think?
  =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=
Pop over and enjoy. https://web.facebook.com/Catslookingoutofthewindow/?fref=photo

I hope you are enjoying the days after Christmas.
hugs, Deb 

Christmas 2015

Well, Santa arrived at the mouse-house and made sure the stockings were full to the brim.
After a hardy breakfast I headed out to make sure Simon, the squirrels and the birds got some Christmas treats.
And then with a van loaded down with gifts, we headed to my daughter's home for the gathering of our family. Not one snowflake in sight.


                                      Christmas 2015
at home with the kitties (only Annie would pose) then off to my daughter's home. Plenty of smiles there.

                                           Lots of cuties here.

 Grandittles

Bradley

Riley & Gwynn

Daughter Jess & dil Brittany

opening stockings

                                             3 turkeys lol

 

daughter Allie & Jon preparing an amazing salad.

(background)

Mike, retired-guy & son, John 

Bradley testing the snacks

  

The Menu

Turkey & stuffing

home-made cranberry sauce by chef Mike, too

Delicious veggie balls 

gravy

mashed potatoes

sweet turnip

steamed carrots

the most amazing salad ever

home-made rolls (oh my goodness)

lots of wonderful beverages

home-made Butterscotch pie by Brittany :)

an assortment of my sister's home-made squares and cookies

coffee, tea

and bubbly.

 

Riley loves cats like her nana.

But...someone does not look impressed.

Miss Ruby-doo

(Audrey's sister who looks more like Annie)

 

(look at those little toesies)

She's really a little love-bug. Lots of cuddles and a huge purr.

 

 The hostesses with the mostesses.

 sil Mike (the chef) & daughter Jess.

Fantastic dinner.

It was a beautiful, joyful albeit noisy Christmas. 

Just what we needed.

Today...we did nothing. :)

Tomorrow I'm hoping for the same.

hugs, Deb

Merry Christmas

The stockings are hung and the presents sit tucked under the Charlie Brown tree.
Audrey has stood guard over it all day. 
There is excitement in the air.
I think they know something is up.

We feel the presence of our dear dog, Kane and hope that he is looking down upon his family with great pride and joy this Christmas.
We miss you, Kanie with all our heart. Take care of the kitties for us.

Tomorrow we gather with those we love. We celebrate the birth of Jesus, Christmas day, with gifts and a festive meal. Our three grandittles will be there. :)))

From our mouse house 
to your home, we wish you 
A Very Merry Christmas and
A Happy and Peaceful New Year.

Thank you for your friendship throughout 2015. It has been a tough year and knowing you are there has made a difference.

Enjoy the holidays. I must go....

The chubby guy's just too slow for me.

                                         And so....... I wait.


Love from Deb, the retired-guy, Sierra, Annie, Audrey
                                                  &
                                          Simon, too.
                                            xxxxxx

Special gifts for the tree

This  will always be a favorite photo from Christmas past.

After this encounter, that reindeer went sailing through the air and landed on the floor of our front hallway.
She absolutely hated him. He is a little safer this year tucked up higher and surrounded by other Christmas finery.

We made a visit to our old home today to pick up our mail and some parcels. We don't have mail delivery where we are unless we want one of those communal boxes so we have our daughter take care of it for us.
It works fine for now.
I was so delighted (giddy, actually) to find a parcel all the way from the state of Washington from a reader of my blog, Lana.
Lana has been so kind and thoughtful during the passing of our beloved pets in the past and she was a big admirer of our Siamese cat, Mr. Ed. I couldn't wait to open the Christmas parcel and did so as soon as I returned to the mouse house. Oh my goodness...

I wanted to share the beautiful Siamese cat tree ornament. It went straight to the top.

Our dear Mr. Ed

And look at this little guy. It's Simon. I darn-near died. lol 
He has a special place center-front on the tree.
Just look at that face.

"IS THAT ME?"

This guy is still running around on December 23rd.

Confused albeit but still runnin'.

Our little tree is filling up with adorable critters.

"I'm goin' in."

A beautiful card and a recipe for fudge. I'll share that in the new year.

And this is hanging on the wall of the mouse house.

I just could not believe how fun this package was. :)))

"Thank you, dear Lana so much for your gifts of love at Christmas. I wish we lived close enough that I could thank you in person. A big hug is sent to you today."

Hope everyone is taking time for themselves these hectic days.
Have a big, hot cup of Christmas tea and try to relax.


hugs, Deb

Faith

The rain is falling and the freezing rain is on the horizon. I am cozy in my mouse house, three little cats with full bellies & a pretty tree to keep things calm and bright.

I came home today with another addition to my charlie brown tree....a lamb.

If you pull her tail she plays a tune but I don't recognize it. A lullaby.
I'll ask my daughter if she has heard it.
Gwynn will want her to have a name so I have named her Faith.
I think she feels right at home here.

Audrey has met her and tried to eat...I mean... pull her tail so she can

hear the song.

Or

just eat her tail...not sure.

Anyway, I hope she lasts long enough to meet the grandittles.

Our 2 year old grandittle, Gwynn was sitting at the dinner table with her mom and dad when she stopped eating, looked up at them and said "I love you guys."

Pretty cute, eh.

If you are the 'make from scratch' type of cook and would like some easy recipes to try this Christmas I am sending you over to a blog that I stumbled across just this year.

 I am so glad I did.

Rhonda is amazing in the kitchen and because of her I can now make my own jam. :)

http://down---to---earth.blogspot.ca/

Merry Christmas.

hugs, Deb

Celebrating as we do.

The weather outside is dry & chilly. Not a snowflake in sight.
I stood at the window watching the family of squirrels bouncing over each other as they cleaned up all the crumbs from yesterday's feeding at the bird-feeders. One lonely mourning dove joined them.

I have some fun with the squirrel-feeder that we built for these bandits. I put pieces of toast and peanut butter inside and the first to the box sits inside for the longest time licking it's prize. There is usually another waiting at the door.
I am starting to think I am the only one on this planet that gets a kick out of squirrels and their antics.
Everyone I mention them to hates them with a passion.

I'll head in to the city later and pick up the last gift on my list. That alone will make my day. All done!

We've had a full weekend of enjoying the company of friends and watching as many Christmas movies as we can stand. We all have our favorites; mine being The Christmas Story.

So far the felines have enjoyed killing off the unbreakables at the bottom of our Charlie Brown tree.
Audrey will drag off an unsuspecting felt bird or reindeer to her hidey-hole. And even in a mouse-house ( 600 sq, ft.) I have yet to find some bodies.

"I've been here all along."

"YOU have trust issues."

Oh well, it's Christmas and we all celebrate in our own way.
"Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays."

hugs, Deb