Happy International Coffee Day! Here are three coffee concoctions to help celebrate the day and usher in the season. Starbucks has some tricks up their sleeves and here is how you can get in on all their treats! Below is a list of Halloween beverages you won’t find on their menu. To unlock the true …
Category: Pop and Thistle
Sep 22 2022
Happy Fall
For the Chipmunk in My Yard I think he knows I’m alive, having come downThe three steps of the back porchAnd given me a good once over. All afternoonHe’s been moving back and forth,Gathering odd bits of walnut shells and twigs,While all about him the great fields tumbleTo the blades of the thresher. He’s luckyTo …
Sep 15 2022
How and Why to Roast Your Own Coffee Beans
If you appreciate the difference between Ethiopia, Sumatra, and Brazil, or if Juan Valdez has ever appeared to you in a dream, then you just might be a coffee lover. When you want good coffee, you have two options: shell out or do it yourself. If you are lucky enough to find a source for …
Sep 08 2022
Treat Yourself to an Unplugged Day
It’s difficult to imagine life before smartphones, but I’m fairly certain it existed. Now our attention spans are shorter, our mental faculties – memory in particular – have been dulled like a knife used to cut frozen spareribs, and we let strangers make our decisions for us when they review products we’re considering purchasing or …
Sep 04 2022
Pet Profile: The Loyal Chihuahua
You’ve probably seen people toting around tiny dogs with big poppy brown eyes. These dogs, called Chihuahuas, are one of the smallest dog breeds in the world. The Chihuahua first appeared in Mexico and does well in warmer climates. Of course, a doggy sweater can make one of these small dogs feel warm and cozy …
Sep 03 2022
Crafty Recipes: Paper Mache
I love, I mean LOVE, paper mache (aka papier-mâché) but unfortunately, my kids do not feel the same. For some reason, they act like paper mache paste is an acid that once it gets on their skin it will begin to burn. I’m not sure why this is, but the same kids that hate the feeling …
Aug 25 2022
When It’s Too Hot to Chew: Gazpacho
Beauty shall be edible or nothing. -Salvador Dalí Maybe you think of soup as something to eat on a cold winter’s day, served in a mug you can cling to with cold hands. Or perhaps you think of soup as an accompaniment to a sandwich, something cooked in a single pot of simmering leftovers. Think …
Aug 20 2022
Crochet Card Project: Hug in a Cup
A teacup greeting, with a delicious gift of tea tucked in every card!For birthdays, get well, Mother’s Day, friends, family. A great way to show how much you care!Linda ❤️ Supplies Yarn – Stitch Studio by Nicole Storybook Fanfare “Candy Crumble Pink” Size C hook Scrapbook paper featuring Tea Photo Corner Stickers 4 tiny buttons …
Aug 18 2022
August 18th Birthday Love: Moura Lympany
British concert pianist Dame Moura Lympany was born Mary Gertrude Johnstone today, August 18, 1916, in Saltash, Cornwall. She later took the stage name “Moura” as a Russian version of the name “Mary,” and the last name from her mother’s maiden name, “Limpenny.” She played her first concert at the age of twelve, playing the only …
Aug 17 2022
Lunch Box Blues
When my first child started school, I became aware that on an almost daily basis his lunchbox was still full at the end of the day. There might be a bite out of the sandwich, maybe a few grapes missing or a few carrots nibbled on but other than that I was basically unloading the …