Happy Last Day of 2011

The last day of the year.  The very last one.  One whole year has come and gone just like that. As with most people, the year here at Yesteryear Acres was filled with big momentous occasions as well as small peaceful moments.  The big and the small.  It is easy to remember the big occasions such as graduations, births, wedding, funerals, natural disasters, vacations.  Those occasions seem to be the things that easily come to mind when reminiscing. They are important but encompass a very small part of any year. As meaningful as those type of occasions are, my favorite memories of 2011 are all the small fillers that lie in between the big moments.  The endless laughter at the dinner table.  The tranquil moments at our pond. Times spent enjoying the company of my children. Peaceful walks in the woods. Lunch breaks with Mr. Yesteryear Acres. Fun playing with the puppies. Cooking delicious meals in the kitchen. Simply put - my favorite thing of this year and every year is ....love. As I look back on 2011, I look back with a permanent smile full of loving memories. I am blessed to have another year filled with love and happiness. To love and to be loved - that is the greatest gift in life and I have been blessed many times over.  Happy last day of 2011. I hope your year was filled with cherished memories of love, happiness and laughter......and here's to many more!

Beauty Day!

Today was AWESOME!  My older daughter gave me a "Spa Day" coupon for my Christmas present. She also gave one to her sister so today was SPA DAY here at Yesteryear Acres.  The day was made a bit difficult due to my immobility issues but my daughter worked extra hard to make it all work.  She had the WHOLE treatment figured out for an awesome day.  I got my hair washed AND cut.  She did a really great job too.  My haircut is perfect. I love it! I don't know how she managed to maneuver around my leg and get everything done so well but she did.  The hair washing felt SOOOOOO good and my hair desperately needed a trim.  I am totally smiling from ear to ear! I also got a hot stone massage on my legs which was heavenly.  They are SO sore!  We did get a few interruptions with the puppies trying to help.  Evidently the hot stones taste delicious and they kept trying to lick them clean. I guess puppies love spa day too! Next up is a facial. My daughter is getting it all set up while I write my blog.  She is using her mad chemistry skills to whip up an awesome facial mask right now.  Beauty Day!! Spa Day! FUN DAY!!

Hey! I don't want to think about that!

The other day I spent hours with my younger daughter going over her finances, tuition costs, textbooks needed for the semester etc.  It wasn't really that fun but one of those necessary things in life you just have to do.  Today was my older daughter's turn.  As many of you know, she will be graduating from the Naval Academy in May and has been selected to be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps.  Over the holiday break she was given a LOAD of paperwork to fill out in preparation for her service assignment. I said that today I would sit with her for hours and help her get through all the stacks of paperwork.  Well everything was going well.  Name....check.  Address... check.  Home of Record...check.  Legal Residence ...check.  Marine Corps Ground contract signed and the next 8 years of her life promised to USMC.....check. Next of Kin....check?  Who do we notify in case of your death....CHECK?????  What to do in the case where your body cannot be recovered? WAIT A MINUTE?  WAH!  I don't want to think about that!  We had so much paperwork to fill out on those type details. My baby is 21 years old!  Mommies do not like to fill out paperwork about these type things! Of course we got through it all and I know it was all necessary but WAH.  I think tomorrow we should schedule a fun day.  No finances.  No textbook buying. AND certainly NO empty coffin vs. name tag burial situations!  I am going to declare a girlie day full of fluffy romance comedies, popcorn and nail polishing! Now that is my kind of "Must Do" on the good ole "To Do" list!

Thanksgiving Dinner 2

I love turkey. I love love love love love it.  I am like the Dad on the movie The Christmas Story who can't wait to eat his Christmas turkey. My mouth just waters all day long as I can smell the deliciousness coming from the kitchen.  Tonight we are having Thanksgiving Dinner.....Number 2! I mean it isn't REALLY Thanksgiving - but I am thankful. I am SO thankful to be surrounded by my family and I am SO thankful to have all 3 of my children home for one more week.  Next Christmas, my older daughter might be deployed on the other side of the world so we are doing a repeat of our favorite meal tonight to get all the goodness in while everyone is still all together.  The turkey was a collaborative effort.  Everyone helped make the stuffing and get the bird in the oven.  We are having mashed potatoes, gravy, scalloped corn, beets, strawberry salad, homemade buttermilk bread and for dessert - pecan pie!  It is a true turkey feast! I cannot wait!!!!!!!!!  Everything smells so good. Don't worry. There is no chance of having the same fate as in The Christmas Story - "Gone, all gone!  No Turkey! No turkey sandwiches! No turkey salad! No Turkey Gravy! Turkey Hash! Turkey a la King! Or Gallons of Turkey Soup! Gone, ALL GONE! We already have plates of turkey goodies lined up for the doggies ready to go.  Everyone gets Thanksgiving here! AND turkey soup!!!!!

