YUMMY COOKIES!

When my middle son was recovering from his battle from cancer (which he won!) he started to research the effects of diet on the bodies well being.  He spent many hours on line reading articles and watching documentaries about food and nutrition.  An amazing undertaking for anyone going through chemo treatments never mind a 16 year old boy.  I've said it before and I will say it again he is my hero!  Well after all his research he decided he was going to live a Vegan lifestyle.  I had heard of this before but I certainly didn't know enough about it to start making meals for him.  So I did a lot of research also.  I read the articles my son found and and watched the documentaries he discovered.  I found out that vegans eat no meat, fish, dairy,eggs,white sugar,honey, and marshmallow.  Phew!  This wasn't going to be easy.  But the more I read the more I was determined to go this route.  So my son and I became vegan.  My other two boys haven't but  because I no longer cook meat (except on special birthday requests or bar-b-ques for their friends) they eat a lot healthier also.  It's still difficult to come up with meal ideas but thanks to the ever growing popularity of eating healthy there are many websites with wonderful vegan recipes on them.  So whenever I discover one of them I thought I would share it with you.  As a matter of fact I'm going to make every Sunday vegan recipe share day!  If you have any great vegan recipes that you would like to share please do!  Todays' recipe is for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.  It's very simple and takes only 6 ingredients!

Yup only 6 oatmeal, cinnamon, salt, bananas,applesauce,and raisins.  Most people always have these ingredients in their kitchen.  In a medium bowl combine 11/2 cup oatmeal,2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. salt.  In a separate bowl mash 2 bananas and stir in 1/2 cup applesauce.  Put the wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Add 1/2 cup raisins and mix.  Drop by big spoonfuls on parchment lined cookie sheets.

 I made them big so they would be like a breakfast cookie,  You could make them smaller for a snack size.  Then put them in a 350 oven for 25 minutes.  When they come out you have a delicious healthy breakfast cookie.  Everyone loved them including the non-vegans!

  You could substitute the raisins for any dried fruit.  Cranberries would be delicious!  I got this easy recipe here www.glowkitchen.com.  There are a lot of great recipes here.  So take a look and see if you find something for your family.  Enjoy!!

Missing

I'm feeling a little blue today.  I always miss my mom but sometimes it hits me like a brick wall and stops me in my tracks.  It happened to me today at work.  A friend of mine (a dear woman who is about the age of my mom) was telling me about her sister who is sick in the hospital.  She has been very ill for over a year and last week she fell and broke her hip.  It's all very sad.  She was telling me how her sister said she was tired and felt like it was time for her to go.  My friend said she loves her sister very much but she doesn't want her to suffer anymore and if she was ready to go she wanted her to go in peace.  I sat there and cried for what she was going through and for how it made me remember the last days of my mom.  My mom made the same statement to me just days before she passed.  She said honey I can't do this anymore I just want to die.  I will never ever forget my mom saying that to me.  It was the saddest hardest day of my life.  About an hour ago I started looking at pictures of happy times to try to cheer up.  I wanted to remember good things.  Then I thought I would share them with you.

  My sweet dog Charlie.  He always makes me happy.

 I love it when he smiles at me.

My sweet kitty Zelda.

Most importantly my wonderful boys and my amazing dad (my oldest son wasn't with us at the time but he is equally wonderful).  Look at these guys I am truly blessed.  I know your watching over us mom I love you.

Another First

Yesterday I experienced another first without my mom event.  It was my birthday and for the first time in 49 years she wasn't here to wish me happy birthday.  She always called me or came over at 11:31 am. the time I was born.  When I lived far away from her she would send me my card and presents and we would talk on the phone for over an hour.  She always made it feel like she was right there.  Later when I moved back near home to live we always spent my birthdays together.  Her and my dad would come over to my house with my card and presents.  Usually they would take me and my boys out to eat "where ever you want to go." they would say.  Then we would come home and have cake.  There was always a cake that my mom would either bake or by  in the store.  There was always pink flowers on it or a cute picture.  One year when I was about 14 or 15 my mom had the bakery decorate it with a picture of a girl with blond hair wearing a pink bikini.  "It's you!", my mom beamed when I saw it, "because your my little pink girl!"  She always made sure it had pink decorations on it.  While my dad was always there and smiling and wishing me a happy birthday too, it was my mom who pulled the whole event together.  This year as my birthday approached I knew it was going to be different and very difficult.  I wasn't going to make a big deal about it.  But about a week before my birthday my dad asked me what I would like to do on my birthday.  I thought for a minute then he suggested we all go up to Lake George, a place we all love.  I thought that would be a great idea.  I realized then that my dad needed something fun to look forward to as much as I did.  He is after all missing his wife of 54 years.  So yesterday my dad came over to pick me and the boys up( my oldest who has his own apartment came home to spend a long weekend with us, best birthday present ever!)  My  dad had a card for me in a bright pink envelope!  Inside was the cutest card, it had strawberry shortcake on the outside and when you open the card it says in a girls voice have a berry wonderful birthday from your friend strawberry shortcake.  I absolutely loved strawberry shortcake when I was little I had sheets and a bedspread with her on it.  I even had a lunchbox with her on it.  I was telling my dad this and he said "oh really?, well when I opened it I thought the voice sounded just like you and I just had to get it."  How cute is he?!  I love my card.  He also gave me some nice gift certificates to a few restaurants that I like.  So then we were off to Lake George.  The day was absolutely beautiful and sunny.  When we got there we walked around a litttle bit then got our tickets and got on the boat for a 2 and a half hour island cruise.

