Author / Talmadge House

by Talmadge House

I’m Baaaack!

To the gym that is!

Well, today I got my tush to the gym to restart my workout for sunnier days that lay ahead of us all.  So here I’m thinking the last time I went to the gym was ya know like the end of November.  So I ask the guy behind the counter “hey when was the last time I swiped in to work out?”  “Oct 27th” WHAT?  Oh man I’m 4 weeks further behind than originally thought.

Decided to weigh myself before the workout and OOOOO GOOD GRIEF (major eye rolling as I stepped off the scale). . . yeah well lets just say I’ll never say how much but I’ll say that I’m on a strict mission to lose 12 – 15 lbs to be where I was the beginning of this past summer.  How the heck did that happen? ~ guess the extra glasses of Bailey’s on the rocks, the Lindor Truffles and the fall/winter foods haven’t helped.  Why can’t we have the all the yummy things and not be affected?  ALRIGHTY THEN I’ll stop complaining and get onto showing ya’ll where I work out.

Planet Fitness in Shelton is located within the “Rinks of Shelton Sports Center” which has it’s perks of which I’ll show you in a second.

This is the view I have during my cardio work-out.  Isn’t that so cool . . . I always have my ear buds in listening to my music so I don’t watch the TV on the machine . . . so to watch all the ice skaters or a ice hockey game is just the inspiration needed.

And just an inside view of the gym.  It’s a very clean & friendly gym.  I just re-signed for another year for $105.00 . . . yes that’s for the entire year!  Unbelievable price really though.  I won’t even post how much I was paying prior to last year at my prior (meat-market) gym.

by Talmadge House

A Little Cuteness and A Short Funny Story

Here’s The Cuteness ~ Simply Adorable Cuteness With Brown Eyes Sweet As Chocolate.  Speaking of chocolate, I just finished a cup of Starbuck’s Peppermint Hot Chocolate and threw the cup in my studio trash (small trash can that’s easily accessible to short little animals or those 2-legged children).  Well I heard rummaging to my right and what do you know this cute furry thing is trying to lick the remnants of hot chocolate.  Darn it I can’t even put trash in the trash around here ~ HA!

K . . . now the short funny story ~

We’re having dinner out tonight and there’s music playing but not too awefully loud.  It’s at a level were you can hear one another talk ~ well with exception of Mike ~ he’s either got cabbage in his ears or I’ve got a mouth full of cabbage.  Still haven’t decided where the cabbage was but the conversation went like this:

Me:  You’re new diamond cut jeans were delivered by the UPS man today.

Mike:  Yeah, I saw that . . . they’re too long though

Me:  Those jeans you wore today are too big, I’m going to sell them on Ebay.

Mike:  HUH?  “How was the horse you ate today?”  LOL

Me:  You’re such a dork!

Now how in the world did he get that statement out of what I really said?  Get that cabbage out of your ears boy!  Thank you for stopping by our corner of the world, until next time Good Night.

by Talmadge House

Apple Freaks!

HA!  Ya’ll know how much Apple people do love their “Apple Products” right?  et hem (that’s how i spell the clearing of my throat) . . . Apple freaks do exist in this house and we received another Mac Toy today.

MacBook 2.4GHz 4GB RAM, 250GB

What’s up with all that jargon anyways?  Couldn’t the tech industry define their hard-drive size by comparing it to lets say an eight cylinder engine?  It’d make more sense to me if they did.

I now know our UPS man thinks I’m a total freak!  “Hey mister UPS man can you strike a pose?”  HA . . . as if it were bad enough to ask him for one picture I made him strike a pose for a second just to ensure I got a good shot.  As if this man doesn’t have a delivery schedule!  He gave me permission to post his picture here but not before seeing it first.  I’m serious . . . he asked to see the pictures.

And here are the real Apple Freaks . . . and this gives ya’ll another view of my studio.  You’ll eventually get to see the entire thing.  (cheesy grin)

by Talmadge House

Can You Guess What’s Cooking?

Guess we’re all back to our schedules tomorrow huh?  With that being said I’m back in the kitchen after being aloof for two weeks now.  She (the kitchen) and I are becoming acquainted again . . .

Alright lets get started with my charades here . . . What’s this look like it’s gonna be?

Emmm . . . Guess again.  Here’s another picture and I bet I know what you’re thinking!

Nooooooo it’s not warm apple pie!  It’s Chicken Pot Pie.  This means I win right? HeHeHe

This is so simple to make and is a perfect winter meal and also very tasty!  And aaahhh yeah, I do make my own crust.  Here’s the recipe taken straight from Better Homes and Gardens.  She’s a lovely little cookbook with very good traditional recipes.

CHICKEN POT PIE
~ Preheat Oven 450 degrees
1 10-ounce package frozen peas & carrots (I use whatever I have for veggies)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms (I must omit this one due to picky spouse)
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
3 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley (I use 1 tsp dried parsley in place of the fresh)
1/4 cup diced pimiento (can’t find pimiento? use the jarred roasted red peppers instead)

1.  Prepare your crust (can use an already made one…just thaw it out first).

2.  In a saucepan cook onion and mushrooms in butter till tender.  Stir in flour; salt; thyme and pepper.  Add chicken broth and milk all at once.  Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.  Stir in veggies, chicken or turkey, parsley, and pimiento; cook till bubbly.

3.  Pour mixture into your prepared pie crust.  Cover mixture with another pie crust and flute (pinch) edges of pastry and cut slits in the top for steam to escape.  Bake for 12 – 15 min or till pasty is golden brown.