And then the celebration was over

Reality! ACK!  Who asked for it to be the day after the day after Christmas already????  What about the celebrating?  What about the leisure time?  What about sitting around and enjoying the beauty of the season? OVER!? WAH!  Today was BACK TO WORK day.  In our celebrating, we pushed some much needed chores to the side and now we faced THE LIST.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres had the list ready for distribution early this morning.  We had to do work.  We had to clean.  We had to do chores and we are still working. Sigh.  The only bright spot is that it is ALMOST time for another holiday!  So if we work really hard, it will just be a few more days and NEW YEAR'S will be here!  Time to celebrate!  Time for Leisure!  Time to enjoy the beauty of the season! YEA!  Alright work- here I come. 2011 is almost a memory.  Guess we better get the End of the Year list of "Things to Do" whittled down to size. 2012 will be here soon!

Christmas Eve Babies!

Every family has their own special way of celebrating Christmas Eve. Each year we take time to enjoy the beauty of the season and sometimes.......special little packages arrive........like.......PUPPIES!!!!!!!
Look what we have under our tree!!!!!

Our beautiful Goldendoodle Eloise delivered 8 new babies

on Christmas Eve 

Not a creature was stirring

Visions of Sugar Plums danced in their heads

...in the hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be here

HEY!  What about us?  We are SOOOO cute too!!!!

And Santa LOVED visiting with us!

Our sweet McGyver Goldendoodle Puppies

Last but definitely not least.....Our Double Doodle Babies

They are all plump little butterballs

Happy Day After Christmas!

Merry of Merriest Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas!!! Our day started bright and early as the kids headed outside to do the farm chores. The doggies all got yummy Christmas treats. The puppies got a very early breakfast with a big scoop of yogurt on top. That is the very best puppy breakfast especially on Christmas morning. My daughter made fresh squeezed orange juice for our breakfast and after all the work was done we finally got to see what Santa put under the tree for us. The doggies got some new toys and some doodle doggies even helped unwrap the goodies to see what was inside. The winning toy was a tire shaped toy with a rope bone through the middle. Runner up was a stuffless squirrel toy with a santa hat. Santa brought some things for us too! The rest of the day will be spent celebrating with our families. Time for yummy food, good times, laughter and family! Merry Christmas to you and to all those you love ... both two legged and four. We wish you a day full of love and treasured Christmas memories.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Dearest Family, Friends, Puppy Families, (and Puppies, Doggies).....MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!  This magical night that only happens once a year is a time to be eternally grateful for all your blessings.  I know I am grateful for all the loved ones in my life.  Everyone here will be tucked in for the night with the excitement and anticipation of the big day to come.  We never sleep well on Christmas Eve as we are always too excited to sleep. Christmas is always so much fun.  The feasting. The merriment. The family love. The togetherness. It makes for a perfect day.  For the longest time we have held a tradition here that our Christmas Eve is a special day just for us. We don't go out. We don't answer the phone. We have really yummy food all day long.  We spend the day playing games, watching Christmas movies, and we sit back and enjoy the tranquility of the season.  We love Christmas Eve. Tonight we will once again watch The Christmas Story as we do each and every Christmas Eve.  It is a tradition that dates back to when Mr. Yesteryear and I were just dating. We never miss watching it and each year you will find us all laughing, saying the lines together, and each of us feels to the depths of our hearts.....that all is right with the world.

Lightbulb!

We had so much fun today.  My sister and her family came to visit and we always have the best time together.  We love to sit around and laugh and play games and eat good food and enjoy each other's company. We do some serious game playing here.  We don't cater to her young son by letting him win. No way.  If he is good enough to beat us - so be it.  If not - maybe next time kid!  We are serious about our game playing.  Our favorite game is Apples to Apples.  We don't exactly follow the traditional rules.  Here at Yesteryear Acres it is all about the propaganda that goes into influencing your peers into choosing your card above everyone else's.  We go all out. It is probably one of the loudest games we play.  Everyone is in it to win it.  Everyone wants their card to be chosen.  So when the descriptive card says, "Hilarious" and my nephew and son (as an unbeatable duo) play the card "Bank Robber" ... of course the immediate thought is, "I don't think so!" I said something like,  "Bank Robbers aren't funny!" To which my cute little nephew said, "They are if they use SQUIRT GUNS to rob a bank!" We all started cracking up and he said, "SEE?! HILARIOUS!" Only here would Penguins be "depressing"......."cause you would be depressed if you were the only bird that couldn't FLY!"  You can see - we all had a really good time.  We played Bananagrams and Hangman and Chinese word games.  The finale of our day was watching Despicable Me all together.  That movie cracks us up every time.  My older daughter was just like the little girl with the pink sweater and hat when she was younger and my other daughter was exactly like the littlest girl.  We almost cry from laughing so hard at the similarities.  My sister had to leave right after dinner tonight to go spend some time with my parents.  "LIGHTBULB".........we should get together more often!  I miss them already!

Company is coming! Company is Coming!!!

You know the drill - Company is COMING!  QUICK CLEAN EVERYTHING!!!!! Our morning started early this morning as we were all nestled in our beds dreaming of sugar plums when Mr. Yesteryear Acres started ringing the doorbell in an effort to rouse us from our slumber.  He is such a thoughtful person to wake us in the morning. The second our feet, or in my case "foot" hit the ground - we were busy. At first I don't enjoy the rush of getting everything done but then as the day progresses, I am SO grateful for company!  Mr. Yesteryear Acres is ever so motivated! The canning jars that have been out in the garage/hallway waiting to be stored for the year ACTUALLY got moved! YEA!  The doggie and puppy toys all got washed and organized.  The dining room got cleaned so that it would pass the white glove test. It was a concerted effort that was AWESOME!  5 people working together to get the house ready for Christmas guests. YEA!  Everything looks great.  The stockings are hung by the chimney with care. The tree is glistening with white sparkly lights and adorned with ornaments full of fond cherished memories.  A Christmas Ham is baking in the oven. and........All is right with the world.

