6 years ago, we brought home my first dog--Miko. I had done a lot of research on dog breeds and felt that a Shiba Inu was the best and cutest dog for my family. She was small enough for an apartment (which is where we were living at the time), kept herself very clean,...
Behind The Curtain
Just One Night On The Boat: A Snow Story
This is a snow story. It starts out sounding like a summer fun story. But trust me: this is a snow story…Have you ever had one of those times when something was supposed to be really straightforward and easy, but then it turned into… an...
Best Way to Carve A Turkey
You can learn how to do just about anything on YouTube. I don’t know that I’d trust a surgeon from YouTube University, but for day-to-day things, there is a ton of expertise up there. And thus it was on a Thanksgiving years ago, that I found myself with an imminent...
Best Hippie Pumpkin Puree Recipe
When I was young my mom had a boss who she really loved, her name is Perry-o. Perry-o has long gray hair in a braid down her back and she always seems to have a smile on her face. She would host holiday parties at her home, which was off the grid. I remember her...
Pumpkin Dump Cake
by Tammy McFarlen Ingredients: - 1 (15 ounce) can puree Pumpkin - 1 (10 ounce) can Evaporated Milk - 1 cup light brown sugar - 3 eggs - 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice - 1 box yellow cake mix - 1 cup (2 sticks) butter melted - 1 cup coarsely crushed Ritz crackers or...
Temoc Jack-O-Lantern
Tammy’s jack-o’-lantern is based off of the UT Dallas mascot Temoc. Temoc (Comet spelled backwards) is already a creepy guy but she made him even creepier for a Halloween event.
Loving Traditional Jack-O-Lanterns
I love carving jack-o-lanterns but I’m a traditionalist. I like the triangle eyes and the big toothy mouth. I like the silliness of that face glowing out of the dark. Last year I helped my daughter carve her jack-o-lantern and it was more scary than silly, but I loved...
My First Jack-O-Lantern
I lived in Cedar Rapids from 2008 to 2011, in a very “suburban” neighborhood with plenty of families. Our neighborhood was known in the area as being safe and quiet, all streets ending in cul-de-sacs. With that in mind, folks would drive from all around to take their...
Behind the Curtain: Pets
The New Puppy Last year we welcomed a new puppy into our home. An oversized, old fashioned german shepherd puppy named Jene. My 5 year old shiba inu was not sure what to make of her new sister - they were not instant friends. Even at 8 weeks old Jene was about the...
Behind the Curtain: Pets
Us and the Boys This IS a story about our cats. However, it starts with a home improvement progress report. The big home project of creating the dedicated master bedroom is still in progress, but well along on its way. The walls are up and textured and...