Veterans, Postcards and chit chat

Hi bloglings!

well, what has been happening lately? I have not been around in a while. our weather is now summer-like, very hot and humid today. we even had a quick downpour with some hail. they are saying rain for the next three days. it will be stopping just in time for the Holiday weekend. speaking of the Holiday weekend, what are your plans? me .... I will be cat sitting for a few days. is this a sign? :-) is this similar to dog sitting or house sitting or baby sitting? 

I wanted to share my latest postcards I have received from around the World from postcrossing.

here we go!!

 my first card from India! I am thrilled. Aniruddha writes: many greetings from India. This card comes to you from central region of India. It's a hot hot summer here. 40°c. Body getting baked here. In June temp will come down to 18~22° pleasant one. All the best to you. Take Care.

 a unique card from Filomena that lives in Portugal. she writes: I live in Lisbon, Portugal. I have two children: Inez (27yo.) and Nuno (22). I love to walk, read and painting. I'm trying to learn to paint with oil and water colour. Have a nice day.

 a beautiful card from Teresa that lives in Spain. I think this is my first card from Spain also. she writes: greetings from Salamanca, a beautiful town in the west of Spain. It's a world Heritage site, and no wonder since it"s so beautiful. Here we have one of the most famous and one of the oldest universities in Europe! Thousands of foreign students come here every year to learn Spanish. My hometown is Ciudad Rodrigo, only 86 km from Salamanca.

and this fantastic card is from Vivian that lives in Germany. she writes: "injured words should be written on sand, words of praise in stone." Hello, my name is Vivian and I come from Trebbin Germany. At this moment I'm sitting on the grass in my garden and write this postcard to you. and now m y black-brown cat is coming. :) So I hope you have a nice day. Happy Postcrossing. 

hope you enjoyed your look around the World with me. 

Have a great and safe Memorial Day Weekend and let us not forget the many Veterans that have fought for all the things we enjoy and have the freedom to do everyday. 

The Noble and the Brave:
A Veteran's Day Tribute   When America had an urgent need,
These brave ones raised a hand;
No hesitation held them back;
They were proud to take a stand.   They left their friends and family;
They gave up normal life;
To serve their country and their God,
They plowed into the strife.   They fought for freedom and for peace
On strange and foreign shores;
Some lost new friends; some lost their lives
In long and brutal wars.   Other veterans answered a call
To support the ones who fought;
Their country had requirements for
The essential skills they brought.   We salute every one of them,
The noble and the brave,
The ones still with us here today,
And those who rest in a grave.   So here’s to our country’s heroes;
They’re a cut above the rest;
Let’s give the honor that is due
To our country’s very best.   By Joanna Fuchs

poem from poemsource.com

   

THANK YOU VETERANS HERE AND GONE

Happy Mother's Day and more Postcards

Hi Mother bloglings!

Happy Mother's Day to you all!

I should be outside doing some work in my flowers but it is so cold out. I think I will save it for another day when warmer and nicer. 

More postcards from around the World.

 from Ewa that lives in Poland. she is 19 and has been traveling, wandering, and volunteering for 6 months and will be going home in 2 weeks.

 from Natalie that lives in Hong Kong. this is a restored 1846 building housing restaurants and the HK Maritime Museum. Murray House, Stanley.

 from Sava that lives in Moscow. he is 17 and will be graduating this year and is hoping to attend the university. the postcard is a train departing from Park Pobedy. Park Pobedy is the deepest metro station in Moscow with the city's longest escalators measuring 126 meters. there are two halls connected by passageways. Austere and majestic, they are faced with pale grey and red marble. at the end, the halls are decorated with large enameled panels: one depicts the Russian Front of World War II, the other portrays heroes in the struggle against Napoleon in 1812.

from Yuxi that lives in Beijing. she says it is Spring here. the cloves on both sides of road blossom perfectly. though as a grade 3 student in senior high facing the university entrance examination, we are not allowed to go outside to play. I just collected some petals on my way home.

and just for laughs, a pic of my crazy cat Goober ....

he lays like this quite often. just lets it all hang out!!

 

For Chocolate Lovers

Hi bloglings!

Just a little yummy for the tummy I wanted to share with you.

double chocolate coca cola cake

I can still remember my Mom pouring out a bottle of Coke to make this cake. It was our favorite. This cake is so moist and the icing is just irresistible. I hope you get a chance to make this one.

Double Chocolate Coca Cola Cake

1 cup Coca Cola (real thing, not diet)
1/2 cup oil
1 stick butter
3 Tablespoon cocoa
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting:

1 stick butter
3 Tablespoon cocoa
6 Tablespoon of cream or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar

In a saucepan, mix Coca Cola, oil, butter and cocoa and bring to a boil. In another bowl, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Pour the boiling Cola mixture over the flour mixture and beat well. Add the eggs, buttermilk, soda and vanilla and beat well. Pour mixture into a greased and floured 13 x 9 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees or 20 to 25 minutes. Remove pan. Cool for about 10 minutes before frosting.

Frosting: In a saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa, and milk. Heat until the butter melts. Beat in the remaining ingredients and spread on the cake while it's still warm. Enjoy!

Enjoy!! and have a great weekend!

trying to keep warm, temps are in the 40's today and raining....

What does Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine and Germany have in Common?

Hi bloglings!

I have been missing in action because of not feeling very well lately. Still not up to par but wanted to post today for some reason. 

Can anyone answer the question in the title of this post? 

I am sure many of you guessed it ....

postcards!!

Yes, here are more of the cards I have received lately from postcrossing. 

 Any from Taiwan writes: this building is National Theater, the building style is traditional Chinese building, and there is a music hall in the same building. 

 Maria from the Netherlands writes: the lady in the picture is eating a bolus(?), a sort of cinnamon bun. It looks a bit disgusting but really it's delicious!

 Oksana from Ukraine writes: warm greetings for u from Ukraine! u have 8 grand children - how many foxes u count? and it's enough branches for more "foxes"! I wish a lot of happiness to u and ur big family!! be in good mood and health!

 Sigrid from Germany writes: she lives in Hamburg. this card shows a part of Hamburg at 1920. I love it here, within 10 minutes I can be at the water (river Elbe). cannot be without water. tried it, it was bad!

Victoria from Russia writes: I live in Ufa - is the capital of Bashkiria. Ufa is one of the largest cities in Russia. The picture shows a modern bank building on the background of the old part of town. The tallest building in Ufa. Best Wishes and happy postcrossing!

Hoped you enjoyed your look around the world as much as I did!

traveling the world through postcards one at a time .......