Tree Tree Tree Tree

Since yesterday was wrap all the presents day - today can only be TREE day!  Finally!  Thanks to the nonstop dreary rain, Mr. Yesteryear Acres had to plan a short day outside doing the farm chores and the rest of the day was devoted to bringing down the Christmas boxes from the attic.  First on the list....THE TREE! YEA!  We have a big 9 foot tree and we assembled it this afternoon. We even got all the beautiful white sparkly lights on! Of course I am still not mobile, so I got the task of preparing the top section of the tree while sitting on the recliner chair, while everyone else worked on the bulk of the tree. Despite my limited mobility - I have to say the top of the tree looks fantastic!!! Tonight we are going to hang all the ornaments while we watch Elf and drink tons of eggnog.  I am glad to finally get the decorating done!  Usually we have things done long before this, but my broken ankle has really slowed down the normal Christmas To Do list.  By tomorrow I just might be able to say WE ARE CHRISTMAS READY!  I hope so because I have 3 very special guests arriving tomorrow to stay with us and I want to have everything ready for their arrival.  Christmas is coming!!!!!! JOY!!!!!

Wrap Wrap Wrap Wrap

We have used a lot of tape here today at Yesteryear Acres!  Lots of Christmas wrapping going on.  I am stuck in a recliner chair with presents next to me and a roll of wrapping paper. I kind of unroll the wrapping paper on my lap, put the present on top, cut the HUGE piece out, and then fold/crumple/crinkle/mangle the huge edges of wrapping paper down and then tape them all shut.  I use a lot of tape.  When I am done with my package - it kind of looks like perhaps it was at the bottom of the sleigh.  Under the bag of gifts. After it got run over by a reindeer.  Last year.    My daughter on the other hand has her paper cut to precision.  She has just the right size paper for the right size present.  She wraps her presents with minimum tape.  She aligns the snowman head so that it matches up to the snowman body on the seams.  The picture is a seamless crisp wonder.  The plaids match up.  Santa's beard is right where it should be. The mistletoe looks like mistletoe.  She is extremely talented in the gift wrapping department.  She must get it from her Grandmother.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres' mommy can wrap a present like a professional.  You have never seen such precise crisp corners.  Her bows are perfectly formed.  Her packages have beautiful envelope sides.  They are a work of art in themselves. I guess when we open our presents this year, everyone will know, in advance, which presents came from me.  I don't really need to put gift tags on! The uniqueness speaks for itself! One thing I know for sure - with all that tape - those presents will stay securely wrapped until Christmas morning! Scissors please!

To YOU ....Love Santa

We had a lot of fun taking the new puppy pictures today.  With so many helping hands the puppies had the best time and we were all cracking up thinking of good captions for the pictures.  My older daughter came up with a photo caption for every single picture.  She was making us all crack up! When you read the captions, be sure to read them in a very HIGH PITCHED puppy voice! That way you can get the full effect. Today was an important picture day. We needed "Santa worthy" pictures because some of the photos will be placed under Christmas trees this week. My older daughter gift wrapped a collar complete with Christmas bows so the puppies would look their best. It is too cold at the North Pole for Santa to take care of the puppies so of course we are happy to help him out. 

"Can you put me in the stocking on the mantle?"

"Can I play reindeer games with Rudolph?"

"I smell Mrs. Claus' cookies!!!!!!"

"Santa! Can I help wrap the presents?"

"Santa.....I am sorry... I drank all your milk"

"Can I be Gift-Wrapped?"

"You are Saint Nicholas to MEEEE"

And this is what happens in between every picture taken. Awwwww. 

Sweet Puppies make Happy Holidays!

Full out Feast

Today was another super productive day here at Yesteryear Acres.  Our Navy SEAL midshipman guest, Marine Corps midshipman daughter, son, and Mr. Yesteryear Acres are busy repairing the horse fencing. It is a big project that hopefully will all get done today.  They are working as fast as they can.  Tomorrow our Navy SEAL guest is leaving us to go spend the holidays with his family. Of course I let him know that he was MORE than welcome to stay here a few more days!!!  The extra helping hand has been so great.  I caught Mr. Yesteryear Acres happily whistling early this morning.  He definitely has a little spring to his step. Crossing things off his list is without a doubt his favorite thing. Christmas came a little early this year thanks to our Navy Seal's help.  Tonight my younger daughter and I have prepared a FEAST to thank our guest for all his hard work.  We started working in the kitchen early this morning and can't wait to put the huge feast out on the table tonight.  We have homemade rolls rising in the oven.  We have a cheesecake baking - and not just any old cheesecake either. We used Mr. Yesteryear Acres' Mommy's recipe for his favorite cheesecake. The recipe calls for whisking the cream cheese mixture for at least 30 minutes.  It is a labor of love for sure.  We are making roasted potatoes and onions. We are making asparagus and hollandaise sauce. The star attraction of our feast is a big prime rib roast or as we like to call it, "The Roast Beast" We must pay homage to The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. "And he, he himself, the Grinch, carved the roast beast".  Because here at Yesteryear Acres we know without a doubt that Christmas doesn't come from the store.  No Christmas here - means so much more. Merry Christmas our Navy Seal. Your presence here fills us with the Christmas spirit and we thank you!

