Transitions

After a holiday season shared with family and dear friends, I'm finding it difficult to get back into blog posting. The warmth and vibrancy of the holidays has morphed into simplicity and chilly weather. A transition post seems to be the best answer. Christmas in review is shown in this collage. . .soon to be followed by future posts which exemplify January days. Happy New Year to you and yours!

Hootycreeks

Have you ever heard of Hootycreeks? I hadn't until a White Elephant gift exchange this holiday season when Rylan received two pretty mixes for cookies in a jar. One was for a cookie called Cranberry Hootycreeks. What an unusual name! Does anyone have an idea where this creative cookie and unusual name came from? I looked it up online to see if I could find more information and found the recipe on the Christmas Organized website and at All Recipes. It appears that the name Hooty Creek comes from the business name chosen by the couple who developed this tasty cookie. They made "cookie in a jar" mixes that they sold at bazaars and craft fairs. The Hooty Creek mixes became popular and this recipe, which combines dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and nuts became an instant hit. They've been called Cranberry Hootycreeks ever since. And now we know. It's fun to learn something new every day, isn't it!

Merry Christmas!

The time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.


Luke 2: 6 - 20

My Most Cherished Christmas Gift

Christmas stories are a tradition in our family. Stories of times past are especially enjoyed and appreciated. Recently I found this story, typed and photocopied, in my mother's files. It was the prefect story to share with you! I think I especially appreciate this story because it reminds me of my own childhood days. The author, Dorthy Ross, was a contemporary of my mother. Like Dorothy, my mother's sewing machine (a wedding gift from her father) was an important piece of furniture in our family and one that stitched the family garments and home decor routinely through all my years at home. Here it is, shared thoughtfully and expressed to help you realize that dreams really can come true.

It began with a small strip of cloth, approximately two by eight inches, on which someone had stitched lines of bright thread in hither and thither design. The stitches were all equal in size and tension --- the product of a well-operating sewing machine.


It was 1953, a time of magic, for love turns everything to magic and we were in love. It was also my first time to share Christmas with the family of the man who was to become my husband the following Valentine's Day.


When I opened the small box (I expected it to contain a bracelet or necklace), I stared at it in amazement and a bit of disappointment, wondering about that tiny bit of cloth.


"There's more!" he told me, the now-familiar gleam in his chocolate brown eyes. "In the basement!"


"The basement?" More amazement.


So we all trooped down to the old basement beneath the warm brick house and there, standing shiny bright on clean newspapers, was a sewing machine.


It was not a new sewing machine. New sewing machines were things dreams were made of, and much too expensive for new brides. It was a sewing machine, nevertheless, stripped of its old scratches and varnish and treadle. It gleamed in oaken splendor as a result of loving labor in sanding and polishing. The old machine was even revitalized with a new electric motor, straight from the pages of a mail order catalog.


We came from families where it was taken for granted that you canned and preserved most of the food which went on the family table, just as you cut and sewed almost every item of clothing which went on the family's individual backs. His gift to me was a way of sustaining a tradition, and our first piece of furniture.


With it I sewed the curtains and cushions which first graced our humble four rooms. I stitched away many a long night as he slept in the next room, exhausted from his long day in the fields. There were dresses for me to wear to the office and new sports shirts for him. And soon, I was planning tiny things, piecing them together on that sturdy old machine, adding teddy bears and flowers with hand embroidery. Twice the small gowns and sacques and blankets were tucked away in a bottom drawer with the pastel shades of pink and blue dampened by tears of broken dreams. All that changed one bright February morn, and the sun shone so brightly at our home we hardly needed to turn on the lights. Our daughter was born and two years later, a son helped brighten our home. To our surprise (somewhat), five years later another beautiful daughter was born.


The old sewing machine kept me busy. We spent many intimate hours together; stitching ruffled dresses in progressive sizes, struggling with the corded seams of pint-sized cowboy shirts, fitting pattern pieces very carefully onto remnants, and turning all the leftover scraps into minute doll dresses and shirts for teddy bears.

Later, there were Halloween costumes: a comic book hero, a witch, a leopard, a toreador, and even a perky black and white skunk with a (thanks to Daddy) wired tail which made it every bit as handsome as any of Disney's creations!


