Cranberry-Nut Bread - made with dried cranberries

1cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

zest of one orange

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup dried cranberries (craisins)

1/3 c fresh squeezed orange juice (from the lemon you zested)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside.

In a large bowl stir together the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, cranberrries and chopped nuts.

In small bowl beat eggs with a fork; stir in milk, orange zest and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Add the orange juice at this time.

Spread in loaf pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing - if you can wait that long.

11-11-11

Today is a special day - and a special time. When there all elevens in date or time - it is a time for fairies and angels to be about. Be watching for them. I am posting this at 11:11 a.m. - more fairies - the more the merrier. And two more times today we'll have a similar sequence of numbers - at 1:11 p.m. and again at 11:11 p.m., with 1:11 a.m. having already occurred while most of us were sleeping.

Today is a good day to begin something - elevens are a doorway into possibilities. They represent idealism, refinement of ideals, intuition, revelation, artistic and inventive genius. Now is the time to start on that new project, begin planning something big, or make majestic strides in an already planned activity. Write yourself a list of things you want to accomplish before the end of the year - there is time to accomplish much, with the help of 11-11-11 and you own fairies and angels.




And watch for fairies and spirits - they are all about and ready to help us in our endeavors. Do you often look at the clock at 11:11? Fairies and angels are about!! This sequence is a sign that there is a gateway of opportunity opening up - a doorway to possibilities. It is an opportunity for abundance of love in our world - let's all join hands and show love on this special day. And let's take some time for meditating, for we are about to accomplish great things!

Back from West Virginia

We had a wonderful two weeks in West Virginia visiting Rusty, Jamie and our newest grandson Donnie. The weather was wonderful - except for one or two rainy days, they live in a charming, big 100 year old house. I'm still not sure just how many rooms are in the house - but it is three stories tall - so there are lots. I do love old houses, and this one is a charmer.

We took driving tours, visited with Jamie's family, went out to eat, and - played with Donnie. He is the most charming little boy. Just 4 1/2 months old, he laughs and smiles all the time - I've never seen such a smiley baby.

Oh pictures - you want pictures? OK Remember - you did ask.

Donnie and Grampy, both wearing their logger shirts . . .

Donnie and Daddy . . .

And of course we had to take some pictures in his Santa suit for their Christmas card.

I had so much fun taking pictures of Donnie. We would pile up outfits and change him into a new outfit after we had taken a lot of pictures. He never complained one bit about all the clothes changing - and was smiling and happy all the time. He is so adorable.

It was hard to leave WV and come home - but we'll go back again, soon I hope, and hopefully they will get to come out for a visit in the summer.

Photos Taken By Ben

One day this summer we had a picnic at Ben's house - and he used my camera and took pictures of his cat, Zoe.

And Grammy had to take one picture of Ben . . .