Yesteryear Acres Experience

Our midshipman guest is definitely getting the full Yesteryear Acres experience.  He has dined on a full breakfast complete with eggs, homemade bread and sausages.  He ran errands with Mr. Yesteryear Acres all morning. He went to the feed mill, the home improvement store and the tractor store.  He has washed doggie pans, cleaned puppy boxes, helped unload new doggie houses and has worked non-stop since waking this morning.  He hasn't come back inside yet, so I am not sure if he will be up for round two tomorrow or not. My guess is that he will. As we were sure to provide him with the full Yesteryear Acres experience we were in turn treated to hearing all about his own experiences.  He is a NAVY SEAL selectee and hearing all about the SEAL screening process and the adventures that lie before him was just the best treat of all.  We were all captivated last night.  My son is literally following him every step he takes. It is our complete honor to have him in our home.  His selfless devotion to protecting our freedoms is awe inspiring to say the least. My younger daughter and I have been busy preparing an evening feast for him. When we say our thanks tonight - all my thanks will be for our Navy Seal guest. I am ever so grateful.

On The Way

Ooooh!  My Holiday Season will officially start TONIGHT!  My older daughter is on the road and on her way home! YEA!  I am sooooooo happy.  She is bringing a midshipmen friend with her to stay with us for a few days.  I did mention that I have limited mobility and can't do everything like I usually do but evidently her midfriend doesn't mind. In fact he specifically requested the whole "Yesteryear Acres experience". He wants it all.  I guess tomorrow morning when Mr. Yesteryear Acres wakes him up to go help with the farm chores - the experience will begin! Mr. Yesteryear Acres has a really long list of things to get done while everyone is home.  Having one more helping hand around here will really be great. We are behind in just about every single project.  Our Christmas tree is not up. Our house is not decorated.  No stockings are hung by the chimney with care. It is hard to take care of the puppies and doggies AND do Christmas on just one leg.  Now the Calvary is coming!  Help is on the way!  I have a big batch of homemade spaghetti and meatballs simmering on the stove waiting for their arrival.  We want the whole Yesteryear Acres experience to start off on the right foot!  The puppies are anxiously awaiting their entrance.  The doggies are waiting by the back door. My younger daughter is busy baking a peach pie with the peaches we picked together this summer.  Project "Yesteryear Acres Experience" is in full force!

Carrier Pigeon....I mean Doodle

I am sure many of you thought the days of using the good ole carrier pigeon for sending messages was a thing of the past.  Probably hasn't been too much use for them since the end of World War II but we here at Yesteryear Acres have evidently revived the good ole message system using a new and updated and improved messenger.....the Carrier Doodle!  What is the Carrier Doodle Dog? Well even I did not know how great of a messenger the Carrier Doodle was until last night. My younger daughter was in the living room wrapping Christmas presents and my son was working in the kitchen.  My daughter sent our Carrier Doodle to the kitchen with a bundle of trash and a note for her brother to throw the trash away. Of course my son sent the Carrier Doodle back to my daughter with a note saying "NO!"  Well this started the back and forth - let's give the Carrier Doodle messages and notes - game for the next hour.  In walked the Carrier Doodle with a funny note and then would proceed to drop the note on my daughter's lap.  Out went the Carrier Doodle with the reply. Back and forth.  At one point our Carrier Doodle carried out a dinner plate with "MAKE ME A SANDWICH" written on it.  Evidently son was hungry for a snack. A return message that my daughter wanted a snack was urgently dispatched.  What was the reply to that you ask????? In ran our faithful Carrier Doodle carrying a tangerine. She plopped the unblemished, although slightly damp, tangerine on my daughter's lap. My son and daughter were cracking up the entire time. It was a great game for them but do you know who enjoyed the game even more?  The Carrier Doodle!  Oh my gosh - she had the best time running the messages back and forth.  She could hardly wait for the reply so she could run and deliver the important correspondence.  She is anxiously awaiting her next urgent Carrier Doodle job. Yesteryear Acres Carrier Doodles....at your service!

I am dreaming of a ......BROWN Christmas?????

