So. lets see.

The weekend.

A little bit of this.
A little bit of that.

Do you ever feel like a pin ball?

Bouncing from thing to thing. That's how I feel. Not in a bad way.
Just all over the place.

We went to Applebees for dinner on Friday night. It's been a long time since I had one of their Oriental Chicken Salads.
Long. Time. Say....ten years.

And it's different now.

Remember when it had a creamy white dressing.
Well.

It's brown and I actually felt like they forgot to dress it.

I guess that circus has left town.



Saturday Katie wanted to stay in her pajamas all day. I said she could.
She baked cookies by herself. Kind of. I played helicopter mom.


She changed for church. We have standards.


We went to the mall after church.

When I was young. The mall wasn't open on Saturday night.

I bought new dish towels and wash cloths on a whim. They are white and blue and yellow.
The fact that I don't have any clean wash cloths in the drawer may have influenced me.


I watched Picture Perfect with Jen Anniston and Jay Mohr. I always like this movie.
I especially like the princess watch part.


Sunday morning I awoke to a note from our friend Di. Her lovely mom slipped peacefully into the arms of the Lord
on Saturday. Please remember Di in your prayers at this sad time.

I cried as I wrote Di back in the morning.

My husband wonders about me.
It's hard for him to imagine feeling so deeply for ones friends.


***

Then there was basketball and play practice and the sag awards.

I didn't like the dresses at all. I think everyone is saving their best dresses for the Oscars. At least I hope so.



What do you think of this dress on 14 year old Hailee Steinfeld?

I like it. On her it works. She's a very sweet girl.
(True Grit)





Katie's beautiful cookies.

Do you know how many things there are to learn in making cookies?

Where the stuff is in the cupboards.
How to measure out brown sugar.
How to level off spoons and measuring cups.
How to pour into a tiny spoon.
How to mix stiff dough.
How to scoop out the right amount of dough.
How to place them on a pan.
How to work the timer.
How to clean up.


Yikes! That's just the things I can think of this morning.
Baking cookies wore me out.

But they turned out beautifully, didn't they?

Much better than the Curried Chicken I made for dinner.


Happy last day of January.
Winter is on the way out....well...except for the snow storm that is coming our way....
But it is light until 5:00 now...and that makes me hope.


Love you guys!

Encourage one another,
Donna

The favorite.

Art is in the eye of the beholder.
Somebody said.

And that somebody was really right.

I posted two church window pictures on Facebook on Thursday after
tromping around in the snow trying to capture this lovely old church.

All the comments fell under this picture.

Seemed to be the very favorite.















But this one was by far my favorite.


Isn't that weird? It makes me wonder.

I do not think I am right or you are wrong.

I just think it is interesting!






Here is the original edit. Bbw. (Before black and white)

Peek a boo.



*****

Does anyone watch Selling New York?

Talk about Fantasy Island!

I would like to be super rich so I could by an apartment in the sky that looks out over the Grace church steeple and a old rickety water tower. I would like to walk to the park on the corner and say hello to the Statue of Liberty.

That would be nice, wouldn't it?



I think I want to go to New York more than anywhere else.
The dream of New York has been percolating for a very long time in my pretty little head.

I think it was An Affair to Remember that started it all....and You've got Mail didn't help.


"Oh, it's nobody's fault but my own! I was looking up... it was the nearest thing to heaven! You were there... "



Could I possibly be disappointed in the city?
I don't think so.

Imagine the pictures!!!

Imagine the pastrami sandwich!


I'm going!




Photograph by Elliott Erwitt




Encourage one another,
Donna

Just got home from Starbucks.
A woman waiting for her drink recognized me and asked if I was Donna Boucher.

The darling gals behind the counter overheard our conversation...
and doodled on my cup ;o)




Thanks for saying 'hi', Rhonda!
It was really fun to meet you today!



Sorry about my breath.



*******





Wednesday night the 'accountant' sang this song on American Idol....and I wondered where I had heard it before...
the show played the original song in the background....and then I went looking for it on youtube.

i love youtube.





This song is haunting and sweet and a little pathetic....
but that doesn't stop me from liking it.



****

Now, nobody hired me....but....




Someone needs to wear this gorgeous Chanel haute couture dress to the Academy Awards.

I'm thinking Natalie Portman.....



Watch out Rachel Zoe.



****

My sister Janet was thrilled to have her puppy, Buddy, featured on Draw the Dog.


Buddy on Draw the Dog

Thank you Bruce and Jim for blessing Janet with this drawing!

Thank you Buddy, for being such a good boy and making Janet happy.



