Second Choice Dream Home

This one didn't make it as the final choice either.  But I came really close to this one. . .simple construction.  A nice box.  Plenty of room.  But it didn't have the charm of the plan we finally settled on.

Look at that.  Nice wide front porch.  Spacious rooms.  So it only had 1 bathroom.  But that was a completely fixable issue.  I wanted to put a big 2-sided fireplace between the kitchen and dining room. . .except in my world it would have been kitchen and family room.  The space labelled for the parlor would have become my dining room.  Or I might even have flipped the rooms completely around--living room become dining room.  Dining room become kitchen.  kitchen become family room. Parlor would have been the formal living room with the piano (no fighting piano practicing and tv noise).

In the end this one didn't cut it for us either.  But I still think it's a pretty stellar plan.

The Home of Your Dreams

Or at least my dreams.

Go ahead.  Take a minute.  Really check it out.

You love it too, don't you?

It reminds me of the one from the movie "Father of the Bride," the one with Steve Martin.  When we first bought our land with the plans to build, I gave some real thought to this plan.  I would have updated it to make it fit today's expectations from a home. In the end, it just wasn't the right house for our property.  Still, I think it is a gorgeous home.

To see more homes like this, check out Antique Home: Vintage House Plans  You won't be disappointed.

True German Potato Salad

So often German potato salad, when made in the States, includes bacon.  But when our family visited a while back, they made a completely different German Potato Salad--one with cucumbers.  It was refreshing, not heavy.  So here's one to try although I admit the recipe is quite rough.

Cook potatoes, peel and cut into slices (perhaps 3 lbs of potatoes)

Peel 1-2 cucumbers, slice in half then slice thinly so you have half moons.  You can easily pull out the seeds as you go.

1/2 of a medium size onion, thinly sliced.

Now here's where it gets difficult.  The dressing is made of vegetable buillion (1-2 cubes in a cup of water.  Salt and pepper.  No, the recipe I was given doesn't tell how much.  Silly.  OK, I will guesstimate for you for the other, more crucial ingrediets.  Add a tablespoon or 2 of mustard, 1/4 c of vinegar, 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.  Mix together and pour over the potatoes, cucumbers and onions.

It really is delicious.

The Book of Love!

When I was a young teenager I was all into the music from the 1950s and 1960s.  I listened to this one over and over and over on the tape I made from the record.  And it's a good one!

I played this one for my kids the other night. . .even the youngest one couldn't help but dance.  Good stuff.

Pardon me. . .I'm a little busy right now. I picked up a Wanted Man

I sure did.  The latest Jack Reacher novel that is.  And it is amazing.  Just like I knew it would be.  I have such a hard time reading it though.  Because I absolutely love Jack Reacher. And when I finish reading this one, I'll have to wait a long time for another novel to be released.  Painful.

This is the 17th novel in the series. That's a lot of Reacher stories.  Some novel series get old after a while.

Not Jack.  Never.  He is 6 foot 5 inches.  Former Army MP.  He's traveling across the United States just to see it.  No set plan.  No set address.  And he always finds trouble.  He's one of the good guys but he sure might not look like it at a glance.  He rights wrongs.  He takes care of those who cannot take care of themselves.

He's the man.

Reacher.

Get it. A Wanted Man by Lee Child

Kiss an Angel Good Morning. . .

 Heard this one in the car yesterday afternoon.  It was a gorgeous sunny day and this song just took me back in time~~back to my days as a little girl listening to the radio with my dad, sitting in the car while my mom and sister went into Kmart to pick up a few things.  I decided I'd have to share it with all of you.  Enjoy!

Two for One Special

I love Herb Alpert.

I love the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy.

So when you watch this one you'll get to experience two of my favorites mixed together!