The forecast for a white Christmas for the United States is unfortunately quite bleak.  We are in the NO CHANCE at all section of the Probability of a White Christmas weather map. There is actually a large section of the United States that won't see a single snowflake. What is up with that???  What happened to our beautiful white Christmas? I mean one of my favorite parts of the movie "The Christmas Story" is when Ralphie wakes up on Christmas morning and looks out the window with a "WOW!"  Everything is so beautiful and perfectly white. I guess I will have to lower my expectations.  I guess I will have to think how beautiful the world will look in a uniform color of BROWN.  As in mud brown.  As in drippy gooey muddy brown.  Hey! Kind of like icicles except instead of sparkling frozen ice crystals that spread beautiful rainbows in the shimmering sunlight.....we can have drippy brown mud glistening off of wet muddy doodle dogs.  Exactly the same!!!!! I will start adjusting my attitude immediately. I do not want to be disappointed Christmas morning.  I will think how lovely a Brown Christmas will be.  I will look forward to a Brown Christmas.  I will be dreaming of a Brown Christmas.  Ahhhhh Brown Christmas.  I think it is time to re-write some Christmas songs! Come on sing it with me now, "I'm Dreaming of a Brown Christmas......"

One Month to Go

This morning I had my 2 week follow up appointment with the orthopedic surgeon. It has been 2 weeks since my fateful fall down the treacherous embankment aka backyard and fractured my ankle/leg. I had new x-rays taken this morning and good news! My break is healing nicely.  There was no displacement and no need for him to "throw a few screws in there".  Surgery has been cancelled. YEA!  Now all I have to do is be VERY VERY good for the next 4 weeks.  NO weight bearing. None. I still have to hop/roll everywhere I go.  I have to say I have developed some mad knee scooting/crutch walking skills in the past 2 weeks.  I can walk a puppy on a leash and only mildly have the leash get tangled around me. I can make dinner. I can empty the dishwasher. I can wash the puppy pans. I can fold laundry. I can do a lot of things - albeit
S L O W L Y but still they are getting done.  What I cannot do is carry things around. I can't carry my phone. I can't carry a basket of laundry. I can't carry a glass a water. I can't go get a cup of coffee, heat it up in the microwave and then carry the lovely cup of coffee to my computer where I can savor it. Also - dear Mr. Yesteryear Acres......I cannot clear the table after dinner.  I am not sure why this fact eludes him but it does.  Our conversation at dinner goes something like this:
"Hey, you left your dishes on the table"

"I know. I have a BROKEN ANKLE and can't carry anything. I am on CRUTCHES!"

"Oh yea, I don't know why I always forget you can't do that"

ARGH.  You can also substitute the "you left your dishes on the table" with: "hey did you get the mail, hey can you get the milk, hey can you get the napkins, hey can you grab a new roll of toilet paper, hey I need a towel, hey did you water the puppies.....??????" etc. etc. etc.

4 more weeks. 4 more weeks.  4 more weeks.  Just one month to go.

Sunbeam Monday

The SUN came out today!!!! Hooray!!!!  We had actual sunbeams!!!  When I got out of the shower this morning a  bright warm shiny sunbeam was coming through the window and warmed the whole bathroom up.  I just sat there and soaked up all the warm goodness. Ahhhhh. It was delightful.  The puppies enjoyed the sunbeams as well.  It made for a wonderful Monday Puppy Picture day! What made puppy picture day even better was that my younger daughter became the official photographer du jour and helped Mr. Yesteryear Acres take the puppy pictures so I could put my leg up.  I have to say - they did an AWESOME job.

Here are this week's pictures of cuteness!

Dear Santa.......

Dreaming of a White Christmas

I am ready for some cuddle time!

Olive wants to help!

Is it my turn yet?

No it is my turn ...see?

Look at me! I am a BIG Puppy!!!!

Okay maybe not!  

Hope you enjoyed this Monday's puppy cuteness!!!!  I know we did!!!!

The Making of a Dinner

I love to cook.  I mean I really love to cook.  We rarely go out to eat at restaurants, don't do fast foods or convenience foods.  We love food from scratch right down to homemade bread. So of course when I broke my ankle our immediate thought here at Yesteryear Acres was...WHAT WILL WE DO FOR DINNER?  The first few nights after I broke my ankle, Mr. Yesteryear Acres made some fabulous dishes. He is really a great cook. He wishes he could cook more but he has so many chores to do that cooking isn't a top priority. Doggies and puppies definitely come first.  Our sweet neighbor and my mom also brought some food over which was ever so appreciated.  We probably could continue with that routine but OH MAN - I can't stay out of the kitchen!  Mr. Yesteryear Acres missed my cooking. My son missed my cooking.  I missed my own cooking. So there was no alternative except to be creative and start cooking.  Even though I have to cook balanced on one leg - cooking is happening.  It. Just. Takes. A. Very. Very. Very. Very. Very. Long. Time.  As in the things I can do in 30 minutes -now take 90 minutes.  I am literally sweating from the enormous output of extra effort by the time the food reaches the table. Yet...... it is all worth it.  It just takes a little bit of ingenuity. For example - how to retrieve a saute pan from the cabinet. Hop/roll to cabinet. Open cabinet doors.  Take out saute pan. Put on stool. Hop/roll two steps.  Reach behind me.  Grab saute pan. Stretch out as far as I can, precariously balancing on one foot, place saute pan on counter. Hop/roll 4 steps.  Reach behind me. Grab saute pan.  Stretch out and place or perhaps toss saute pan to sink counter. Hop/roll another 3-4 steps. Reach behind me. Grab Saute pan. Stretch on tiptoe of one balanced foot and put saute pan on burner. Feel proud.  Then think..... I need butter. Hop/roll to refrigerator. Open refrig without knocking myself over. Grab butter. Put butter on counter.  Repeat the counter/sink/stove steps. Get to stove. Feel PROUD AGAIN!  Think .... I forgot a knife. I need an onion. I need the apples. The noodles are in the bottom cabinet. The pasta pot is still in the pot cabinet.  I need water. ACK! I am sure you can see where the 90 minutes goes! In the end, it is all worth it.  What did I prepare? A passion fruit glazed pork tenderloin on a bed of stuffing made with fresh squeezed orange juice, orange segments, passion fruit, cherries and caramelized onions. Yes. I roll like that!