****












“The light spread out and where it touched the Darkness the Darkness disappeared. The light spread until the patch of Dark Thing had vanished, and there was only a gentle shining, and through the shining came the stars, clear and pure.”

—A Wrinkle in Time



Encourage one another,

Donna

Lately Ellen has been talking about this double dream hands guy....




Yesterday it was her birthday and her staff surprise her with a dance...




Now YOU TOO can learn the dance!

Hey! I think we need to learn this and dance it at Kurt and Marysa's wedding reception this summer!
No doubt Janet and her girls will be all over it ;o)
HAHAHA.


******

Words of wisdom.

Here is an actual text I sent Emma this week.

I was giving her a little motherly advice.



"Well next time just stick your fingers in your ears and say "lalalalala" over and over."


all. true.

Don't you wish you had a mother like me?




****


More fun with animated gifs.



Hi Cindy!




Make avatar


HT to www.picasion.com



Happy Snowing Thursday!
I'm looking forward to a great lunch with a friend...
and learning a new dance.

Hope your day is filled with laughter and love.


Encourage one another,
Donna

This was my healthy NFC champ game snack.

Pineapple Salsa, guacamole with garlic, and chips.
I measure it out and put it on a small plate to help me keep things in control.

It was satisfactory. I do not think I said, yum.

The guac was a little strong, the salsa was a little dry.

Do I have to do everything myself around here to get it done right???


****


I paid the sales tax for my business yesterday. All by myself. My friend AmyJ has helped me in years past...and this year
I determined that I could do it on my own. I think I did it right. Just waiting to see if the money comes out of my account one of these days.

These official government things always put me on edge.



*****


Last night I made delicious fat hamburgers for dinner. (Patrick's was skinny, mine was fat. We are truly Jack Sprat and his wife)
And in less than ten minutes of eating the burger my stomach started cramping.

Do you think it was just too rich for me?

Can you get sick instantly from a meal? Or was it the custard I ate after school with Katie?



*****


I announced on Facebook that I only needed six more 'fans' and I would reach 1000.
Throughout the day I acquired two new fans....and by the time I went to be two people decided to drop me.
I'm back to needing six fans.

How is that for humble pie?


***


Please pray for Di, her family and her dear mom.

Thank you!

Our friend Nancy's dad has been ill too. Could you please pray for him also?

Bless you.



Dear Jesus, Divine Physician and Healer of the Sick, we turn to You in this time of illness. O dearest Comforter of the troubled, alleviate our worry and sorrow with Your gentle love, and grant us the grace and strength to accept this burden. Dear God, we place our sick under Your care and humbly ask that You restore Your servant (N.) to health again. Above all, grant us the grace to acknowledge Your holy will and know that whatsoever You do, You do for the love of us. Amen.






Encourage one another and love one another like you mean it,
Donna


p.s. I see the comments are acting wonky today. sorry.
mine are disappearing too. I have no control over them....

Why I will never be a famous food blogger...and other exciting news.



Eating healthfully has forced....er...encouraged me to cook more. I'm a cooking fool.
I do not go to fast food restaurants. I do not drink pop. I think before I eat.

But that is not why I will not be a famous food blogger.

Here are the reasons why:

5. The burners on my stove are grungy and there is no hope for them.
4. My pans have stains and my counters are cheap.
3. I use cornflakes in recipes.
2. I am an average cook.
1. I am afraid of yeast



If you, too, would like to be an average cook like me, here is the recipe for David Letterman's mom's Hot Chicken Salad.

I liked it. A lot!

1 cup cooked rice
1 cup cooked diced chicken (I used a roasted chicken from the grocery store...half of it)
1 cup chopped celery
1 can cream of chicken soup ( from whole foods)
1/4 cup mayo
3/4 cup water chestnuts or almonds ( I used the water chestnuts and a few almonds)
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
Crushed cornflake crumbs
Butter (not)

Combine all of the ingredients except cornflakes in a bowl. Mix.
Pour into an 8 x 8 inch pan. Top with crushed cornflakes. Dot with butter. (I didn't)
Bake at 350 for 45 min.


I tell you this dish takes me back to the 70's and I love it for that.
Be sure to make it with the water chestnuts...I think they make the dish.

And while you are at it...get some whole water chestnuts and wrap bacon around them....make those delish
appetizers for your....




SUPERBOWL PARTY!!!!

Oh yeah! Packers are in the Super Bowl!

(Is it one word, or two?)


Our humble, young, patchwork team did it! They won!
They overcame some very huge obstacles this year and are going to the big show!~

Aaron Rogers, who was not even chosen for the Pro Bowl, has quietly become the best quarterback in the league.
Our team is deep with no-name but extremely talented guys! Very similar to the year we won the Superbowl in 1997.

