Fireworks!

...and the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air; gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave...o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

I always get a lump in my throat when I hear that old anthem; when I see Old Glory flying high; when a soldier salutes tall and proud; and when fireworks sizzle on the 4th of July...

God Bless America!

photos taken at Blaine Harbor, July 4th, 2012

all rights reserved.

Of Dads and doggies-- and a recipe

I took Kelly out for breakfast yesterday for Father's Day. Today was a rather quiet day. We went to church; they had a lovely tribute to dads. We've only attended this church for a few months and it feels so nice to have finally found the 'right' place to worship.

After church we visited our dads' graves. It's bittersweet...going to the cemetery on holidays. We spent some time sharing our favorite memories of our fathers. Kelly's dad once helped him carve a little wooden race car for Boy Scouts. They had a big race with the cars--Kelly and his Dad won the race. My favorite memory is of sitting on the riverbank on warm summer days, sipping orange soda and just watching the river run by. Dad put a bell on the end of my pole so that when I got a nibble, it would ring. When I wasn't looking he'd jerk the pole, causing my bell to jingle, then chuckle as I excitedly reeled my line in. Sweet, sweet memories.

I took the opportunity to stroll about the cemetery and take some photographs...

Then we took Baron to Sunset Pond for a swim. Oh my, how he enjoys swimming! It's so gratifying to see him do what he was born to do...swim and retrieve.

Things are all a-bloom around the pond.

 

Funny Baron! He looks like he's running with a stick of dynomite! (It's his new retrieving float toy.)

We ended our quiet day with a plate of home-made spaghetti and a slice of sourdough. (I got the marinara recipe off the internet and it is seriously the best sauce I've ever made! Recipe is below.) Baron is snoring away on his bed after his big day of swimming. Kelly is watching the US Open and I am all curled up in the easy chair. What a nice day!

***

Recipe for Old World Spaghetti Sauce

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree

2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup onion, chopped

3 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup dry red wine

2 1/2 cups water

Directions:

In a large stockpot on low-med heat add your olive oil and saute your onions for about 4 minutes,then add your crushed garlic,cook for 2 minutes longer. Then add your water,and tomato products. Be sure to mix everything very well.Add in your spices,and cheese. cook for 2 1/2 hours covered.Then add in your wine, and cook 30 minutes longer. Sauce will be thin on first day.Also if you use meat it will alter thickness.The second day this turns into a nice thick sauce.

***

We Are the Easter People

In my last post I left you standing on Golgotha with Mary, gazing upon a crucified Jesus. Let us continue on with Mary [Magdalene] to the tomb...

But Mary remained standing outside the tomb sobbing. As she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they said to her, Woman, why are you sobbing? She told them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.

On saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you crying so? For whom are you looking?  Supposing that it was the gardener, she replied, Sir, if you carried Him away from here, tell me where you have put Him, and I will take Him away. Jesus said to her, Mary! Turning around she said to Him in Hebrew, Rabboni!, which means Teacher or Master.

Jesus said to her, Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brethren and tell them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.

John 20: 11-17

Dear Friends,

My Easter wish for you is that just as it happened for Mary on that very first Easter morning, so will Jesus appear to you; and that as He speaks your name as only He can, you will find the answers you are looking for. Happy Easter my friends! He Lives!

"Do Not Abandon Yourselves to Despair...We Are the Easter People, and Hallelujah is Our Song!"

Pope John Paul II

***

From the Heart

They say the best gifts are from the heart. I hope it's true, because my card for hubby had to come from the heart this year...and not Hallmark. I've been home for 8 days (but whose counting?) and wasn't able to go out and buy a card or gift. Though I've orders to stay home this week, I am feeling much improved, so I decided to make my hubby a card. I gathered up red things, bows, ribbons, napkins, newspaper, and whatever else I could find. No glue--that's a problem. I had to make glue out of flour and water, like I did as a child. Did you ever do that, or is it something I learned because we were economically challenged? 

Anyway, though the pinks and florals were prettier, I decided on a more masculine look...a kind of a mixed media collage. The paper looks discolored because of my hokey glue. It was thick and difficult to work with. But it dried ok.