Mr. Yesteryear Acres on the Road

Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I were up at the crack of dawn this morning getting our sweet puppies ready for their big road trip out east.  When we originally chose this date to deliver our puppies, it was a perfect plan. We were finally going to see our very first Army vs. Navy football game.  We were going to see our older daughter run the game ball onto the field.  We were going to hang out with our midmom and middad friends at the game and go out to a big celebration dinner after the game.  It was a perfect plan. I had been so looking forward to it as this is the very last game my daughter will attend as a midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy. Of course, sadly, all those plans changed when I decided to take the doggies outside, in the rain, and then "throw" myself down the embankment and break my leg/ankle. ARGH!  I was really sad this morning as Mr. Yesteryear Acres loaded the puppies into the puppy mobile. I think he was a little sad too.  We had promised to deliver the puppies when we made plans to go to the Army vs. Navy game. We are always happy to spread a little puppy cheer when we travel to Annapolis.  Just because I could no longer travel wasn't a reason to cancel on everyone else's happy day.  Despite the fact that we would no longer get to see our daughter, or attend the big game, or spend some time together on the road, Mr. Yesteryear Acres left as the sun was rising with a bunch of tail-wagging puppies and headed east. Once he was on the road, I was really glad that he could still bring some puppy love to the new puppy families. I knew that today would be an awesome day for them AND for the sweet puppies.  It looks like it will be late this evening before Mr. Yesteryear Acres returns.  The drive is taking longer than he thought, but the puppies are now with their new families soaking up all that love. I know they are bringing some big smiles to everyone today!!!!  My smile will be here tonight......I can't wait for Mr. Yesteryear Acres to get back home. See you soon sweetie!

Ball Run

My daughter's company at the Naval Academy is given the arduous task of running the game ball to the field.  Tomorrow marks the big ARMY vs. NAVY football game and of course, everyone here at Yesteryear Acres is chanting, "GO NAVY!"  13th Company has always been in charge of the ball run and the firsties (senior class) get the honor of running the ball onto the field. The midshipmen of 13th Company left The United States Naval Academy earlier today and have over 100 miles to run before they make it to the stadium.  My daughter texted me to let me know she was one of the midshipmen holding the sign so I would be sure to see her.  Part of the run will be filmed for "A Game of Honor" special that is airing on TV. I already have my DVR set to record the big show!  I am so sad to be stuck at home with a broken ankle missing all the festivities.  I have a couple of midmom friends who are busy taking pictures for me in my absence.  I feel lucky to have such awesome friends.  If anyone sees a particularly cute looking mid named Abigail - take a picture for me!  Her mom misses her!  Run Abigail run!  See you on TV tomorrow!  GO NAVY!

Why Look.......It's Olive!

My son's chocolate labradoodle Olive has recently learned a new trick.  My son of course thinks this trick is hilarious.  My son of course thinks his Olive doodle doggie is the smartest doggie in the entire world.  My son is praising Olive for her brand new, let's do this again and again, trick. What is Olive's new trick? Opening doors. Yes, Olive can open doors.  You are probably thinking, "OH WOW! That is an awesome trick!" Well you are wrong.  Do you know why you are wrong?  Let me share.  Let's say you are.....going to the bathroom. Alone. In peace and quiet.  Maybe you want to read the latest People Magazine. Maybe you just want to go to the bathroom.  Next thing you know, "Why Look.....It's Olive!"  Let's say you are in the SHOWER. Alone. In peace and quiet. For the small infinitesimal part of life you can call your very own. Next thing you know, "Why  Look......It's Olive!"  Isn't that lovely.  She is sticking her head through the shower curtain just to say hi! Working in the kitchen, with the door closed - yes there is Olive.  Closing up the play area for the puppies - why thank you Olive.  I really DID want to leave the door open so the puppies could romp EVERYWHERE!  Yes, I see.  I see you playing with ALL the puppies. Yes, that looks like fun. Gee, thanks Olive. Olive is now opening the porch door for me. The back door. The kitchen door. I spend my day saying, "Why Look....It's Olive!"  In case you think that you got ALL your laughs in.....let me share one more sweet enduring Olive story.  This morning I was sleeping because it was 6:00am.  I like to be asleep at 6:00am.  I think all creatures great and small should still be asleep at 6:00am. So there I am sound asleep which given my broken leg is a blessing when all of the sudden...... L I C K!  RIGHT ON THE FACE! WHY LOOK........It's OLIVE!!!!!!  She opened the door to our bedroom just to say good morning. Next up --- teaching Olive to NOT open the doors.  That is the trick to learn!

