Last Year's Winter Favorite

A few people are posting their Christmas card pictures. Here's mine! I took this picture last year after a hoar frost and snowfall. It was on my friend/neighbors light post. I thought it was so pretty. I'll be using it this year on a few homemade Christmas cards that I'll be sending.

Yummy Ginger Cookies

I baked these yesterday for the first time. They were so easy to do and made beautiful, uniform and delicious cookies. Perfect for those cookie swaps or gifts. The house smelled so yummy too!

Yummy Soft Ginger Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• pinch of all-spice
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water or orange juice
  
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup white sugar reserved for rolling dough.
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water, (or juice) and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the reserved sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly. (The dough is easier to handle if it is refrigerated for a while before rolling.)
   
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

I'm Really Not Kidding About the Starlings

This was my backyard yesterday! I don't like the starlings even in small numbers because they are loud and nasty birds, but in large numbers they are intolerable!

You would not have believed the mess on my yard, house and patio after they flew away. They are eating some kind of red berry and they red seedy mess they leave is just hideous.

Menacing Starlings!

I heard a terrible racket outside this morning and looked out the window. I could not believe it! Hundreds of starlings everywhere! I wish I'd had a camera upstairs. The common area beside my home and my yard were covered. When they took off it made the most unbelievable noise.

By the time I had grabbed the camera most of them were gone across the street.

Nasty birds! I had several spots on the house and windows like this one.

Too bad he didn't come a little earlier he could have had a feast today.

The Sparrows

This picture was taken yesterday and reminded me of some verses from the Bible. If God cares for every little sparrow, and not one falls to the ground without His knowledge, how much more does He care for His children. Even the hairs on our head are all numbered. He knows every little detail about us. He loves us and cares about us.

We had a little snow yesterday, and some people we know were involved in accidents. I'm so thankful no one was injured. We were expecting more snow over night and I was concerned about my daughter who would be driving to school and work this morning. I was so relieved when I woke up and saw there was no new snow on the ground and most of it from yesterday had melted. I know she will eventually have to drive in it, but I'm hoping she will get a little more practice before getting on the interstate. Just another reason to dislike winter.

I moved the bird feeders closer to the patio so the kitty and I can enjoy seeing them better. That is one of the few things I love about winter and snow. It really brings the birds in.

The hawk knows it too!