Goodbye Mamaw, I Love You

Monday Afternoon I lost my Grandmother whom I loved very dearly and Greatly miss her already, She was like a Mom to me, she was there for me through 40 years of my life and learning to live without her will be very difficult.

She left this world very suddenly and without pain which I am so very grateful for and I know she is in Heaven with our Lord and those who went before her.

Lillian M. Spielman, 83
NOV. 5, 1924-JULY 7, 2008
Lillian Marie Spielman, 83, of Falling Waters and formerly of Maugansville, died Monday, July 7, 2008, at Washington County Hospital.
Born Nov. 5, 1924, in Hagerstown, she was the daughter of the late Henry C.L. and Inger Peterson Wolffsen.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest "Jim" Spielman, in 1993.
She was a 1942 graduate of Hagerstown High School.
She was a homemaker.
She was a member of St. Matthew's United Methodist Church in Hagerstown.
She was a member of the Degree of Pocohontas Local Council Redfeather 59 of Williamsport and past great Pocohontas State of Maryland as Great Keeper of Records.
She is survived by two sons, Gary E. Sprankle of Martinsburg, W.Va., and William H. Spielman of Greencastle, Pa.; one sister, Dana Smith of Maugansville; nine grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by one son, Robert L. Sprankle; and one sister, Nancy Stevenson.
Services will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Osborne Funeral Home in Williamsport. The Rev. Jerry L. Lowans will officiate. Burial will be in Cedar Lawn Memorial Park in Hagerstown.
The family will receive friends Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home, which will open at 9 a.m.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Matthew's United Methodist Church, 443 W. Franklin St., Hagerstown, MD 21740.

Besides the Redmen, She was also Past President of The American Legion Auxiliary, she volunteered her services in many different areas. She was a Loving Mom, Grandmother, Great Grandmother and Great Great Grandmother who found her joy through making other people happy.

I Love you Mamaw and Miss you.

Apple pie baked over a fire

One of my favorite cooking methods is over an open fire, Today I decided to make an apple pie in my dutch oven!

This is the oven over the bed of coals

Here is the finished pie!

I used to do alot of cooking over a fire, It really isn't all that hard, it just takes a little longer and it is alot hotter!
but, the food comes out wonderful and has a better taste than it does from a conventional oven.

For baking I use a three footed dutch oven and get a good fire going, once I have enough coals I then pull the coals from the fire and place them on a pile on the ground where the dutch oven sits and then put coals on top the lid.
I elevate the food I am baking on a wire frame to get a good air flow around it.
for this pie it took about an hour to bake and came out tasting perfect!

First Broccoli Harvest!

Broccoli harvested from our garden, the first of the season!

All organically grown!

I cut the broccoli up and added it to penne pasta with diced cucumber, fresh peas from our garden and fresh herbs also from my garden, then I covered it with sweet vidalia dressing.....The only thing missing was some good homegrown tomatoes!

A walk in the park

We had a rain storm come through this afternoon and cooled things down a bit, so we decided to get sandwiches and have dinner by the river.

After we ate, we all went for a walk in a local park

We had a great walk except for the mosquitos!

We found this guy on the side of the path!

It was a nice evening away from the house for a little while, now everyone is just relaxing and the dogs are sleeping!

Thief in the hen house!

When I went into the chicken coop tonight to collect eggs and secure the chickens....I found a thief!

All curled up in one of the nest boxes, caught red handed!

He had several big bulges in his belly and yolk dripping from his mouth!

I called Alan down to the barn to apprehend the felon

court was held, the jury... Robin and Myself voted for execution but the high court... Alan, ruled against us and decided that this egg bandit should be banished from the land and so Alan took the snake in custody... inside of a cooler, to a land far, far away... well, actually about five miles down the road and released him.

I hope that is the last we see of him!

No chickens were harmed, just robbed or their eggs!!!

My Birthday

Yesterday was my Birthday, the big 4.0.

We went to my Moms river lot for a get together, we had Hamburgers and Hot dogs on the grill, potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs and more!

We made home made cherry vanilla Ice cream with the cherries we had picked last week!


Mom made two cakes that had a blackberry filling and coconut frosting!
After we ate we all sat around the camp fire and enjoyed some good company while others played a few games.
We talked and visited until midnight!

Thank You Mom, I had a great time and all your work is greatly appreciated!

Today is my Daughter Amanda's 20th Birthday!!!
Happy Birthday Amanda!!!

Fathers Day annual Picnic

We had our annual Fathers Day picnic yesterday, I didn't get as many pictures of all the family that I wanted because I was too busy talking to everyone!

My Dad at the Grill

Ryan and his Great, Great Grandma!

My Step Mom, Cousin Buffy, her daughter and my Grandmother

Playing pass the cup, we had alot more people playing than this,

I started taking pictures after I was eliminated.

Volley Ball

Ryan enjoyed the playground!

Robin, Ryan and myself at a campground we stopped by on the way home!

Everyone had a good time, we had great food, games, swimming in the pool and visiting with Grandparents, Parents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins!