what a gorgeous day - this day definitely was memorialized in the gratitude jar!

we had such a gorgeous day yesterday...and i think i overdosed on vitamin D which is why i have been up all night and not able to sleep...have a look:

 

 and here is out front:



 (both of these pics were taken for my beautiful, sweet sister Helga. and for a few of my other blogger gurl-friends - you all know who you are!)

by noon yesterday, it was so sunny and clear, even tho jambaloney was working on fixing the basement door and i was busy making roast and all of the fixin's...i decided it was "down tools" time and time for us to go and make some vitamin D. jambaloney cleared off the front deck, layed down the black blankets that our movers forgot, and we promptly stripped down to nekkid and suntanned for 2 full hours - it was glorious!!! the temp was about 6-7C (which is close to 40-45F, i think) but with no wind and no breeze it was a beautiful suntanning day! imagine - in the middle of january. suntanning nekkid?!?!!?!?!? oh thank you Lord for such a nice treat! jambaloney of course fell asleep - he always does when we are nekkid suntanning! i just kept praising the Lord and enjoying the sounds of the birds and the silence...it is so quiet here, it is breathtaking!

as usual, much good food has been enjoyed at the Manor since i last wrote. here's some deelishous french toast with maple syrup that jambaloney's step-dad makes....the best maple syrup on the planet, i might add. and some defrosted frozen blueberries that jambaloney picked last summer at our friend's blueberry patch. they are some seriously deelishous berries!

and of course, some more cabbage rolls with tons of sauerkraut. i love cabbage rolls and can eat them for 6 or 7 days in a row. jambaloney is less interested after 3 straight days - bahahahahah! but not me!

this pic is for my friend Mystic Mud - it was a gorgeous, balmy evening and a sliver of a moon was shining between the trees. i tried to get a pic from the hottub, and showing the hottub, but the steam from the hottub blurred the pic.

so i actually had to get out of the hottub in order to get the pic. i know that she appreciates my freezing my butt off!

here's a yummy steak that jambaloney cooked up on the bbq for us. that's his and still bleeding. i like mine to be cooked to the consistency of old combat boots. some grilled peppers and onions, a sprout salad and some apple round out the meal.

yummy bean salad with sprouts - we love bean salad! with olive oil, apple cider vinegar (with the mother), lemon and crushed garlic as the dressing - so filling and so delishous!

with my leftover steak we made wraps. i like mine with cheese, steak, avocado, grilled onions and peppers...and of course...tons of sour cream.

jambaloney likes to pile his up with cheese, avocado, tomatoe, onion, cheese and hot peppers and then heat the whole thing in the oven.

is there anything on the planet that is better than fresh sheets, pillow cases and blankets on the bed? we think not. we have been moaning and groaning for the past 2 nights while climbing into the monster Framboise Manor bed. and no, i DO NOT iron our bedding.
 

here's some home-made, from scratch macaroni and cheese with bean salad - a to die for meal. my friend, JUGM, also makes a mean mac and cheese!

and of course, the weekly roast. if i don't have my roast and smashed potatoes with gravey once a week..i get a little...well...cranky! i love roast and smashed! and gravey - oh i love gravey!

this last pic is for Winston. he is always sending emails asking about Mankley, Frankly, Frankie Blue Eyes...our newest member of the family. Winston is sweet like that.

anyway Winston, Mankly Frankly is still eating 246 cans of food a day, has gained about 49lbs, and loves to show off how long he can stretch on the poles out in the yard.

it is 5 to 8 in the am...i have been up all night...jambaloney and all of the cats are sleeping...my friend Stephen is still awake...and probably Jane too....i hope that wherever all of you are, that a beautiful day is dawning. and i hope that you all have a wonderful day! (gosh i hope it is as sunny and warm today as it was yesterday! if so, it will be another "down tools" and let's get more vitamin D day. although, like i said earlier, i think i overdosed yesterday.)