Love, Laughter, and Life

Adventures With a Book Lover


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I Support Trees, But I Can’t Plant them in December

I adore trees. I love trees. I want to have my own personal Hundred Acre Wood.

Our first summer in our new home, we planted 6 new trees. We’ve since added 2 more very large trees.

Our tree selection and planting usually occurs in early spring or late fall.

It has NEVER taken place in December. When there is several feet of snow on the ground. And said ground is frozen. Shoveled drifts stand all along the perimeter of our yard.

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There. Is. No. Access. To. Dirt.

So tell me Tree Experts, aka Arbor Day Foundation, why would you ship my new baby trees to me (in Washington state, in winter, in December, in a very snowy year) right now?

Sure, I would love to plant them. I would have fun heeling them in to grow for a few years before transplanting them to their new location in the yard.

But that is not going to happen right now. In fact, it won’t happen for several months. I’m pretty sure the snow will not melt within the 2-3 days of approved wait time to plant. I’m actually confident that even if the snow melts in January, the ground will still stay cold enough to be undiggable. That is also true about February as well.

So here we go. What to do with my lovely little sad baby trees. And such nice varieties, too.

I am fortunate that I never got around to putting away a large clay pot. Dirt is a different matter. Come on honey, bring me those dead poinsettias so I can steal the dirt.

We are all going to be cozy baby trees and snuggle up in the same pot until the ground is actually ready for planting. What, maybe 3-4-5 months?

I hope they like each other.


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Wrapped in Love Success

Wrapped in Love was a cozy success.

Project stats:

~ 9 adults (including 1 teen) traveled to Landmark Care Facility

~ over 150 items were made or purchased and given to Wrapped in Love

~ 2 utility carts + 1 red wagon hauled goodies up and down the hallways, in and out of rooms

~ between 80-85 residents accepted a warm cozy item; a few were convinced to take matching items, ornaments, or bookmarks

~ 1.5 hours spent visiting residents and distributing gifts

~ at least 1 case of joyful tears from a resident who had no one to visit her, accompanied by the tears of volunteers

~ one 67th anniversary celebrated with family members of a husband and wife sharing a room

~ too-many-to-count hugs and Christmas greetings

~ 3 = number of volunteers who missed the photo op

~ buckets of smiles

~ 1 grouchy guy who didn’t want more stuff (at least he was honest)

~ several residents who already had gifts and visits from family urged us to give the goods to others who had nothing

~ 30 minutes to set-up conference table with donations before loading carts

~ 3 = # of times teen willingly gave up own hat (and replacement) to residents

~ many treat sacks and bags of carmel corn were given to staff members

~ remaining gifts were left for staff members to choose from and to be put in a storage closet for new residents who arrive with nothing

~ numerous volunteers donating supplies and completed projects

~ hours, days, and weeks spent knitting, crocheting, and creating items

~ joy > hours sacrificed on Christmas Day

 Thank you, volunteers! All of you who helped in any way were a part of our Christmas Day visit to senior residents at Landmark.

Thank you!


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Eggs-tra Special Treat

break the fast mouthful

lemon yellow saucy bite

egg and ham divine

~ Angie Quantrell

My first EVER attempt to make Eggs Benedict. This was a treat for my honey, who loves this dish. Too lemony was the hollandaise sauce, so back to adjusting the recipe I go. But there were no curdled eggs and a nice rich sauce covered the poached eggs and ham. I consider my maiden voyage on the ship named Hollandaise & Poached Eggs a success.

For me, this was Boxing Day – cooking outside our usual breakfast rut.

Happy Boxing Day to those who celebrate in more traditional ways!


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New Book Promotion 2016 – Children’s Books – Stimulating the minds of the next generation of writers.

Source: New Book Promotion 2016 – Children’s Books – Stimulating the minds of the next generation of writers.

Writers of children’s books – Sally wants to shout out about your books! Thanks, Sally!


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Writing Distractions

Blurry white buckets

Silently build pristine hills

Mystery mountains

~ Haiku, by Angie Quantrell 2015

This is what I am writing about now.

But I am distracted by this happening out my window.

Snow, lovely, snow!

Somehow snow and Phoenix do not mix.