Like my mother before me, I became a 4-H leader, and little girls from fancier homes than ours learned to sew on that kindly old machine. It insisted on straight seams, though, and did cause a few tears. Later, those same little girls entrusted me with making their prom dresses and wedding gowns, knowing the seams would be as straight as only that old machine could do.


Paper patterns grew tattered and torn as we used them over and over with variations and adjustments. The spool box became cluttered with tangles of every conceivable color. Buttons found their separate ways into a tin fruitcake box which rattled delightfully when shaken. Its contents were used not only to march proudly down the front or back of a sewing project, but also as farm produce carried to market in small metal trucks and as delectable morsels served up on tin tea sets. Rows of buttons on the rug were carefully counted, one, two, three. . .and colors were learned, blue, yellow, green, red.


Pants knees were patched and patched again. Hems were let down and trim stitched over the white lines to cover the fade marks. Collars on work shirts were turned (oh, how we hated that chore). And pockets, which had been made untrustworthy by more important things than coins (such as nuts, bolts, and colored pebbles), were reinforced.


Yes, we spent many hours together, that sewing machine and I. As the needle plunged up and down, thread paying out from the wooden spool, I planned menus and surprises and wrote invisible poems in my mind. I worried over finances and stewed over the United Nations veto powers and my choices in the next election. Some hours were delightful and fun-filled, and some were just plain work.


But that old machine never let me down. All it asked was an occasional squirt of oil and once in a while, a new light bulb or belt. Seldom does a woman find as true a friend. That old machine was there when we became one. It helped turn a house into a home and it dressed our babes far beyond what our meager financial means would have permitted if we had purchased "ready-mades".


Years later, I received another sewing machine --- the very best, top of the line model. Its cabinet had never been kicked or scratched, and it purred every stitch in quiet splendor.


By now, however, we could afford to buy draperies and slipcovers, and teenagers don't always appreciate Mother's choice of pattern and fabric. The promised magic wasn't to be found in those fancy zigzag stitches; not for those who had known and lived by the purity of the straightforward. That beautiful, fancy new machine, though no longer new, still has very low mileage.


My old sewing machine wasn't fancy, but it was special. It wasn't just a Christmas gift of which dreams were made. It did much, much more. It made dreams come true!

Snowflakes

Snowflakes

by L.A. Copp

Snowflakes spill from heaven's hand

Lovely and chaste like smooth white sand.

A veil of wonder laced in light

Falling Gently on a winters night.

Graceful beauty raining down

Giving magic to the lifeless ground.

Each snowflake like a falling star

Smiling beauty that's spun afar.

Till earth is dressed in a robe of white

Unspoken poem the hush of night.

The Quilt of Life

When sorting through a box of my mother's quilt patterns, I found some newsletters from a quilting guild that she belonged to years ago. One had a story that should be shared. It is called "The Quilt of Life" by Doyle Loving. Parts are poignant and sad, but hope shines through on life's stage. It appears that he wrote this at a time when his wife was facing difficulty in life.

It's the oddest looking quilt you have ever seen, unfinished and worn, there are even some places where the blocks have been torn. The lack of design will make your eyebrows raise in surprise, and some of the colors used will assault your eyes. I will raise no excuse for the look of my quilt; much of it was constructed in pain and great guilt. I am the author of the blocks both the big and the small, and they reflect life lived both the short and the tall.

The block in the center is all yellow with age, and is where the quilt started, it's like the first page. The block seems so odd with the pink of new life, but quickly turns red with the skilled surgeons knife. It took me twelve years to finish this part; it's surrounded with the dark colors of a not so good start. The work of a child is the obvious conclusion, stitched together while shivering in fear and confusion.

The blocks surrounding the center are wild indeed, the color of anger and overwhelming need. There is the maroon block, for innocence lost, and the color of betrayal covers it all like a frost. The colors that are missing leap out from this section, where are the bright colors of education? The bright colors of childhood are yet to be seen, for the colors of work have a more ominous sheen.

I surveyed the quilt after sixteen years of labor, I wanted to stop quilting for life had no savor. It was there I met a companion that refused to depart, my nemesis depression moved into my heart. You see that black swatch that's biggest of all, it almost took over my quilt and predestined my fall.

