Lilacs Smell So Good

I took this photo yesterday and am so glad I did. Today It Is pouring down rain and my lilac bush Is heavy with water. I really had a full bush this year and they smell so good despite all the talk about the very bitter cold winter was going to be really hard on the flowering bushes. This bush Is one of my favorites.

Have a grand Wednesday,
Kathi

To The Best Mothers

Wishing you all a very happy Mothers Day. I'll be planting flowers with my Mom today.

Have a grand, restful, peaceful, enjoyable, happy Mothers Day,
Kathi

May Is National ALS Awareness Month

Some of you already know that my husband, Mr.K was diagnosed In 1999 with ALS better known as Lou Gerhig's Disease. I am my husbands caregiver, advocate, friend, wife, banker, doctor, nurse, secretary and comedian. As a caregiver I wear many hat's.
I thought I would share today with you some Information you may not know about ALS.

1 Every 90 minutes someone Is diagnosed with ALS.

2 Every 90 minutes someone dies from ALS.

3 Typical life expectancy Is two to five years.

4 ALS Is one of the most expensive disease. To adequately care for someone In your home with ALS It Is an annual cost of $250 thousand dollars. Thank goodness for Insurance.

5 ALS robs you of your ability to breath, eat, swallow or move.

6 ALS does not effect your mind.

7 There Is no known cause or cure for ALS.

8 There Is only one FDA approved medication for ALS, this medication slows down the progression of ALS and typically adds 3 months on to a patients life.
The cost of this medication Is $940.00 monthly. Again, thank goodness for Insurance.

I have many more facts about ALS but thought I would share just a few of them with you today. Like I said In the title, May Is national ALS awareness month so I thought I would raise some awareness on my blog of this terriable disesase.

To learn more about ALS go to www.alsa-stl.org

Have a grand Friday,
Kathi

Flowering Crabapple Tree

Hard to believe that this Is the same tree doesn't It. This tree Is In my Moms yard and being that she Is my next door neighbor I get to enjoy It too.

It Is a beautiful sunny day here In the heartland although the allergy Index Is high It Is still manageable.

Today I will be listing some new pieces In my Etsy Shop. So pop on over later today for a visit I'll have the tea on all day.

Have a grand Tuesday,
Kathi

BOGO 1/2 Off Sale

Today and tomorrow I'm having a sale In my Etsy shop. BOGO 1/2 off on all rings. Now Is a great time to grab those Mothers day gifts or upcoming birthdays and as always all rings will arrived tucked Into this sage green beaded pouch. Hope your enjoying your week end.

Kathi

Baked French Toast

I made this today and It was fabulous. I cut the recipe in half because there was only two of us. Enjoy

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecans


DIRECTIONS
Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup; heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture add pecans on top.
Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

I have a sale In my Etsy shop this week end so pop on over.

Have a great week end,
Kathi

May Day

May 1st, often called May Day, just might have more holidays than any other day of the year. It's a celebration of Spring. It's a day of political protests. It's a neopagan festival, a saint's feast day, and a day for organized labor. In many countries, it is a national holiday.
In medieval England, people would celebrate the start of spring by going out to the country or woods—"going a-maying"—and gathering greenery and flowers, or "bringing in the may."

Another English tradition is the maypole. Some towns had permanent maypoles that would stay up all year; others put up a new one each May. In any event, the pole would be hung with greenery and ribbons, brightly painted, and otherwise decorated, and served as a central point for the festivities.

One of the most popularly known May Day traditions is to hang a basket full of spring flowers on a neighbor's doorknob. The trick is you don't want the neighbor to see you. What a nice surprise when they opened the door.
This was a tradition that I always did growing up.

Have a grand Friday,
Kathi