Back then everybody knew Reggie and Brett.
Most people know Aaron and Clay.

The fun thing about the 2010 Packers is that most people don't really know anyone else.
(perhaps they know Woodson....perhaps they know Driver)

But what I'm trying to say. I think we are a team of hard players. Talented players.
A team with grit. A team with integrity.


It's good to be a Packer fan today!!!
Surprised.
And good.

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.
John Wooden

The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.
John Wooden

Go. Pack. Go.

At schools and businesses around the state, people were allowed to show their team spirit.

Katie and her cousin were so sweet to pose a little for me. It was zero degrees.
They did not want to do the second pose.

Guess the age difference between the girls!







On our way home, I found a great spot, high on a hill. It was ridiculously bright.




I loved every moment of it.


My hands turned to ice almost instantly.





You may think she is saying....GO PACK GO!

But she is not.

I have been informed that she is singing Hot and Cold.


Did I ever tell you that devastating story?

For Katie's birthday, the first year she was at Blessed Sacrament, she invited all the girls in her class to her party.
We had a karaoke party here at our house. They sang songs from High School Musical.
As a parting gift, Patrick and I burned a CD for each girl with some of Katie's favorite songs....only about six songs.

Soon thereafter I listened to the party CD. There on track number one was Katie Perry singing Hot and Cold....
and saying B*TCH as clear as can be.

Oh! Have mercy! I am just terrible about listening to the words!!!

How to win friends and influence people. NOT.

I was so embarrassed.

And then Katie mailed the thank you notes before I put stamps on half of them.

Yup. Great first impression.





Go Pack Go!

We have a dorky cheer. It's the dorkiest cheer in the NFL.

But it is our dorky cheer.




See ya on the Twitter and Facebook over the weekend...
Be back on Monday....I hope with SUPER news!!!


GO PACK GO!

Donna

Yesterday afternoon I paid bills at the kitchen table.



I couldn't resist a little still life.
Sunshine in January is rare. One must not waste a drop of sun.


So then I looked around the house for something else to shoot.



Meet my little Russian friend.




And then there is this happy little dude.
This little jack in the box was our children's toy.
Last month I sent Katie on a little hunt to find a toy to share with Asher.

She found this guy.




He is one happy guy. I love his face.


And then I realize that the two things I found to shoot.
both had faces.


I just can't help myself.


I like faces.



And I like .....



the Green Bay Packers.
The excitement is building.


The game against da Bears will be a classic.
Not since 1941 have the Packers and Bears met for the NFC championship.
(The Pack lost 33-14)

Here is a quote I found in Sports Illustrated yesterday about that 1941 showdown.

"Some seven tons of muscle and murderous intentions, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers,
await the opportunity of committing legal assault and battery on each other at Wrigley Field tomorrow afternoon.
Whenever those rivals get together, they never fool. They play for keeps."

~ Arthur Daley,
The New York Times
December 14, 1941

And so it will be on this Sunday.
The oldest rivalry in football.

Epic.

They play for keeps.



Go. Pack. Go!









Teamwork is what the Green Bay Packers were all about. They didn't do it for individual glory. They did it because they loved one another.
Vince Lombardi

I think Vince would like this team.




Encourage one another,
Donna

Home

sung by Jorge & Alexa Narvaez





HT to Ellen.
I saw this darling duo on her show yesterday afternoon and fell in love with this song and this sweet family.


******


I had to check out a little bit of American Idol last night. Season Ten. New judges.




Watch how Steven Tyler helped this dude out...



Very fun audition.


I have never heard the song before....it's a Ray Charles song.
Here is my favorite rendition...I found on youtube last night.
This is not Ray. It's Jimmy Barnes.





Two good songs for you...they both made me smile!


******

Because of the trees and the houses, the only place with a little light is in the middle of the street.

I'm kind of digging it ;o)








I'm gonna publish the blog and hope these two pictures show up.
Flickr is showing me mostly blank boxes with the nasty blue question marks this morning.

Oh! There they are!

How fun is Katie's lifted eyebrow in that second picture?


If you got a cool shot of that big moon last night, send me the link, I'd love to see it!


Encourage one another,
Donna

Guess my favorite part.

This may be super easy. May not.

But guess away :o)




(As you can see, I am making the most of our weather. I shall not be discouraged by the winter.)






Did anyone else see the 20/20 last night with Astronaut Mark Kelly?

It was heart warming and uplifting.

