Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Happy 4th of July!

Had a strange thing happen today. The phone rang while I was in the barn doing chores so I picked it up and glanced at the caller ID. It said Conn. Dept. of Cor*rections! Hummmmm....now I wonder who that could be? I said Hello and a recording said "this call is originating from the Conn. Dept. of Cor*rections and may be monitored....." I hung up quickly!!! Now I wish I hadn't as I am wondering who it was. I'm sure it was a wrong number, and they haven't called back again but my imagination can sometimes work overtime...........I need to stop watching all those real life police shows!!!


The kids buzzed over in their Rhino tonight in time for supper. It's always a delight for me when they drop in unexpectedly and I can throw a few more plates on the table. What a blessing having them live so close by. D ran over yesterday through the woods with his walkie-talkie so that he could talk to his Mom and let her know he had arrived. It's about a 3 minute walk for the kids, or should I say run, as they do it much faster then I do! In the winter I can see their house when the leaves are off the trees but not in the summer.


Mowed for a couple of hours today plus did some weeding in my gardens. My those weeds can peek up through quickly! Did some deadheading and put some plant food on my veggie garden. The farrier came tonight and did Buddy's feet. He says they are coming along really well since his episode of foundering last summer.

The boys were naughty today and got into the tack room and ate all the horse cookies and pulled out a couple bales of hay into the middle of the barn! They were having a great time until I looked out and saw what was going on and went out and shooed them out of there and locked the tack room door. Hubby says I leave it unlocked quite frequently and I probably do as they can't unlock it themselves because Dad put a special lock on it. They all looked like the cat that ate the canary when I walked in the barn! I wish I'd had my camera! :o)


I found a yummy recipe for homemade peanut butter cups in one of my magazines that I think I will try for the 4th.



1 cup creamy peanut butter -- divided

4 and 1/2 teaspoons butter -- softened

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

4 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 oz each) coarsely chopped

colored sprinkles optional

In small bowl combine 1/2 cup peanut butter,butter, confection sugar and salt until smooth, set aside.

In a small microwave safe bowl melt the chocolate chips, candy bars and remaining peanut butter, stir until smooth

Drop teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture into paper lined miniature muffin tins. Top this with a scant teaspoon of peanut butter mixture. Top with another teaspoonful of chocolate mixture. (add sprinkles if desired) Refrigerate until set. Store in airtight container. Makes three dozen.

I think these will be a big hit at the 4th party! :o)


Our town always puts on a great fireworks show the evening of the 4th. I'm usually too tired from the days activities to drag myself down to watch them but Hubby usually goes. I can see some of them from the house and of course hear them. It doesn't seem to bother the horses but the cats get a little tense.

It's now Thursday. I've been to the grocery store, got my car washed, and mowed for another couple of hours. I want everything to look spiffy for the holiday. Now I think I will mix up those peanut butter cups. I hope there are some left for tomorrow.........ahem......

Have a wonderful 4th!

18 comments:

kdwhorses said...

You've been busy!
Love it-hopefully there are some left for tomorrow! I hear ya girl! AHEM!!
Hope you and yours have a safe and happy 4th!

Dawn said...

I would love to have seen the looks on the horses' faces! Too funny that they can be naughty, too, and know it.

The candy sounds so yummy! But I don't think I can fit the points in - I'm making some good progress, bu tboy, do those sound good!

WE have really good fireworks, too, and we usually go to the park, but don't know what we'll do this year, for sure. We may go up to the town north of us to be with son and DIL, who are getting a new puppy today, but I really don't relish the thought of getting back home after they're over - the traffic jams are unbelievable.

Marcy said...

Mmmmm...those peanut butter cups sound so good! Happy 4th of July! May you be safe and blessed!

Needled Mom said...

I so wished that I liked peanut butter. It's the one cookie item that I can make and NOT even want to eat a single bite.

Loved the story of the trouble makers. Were they shamed faced at all or just thrilled that they accomplished their hearts desire?

I am sure that the kids like being close to you two as well. It is nice when they are so close.

Have a wonderful 4th.

Susie said...

We have to drive across town to see the fireworks and the traffic is just unreal. I can have a "filtered view" from my upstairs if I peek carefully.
Your peanut butter treats would be a real hit here.
I know how much you enjoy having your son's family so close. You can share in so many things. We feel the same way (although ours are about 1 mile away)
Have a fantastic 4th!
love you
xoxo

The W.O.W. factor! said...

Love p-butter cups! Going to try your recipe! Sounds like you are in for a great 4th! And I am so envious! Having your family within walking distance to share in the fun!

Linds said...

Happy 4th July!

Those peanut butter thingies sound delicious. I may just try to make some here. On the couch, of course.

I loved the story about your boys eating all their treats and the bale of hay. I can just see the horsey grins!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Nancy said...