We saw some beautiful islands and summer homes on the cruise.

We really had a wonderful time!  After the cruise we strolled around a little more and found a nice place to eat outside.  After that it was time to head home.  I really had a beautiful day with my three boys and my dad.  The one thing I didn't have though was a cake.  The boys wanted to make me one but I said no guys I think I'll skip the cake this year.  They didn't push they understood.  My mom always got me my cake and I just couldn't bear to have one this year. Although I did feel her with us several times yesterday.   I know she was looking down saying "Happy Birthday my little pink girl!"  Between my boys and my wonderful dad and the watchful eye of my mom I felt truly blessed and loved yesterday.  You can't ask for a better birthday than  that.

VACATION!!!!!

I don't think there's any other word in the english language that sounds so wonderful.  Especially when you can say I am on vacation!  I am taking some of my vacation days now. I get three weeks(15 days) and 3 personal days.  I spend alot of time plotting and planning when I am going to take them.  They are very precious to me because they mean easy breezy carefree time with my children.  I will drag into work sick so I can save my personal days for summer vacation.  I mean after all I only have 18 days to play with.  So I need to use them wisely.  So I had the fourth off as a paid holiday then I used a few of my vacation days and together with my normal days off I'm off until the 11th!  Yeah!!!!
I have been very lucky with the weather everyday has been absolutely beautiful.  We are staying home and just enjoying being together.  This is how I spent one of my sunny days.

Sitting on my deck enjoying some quiet reading time as the day is just starting to wake up(and my boys are still sleeping) and the birds are chattering and singing.

After that strenuous activity I spent about an hour floating around on this.  While the boys slept on.  Yes they are teenagers and it is summer vacation after all.  I have to admit as much as I like jumping and splashing around in the pool with them it was nice to have some peaceful floaty time.

Next it was time to check out my garden it's really coming along great.  I counted 20 green tomatoes!  Finally the boys woke up and we enjoyed the rest of the beautiful sunny day outside together.  Yup vacation is definately one of my favorite words!!!!

Happy Fourth!!!!!!!!

I Love the Fourth of July!  I have my whole life.  I love everything about it,the red, white, and blue decorations.  The fireworks.  The parades, the picnics, the family time. I also love the fact that everyone around the country is celebrating the same thing at the same time.

Here's a picture from a few years ago of the fireworks we watched from our favorite spot. We didn't go there in 2010 because that was the year I was in the hospital with my middle son as he courageously battled cancer.  A battle that thank God he won.  Last year we were away staying in a beautiful little cabin in the woods for the week of the fourth.  It was my sons make a wish vacation.

It was our second time vacationing at this cabin.  The place is called Sheltered Lakes.  It's the most beautiful and peaceful place I have ever been to.  I would definately like to go back someday.  This year however we are home.  We will go to the same parade  that we have gone to in years past and go to our favorite place to see fireworks  But something will be very different.  My mom won't be there.  This is going to be our first fourth without her.  Like all of the firsts I have experienced this year it will be painful.  My mom like me loved the fourth.  We would sit next to each other at the parade and chit chat and gossip and laugh.  I will miss her so much today.  But I will think about the things that I do have.  My 81 year old dad who is healthy and strong and will be sitting next to me at the parade.  My three boys who are healthy, wonderful, loving boys who will also be sitting next to me.  So enjoy your family, watch a parade, see some fireworks, and listen to some music(it's mandatory to listeen to some Springsteen and Tom Petty in my house on the fourth!)and feel blessed for all you have.  

Pink Toes!!!!

Do you want to know what's making me happy right now?  The sight of my newly painted pink toes!!

