Whether it’s listed as a federal holiday on Friday for those government employees or on its original date of November 11th, recognition for the sacrifices made is all that really matters.

A thought-provoking song posted by my friend MkChippy on Facebook today. Says so much about then and our world now. Sadly, some things never change.

Feeling a bit nostalgic and watched this video the other night. I need to watch the movie again, but this particular video is from SNL back when the show was actually good and loaded with talent. Wish I had Dan Ackroyd’s moves!

Morning Civatar, it’s a balmy 21 degrees this morning. There would be frost on the pumpkin, but I brought it in a few nights ago to last a little longer. We are to have a few more days of the cold weather before it warms back up a bit. The colder days are giving my new furnace a chance to prove itself, and so far, all is working well.

It’s that time again for another Music Monday. Today’s choice might seem a bit odd, but a friend of mine shared this on Facebook awhile back and the video really has a lovely feel to it. The choir is wonderful and even if you aren’t much into choirs, do take a listen to this stirring song.

Have a favorite tune? Feel free to post it for today’s musical theme!

I found this cake recipe on the internet and decided to give it a try the other day. I followed the recipe exactly EXCEPT I did not add the glaze after reading some reviews on it being too sweet. I am glad I didn’t add the glaze, it was sweet enough on its own. I wanted a quick type of coffee cake version as well so that seemed to fit the bill. Also my family likes to put a pat of butter on coffee cake or any plain cakes.

My overall rating is 3 out of 5 stars. I think it tasted better the second day. Of course, nothing is as good as a made from scratch coffee cake. Not sure if I would make again or not. It’s easy enough to make, but nothing too terribly exciting.

Maybe my taste buds are changing? Or my expectations are too high? I should have just made a traditional coffee cake instead of looking for shortcuts. Or maybe considered making cinnamon rolls if I was looking for a honeybun? You get what you pay for, or for what you put your effort into.

Try and see what you think of Honey Bun Cake!

HONEY BUN CAKE

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream (1 cup)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs, and sour cream. Stir by hand for approximately 50 strokes, or until most large lumps are gone. Pour 1/2 of the batter into an ungreased 9×13-inch glass baking dish. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter in the cake pan. Spoon the remaining 1/2 of the batter into the cake pan, covering brown sugar and cinnamon. Swirl batter with a butter knife or icing knife until it looks like a honey bun (or whatever design you want to make).
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Frost cake while it is still fairly hot. Serve warm.
4. To make frosting: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.

This is a nice little group that does a lot of remakes of popular songs. If you haven’t heard them before, head on over to Youtube and check them out!

Have a favorite tune? Feel free to post it on your blogs for Music Monday. Have a good week ahead bloggers!

I think it is more than a whisper.

The days here lately have been warm, in fact tomorrow we will be in the 80’s and then in a day or two the rain will move in and the temps will plummet.

Fall is such a lazy season with its drifting leaves, changing hues, hazy mornings with glimpses of shorter days to come.

It brings crisp mornings, late harvests, all things pumpkin and a rush of preparations. For holidays, for weather changes, for time changes.

There are a million things I could blog about. Fall bulb plantings, last of the flower blooms, comforting family recipes. I could skip the whole fall theme completely and blog on the current state of the world, of the economy, of the political landscape. I could blog on things past, present, or future. I could even repeat old blog posts, but to what purpose? To recapture a time, a moment, a feeling? Nope, things change, and one has to be willing to accept and deal with those changes.

This past week-end, my mom’s brothers and sisters all got together. It had been a while, and sadly it may be their last time all together. Age, failing health, distance, they all play a part in separation. And people, like the falling leaves, quietly drift away.

I’ve got a million things to do this fall. Winterize windows and doors, put up garden hoses after some watering, two large totes of iris that still need to be planted after a late, unplanned move. Tools sharpened and put away, hummingbird feeders washed and stored, along with bulbs and rhizomes from the planters. Walnuts gathered, plants pulled, cages and outdoor furniture stacked and tucked in the garage.

It’s all there waiting on me, with a silent plea to hurry. And I can’t seem to make myself hurry. Days are the same, but they are a blur. Time rushes and time stands still. The phone rings constantly, and yet remains silent with its answers. Lots to do, lots to think about, lots to shuffle and talk about, and lots to keep to myself.

I keep waiting for time, for dates to pass, to be able to make better, informed decisions. But those dates and time come and go with nary the knowledge to help me on those decisions. Maybe they don’t require my decision at all, or those decisions will be made despite my best efforts, on their own.

Tomorrow will be a busy day, I have a lot of work planned, but I will try and log on here and post for Music Monday. My day will start at 5:30 a.m. and how it goes from there remains to be seen. It will be a long day, it will be a long week. Hopefully I can postpone my hibernation tendencies for a few more days until I feel like I have done enough.

A little nostalgia for today’s Music Monday. Some Elvis Presley. I can’t think of any artist today that even comes close to the talent and charisma. No lip synching here, don’t think you can say that about most concerts in our present day.

Have a favorite song? Feel free to post it for Music Monday!

Just a bit of Halloween humor to start your day with…

And a little humor for turkey day as well… pass the garlic bread!

Another week, another Monday, another Music Monday! It’s been hectic in the world, as well as in my own little world. I chose this song for today, seems to fit the mood. Have a favorite tune? Feel free to post it today for Music Monday.

Nahi asked me the other day how the cat was doing, so I am throwing in this pic for her as a bonus for this Music Monday blog. As you can see, the cat has determined that the clothes basket is a good spot for hanging out. For the moment it’s filled with old clothes and towels so I can’t be too upset. I plan on getting a second clothes basket, so there won’t be any tussling over the current one… we will see how that goes.

For music Monday, a very popular Gary Allan song from a few years ago with a nice message for us all to remember.