The peanut butter cups sound sooooo good! I'll have to make them when I get the chocolate bars! I'd make them right now if I had those candy bars!

How nice that the grands can come to your home by themselves like that! And the walkie-talkie is such a great idea!!!

I didn't know horses pulled little stunts, too! That was funny!!!

Have a fun 4th!!!

(((HUGS)))

Izzy, Emmy 'N Alexander said...

Happy 4th!! Have a great weekend!

Pony Girl said...

It must be special to have the kiddos so close by!

My grandma used to make homemade p.butter cups, wow, they were delicious. Those are my favorite!

That was a funny story about the Dept. of Corrections calling you, hee! I would have been curious, too. Probably an inmate making their "one call?"

Hopefully you won't be too wiped out to enjoy some 4th of July razzle dazzle!

Callie said...

Happy Independence Day! Hope you have enough energy to watch those fireworks!

palmtreefanatic said...

you are 1 busy lady!!!

So nice the grand kids live close by!

Thanks for sharing the peanut butter cups! I must try them!!!

Hope you have a wonderful holiday!!
I too have stayed up very late to have my house in tip top shape as I did not want to be cleaning all day and I did manage to do a little more laundry but not bad!

I LOVE Fireworks and The parade! It was exciting to see my son in the marching band for the 1st time today!!!

Blessings and Happy 4th!

Carole Burant said...

Happy 4th of July to you and your family, dear Louise:-) Hope you've had a fabulous day so far...just wish I could be there to celebrate with you!

Hmmmm, you even have the Dept. of Corrections Office after you now? hehe You HOPE it was a wrong number! LOL

I love it that your kids are living so close by...I wish mine were too but I guess I should be happy they are only a 5 and 6 hour drive away. Those walkie talkies are so great to have...when Steve & I were at the Farmer's Market this past weekend, we saw a boy of about 12 talking into one and from what we could hear, he was telling his parents which part of the market he was at:-)

Omigosh, I can just imagine your face when you went into the tack room and found the horses having a ball! hehe Worse than teenagers when the parents are away! lol Too funny.

Yummm, those peanut butter cups do sound delish! I have a recipe for them that I make but it's a bit different from that one.

Carole Burant said...

Oops, I clicked on publish before I was finished! lol Blonde moment!

Hope you're able to go watch the fireworks tonight...when we had Canada Day on July 1st I could hear them all over the neighbourhood:-)

Love you!! xoxox

Renie Burghardt said...

Hi there,

I hope you and yours had a great 4th of July. You are so fortunate to have your family so close. Two of mine live 700 miles away, one son lives 200 miles away. I see him the most often, as he comes every week to visit and do some jobs his old maw can't do anylonger. He is such a blessing!

I've had a friend get a collect call from a prisoner which she refused, of course. Sometimes, it could just be the wrong number.

Love the story about the naughty boys!

My July 4th was sad, as a friend of mine's husband passed away suddenly, and so I attended a funeral yesterday. Today, we spent the day at the cabin on the river, which was most enjoyable.

Thanks for sharing the recipe for the peanut butter cups. Gotta try those. My older son and family will be here later this month, and I think my 8 year old granddaughter will enjoy those, as will the rest of us.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Renie

Cynthia said...

Oh the peanut cups!:P
Hope you had a Happy 4th!

Pattie said...

How did the peanut butter cups turn out? Funny - I just tried a new recipe for Rice Crispy Treats with peanut butter added. We must have been having the same craving!

Hope your 4th was fabulous!

Nancy said...

Hi there!

You asked how Buster and Oliver weer doing...well, so far, so good! Buster gets his staples out Tuesday. And Oliver....I thought he was having a relapse yesterday as he got in his litterbox and tried to pee, but when he got out, he had done nothing! I watched him, and the next time he got in the box, I slipped a paper towel under him so I could see just what he went, if anything. He peed!!!

I am using the Fresh Step clay litter on him to protect his little "jewel" as the catheter was stitched in! And it's so hard to see if that litter is wet since they added those tiny bits of black carbon to it. I use the Fresh Step SCOOP kind for the other cats, but he sits soooo low, I wanted to wait a couple of weeks before he used that kind again. But I am watching him verrry carefully yet to make sure he pees throughout the day! It is a worry now! Poor little guy!

I did call another emergency clinic yesterday in another city 25miles from here, and they don't do the open cath like they did here. All I could think of was putting him through another "pithy" weekend, lying in his urine and smelling so badly and then me having to give him another bath!!! So if it happens again, I am taking him to this other clinic, which is in the same building and owned by the same vet who owns Upstate Veterinary Specialists where Buster had his surgery and the other cats received their radiation treatments. They said they DO hook the catheter to a bag, so the cat wouldn't get urine all himself. Poor little guy, he's never been dirty and stinky before!!! I hated that for him last weekend! Right now, both are doing well. Thanks for asking!