Two of the very first awards we earned as Junior Girl Scouts were "The Sign of the Arrow" and "The Sign of the Star."
The Sign of the Arrow says "this is the way" on the path of Girl Scouting.
In the requirement section of the second-hand Junior handbook I bought, one of the requirements (#8 "Get together with another troop to meet new girls and do something together") completed noted a "Camp-In at Foley's" I can only imagine the fun they would have had in Houston's best 9-story downtown department store!
The Sign of the Star says "A star shines in all directions and guides you along the way" on to new and bigger adventures in Girl Scouting.
These awards were established in 1963, replacing the Second Class Award.
1963 was quite the pivotal year in Girl Scouting. The establishment of four age levels of Girl Scouting -- Brownie, Junior, Cadette and Senior -- with corresponding handbooks, and official dress uniforms (with white gloves!)
Monday, September 22, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Listen...
Source: The Facebook Page of The Yoga Haven - Galveston, Texas
Visiting Galveston Island? Going on a cruise? Be sure to check The Yoga Haven schedule and Hooked on Acupuncture next door to complete your Island relaxation getaway.
Visiting Galveston Island? Going on a cruise? Be sure to check The Yoga Haven schedule and Hooked on Acupuncture next door to complete your Island relaxation getaway.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
This week - Tazo Chai Pumpkin Spice
Cost: $3.00 on sale at Super Target
Number of teabags: 20, individually-wrapped
Caffeine: Yes
Type of tea: Black
Ingredients: Black teas, cinnamon, natural flavors, licorice root, ginger, cloves, black pepper, cardamom
Steeping time: The box says 5 minutes, but it developed a bitter aftertaste. The second time I kept at at 3 minutes, much better!
Add ins: Sweet Bliss makes it seem like pumpkin pie!
Fragrance: Pumpkin and ginger
Opinion: One of two new seasonal offerings from Tazo. (watch for an upcoming review of Tazo Chai Vanilla Caramel next week). Pumpkin is showing up everywhere - even in Hershey's Kisses! Something told me to give this another chance. The first cup had a strange, bitter aftertaste, with or without adding milk and sugar. I liked it better the second time. You can detect the pumpkin in the first sip and then it definitely has a surprising pepper aftertaste kick. Interesting Autumn twist on Chai.
Rating: 3.25
Cost: $3.00 on sale at Super Target
Number of teabags: 20, individually-wrapped
Caffeine: Yes
Type of tea: Black
Ingredients: Black teas, cinnamon, natural flavors, licorice root, ginger, cloves, black pepper, cardamom
Steeping time: The box says 5 minutes, but it developed a bitter aftertaste. The second time I kept at at 3 minutes, much better!
Add ins: Sweet Bliss makes it seem like pumpkin pie!
Fragrance: Pumpkin and ginger
Opinion: One of two new seasonal offerings from Tazo. (watch for an upcoming review of Tazo Chai Vanilla Caramel next week). Pumpkin is showing up everywhere - even in Hershey's Kisses! Something told me to give this another chance. The first cup had a strange, bitter aftertaste, with or without adding milk and sugar. I liked it better the second time. You can detect the pumpkin in the first sip and then it definitely has a surprising pepper aftertaste kick. Interesting Autumn twist on Chai.
Rating: 3.25
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Orange you glad to see this?
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Friday, September 12, 2014
Almond Blueberry Pear Tart
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| Almond Blueberry Pear Tart |
This is my variation of the Pear Tart recipes circulating around the Internet and Pinterest.
I had a two pound bag of red bartlet pears from Trader Joe's, while pretty, were ripening pretty fast. I peeled and sliced them yet they didn't quite fill the tart pan. So I added a couple handfuls of frozen blueberries - about a cup, to fill in the spaces.
Filling - 1 3/4 cups of sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up. (Next time I'm dialing back the sugar to 1 1/2 cups.)
Mix sugar and flour together. Add bits of butter. Mix with fingers until crumbly. Distribute over fruit.
Bake at 425 for 30 minutes
If crust is starting to brown too quickly, adjust oven temperature to 375 and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until filling is bubbly. Sprinkle toasted almond slivers on top.
Let cool, and top with BlueBell Homemade Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy!
Here's my Fool Proof Pie Crust recipe from Good Housekeeping magazine.
For a 9" baked pie shell or tart:
1 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut up
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
2-5 tablespoons ice water (I usually end up using about 2 1/2, since Houston is so humid)
Directions
In food processor with knife blade attached, blend flour and salt.
Add butter and shortening, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition, until large moist crumbs just begin to form.
Shape dough into disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight.
(If chilled overnight, let dough stand 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling.)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll dough into 12-inch round. Ease dough round into 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Gently press dough against bottom and up sides of plate without stretching. Trim dough edge, leaving 1-inch overhang. Fold overhang under; pinch to form stand-up edge, then make decorative edge.
Freeze pie shell 15 minutes.
Line pie shell with foil or parchment, and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until beginning to set. Remove foil with weights, and bake 13 to 15 minutes longer or until golden. If shell puffs up during baking, gently press it down with back of spoon. Cool on wire rack until ready to fill.
Nutritional information is based on 1/10 of a pie shell.
To make Deep-Dish Baked Pie Shell: Prepare 9-Inch Baked Pie Shell as above, but increase all-purpose flour to 1 1/2 cups and vegetable shortening to 1/4 cup. Ease dough into 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate.
Each 1/10 of the pie shell: About 165 calories, 2 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 11 g total fat (5 g saturated), 1 g fiber, 16 mg cholesterol, 120 mg sodium.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Watercolor Wednesday - Regina's Sunflower
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…and sunflowers!