 Being a 'word' person, I loved being able to convey my sentiments on the crossword puzzles.  The two halves of the hearts that say 'you' 'me' represent us before we met. The halves become one in the 'together' heart. The word search has 'we' and 'love'. Succinct, but it's the 'glue' for marriage...and not the flour and water kind--the superglue!

We'll have a quiet celebration here at home as I recoup. This weekend perhaps a nice dinner and a movie. Happy Valentine's Day to you all. May you find true love in your live and your relationships with others and with God.


PS: Many, many thanks for your prayers. The funk I was in both physically and spiritually has lifted tremendously. This morning was a big breakthrough for me. What happened? Jesus happened-- and of course, He brought peace with him. What lovely gifts He gives...and how sweet that it happens to be Valentine's Day!

An Outdoor Christmas Picnic on Tartan...Oh My!

Fabulous idea and photo by Michelle Edwards of sweetsomethingdesign.blogspot.com
As seen on Houzz.com
For more wonderful pics of this beautiful setting, go to http://www.houzz.com/photos/94703/Winter-Tablescape-traditional-dining-room-kansas-city

So I was looking through my latest Houzz.com installment and what to my wondering eyes should appear but a series on using tartan in holiday decorating! Be still my heart!!! I always have tartan in my house at Christmas, even if it's just bows on the trees. I always have tartan in my house period. After all, I am the great-great grand-daughter of Alexander Laughlin McKinnon!

I must admit, it has never once entered my head to use a tartan blanket as a tablecloth...now I can't get it out of my head. I'm having visions of a late lunch in the winter woods with my nice dishes on a tartan blanket, hurricane candles a-flickering! My menu would be a hearty, home-made beef stew with flaky baking powder biscuits. Or chili and cornbread. After a dessert of shortbread and wassail we'd take a brisk walk in the woods, perhaps sing a few Christmas carols. I feel a new tradition coming on!

What would your menu be for a Christmas picnic in the woods?

PS. If you love decorating you've just gotta check out Houzz and Michelle Edwards' blog!



December's Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...

Outside my window it's dusky and chilly and the moon is already out. Hubby and puppy are playing ball in the backyard. I can see their breath as they race across the frosty ground together. Hubby waves at me to watch them...Baron has learned to leap like a deer and catch the ball mid-air. Out front the neighbors Christmas lights are lit and giving the frozen evening a cheery glow.

I am thinking about Nativity Scenes. On my way to work yesterday I drove past a shoddy house with a poorly-painted plywood nativity scene in their front yard. My first thought was, "How crummy looking!" But at the same time I felt happy that this family was celebrating the birth of Jesus on Christmas. Then I started thinking about how almost bizarre it is that we decorate our lawns and mantles with  images of a newly delivered baby in a bed of straw. I mean, what other religion does that? But then, what other religion claims that GOD has visited this earth in the form of a man? The GOD of the universe, naked, lying in itchy hay, crying and wetting and needing someone to feed him. It boggles the mind! The Divine Condescension!

I am thankful that it's real. Christmas. It really did happen.

In the kitchen under the window sits my pink Thanksgiving cactus; still blooming. It's in an old- fashioned planter...a ring of white geese. Somehow they reminds me of Grandma's house.

I am wearing skinny jeans under a wheat colored cable knit sweater-jacket. I have a soft camel, red, and black plaid scarf about my neck. My brown, knee high boots have three buckled straps on them. I fancy that they look like riding boots.

I am creating a more modern and comfortable bedroom. I took out the old Victorian bed and replaced it with a simple boxed spring and mattress on a frame. The old headboard partly covered the window and blocked the light; now I awaken to soft, filtered light streaming into the room. Since getting rid of the old footboard, hubby can sit on the end of the bed in the mornings and chat with me while he drinks his coffee and I struggle to wake up.  I've replaced my brightly colored quilts with a fawn colored quilt and an ivory fake fur throw. The walls are fawn colored and the woodwork is ivory. It's all very monochromatic and restful. The only artwork is a black and white charcoal piece I drew in college-- a picture of an English chap walking his corgi along a country lane. Very appropriate for Kelly and me. Soon I will paint the side tables ivory, replace the dresser with a very simple, modern one, and sew a new bedskirt by taking an old one, ripping the skirt part off of the part that goes under the mattress, and replacing the skirt part with fabric of my choice, perhaps a linen color with a small repeated, diamond-shaped print--like you see on men's pajamas. What do you call that pattern anyway?