Enjoy and Good Night!

by Talmadge House

365 Picture Challenge ~ 2009

Calling all peeps who love photography, improving photography skills or just pictures in general (you’re getting my drift right?).  I was brought to the challenge of joining this endeavor by Sweet Jessie to take and upload one picture per day for the entire year of 2009 and share them over on my Flickr. I’ve been good so far but am not promising that I will have a picture every single day but my OCD personality will certainly give it my best.

I’m excited to continue working on my photography skills.  I’ve definately grown in this arena but have oh so far to go.  I’d love it if you followed me and the originator of this endeavor and her readers.  And if you’re feeling real energetic please join us, we’d love to see your pics.  Let me know what your Flickr link is so we can follow you along too.

And for good measure I must include a picture with my post otherwise it feels off balance.  You know like a pile of papers that hasn’t been perfectly aligned and straightened out (drives me nutz) ~ insert OCD grin.

Mike down on Canal Street (Shelton, CT) checking out the old factory buildings.  May see factory buildings at my flickr.

by Talmadge House

Mike & Dave’s Birthday

Having our birthday dinner again.

Birthday dinner was at Fratelli’s in Derby this year.

Birthday Guys.  Listen the iPhone is good for many things but surely not for taking a good quality picture.

Dave and Gina (Love you my dear friends . . . thank you so much for continuing our annual tradition!)

Me and my guy . . .

Dinner was acceptable, atmosphere was comfortable and the company was the best part of all!  Gina & Dave, I LOVE the personalized embroidered hand towels!  I’ll have to bank that gift idea to use for someone down the line.  I missed the note you wrote on the gift and noticed it when I got home and was unwrapping the ornament.  Gracious note and we too value our friendship with you.

by Talmadge House

New Year’s Day Activities

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  In case you were wondering what we did on New Year’s Day . . . here’s a run down accompanied by some pictures too.  Y’all know I LOVE pictures right?????  (insert big smile)

1.  Mike cooked breakfast . . . bacon and egg on english muffin with green tomato relish and cholula hot sauce (both of these toppings rock!).

2.  Stayed in jammies until 1PM.   Yup those are my slippered feet hehehe.

3.  Had lunch at Panera Bread.

4.  To Starbuck’s for our favorite latte’s.  Mike hearts the Cafe Latte.  Brandi hearts the Peppermint Mocha Latte.

5.  To the marina to check in on our summer home location and to see how frozen the Housatonic River was.

Still @ Marina:  Ned in the “Grumpy Old Man Boat” breaking up the ice so it doesn’t destroy the docks.  Look, I caught the train going by in the background (wonder if the riders are on their way to NY City?  We need to take a day trip soon, LOVE it there!)

Still @ Marina:  Mike and Leon talking “man stuff” . . . probably fishing or boats.

Still @ Marina:  Me taking pictures of interesting things around the marina while waiting for “man talk” to cease.  I really like this pic!

6.  Back @ home fending off our overly excited dog.  He is far to cute!

7.  Photo session to obtain a nice new profile shot of maw and my favorite technological toy.  Not too bad especially considering I was holding the good camera in my hands.  Thanks Mike!  We had A LOT of bad shots to obtain a few good ones.

8.  A bit of crafty time for me and techy time for Mike.

9.  Thinking of my girlfriend, Latonya who flew to Georgia yesterday afternoon to spend a few days with her sister.  Hoping she made it in time (considering our winter storm) to have rung in the new year last night.

10.  We are now deciding what we should do for dinner.  I’ve had little interest in cooking this week.  Better get myself back in gear for next week when life returns to normal.  UGGHHH!  update to dinner:  mike had beans and dogs, I had a grilled cheese sandwich and we both had a little bowl of Kraft Spiral Mac & Cheese.  Not a dinner to write home about nor should I have written it here but wanted to remind myself that I can’t always be Martha Stewart but a girl sure can try . . . right?  Can you believe something like this came out of MY kitchen!?!

Hope you had a nice relaxing day!

by Talmadge House

New Year’s Eve Snow Fall

It couldn’t get much better than this (for me anyways) . . . a snowie New Year’s Eve Day!  Thought I’d take a picture of where Mike and I spent quite a bit of time this fall and planned on doing the same this winter.  HEHEHE . . . Well we haven’t been out there yet this winter and can you blame us?  Lets see . . . a nice warm wood stove inside or the wood chimenea outside on the cold snow covered earth.  Emmm . . . yeah, well we’ve been content by the inside fire thank you very much.

I sure did go to work today but left at 1:30 not so much cuz of the road conditions but more so cuz the entire office left at 1PM and well it is New Year’s Eve so out the door I ran!  I’ve got the chicken wings getting ready to be baked and a bunch of other finger foods lined up.  And of course we’ll have champagne but before midnight.  We like to eat and be merry all night long which starts right about hmmm . . . now.

2008 was a prosperous and healthy year and am praying 2009 promises the same.  Hope your New Year’s promises much prosperity, love and health.  Happy New Year’s Eve!

by Talmadge House

Santa Really Does Deliver!

Remember a couple posts ago I mentioned the three glass door knobs I purchased and asked that Santa (Mikey) build a custom shelf for my studio?  Well Santa really does deliver . . . he built it especially for me and look the three glass door knobs are on the shelf . . . isn’t she sooooooo pretty?  I can put so many of my pretty things on her . . . she and my “old stuff” in the studio are becoming acquainted.  Me and my “old stuff” are still deciding who will get to sit on the newbie shelf in the studio.

Another view of the newbie shelf and a larger view of the studio.  Like my new paint color?  It’s called Svelte Sage and is direct from Sherwin Williams.  I am totally in love with the color!

And because Santa was so kind to have taken alot of his time to build me this customized shelf I thought a nice homemade meal was in order.  My homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs (all from scratch) . . . Santa was very quite through dinner which means he & his jolly belly were very happy!  Hope Santa was good to you this year too . . . Good Night 🙂