Awesome neighbors

After we finished painting our house, our neighbors gave us the sweetest gift. It was like a "congratulations on all your hard work and thank you for improving the value of our home too because the neighborhood looks nicer!"

Before

After

These flowers are called "mums". They do well in cold weather. The only problem was that I put them outside for some sunshine and the grasshoppers devoured them (even though the lady in the flower department at Safeway said that grasshoppers don't like mums.)

So, I didn't get to enjoy their beauty for long, but the thought that our neighbors would go through the trouble and expense to give us a gift has lasted much longer.

Before we even moved in David talked to Rick on the phone and Rick shared some of the history of who has lived in our house. He suspected there may have been people living here who were involved in witchcraft so he offered to come and anoint our house before we moved in.

It's neat to know you are living next to someone who cares about you.

Our neighbors have cows, one of which had a baby calf several weeks ago. They invited me and the kids to come see the mom and calf, Lucy and Lilly.

So we took a walk to their house (about a half mile away).

       

 In addition to seeing the baby calf, they let the kids feed their horses. When Rick and Brenda saw how much Omega and Orion enjoyed it all they invited us over for them to ride their horse named Captain. He's older now and can't bear a lot of weight, but he can ride kids. So we went over and we first had to brush his winter coat off of him.

Orion got to ride first and then Omega.

When we got home we made them some "happy cookies"

Recipe:

2 1/2 cups walnut (ground)
2/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup flax meal
1/3 cup carob chips or craisins
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla

Blend walnuts and wheat flour in blender till fine or slightly coarse.
Mix everything into a bowl.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

The reason they are called "happy cookies" is because walnuts have Omega 3's which are great for your brain! Here are some neat facts on walnuts:

• "The human brain is made up of about 60% of what is called "structural fat" and needs high-quality fats like omega-3s to function properly by keeping the brain fluid and flexible. Walnuts are loaded with omega-3s, which make them the ultimate "brain food."
• Some studies have linked low consumption of omega-3s to depression and decreased cognitive function. So making walnuts part of your diet (in moderation, of course) could be a good way boost your spirits as well as your IQ.
• We all need sleep to stay sane. Did you know that walnuts also seem to triple melatonin levels in the body? Melatonin is one of the body's sleep regulating hormones, so if you're tired of counting sheep at night, maybe a pre-bedtime snack of walnuts would help you get some shuteye.
• Walnuts also contain manganese, copper, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, and calcium—all nutrients which are important to good health, and walnuts, like most nuts, can help lower cholesterol and improve heart health when eaten as part of a balanced diet. 

I got all that info here.

Anyway, I'm thankful for good neighbors. I hope to be a good neighbor too!