I am going to see my friend Michelle's daughter Breton, in a production of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" tomorrow afternoon. Breton is playing Schroeder. He's my favorite Peanuts character, him and Snoopy. Who doesn't love Snoopy?

I am wondering if there are any new episodes of "Parenthood" on our DVR. Kelly and I both love that show. Will Crosby and Jasmine get back together? Kelly says yes, but I have my doubts.

I am reading books I've already read. I like to do that. And I like to read several books at once; so when I become bored with one subject, I just hop over to a new one. This month I'll re-read "Follow Your Passion, Find Your Power",  "A Child's Christmas in Wales", "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Day", "An Altar in the World", "The Heart of Abundance", and I hope to check out "Shepherds Abiding". (Brenda, over at It's a Wonderful Life mentioned this book. I think I've read all of the 'Mitford' books, but I can't remember.) In case you're wondering, this is a lot to read in a few weeks, so I probably won't read these books in their entirety... just my favorite parts. It's OK to do that...really!

I am hoping that my friend Tammy remembers to give me an invitation to Pinterest. Or that somebody does! Pinterest has a waiting list, and the only way to get on right now is to be invited...anyone out there on Pinterest...?

I am looking foward to spending a Christmas with my son Sam and his family in Las Vegas. We haven't had Christmas with Sam for over 15 years. We do see Sam in the summer, but it's been way too long since I've sat across a Christmas meal with my son. Actually, we're celebrating on the 23rd. Sam drives a limousine for a living; and Christmas day through New Years are his busiest work days of the year. I can't wait to take the boys shopping for their presents. I'm sure the malls in Vegas will be decked out to the hilt! I'll take plenty of pictures.

I am hearing the Heismann trophy presentations on ESPN. (Hubby and puppy dog have come in from the backyard and are settled in the family room with me.) Hubby says that the finalists are Andrew Luck, Montee Ball, Trent Richardson, Robert Griffin III, and  Tyrann Mathieu. Do I really care about this? Nope. But hubby does, and he tolerates my ramblings about ivory-painted side tables. So I listen when he tells me about football stuff. The compromises of a happy marriage.

Around the house things are in a pleasant disarray. They've been that way since we got a dog. I think it's an improvement. Things used to be almost too clean around here. Now the little braided rug by the front door has a pair of boots sitting on it; in anticipation of the next walk--and a few leaves and twigs from the last walk. The slipcover on the sofa is rumpled and the Chrismas quilt that I tossed haphazardly over the back of it has been claimed by Posie cat for her evening nap. Adjacent the fireplace is Baron's bed, where he is presently lying...contentedly chewing on a bone.

I am pondering how to be a true servant of Christ, how Christ was a servant-king, and how that would look in my everyday life. I know that serving Him does not mean being a doormat or saying yes to every time someone asks you to do something. It's a poor analogy, but I look at my dog. He knows that I am his master. He should prefer my voice to anyone elses. Do I prefer His voice to my own? Would I rather listen to people than to Him? I have such a long way to go in this area of my life! But I'm not discouraged. I have come long and far from where I started in my walk with Him.

One of my favorite things is writing this blog. It's relaxing and very cathartic. I love mixing words in much the way a painter mixes color. Words are colorful. They are powerful. Soothing. The can be  anything you want them to be.

A few plans for the rest of the week--Oh I hate to think of it! It's the last week of school before winter break. I'll be trying to insert information into the heads of children who's brains have turned to cotton fluff in anticipation of Christmas! There are presents to be purchased and sent to Oregon. Plans must be finalized for the Las Vegas trip--what to wear, boarding the dog, printing the airline tickets, etc. Ah well, I won't worry about it now.

Here's a picture for a thought I am sharing

My charcoal drawing. I copied this off of a photograph from an old calendar. Sadly, I don't recall the photographer's name.