To me it's not officially summer until I have painted my toes.  Put the patio furniture on the deck, take the pool cover off, paint my toes Ta-Da! Summer!!  My mom was always the same way she always had her toes painted in the summer.  I have some very happy childhood memories of the two of us sitting in the living room with pieces of tissue between each toe as she painted our toes.  Always Pink!  Always with polish that my mom had bought from our Avon lady.  (remember when everyone had an Avon lady come to their house?)  I don't paint my toes in the winter because here in upstate New York my toes are usually bundled under two pairs of socks.  My feet are always cold in the winter.  But in the summer I am usually barefoot or I am wearing flip-flops.  So a couple of days ago I went to my local K-mart and looked at the nail polish.  That simple act like so many things made me miss my mom so much I thought I was going to cry.  I almost didn't pick one out then on the bottom shelf I saw a bunch of nail polish for 67 cents!  And sitting there was this pretty bottle of pink polish.

So I bought it and that night as I sat in my room alone and painted my nails I thought of my mom and I smiled  and knew she was smiling with me and approved of the color that I picked out and I didn't feel alone at all.  That's why the sight of my pretty pink toes makes me smile.

same day

Sorry I hit publish then realized that I didn't include a picture of my garden. I'll get better at this I promise!

Sunny day

Today was a gorgeous day!!  There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

I got to enjoy some outdoor time before I had to go to work at 2:30.  I took the solar cover off the pool and enjoyed about an hour or so of pool fun with my youngest.  It was very hard to stop the fun and get out to get ready for work.  Oh well I guess we need food And electricity so I better go off to work each day huh?  My garden is coming along really well.  We had a couple of days of rain at the beginning of the week and now it's nice and sunny.  That makes for perfect growing weather!  I planted my garden a bit late this year.  I'm sure some of you are already enjoying veggies from your gardens.  I would to know what you all planted.  Drop me a note and tell me about your gardens.  I'll leave you with a picture of mine.  Talk to you soon!

Way Too Long!

I can't believe it's been four months since my last post.  The very reason I started this blog was the thing that was keeping me from writing in it.  I started it when I had recently lost my mom and I thought it would make me feel better to get my thoughts out at the end of the day.  However at the end of the day all I wanted to do was crawl into bed with a good book and forget the world.  I didn't really want to think about anything.  I guess I was going through a depression.  Thoughts of my mom were always there.  Good thoughts of wonderful times her and I spent together and horrible thoughts of her last few days when I sat by her bed and watched her suffer in pain and there was nothing I could do but hold her hand and tell her I loved.  As time marches on I am able to talk about her with my dad and my boys and even laugh at some of the funny things she used to do.  I know it's going to take a long time to heal but I think now I am ready to get back to my blog and remember that there are good things in everyday.  So please come back often.  I look forward to getting to know you!  Here's a couple of good things from our Sunday afternoon.

Valentines Day hearts

I know it's a little late to be making my valentines' post but I have been very busy.  I thought about just skipping it and talking about something else but I really want to share two things with you.  One is the heart shaped pizza I made for my boys for valentines' dinner!!

That's my youngest pointing out a big crust bubble.  I was so happy with how it came out!!!  My boys were pretty impressed too.  So now do you see why I just had to share this picture with you?  Even if it is four days late.  Now the second thing I want to share is  the day before valentines day I finally saw a movie that I have been wanting to see for quite a few months.  The Help!!!!!  My girlfriend and I both read the book and we were going to go see the movie when it was out in the theater, but we never got the chance.  Then my middle son gave me the dvd for Christmas.  It has taken my girlfriend and I this long to have a day free together so we could watch the movie.  She came over to my house and we had a nice lunch together then we settled in the family room and got comfy and enjoyed the movie.  We both liked it.  We were glad however that we read the book because some parts of the movie moved so fast and were confusing.  But overall we enjoyed it and had a wonderful time.  Lunch with a good friend and a good movie is a very good way to spend a day off!
I would like to leave you with an adorable picture of kitty Zelda.

 She truly knows how to live in the moment!!!!!!!!!!
 I have one more picture for you it's of my equally adorable dog Charlie.

This picture was actually taken yesterday for some reason I can't ever figure out how to set the date on my camera.  I know don't laugh I'm a little electronically inept.  My youngest always has to help me whenever I want to put a picture in my post!!  Oh well I will eventually learn!  Talk to you soon.  Enjoy your weekend!                                                    

Owls! Owls! Owls!

 As the title implies I want to share something about owls.  I LOVE them!!!!  I always have ever since I was little.  They are so beautiful with their gorgeous expressive eyes.  I started collecting all things owls when I was about nine years old.  Like anything that you like and collect once you let people know you will get that item in every shape, form and creation imaginable.  Which by the way is fine by me.  I have received owl knickknacks, stuffed animals, candles, windchimes, christmas ornaments, jewelry, and even a lamp.  I love each and every one of them.  I have also gathered a few at garage sales.  I thought you might enjoy a glimpse at some of my collection so I gathered them from around my house and took a picture for you.