You can watch segments of the whole interview at 20/20


Mark Kelly talks with Diane Sawyer about Gabrielle Giffords

(I have a feeling they might re air this on Friday.)



***

I interviewed a wonderful photographer for The Pioneer Woman, her name is Kerianne Brown.
Go read it, right now! I promise you will love her and her stunning photography.

Stunning is probably the wrong word for such gentle, quiet, soft photography.
But it really is the most beautiful baby photography....


Here is Kerianne's blog address. She is taking a picture a day of her beautiful Will.
So much love. So much talent.

Kerianne Brown Blog



*****

One last thing.

Who should replace Regis?


I like Mark Consuelos and Anderson Cooper.

I do not like the idea of Bryant Gumble or Ryan Seacrest. at all.

Who do you think should get the job when Regis retires from LIVE in the late summer?



Encourage one another,
Donna

Waiting.
Waiting.
Waiting.

That is bowling with little children.

With adults. It's BAM. It's CRASH!

With little girls.

It's boom.
It's wait.
It's clunk.


It's really rather fun.

Do you bowl?
Did your daddy bowl?


Our dad bowled in a league in Elmhurst, Illinois for years. He bowled with his friend Bill.
I never really heard how well they bowled. (Nowadays, we are all about the scores.) Isn't it funny
that I do not remember hearing the scores or if they won? The bowling shirt, I remember very well. I remember the bowling shirts because they were very snazzy and said National Baking Co. on them...and we wore them to school as our art smocks!!!

I do remember a funny story of my father having something irritating one of his fingers and he went to see this doctor. His name was Dr. Sanchez and I think he was from Cuba. Dr. Sanchez told my dad to bowl with a different finger. This was highly amusing to my dad. Dr. Sanchez knew less about bowling than most people.

Dr. Sanchez also told me a funny thing once. too.

I went to him for my sports physical. Cheerleading.

He told me.

"Don't split yourself."

And I didn't.


How's that for a rabbit trail?

hehe

Happy Tuesday.


I just heard Regis announce that he will be retiring from Morning television this year.

Oh! Regis. What will I do without you to make me chuckle in the mornings....




Encourage one another,
Donna

In Which I share my opinions on fashion,
like I know anything at all.

But I have eye balls and opinions....so here you go :o)

First off. Ricky Gervaise was not funny. He can be extremely funny. Last night he was not.

Not surprisingly, Tina Fey and Steve Carrell were very funny. And that was about it.


Dress that caught my eye...



Nicole Kidman Urban. This sequined dress fit her perfectly. I like the teeny bow at her waist.




I wasn't sure at first....but this little hippie-ish number stole my heart.
It's sweet and unique and has a certain whimsy.

I like it very much.




Young Kaley Cocuo from The Big Bang (on the right in this picture) wore flouncy ruffles which are always my favorite look.
I like feminine over just about anything. When Kaley presented the Golden Globe to her cast mate, she jumped up and down with glee....and the dress floated in the prettiest way.

It was then I fell in love with this dress.



Her hair! That long pony tail is my favorite.
And her makeup. Perfect.


The beige/nude tones were representing....




But on Leighton Mester(sp) the color and style of her dress was just a disaster. She is almost disappearing before my eyes.

This is up for worst.



This is my very least favorite dress of the night. What is that thing on her shoulder? Yes. The shoulders. They had big, ugly pads and huge swathes of fabric. Ew. This is just not pretty or flattering at all. And it is wrinkled.

She is so beautiful and so slim....The dress is a mess.





The greens were striking! I like Catherine Zeta Jones' dress the best out of the green dresses.




Now look at this!



You look so beautiful! Love the pink and black. Love. This. Dress.




Oh Eva! How do you do it year after year? This petite woman always looks impeccable.

Looking Fabulous is the best revenge, sweetie!



But my favorite dress of the whole night was Emma Stone in Calvin Klein.




This color on her is fantastic.
I love the simplicity, the fit, the color and the sleeves and back.



That pretty, simple, back...with little train.


What do you think?
What dresses were your favorites?


Now I have to get out there and see the movies...the Academy Awards are up next!



A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.
Coco Chanel


Luv ya!
Donna

p.s. I did not take any of these pictures. They are from the internet.

My 52/2011 pictures are all going to be square. I think.


Katie had an early basketball game this morning. They tried really hard.
When Katie gets a foul called on her she has to spend the next three minutes fighting back tears.
What a girl.
Those pesky tears.


***

We can not wait for the Packers game tonight.
My hopes are up real high.

The Packers seem to have an 'A' game and a 'D' game.

pleasepleaseplease...bring the 'A' game tonight!!


Go Pack. GO!!!


****





Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.