Prompts courtesy of : http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Christmas Shopping in the 60's...Downtown

Once upon a time...long, long ago; before the days of malls, black Friday, cyber-shops and revolving credit cards...

There was Downtown. That's where we shopped for Christmas.

Going downtown was a big event. There would be a visit with Santa Claus at the J.C. Penneys store followed by a ride on the escalator up to the second floor. Penneys had the only escalator in town. My first escalator ride was terrifying. I stood there at the bottom for a long time, trying to jump on the moving step at just the right time. When I finally did, I made the serious mistake of grasping a part of the hand rail that didn't move so my feet were swept  up with the moving steps, but my hands and torso remained stationary at the bottom. I couldn't let go, lest I fall flat on my back! A nice gentleman heard my hysterical screaming and rushed over to pluck me off of the diabolical contraption. To this day whenever I have to take an escalator, my hands get all clammy and  I still shuffle about as I try to put my foot on the step at exactly the right time. 

Our Christmas shopping usually began sometime around the last payday before Christmas. I don't remember anyone using credit cards, but certainly we did not. All of our Christmas presents had to come out of that paycheck. And our Christmas list was small by today's standards, just one modest gift for immediate family members. Grandma Cline would receive  a pair of nice silk nylons or Emeraude dusting powder with a fluffy powder puff; and Grandpa would get a small can of Prince Albert pipe tobacco. (The thought of which causes fond recollection of a childhood prank we used to play...You call the local store and ask, "Do you have Prince Albert in the can?" The clerk replies yes, to which you yell, "Well go let him out!" Then you hang up and laugh hysterically with your friends. Another variation is to call KFC and ask, "How big are your breasts?" Of course we only had party-lines back then, so you always ran the risk of a neighbor listening in on your prank and telling the folks.)

We always got Dad a warm plaid Pendleton wool shirt, usually in deep shades of green or blue. Our presents for Mom varied, but the one I remember most distinctly was a fancy new G.E. electric hair dryer with a pink plastic bonnet. That year that Dad and Mom were both out of work; Mom had a broken ankle with a bad ulcer on it that took a whole year to heal; and Dad had been diagnosed with emphysema. That was the year I emptied all of the pennies from my piggy bank to help pay for the hair dryer.  I'd been saving those pennies since I was five. Mom cried when she opened her present. I thought she didn't like it, but Dad said we did good.

Mom used the portable hair dryer for years and years. I guess Dad and I did 'do good'.

Dad had a shirt just like this. If I close my eyes I can almost feel the softness of the wool and smell  him...all earthy and woodsy.

No Christmas shopping expedition downtown would have been complete without stopping for a burger at Woolworths luncheonette. It was set up like a big soda fountain with chairs that  you could spin around on until you became so dizzy you toppled right off! The burgers were sloppy-greasy and loaded with fried onions. I always ordered a fizzy drink called Green River. It was lime flavored and oh, so refreshing!



photo from newraleigh.com

 Wahls and the Bon Marche were the two fanciest department stores in town. We were too poor to buy much from them, but they had pretty rose-colored lounges in the ladies restroom. Sometimes Mom and I would scale the stairways, arms laden with packages, just to sit on their cushy divans and rest our aching feet. Oh the days of ladies lounges! A place where harried women took their cranky children, teenage girls experimented with new shades of lipstick, and white haired grandmothers smelling of lavender rested from their shopping before hoofing it down the stairway and back into the city streets.

a Macy's window display

And how festive the city was at Christmas! Storefronts were elaborately decorated--not with the latest Michael Kors designer dress or Coach handbags, but with sweet images of the season...giant nutcrackers and sugarplum fairies, santas and elves, and trains that whistled. Even though I'm sure these sumptuous storefronts were meant to draw customers into the store, they also provided holiday entertainment to shoppers and especially the children...and they were free for the looking!