I've been having fun painting and using yellow lately. Perhaps because I feel autumn in the air, even if our air temperature is still in the mid to upper 90's. . . I can still try to incorporate the mood with my paintbrush, inside my air-conditioned home.
Watercolor Wednesday - Colorful Black and White
I was trying to take the photo outside in the Houston humidity and the edges kept curling. It is an even band of color ; )
Monday, September 08, 2014
Netflix Stars - Quartet
4.5 - We started out watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which was so awful, I won't even bother with a review. Dustin Hoffman directed, and they must have had a blast making this. Many in the cast were indeed retired musicians (watch for the credit roll). You will thoroughly enjoy this, too.
Sunday, September 07, 2014
Saturday, September 06, 2014
Frog Dreaming
I finally get a good night's sleep last night and I dream of…frogs!?! They were in a parking lot, in puddles, everywhere I looked.
I had to check and see what that could mean. Most sources agree it is a symbol of good luck, of transformation, and the potential for change, a fresh start. Hmmm, I will take them all as good signs.
And an opportunity to paint.
Friday, September 05, 2014
Go (Bow) Wow!
The ability to stop, reflect and go "wow" is one of the wisest characteristics an old soul can possess.
~ Mike Dooley
I took this photo last night at 6:53 PM, before sunset - This is called a sundog, or parhelion.
They will appear 22 degrees north and south, or left and right, of the sun. Each "dog" has a rainbow color effect -- Red is nearest to the sun, followed by yellow, green, blue, and finally violet on the side furthest away from the sun.
~ Mike Dooley
I took this photo last night at 6:53 PM, before sunset - This is called a sundog, or parhelion.
They will appear 22 degrees north and south, or left and right, of the sun. Each "dog" has a rainbow color effect -- Red is nearest to the sun, followed by yellow, green, blue, and finally violet on the side furthest away from the sun.
Thursday, September 04, 2014
Thursday Tea Time
This week - Numi Organic Tea Decaf Black Vanilla
Cost: $6.49
Number of teabags: 16, individually-wrapped
Caffeine: No
Type of tea: Black
Ingredients: Fair trade certified organic decaf black tea, organic vanilla beans
Steeping time: 5 minutes
Add ins: Sweet Bliss makes it sweet bliss!
Fragrance: Vani!!a
Opinion: This is a true vanilla tea - no artificial or natural flavors, just the real deal vanilla bean and decaffeinated black tea. I love the extra vanilla kick at the end of the sip. I originally bought this for my daughter to try. She liked the Mighty Leaf Vanilla Bean at a cafe, but the Mighty Leaf was almost $10 for 15 pouches at Whole Foods. (Wait for a sale! I think I've picked it up for $5 or $6 in the past. Target used to carry Mighty Leaf teas, but not any more.) And Numi teas have a proven track record with me. I still love their Moroccan Mint the best.
With the Sweet Bliss, it tastes like vanilla pudding in a cup! I even drank what was left out on the coffee table earlier cold - it would be great as an iced tea latte.
Bonus times two it is organic and decaffeinated so you can drink it anytime. I still rely on my English Breakfast teas for my morning kick start, but this way I won't over-caffeinate during the day.
I saved a few pouches for me to hold over until I can get another box before mailing the rest to my daughter. That may even be this afternoon!
Rating: 5+
Cost: $6.49
Number of teabags: 16, individually-wrapped
Caffeine: No
Type of tea: Black
Ingredients: Fair trade certified organic decaf black tea, organic vanilla beans
Steeping time: 5 minutes
Add ins: Sweet Bliss makes it sweet bliss!
Fragrance: Vani!!a
Opinion: This is a true vanilla tea - no artificial or natural flavors, just the real deal vanilla bean and decaffeinated black tea. I love the extra vanilla kick at the end of the sip. I originally bought this for my daughter to try. She liked the Mighty Leaf Vanilla Bean at a cafe, but the Mighty Leaf was almost $10 for 15 pouches at Whole Foods. (Wait for a sale! I think I've picked it up for $5 or $6 in the past. Target used to carry Mighty Leaf teas, but not any more.) And Numi teas have a proven track record with me. I still love their Moroccan Mint the best.
With the Sweet Bliss, it tastes like vanilla pudding in a cup! I even drank what was left out on the coffee table earlier cold - it would be great as an iced tea latte.
Bonus times two it is organic and decaffeinated so you can drink it anytime. I still rely on my English Breakfast teas for my morning kick start, but this way I won't over-caffeinate during the day.
I saved a few pouches for me to hold over until I can get another box before mailing the rest to my daughter. That may even be this afternoon!
Rating: 5+
Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song
The Alternate Routes, featuring Lily Costner - "Nothing More" - 3:21
Wednesday, September 03, 2014
Wednesday Work in Progress - The Cool Coast Camp
A few more glazing layers of water colors. . .I need to "bold up" and really hit those values. I am liking the Bing(o) fish, lights and windows. What I thought would be hard was easy and vice versa.
I still also need to tackle the fore- and backgrounds. The picture was taken early morning July 5 after a rainstorm, and I want to try and capture the cool clouds and colors.
(Here is the link to the sketch.)
I still also need to tackle the fore- and backgrounds. The picture was taken early morning July 5 after a rainstorm, and I want to try and capture the cool clouds and colors.
(Here is the link to the sketch.)
Tuesday, September 02, 2014
Silence is golden while we all shine on. . .

"She was learning to silence the noise and reawaken to her own bright bloom."
Very Zen/Yoga/Mantra-y! Shine on!
Print by Kelly Rae Roberts and for sale (click here)
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