Encourage one another,
Donna

The other day I made home made pudding. Actually it was only 1/2 home made.
I made it at home. The package came from the store.

I hate instant chocolate pudding. I love Cook & Serve pudding.

In fact, I like Cook & Serve pudding so much that I would serve it to guests.
(And I actually remember making it for my quilting group one afternoon ;o) (I really miss them.) I also made rice krispie treats for them. I am such a gourmet.)

I think I will look for a real recipe that does not use a box with words I can not pronounce.

But gosh. The Cook & Serve stuff is delicious with some milk on top.

So that picture. I took that picture of the pudding in the green bowl because PW is having a 'picture your food' contest this week and I like how the steam was floating up and there was sun and I'm always up for a photo challenge.

But look!

I am so bad at staging. I actually picked out a cute bowl. (Vintage Melamie)

But I need to place the bowl in a place with sufficient light and I am so tired of taking picture of everything on my brownish red wood table. My counter tops are not pretty. But I set it down and tried anyway.

And then.
And then there is the whole background thing.

I was mesmerized by the pretty bokeh and the floating steam....but as far as a food picture goes.

Flop.

As far as the steam goes....it is smiling at me.

Woot.


*****

Happy Friday!

Thanks for visiting Emma yesterday. She said she had 1000 visitors from my blog.
I never imagined so many would visit....and the comments that were left were great to read.
That is so nice of you.



Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:6


Always.
Donna.
Always.



Encourage one another,
Donna

Thank you all for being excited with me over the trip to San Francisco! I wish I could take you all along with me!
I will bring along my thinking cap and try super hard to absorb really great stuff that I can pass along!


Emma wrote a great blog post yesterday, I think many of you would like to read it. It is one of my favorites.

Heart vs. Mind

****


Patrick Jr. tweeted this yesterday;

Boucher1982

RT @wingoz: packers held opposition to single digits 6 times in the reg. season...last two times they did this, they won the super bowl

This made me very happy and excited and has gotten my hopes up.
Even with all of our injuries this year...could the Packers really be Super Bowl bound?

hopehopehopehope

It's so great to still be 'in' it!!!


*****


My Internet friend, Becky, interviewed me for her blog. Becky is the most positive, encouraging woman I know. She aways has a really kind and thoughtful comment to leave behind when she visits a blog. I have noticed her friendliness and enthusiasm all over the Internet. She is the best builder upper of people I know.

So. She has already said too many nice things about me in the interview....so I will send you over to read it, BUT you have to promise NOT to come back here and say something nice about me. Cause I can not handle any more nice things said to me.

Now....don't come back and say something mean either. Cause you know that that one mean comment will erase ten lovely comments. (Isn't that the sad truth.)

Becky chose the pictures for the interview. I was surprised to see what she liked. That was so fun.
And then I cried.

You will see why.


Anyway. Remember what I said. No more compliments for me.

Feel free to compliment someone else in the comments. That would be fun to read.


Life with Kaishon interviews me




Encourage one another,
Donna

About a month ago I got an email...
I almost deleted it.

It was an invitation to an Adobe Girls Photography Getaway in San Francisco in February.

Patrick and I did a little background googling to see if this was for real.

It seemed for real.

I wrote back the next day and asked for more details.
They wrote back.

Everything was free.
Gorgeous accommodations.
Teaching by a real Adobe pro. (Julieanne Kost is the Senior Digital Imaging Evangelist for Adobe)

How could it be?

How could I say no?

We will shoot all day Thursday and have a workshop on Friday morning.
Lightroom mostly. I have Lightroom but barely use it...so this will be so fun...and then I can pass along with I learn.
So many people I know love using Lightroom.

So I am heading back to San Francisco. Isn't that a kick?

The schedule is extremely tight so I asked if I could stay an extra night (my own expense) to visit with Patrick Jr.
(And anyone else who wants to come and visit. We can have coffee....or chai on Friday afternoon. There is a spectacular coffee shop in the Ferry building right across the street from the hotel we are staying at.)



Last time I did not get a sweet shot of the Golden Gate Bridge.



Sometimes there is just no stopping the car.




Hi girls.




Hi Di.

Remember this hill?

Yikes!


I'm shocked that I was invited. I suppose someone noticed I wrote tutorials for Ree and invited me due to that connection.
From the names I have seen of the other attendees....we are women bloggers who love to take pictures.

I am excited to learn new things and meet new people.

Wonder of Wonders.

San Francisco. Twice in one year.

Super fun!


Encourage one another,
Donna

p.s. Has anyone taken a class or read one of Julieanne Kost's books?
I hear she's fun!