It was ever-so-delightful to stroll down Cornwall Avenue on a chilly winter's eve, so much the more if  it was snowing. Into one store, then on to the next, with our new-found treasures stashed securely in beautifully printed shopping bags...not at all like the flimsy ones you see today. Woolworths, The 88 Cent Store, Newberry's, Pay n Save, Wahls, the Golden Rule, Mode O Day, Sears Roebuck, Gallenkamps, and the Bon Marche were some of the places we stopped. Sadly just a few of those old names remain...Penneys and Sears. Macy's bought the Bon Marche and they all moved to the mall. Oh yes, there are other stores at the mall, and now you don't have to go outside to shop...but that was what made it fun...and and adventure. Now, instead of enjoying a brisk winter's walk while shopping, weary consumers trudge doggedly down the mall corridors, listening to music in a can and breathing recirculated air. They cringe as they purchase more than they should on their Visa Gold card, and regret their expenditures with every 24 percent interest payment in the year to come.

Do you know what this writer most often found under the tree on Christmas morning as a child? A simple dolly. Not Chatty Cathy or one who walks or crawls or poops in their diapers...just a doll. Maybe a puzzle or a picture book. My Christmas stocking contained a shiny apple, a fresh orange, some jacks and an Old Maid game. Grandma always gave me a pair of sensible flannel pajamas, and my sister sewed pretty outfits for the doll. My brothers' families often gave me stocking hats, knitted slippers or a teddy bear.  And it was wonderful! Because Christmas is wonderful.

Even though Christmas is vastly different these days, it still can be wonderful if you make it so.

A little Christmas advice... Put on your parka and stocking hat. Leave your credit cards at home and go outside. Look at the lights. Sing carols with your little ones-teach them all the words to Silent Night and We Three Kings. Then go back home and drink hot cocoa with tiny marshmallows on top and eat sugar cookies laden with frosting. Turn off the Wii-- play checkers. Get out your Bible and read the story again. The one about Mary and Joseph and the angels who announced the birth of Jesus to lowly shepherds. Lay aside your sophisticated skepticism and allow yourself to once again become a child and believe.

Just believe.

Merry Christmas!



Moments

What a lovely Thanksgiving weekend we had; spent in the bestest way ever...with family. There were so many special moments; sweet images that I've tucked safely away into my heart. There were laughing moments--smiling moments--and eye's welling with thankful tears moments. The photo I've used for my blog header was a smiling, thankful, teary moment for me; as I watched my son John, his wife Karen, and their two sweet children decorate their Christmas tree. Karen has seen to it that every event of their marriage and family has been commemorated with a special ornament--there was a bride and groom, photos of the children as babies, ornaments from sporting events, family vacations, ballerinas and footballs, and even puppy Millie's first collar! And so as each ornament was carefully placed upon the tree, the children recalled all of the happy moments that they have spent together as a family.  Seven-year-old Ana wanted to place the star atop the tree, as did little brother Dane; so they decided that it would be done by all...as a new family tradition.

My daughter Heather, her husband Edgar, and their four gorgeous children also live in the Portland area. They drove Kelly and I downtown on Saturday to look at the sights of the big city. Portland was all a-sparkle for the holidays. Much fancier than our little one-horse town! We went to Pioneer Square Mall. The younger children, Sophia and Isabella, got to tell Santa what they want for Christmas. (3-year old Sophia confided to me later that Santa has stinky breath and that he needs to brush his teeth. However, she was kind enough not to tell the old gent! Definitely a laughing moment!) Thirteen-year-old Jordynn did some browsing in her fav store. I think Junior's favorite part was lunch--Chinese. Of course we went to Powell's Bookstore. We HAD to. I may read piles of books, but my daughter Heather reads MOUNTAINS of books, so every trip to Portland must include a bookstore stop! Then we all went over to Icebreaker, the store my son John manages. Everything in the store is made of merino wool. Everything. Even the underwear. It's high end stuff. Check it out: http://www.icebreaker.com/


  Can you see my grand-daughter Isabella in the ornament? (That's me in the background.)

Did I mention the birthday party? They had a little party for my 56th birthday. It was sweet, very very sweet.

This whole wonderful weekend has put me in the mood for the holidays. Let the decorating begin!

(BTW; I still plan to write about shopping downtown in the good ole days, as promised. Real soon, I promise.)

