Sad Days and Glad Days....Count Your Blessings

I love this photo because I remember well when I used to do this with my daddy.

These last couple of weeks have been unbelievable in a way. I just found out today that a good quilting friend who had a darling house and all of the energy and talent in the world has brain cancer and is in a bed away from her darling home, waiting. Last week I found out another dear sweet sweet friend who is just darling has been diagnosed with an inoperable cancer and is going to go through chemo therapy...I so pray for both of them that they will get the miricle that they need. Two other good quilting friends have been heavy on my heart with serious illness's and I just feel so sad. I have prayed everytime I think of one of them. It is hard not to just sit and pray all day long and to leave it to God to work. Do you know what I mean? I just want the best for those that I love. I am home and cleaning and sorting but have the time to sit and pray and think.
Thankfully it is sunny here and I will get to see some of my Grandkids soon and that makes me feel so much better. Little ones always have so much wisdom and so much love.
     The happy news for me is I finally found a sofa that I like...I got rid of one of my toile red and cream sofas and the other one will soon be on it's way out when I can find one I like that sort of goes with the Country French theme of the room.
I found a nice Christian thrift store that can use the things I am purging and it feels great.

Here is a closeup of the fabric which I love....my big chicken fit perfect in the corner of the sofas....very fun. Mel gave me a fabulous Paris pillow a couple of years ago and it is now on there too. I am going to get silk cream colored drapes I think for my window.

SA couple of weeks ago I did a hunt online for Fiestaware. I bought six sets from Macy's and I knew I could do better even though I bought them on sale. Hooray, I found a site that I could get two plates for the price of one plate at Macy's. I bought another twelve plates in all different colors.

Some of my dinner plates are in the dish washer....I just love pulling out the new dishes...the colors make me so happy and they aren't chipped like my old ones.
     I have been srpaying my plants for aphids today....boy they do love my yard! I wish I had more lady bugs coming to visit me. My poppies are in full swing as is my rose over my arbour and some of my beautiful purple lilacs...I just love seeing things bloom. Planted tomotoes and hope for a BIG crop for gazpacho which I adore...I think mine is the best!

I am ending this with a photo of Queen Elizabeth who I love when she smiles...and she seems to smile more and more. I guess that is the secret, we only have today so keep smiling friends...and count your many blessings.
OH one more photo of my friend Sandy....we usually split a huckleberry Milkshake when she comes to my retreat from Davis California...I am thankful for her and for huckleberries...they are delicious!

Come next year and you too can have a milkshake like this one!

I used to live next door to some wonderful people when I was five that I ate vbreakfast with each day. I told my Mother I was not hungry and I ran across the alley to Mrs. Foley's. They would fix me breakfast and listen to me when I sang. Roy, Bonnie and Ray Foley were in their late 70's and they laughed at everything I did and said. I loved it there naturally. I will never forget Mrs. Foley's delicious banana cake she made for her husband Roy. This hopefully will be a story quilt one day. That is one of the fondest memories I have as a child.

 

Mrs. Foley's BEST Banana Cake for Friends and Family

 

2  cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons butter,  room temp
• 2 tablespoons veg, oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg white
• 1 teaspoon REAL vanilla extract
• 4 large ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup whole milk
 Cream Cheese Frosting....
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon REAL vanilla
• 1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped  pecans

375°OVEN . Grease 8-inch square pan

 

Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Now Mix butter, oil, and sugar. Beat in eggs and egg white, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add REAL vanilla.

In new bowl, mash bananas with milk. Set aside.

Now mix in half of dry ingredients into butter mixture. Mix in bananas. Add the rest of the  dry ingredients. Pour cake batter into greased baking pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Now cool cake. 

Frosting....

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and vanilla. Reduce speed and gradually add powdered’ sugar.

Spread frosting on cake. Sprinkle with pecans.