Happy Momma Day to my wonderful mom in heaven.
Here are photos of my mom and dad, Annetta and Dwight Pelkin, and one with me in it.

Chard, garlic and olive oil

Our chard plants that survived the winter and are two years old had a growth spurt due to rain this April. The chard is Rainbow Chard which has stems in shocking chartreuse color, bold yellow, and brilliant red. The rest of the leaves are forest green.
Here are the stems ready to be cooked in 3 tablespoons of virgin olive oil and two cloves of chopped garlic.
After about 4 minutes of cooking stove top in a pan, add the rest of the chard leaves and cook a few minutes more.

Remember that a huge amount of chard cooks down very quickly to a small amount. Just sayin".
My husband made ham and white bean soup with leftover Easter ham we had frozen, including the large ham bone, and he added chard toward the end of cooking it, which was a tasty addition.
If you have not grown chard, it is easy to grow, doesn't require a lot of water or care, and one plant supplies a lot of leaves over the growing season. I plant six plants, for two people. In a temperate climate, like here in California, our chard continued growing all winter and the plants are now in their second spring and very productive.
Do you have any easy favorite ways to cook chard?

Honey don't let the skunk in

Skunk 02
Originally uploaded by StarWatcher307

Well yeah, last night at 8 pm I yelled to my husband "Don't let the skunk in!".

I heard the sliding glass door on the patio open and my husband talking quietly, and I knew he was feeding "our" skunk. I just don't want the skunk in the house.

The skunk is a young one and likes to clean up left over cat food, and yes, we give him his own too.

Aren't skunks BEAUTIFUL?

We live in a city of 50,000 and I think wild life has a hard time surviving in such a citified environment. Cars are dangerous for skunks and possums, plus where do they sleep in the daytime?

Probably in our blackberry jungle in the back yard.

Love ya, little skunk-y.

The Winner of my book is ...

Bells
Originally uploaded by Donald Macleod

Ring those bells as I announce the winner of the give away of a copy of my book "Scrapbook of Motherhood Firsts: Stories to Celebrate and Wisdom to Bless Moms."
The winner is Lori of Apple Grove Treasures.
You know the saying "the early bird gets the worms", well, Lori left the first comment and she gets the book (not the worms).
My book is a hardcover and has full color on each page, plus plenty of humor. We moms need to giggle often!

My book for moms giveaway

Here 'tis friends, my new book for moms is released and I am giving away one copy to a lucky commenter. To enter just leave me a comment.

It is titled "Scrapbook of Motherhood Firsts: Stories to Celebrate and Wisdom to Bless Moms"
 http://www.amazon.com/Scrapbook-Motherhood-Firsts-Stories-Celebrate/dp/0915547716/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334867178&sr=1-1
 and is written by me in California and two friends in Ohio and two in Texas. Can you believe we are online friends and have never met in person, all in one room?
We co-authors are Terra Hangen, Leslie Wilson, Trish Berg, Cathy Messecar and Karen Robbins.
We have a lot of fun together online and it shows in this book; one reviewer said reading it is like chatting with friends and sharing laughs and an occasional tear.
Lifeway Stores carry our book, and Amazon and Christianbook.com and lots of other stores.
Leave a comment here for a chance to win, and I will announce the winner on May 1.

Our Easter tulips for April 15

Ah, April 15, the cruel day for Americans, when our taxes are due. To lift our spirits here are our Easter tulips.

Joy on Wordless Wednesday

Joy
Originally uploaded by elycefeliz

One of my blog friends is facing a problem and I want to send her some joy.
Isn't it good how when we feel sad or broken someone in blogland will lift us up?