The two tiny ones in the front started my collection.  They were given to me on my birthday by my mom.  Over the years as my collection has grown they have remained my favorite ones.  Even more so now.  I think of her every time I look at them.  She also gave me the stuffed owl to the right one year for Christmas.  The brown salt and pepper shakers in the front were hers.  She kindly gave them to me when I got my first house.  She was a wonderful mom.  I have so many wonderful memories.  

These two bright blue beauties are one of my garage sale finds.  They are candle holders!  Aren't they adorable.  Maybe you have to be a true owl lover to truly appreciate them.  Well I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into one of my favorite collections.  I would love for you to share your collections with me!!!!
Until next time OWL be seeing you!!  I know corny but I couldn't resist!

                                                       What a pretty day!!!!!

     It is a beautiful day today!!  It's about 45 and sunny.  We have had such great weather this winter.  I really don't like snow and cold so it's been the ideal winter.  I know for some people who really like the snow it hasn't been so nice.  Sorry.  But when I get up in the morning and don't have to shovel out my car to go to work it's a good day!!  It's also a good day today because my oldest sons' best friend is staying with us for a few days.  They have been friends since the eighth grade and have remained close even after he moved a few hours away.  He's really like another son to me.  He even calls me mom and sends me cards on mothers' day.  He gets along really well with my other two sons also.
     I work in retail as I have told you before and sometimes have crazy hours.  Well today is one of those crazy hour days.  I go into work tonight at 9:30 and I work until 6 in the morning!!  That sounds like fun doesn't it?  But wait it gets even better then I do the same thing on Sunday night Yeah!!!!!!  Oh well it does give me the days off to get things done around the house.  I'll go up to my dads' later today for a visit and bring him some of my homemade chili.  He loves chili and I make a pretty good vegetarian chili if I do say so myself.  I enjoy my visits with my dad.  We chat a little watch some T.V. and usually have a cup of coffee together.  It's comfortable and relaxing.  It always makes me feel good to be in the his house it makes me feel close to my mom.  I still painfully miss her.  I would just love one more of our mother daughter chats that we indulged in at least five times a day.  But I know she's watching over me and I will get to be with her again someday.
     You may wonder why I have named my blog fuzzydelicious.  Well fuzzy delicious is a something I came up with when my boys were little.  A favorite blanket was soft and fuzzy and cuddly.  I would say here is your fuzzy blankie when I took it fresh from the dryer.  They would snuggle in it and I would say isn't that a snuggly wonderful blanket it's fuzzy delicious!!  The boys loved that they would giggle and say fuzzy delicious!!!  So other things got the name stuffed animals, socks, jammies.  Now years later we still use that saying.  Right now our kitten Zelda is a great example of fuzzy delicious.  So I thought I would share her sweet picture with you!!

     So enjoy and look for some fuzzy delicious moments in your life today!!!!! 
      

Hi!
Welcome to my second post!  As I said in my first post I have been wanting to start a blog for quite some time.  I have started it finally at a time when I am going through a very difficult time in my life.  I lost my mom recently.  She passed away on December 13th.  She had cancer for about ten years but never let it stop her from being an amazing mom and a wonderful grandmother.  She was my best friend.  We live across the road from each other and saw each other every day.  We also spoke on the phone at least twice a day.  My dad could never believe that we could have so much to say to each other.  We could talk for an hour about the birds we saw in our back yard! Just yesterday I went to the phone and picked it up to tell her something when it hit me all over again that she is no longer right across the road.  My dad is still there and now I call him every day and rattle on about things he probably has no interest in, but he patiently listens because he is a great dad and he misses her too.  My parents were married for 54 years and still loved each other very much.  So writing this blog is comforting for me right now.  It gives me something to look forward to at the end of a long hard day.  It's like coming home picking up the phone and telling my mom all about my day.  So thanks for listening!

My first post!!!

Hi!
Welcome to my very first post to my brand new blog.  I am so excited to get started.  I have wanted to start a blog for quite a long time.  The desire was there it has just been hard to eek out enough time to actually get it started.  Let me start by telling you a little something about myself.  I'm a single mom of three wonderful boys.  Well young men really, They are 21, 18, and 14.  I also live with a great lovable doggie, Charlie, who is really another child.  Charlie is 12 years old so he grew up with the boys.  In July we added to our family by adopting an adorable kittty named Zelda (yes the boys named her after the video game) She is a black and white tuxedo cat and I am hopelessly in love with her!!  In my spare time, which there is never enough of, I like to crochet and do other crafts.  I have always kept a journal so I feel that this is going to come quite naturally to me.  I do follow quite a few blogs and they always brighten my day when I finally sit down to relax in the evening and there is a new post on one of them to read.  Over time they feel like friends.  I hope that eventually my blog will be like that for someone else.  So please enjoy, come back often and tell a friend.  I'll be here!!