December 7th.....Lest We Forget

It would be horrifying for anyone from our younger generation to think that someday the tragedies that occurred on 9/11 would simply fade into the distance. A mere footnote in American History. 9/11 is so deeply burned into our memories as one of the saddest days America has ever faced. 70 years ago, our country faced a similar horrifying tragedy when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Thousands of Americans died a brutal and torturous death. Today is likely to be the last time the survivors of Pearl Harbor will gather together to remember the events of December 7th.  Most of our soldiers from that day have passed away. Even though our soldiers and civilians who lived through Pearl Harbor might not be with us, it is important to honor them and to never forget the events of that day. It is up to us to never let that day fade away. It is up to us to always remember... Freedom is Never Free. Every day leading up to the events of Pearl Harbor and every day since, our soldiers have been giving up their freedoms, their comforts, their homes, their families and their lives to keep America free. To those who lost their lives on December 7, 1941, to those who are still with us today, to those family members they left behind - we thank you.  We remember you, we honor you and we thank you.  Your service to our country will never be forgotten.

The Rain Belt

I know everyone is familiar with Tornado Alley, the corn belt, the snow belt, and even the rust belt but did you know that here, right here, at good ole Yesteryear Acres is....the RAIN BELT?! ARGH!  It rains every day here!  We have had an official 3.14 INCHES of rain for the month of December and it is only the 6th day of the month! We had the wettest November, the wettest October, the wettest September.  Why don't they just say it will rain EVERY DAY so we stop hoping for it to dry out??? I mean it it weren't the WETTEST November - I definitely wouldn't have fallen down the evil treacherous mudslide out my back door and broken my ankle! If we didn't have 3+ inches of rain so far, I wouldn't have finally CRAWLED up the stairs last night and get all the way to my bed only to find that yet another leak has sprung in our roof, flooding our bed once again. sigh.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres has to go repair all the slate around the chimney and fix the roof (again) if it ever dries out enough for him to climb up there.  I couldn't even believe it when our bed was soaked last night.  I mean it just won't stop raining.  I am actually used to the dogs dripping everywhere. If I saw a dry dog - I don't know what I would do! I might have to stop and think, just what kind of breed IS this fluffy cute doggie??? Mine all look like wet mops. The dogs almost dry out before it is time to go outside and become soaked all over again. And can I say that crutches and mud soaked ground are not friends! My crutches just sink and sink and sink as if I am in quicksand.  ARGH!  At this point, I will take a torrential snowstorm!  Anything but the never ending rain! Can someone please turn off the faucet??? I have run out of towels. Thank you.

It's Monday.......PUPPY PICTURE TIME!

So I am totally back on track and got the little puppy pictures taken and published to the website on time! Monday means Puppy Picture time and this Monday is no exception. YEA!  Nothing like crossing something off your list to make you smile.  Also it doesn't hurt that you have to spend your day looking at cute puppies in order to cross the item off your list.  Here are today's new puppy pictures.....

Our new little Goldendoodle babies

Who can resist a cute pile of puppies?!

Our Labradoodle puppies said, "We are a cute pile of puppies too!"

We had the basket on its side - and they all crawled in.  We couldn't resist taking a few cute pictures of them.  A Basket of Puppy Love!

Future Top Model Doodle!

Happy Monday!

Be Joyous

You know what is great about puppies and doggies?  They are always happy.  I think that is the very best part about raising puppies for a living.  Puppies and doggies never complain. Puppies and doggies are ALWAYS glad to see you.  Even if you were to leave a room merely 10 minutes before and then walk back in - they will almost throw you a homecoming party they are so excited.  It is always, "OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY! YOU CAME BACK!" I have never seen a single one of my puppies have a bad day.  I have never heard one complaint from any of my doggies.  They are always grateful. They are always happy.  When I feed my doggies a plain old bowl of dry dog food - they thank me as if it is Christmas morning. Everything brings them joy.  Each day I bring out a new toy for the puppies.  We have a HUGE box of puppy toys and every single day, I rotate a new toy into their play area.  Today it was a rubber octopus.  Oh my!  The joy that little red octopus brought to their morning was palpable.  I am always surrounded by many doggies when I go to "the box" - they can't wait to see what the toy of the day will be. The big doggies get "new" toys as well.  Some are so well loved, they really need to go to the big doggie toy box in the sky - but of course - those are their VERY favorites.  A trunk missing elephant, a 2 legged zebra, a headless puppy blankie - pure bliss.  I love being surrounded by happy grateful doggies and puppies.  Humans could learn a lot from them.  Cherish what you have.  Be grateful for what you are given. Never miss an opportunity to romp around outdoors and enjoy Nature's beauty. And most importantly - Wag your tails often!

WOW! What an accomplishment!