In a flash of wonder the colors turn brighter! I met the light of my life and she made me a fighter. She told me although our quilts had no brightness so far, if we quilted together our quilt would be bright as the stars. So we both joined our quilts with a very strong thread, and vowed that our future would be filled with laughter in steed. Our quilt became one and it was almost all dark, most everyone though our future as quilters was stark. But the thread that joined our quilts was strong and bright and the most beautiful quilt was begun on that night.

Now our quilt has yellows and blues, look there are our children's blocks with their wonderful hues. The pinks are surrounded by bright colors all round, and dark colors on their blocks are not to be found.

We started to sash the quilt when we met, the bright red of commitment now looks like a net. There were many colors we didn't even know existed, we stitched those in and the dark we resisted. Oh there are a few spots on our quilt that are dark, but the colors around them make them look no so stark. And as for our kids, they have quilt of their own, and the center of their quilts have a much brighter tone. Our quilt has grown large, making the center look smaller, and quilting together makes our blocks a lot taller.

Each block tells its story of sunshine and rain, and somehow the laughter has taken over the pain. The quilt is so odd with its color and design, it is the quilt of our life and the story of our time. The quilt keeps us warm when the storms outside rage, and keep us reminded of the plays on life's stage. We wouldn't trade our quilt, though many others are so nice, our quilt has come to us at a very high price. It is dark in the middle and still unfinished, but our love for the quilters is still undiminished.

If your quilt has some dark, and I know all quilts do, then let me express this hope for you. May the bright colors of life overtake your quilt, and may not a block you sew be done with guilt. May it keep you warm when the rain should appear, and give you direction when toward the good times you steer. These quilts we all sew some with dark, some with bright, and they keep us warm when we just don't want to fight. So fight on, my dear wife, and remember this too: nobody can make a quilt like you!

~ If you were to write a story about the quilt of your life, what would it look like?

To Have a Friend

A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend; one human soul whom we can trust utterly; who knows the best and the worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults; who will speak the honest truth to us, while the world flatters us to our face, and laughs at us behind our back.

Charles Kingsley

Crunchy Brown Rice and Garbanzo Salad

Winter months call for hearty salads. I love rice salads that contain legumes, something crunchy like nuts and seeds, and fresh, flavorful herbs. Flavor, crunch, and color work together in this salad to make a delicious dish for the holiday season.

1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice
15 oz. can garbanzos, with broth
1/4 cup chopped parsley, fresh 

1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 1/2 tsp. all-purpose seasoning
1/4 tsp. sweet basil
1/4 tsp. oregano

Simmer celery and onion in garbanzo broth, until tender. Combine with remaining ingredients and mix together well. Press into prepared, two quart casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 - 45 minutes, uncovered.

Serves: 5

Crockpot Squash

Each season presents its own delicious foods. Autumn is no exception. I'm sure you've been enjoying squash, new potatoes, kale, and other delicious vegetables. I know I have! Today I tried a new method of cooking squash, and it was so easy and so delicious that I just have to share with you. This is the easiest way to prepare squash ever! I tried this with butternut squash, but it works just as well with acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and more.
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1. Wash the squash very well. Leave on the skin, but break off the stem if you need space in your crockpot.
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2. Place whole, cleaned squash in crockpot.  Do not add water. Do not poke with fork or knife.
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3. Place lid on crockpot. If the lid does not fit, fashion one out of foil to use instead.
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4. Place temperature setting on "high".
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5. Go do something fun! Or laundry or housework, if you must. 
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6. After 4 - 6 hours, check squash for doneness.  Should be tender and easy to slip a knife into.
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7. Remove from crockpot and place on cutting board or platter. Slice in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Spoon squash out of skin and place in bowl. Or cut into serving-size pieces.
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8. Serve and enjoy! SO delicious!
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If you have a squash with a very tough skin, you may want to add 1/4 cup water to the crockpot. For most squash, additional water is not necessary, as there is enough moisture in the squash.

Taking Two Cups of Tea

 

"And quite a family it is to make tea for, 
and wot a happiness to do it! 
The privileges of the side-table included the small
prerogatives of siting next to the toast, 
and taking two cups of tea
to other people's one."

