2013 Christmas

Cookie Decorating Party in the Rowan Branch
Cookie Decorating Party in the Rowan Branch
Add the decoration's and let's eat!
Add the decoration’s and let’s eat!
Two the great staff of Rowan Branch: Nora and Quin.
Two the great staff of Rowan Branch: Nora and Quin.
Nora, Harriet and Phylis's daughter, Beneigh.
Nora, Harriet and Phylis’s daughter, Benet.
Opening Laurel and marks' HUGE treasure trove of goodies. Ruth was nice enough to share the tapenade!
Opening Laurel and Marks’ HUGE treasure trove of goodies. Ruth was nice enough to share the tapenade!
PJ's from the Micheal Hustons' . . .
PJ’s from the Micheal Hustons’ . . .
. . . just the right size!
. . . just the right size!
Red headed woodpecker . . .
Red headed woodpecker . . .
 . . . singing it's song!
. . . singing it’s song!
Charles with his sous chef Emma. This is as close as she got to the ham! Nice glowing, electric earrings she gave Charles for  Christmas!
Charles with his sous chef Emma. This is as close as she got to the ham! Nice glowing, electric earrings she gave Charles for Christmas!
Ham, potato gratin, salad, bread sticks, stuffed apples followed by pecan pie with caramel vanilla ice cream made on the spot! YUM!!!!
Ham, potato gratin, salad, bread sticks, stuffed apples followed by pecan pie with caramel vanilla ice cream made on the spot! YUM!!!!
After the big feed, everybody full (except for Daisy of course), happy, content and thankful for another year together.
After the big feed, everybody full (except for Daisy of course), happy, content and thankful for another year together.
Just a short 11 hours later it was time for breakfast in the Rowan Branch!
Just a short 11 hours later it was time for breakfast in the Rowan Branch!
8:30am and all set for a ride around DSM!
8:30am and all set for a ride around DSM!
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Always ready for a big day after a SRP hearty breakfast!
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On Thursday night Quin and her husband Qui hosted a traditional Chinese dinner. We know their daughter Wennie from MSN where she attends college.
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A GREAT dinner including fish, pork, beef, shrimp and duck dishes. All eaten with chopsticks! A really fun evening.
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At our Friday Night Martini party David brought over his new “disco light” ice crusher . . .
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. . . that produced the perfect chunk size for the perfect martini!
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Let the party begin!
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Besides Quin’s amuse-bouche of leftover dumplings sauteed lightly in a pan, the main course for tonight’s party was the treasure trove of goodies provided by Mark and Laurel.
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Pass the plate!
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Yummy Chinese dumplings with duck sauce,
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After a long holiday season . . . time for a second martini!
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Cheese course!
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Dessert course provided by Quin. Daisy was VERY interested.
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Something for everyone’s taste!
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After a long night of partying a couple of the girls needed a little nap!

This blog brought to you by Farmhouse Woolens your one stop shop for all things woolen!

0381An unbiased, non-solicited endorsement. This really happened! "Recently I purchased several See-You Stuff satchels from Farmhouse Woolens not realizing how important they would become in my life! During a recent overnight with my wife, we had our morning coffee and my wife was about to have her usual 1/2 grapefruit. The kitchen knife in the drawer was not going to cut the tough grapefruit skin and as my wife struggled with the knife and grapefruit, I could see she was quickly sinking into Vitamin C withdrawal. I sat her down, propping her up, and ran to the bathroom where my See-Your-Stuff satchel was resting. Through the, full width, high quality, optical pure, vinyl front, I IMMEDIATELY spied my traveling ChefsMate knife, complete with 3.5 inch serrated blade and homemade wooden sheath. I quickly retrieved the knife from the bag and raced back to the kitchen, quicky slicing open the grapefruit and squeezing the juice into my wife's open, gaping, drooling, mouth,. Luckily the first signs of scurvy had not yet appeared and all is now good. All because of the easy access to my knife in the See-Your-Stuff!"  signed, RescueRick An unbiased, non-solicited endorsement. This really happened!

“Recently I purchased several See-You Stuff satchels from Farmhouse Woolens not realizing how important they would become in my life! During a recent overnight with my wife, we had our morning coffee and my wife was about to have her usual 1/2 grapefruit. The kitchen knife in the drawer was not going to cut the tough grapefruit skin and as my wife struggled with the knife and grapefruit, I could see she was quickly sinking into Vitamin C withdrawal. I sat her down, propping her up, and ran to the bathroom where my See-Your-Stuff satchel was resting. Through the full width, high quality, optical pure, vinyl front, I IMMEDIATELY spied my traveling ChefsMate knife, complete with 3.5 inch serrated blade and homemade wooden sheath. I quickly retrieved the knife from the bag and raced back to the kitchen, quickly slicing open the grapefruit and squeezed the juice into my wife’s open, gaping, drooling, mouth. Luckily the first signs of scurvy had not yet appeared and all is now good. All because of the easy access to my knife in the See-Your-Stuff!”

signed, RescueRick

dell“On another adventure I was spending a leisurely afternoon sitting around the pool of my posh digs tapping out on my laptop the final chapter of my recent book that I feel will be the new modern novel. Suddenly the screen went black and “Critical Battery Level” flashed across the screen. I knew what it meant . . . the battery was dying and needed a fast charge. Problem was there was not enough juice to save the book on the hard drive and I was in danger of losing the entire book (no backup, of course!). I grabbed the laptop and made an OJ Simpson type dash to the elevator to get to my room where the computer charger was located. My luck, the elevator was being loaded with multiple senior citizens who have earned the right to move slow and would be stopping on every floor before reaching my 12th floor suite. The only choice I had was to dash up the stairs, two at a time, until I reached the 12 floor door to my penthouse and realized I had left the room key by the pool. A repeat of the adventure ensued as I raced back to get the key, all the while my computer beating a countdown beep to shutting off due to battery failure. I finally entered the room and went immediately to locate my recently purchased See-Your-Stuff satchel that contained all my chargers, wires and various electronic gadgets (plenty of room for it all because of the wide neck opening!) Through the full width, high quality, optical pure, vinyl front, I IMMEDIATELY spied my computer charger. As I attached the charger to the computer just as it made a final burp, I collapsed on the bed and realized I had just saved what will be the next greatest American novel. I owe it all to the easy charger access of my new See-Your Stuff satchel.”

signed, Rightin’ Rick