My list of accomplishments today is staggering.  Mind Boggling.  The feats that I have accomplished can NOT be completed by a mere mortal.  It definitely takes a super human to do what I have done in just one day. What monumental Herculean  tasks did I accomplish???? What dazzling unbelievable astonishing accomplishments did I cross off my list today??? Why let me share ...
First ......(drum roll please)....... I GOT DRESSED.  OH! WOW! OH MY! And to make this feat even more impressive - I got dressed ALL BY MYSELF! I know. I know.  Brings tears to your eyes.  I dug out yet another fabulous sundress because if December doesn't say "sundress weather", I don't know what does.  I ended up putting the sundress over a turtleneck to really make my fashion statement come alive.  I am just all that.  I didn't stop there though - oh no - I also emptied the dishwasher! Again... ALL BY MYSELF. As women everywhere can attest, dishwasher emptying is something so incredibly difficult that men everywhere find it almost impossible to accomplish.  Thankfully, I was able to complete this task and then LOAD the dishwasher.  "GASP!" I told you my accomplishments were staggering! In addition, I let the dogs out AND back in. I made the bed. I folded a load of laundry. I scrubbed the sinks. I answered emails. I cleaned out the refrigerator. AND I MADE DINNER! Now that is impressive!!!! So what shall I do tonight to top this amazing list of accomplishments????? Sit in my chair, put my leg up and NOT MOVE ALL EVENING! And that.........might be the hardest task of all!

Triceps of Steel

So evidently I am not the most coordinated person of balance and grace.  Some of you might have surmised that from my harrowing fall down what some might refer to as the "TREACHEROUS CLIFF" - while others, particularly Mr. Yesteryear Acres, might refer to it as "the backyard". It all depends on your perspective.  I mean, technically, YES, I did fall in my own backyard. Technically, yes, it a gentle grass covered ever so slight incline. BUT when my kids were little - they could SLED down that "gentle grass covered incline" and scream with glee so really I am thinking that the Olympic committee just might be scoping out our backyard for upcoming ski events! In any event - I slipped on the muddy wet grass and broke my ankle.  Perhaps this should have prepared me for the obvious impossible obstacle that I would face in CLIMBING UP the stairs. EGAD! First of all - crutches are really not that helpful.  I mean you have to put your crutches on the bottom step and then balance ALL your weight on 2 tiny aluminum sticks and HURL yourself to the next step up.  Right there - you can see - this is doomed for failure. In my attempts to climb the stairs the other night, I put my crutches down on the floor all the while keeping my casted leg (which weighs like 50 POUNDS) elevated. I then balanced all my weight and "hopped" to the next step up.  So far so good.  I repeated this as many times as I could before I was huffing and puffing and pretty much exhausted.  I looked back over my shoulder expecting to see that I was at the top of Mount Olympus only to find I had merely hopped up 4 steps. ACK! On my next attempt, I lost control of one of the crutches. The weight of my casted leg which I was holding up in mid-air behind me tried to yank me back down the steps. I narrowly missed total catastrophe.  In a total reflex motion, I did put my bad leg down to keep from hurtling down the stairs which, well, did not feel good. The second I did that I could hear the surgeon saying, "DO NOT PUT WEIGHT ON THAT LEG UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES". Argh! So I have a new method of getting up the stairs. I am now a toddler and I have to sit on the step. Then I have to put my arms behind me on the next step up and push off with my good leg and lift myself up to the step behind me. It isn't pretty, but it is effective. I can hold my 50lb casted leg in the air, push off with my now new TRICEPS OF STEEL, and hoist my very heavy body up the stairs one by one. When I finally get to the top, I am ready for a nap. Since I have mastered the graceful art of stair climbing, tomorrow I shall tackle the elusive, "Leash Training A Puppy".... from a knee walker.  Stay tuned. It is sure to be riveting!

Live from the Cold Stone Steps

The Blog title kind of sounds like a rock band doesn't it? Instead it is actually the REALLY COLD STONE STEPS. After much maneuvering and hobbling, I made it out the door and onto our stone steps that lead to the porch. Today is the much overdue PUPPY PICTURE DAY so I had to get outside to get some cute pictures of the puppies.  I don't have the stamina to stand on one foot for endless hours so I had to sit on the steps. Can I say the steps are REALLY REALLY REALLY COLD!?!!  I have to wear a dress of all things because my pants won't fit over my gigantic cast.  I do not own any winter dresses so I am stuck wearing a sundress and a fleece sweatshirt. OH MY. I am a vision! I have on a tank-style sundress and over it is a button down fleece shirt. I am STILL cold - well because it is DECEMBER and I am wearing a sundress so to complete my awesome outfit, I am sporting a long black and grey striped legwarmer on my good leg to help keep it warm.  I tell you - I should be on America's Top Model right now.  I am sure this will be all the fashion craze in the spring! So anyway, I made it outside and plopped down onto the frigid stone step and attempted to take some pictures of the puppies.  I can't say it was my best effort but I did get it done.

"Come here puppies and sit for the camera while I take your pictures."

Do not pay any attention to the GIGANTIC FOOT! This will make for a GREAT PHOTO SHOOT! I just know it!

Noooo puppies do not climb onto my knee scooter for the pictures!

Noooo puppy do not gnaw on the brake line to my scooter!

Noooo puppy do not chase Mr. Yesteryear Acres

Well - she didn't say cheese - but she did sit for the picture!

And for everyone who thought MAYBE just MAYBE I lost my touch

I can still hop and sneak up on sleepy little baby puppies and click off a few good shots before they even know they said "cheese"

Awwwwww so cute!!!!