Charles Dickens

Tea at Five O'Clock

When the tea is brought at five o'clock and all the neat curtains are drawn with care, the little black cat with bright green eyes is suddenly purring there.

- - - -Harold Monro "Milk for the Cat"

Fizzy Fizzy Bath Balls

Fuzzy bath balls are so much fun! They can be purchased in large or small sizes in the toiletries section of your local drug store, but they are so simple to make. Imagine a fragrant fizz-fizz as you prepare a steaming hot bath. . .pure luxury! Great for YOU, but fun for kids and to be used as gifts as well.

Fizzy Fizzy Bath Balls

4 Tbsp. citric acid
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 tsp. essential oil (fragrance of choice)
6 - 12 drops of food color
6 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Stir the citric acid, cornstarch, and baking soda together in a mixing bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl or cup, mix together the vegetable oil, essential oils, and food coloring. Then, slowly add the oil mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing well. Place 1 - 2 Tbsp. of mixture into hand and form into a small ball. Continue, placing balls on a sheet of waxed paper. Allow to dry for 2 - 3 hours for semi-hard stage. They will need to dry for 2 - 4 days to be fully dry and suitable for storage in a clear glass canister or large Mason canning jar (seal to keep from moisture). To use, fill a bath tub with hot water and add 2 or 3 fizzy bath bombs right before getting into tub.

These make great gifts too! Package them in a pretty jar or place in individual candy cups and box (like chocolates!).

*Regular vegetable oils will work, but for more luxury, use coconut oil, avocado oil, apricot kernel oil, or sweet almond oil.

** Instead of balls, children might enjoy forming into different shapes: hearts, animals, crescent moons, etc.

*** Be sure to use pure, essential oils (food grade). Fragrance oils available for home decor may not be pure and are harmful to skin.

****Choose from a wide variety of essential oils: lavender, jasmine, chamomile, geranium, rose, ylang-ylang, clary sage, rosemary, pine, eucalyptus, sandalwood, cedarwood, angelica, etc.

Posted at 11:11 AM on 11/11/11

Bath Salts

Salts added to baths have therapeutic benefits.  Salts help to mineralize the water and to add buoyancy.   Recently Kelly Rippa shared her simple recipe for a therapeutic bath that she claims helps eliminate symptoms of a cold.  She fills a tub with hot water and adds 2 cups of Epsom salts and 1 bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Although she didn't mention it, adding 8 - 10 drops of eucalyptus oil would make it even better! Having a cupboard filled with these raw ingredients makes taking a mineral salt bath simple, but sometimes it's nice to have a pre-measured container of salts in a pretty container nearby. Here's a simple recipe for homemade bath salts:


4 cups of sea salt
2 tsp. vegetable oil
10 - 14 drops of essential oil of your choice
food coloring (I prefer to use dry, powdered food coloring because it doesn't add moisture)


Place all the ingredients in a gallon zip-lock bag and shake well. Then pour into a pretty glass jar and lid. Add a scoop and enjoy in a hot bath!

A Free Pattern

 

If you have a moment or two to spare, please stop by Fay's blog today. She's designed a beautiful autumn-themed pattern for embroidery or paint that she's giving away for free. All you have to do is download. And while you're there, leave her a comment and tell her I sent you.

Simply...made by Fay

Happy Thankfulness Month!

Selecting Herbs for Tea

Herbs for bath TEA can be found in many places. Check your kitchen cupboard, your garden, or the shelf at your local health food store. Here are some examples of herbs that can be added to your bath TEA.

Basil, Chamomile, Lavender, Peppermint, Strawberry Leaves, Sage, Catnip, Comfrey, Spearmint, Chervil, Rose, Rosemary, Calendula, Savory, Horsetail, Thyme, Lemon Balm, Parsley, Marjoram, Jasmine, Orange Peel, Lemon Verbena, Eucalyptus, Violets, Bay Leaf, Hops, Valerian Root


If you don't have time to make an infusion or decoction, simple place your choice of herbs into a heat-sealable tea bag or a draw-string muslin bag and float in a tub of hot water.