***

Christmas As It Used To Be...The Downtown Christmas Tree Lighting

I woke up this morning with thoughts of old-time Christmas's on my mind. The days before malls and Amazon.com. Simpler times. So I'm going to take the next few posts to share with you what Christmas was like in the late '50s and early 60s. So put on your scarf and mittens; we're going to an old school Christmas-Tree-Lighting...Bellingham style!

Christmas in Bellingham always began with the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. I'd sit in the back seat of our old blue and white Ford Fairlane as we drove downtown to see the Christmas tree, and listen reverently as Dad retold the story of  how in 1949 we had the tallest Christmas tree in the whole wide-world, right here in Bellingham! It was 153 feet high.

 "Why that's as tall as a 15 story building!" he'd exclaim with pride.

And shouldn't we be proud? After all, Dad was a lumberman; so to my way of thinking that connected MY DAD to that mammoth tree...and every Christmas tree thereafter. Plus we're from Washington--the Evergreen State. It's just natural that we'd have the tallest trees--and Daddy's too! Now if my Dad had been a tree, he'd have been an old-growth cedar. He towered above me with those long, lanky legs and angular body.  His grey eyes were quiet and kind. Even his woolen plaid shirts smelled of cedar and pine. Folks often said he looked like Abe Lincoln. So naturally Honest Abe was my favorite president!

Everybody came out for the tree lighting. It was hard to find a good parking spot. We'd drive around and around the loop on Railroad Avenue, looking for tail-lights, hoping in vain that someone would be backing out. It never happened, so as usual, Dad would park in some restricted area, like in front of a fire hydrant or in a loading zone out front of Clarks Feed and Seed. (Railroad Avenue is really two streets with train-tracks that run between them. Back in those days the train actually drove right through the middle of town via Railroad Avenue. Not fast, mind you...in fact, it shuffled through the center of town so slowly that one time my Grandma got exasperated waiting for the train to pass. So she closed her eyes, grabbed the steering wheel real tight, and put the pedal to the metal on her little blue sedan. She sideswiped the train! Didn't get hurt...but I think they took her license away after that. But I mustn't get sidetracked...Grandma Cline is a story all her own!)

"Ray, you can't park here...your gonna get us a ticket, or worse yet--towed!" Mom would chide.

But Dad was never one to worry about warning signs, tickets or towaway zones.

"Aw, Simmer down, Ruby," he'd grin as he backed right up against the "Loading/Unloading" sign in front of Clarks. "This is a good spot; besides, I know old man Clark!"

Once we were properly illegally parked, I'd scramble from the back seat and fidget as mom tied my white rabbit fur cap about my chin and buttoned my winter coat. Then off we'd go; Mom's high heels clickety-clacking on the cobblestones and me running to keep in stride with Dad's long legs. (I think that Mom was in as big a hurry to get away from our illegally parked car--hoping not to see anyone we knew-- as she was to see the Christmas tree!)

Finally we reached the tree. As we stood there in the chilly night, waiting for the tree to light up, my folks invariably saw old friends or family. They'd laugh and chat about the holidays, and everyone always remarked about how I was growing like a weed. I politely tolerated their remarks, but kept my eyes on the tree. I didn't want to be looking at Marge or Al Haynes when the lights went on--no, I was waiting for the magic.

And just when I thought that my fingers had frozen solid, and that my neck was broken from gaping up to the top of that tree, and when my knees were about to buckle from standing around for an eternity...at that precise moment- the tree would become ablaze with a million-jillion Christmas lights. Not with your hoity-toity Macy's/Goldman Sachs/Pottery Barn white boring lights; but with lights of every color...like the fresh box of Crayolas I received every Christmas morning kind of colored!

Yes, the magic had happened! The tree was lit and now Christmas would come. Christmas...with carolers singing Silent Night and friends stopping over for coffee and a slice of Mom's home-made pumpkin pie. There would be fine dinners on white linen tablecloths at Grandma's house and an ever-so-carefully placed star atop our Christmas tree. A time when, though our life was sometimes hard, Mom and Dad smiled at one another more and even hummed a carol or two. And a time to hear the stories of angels visiting shepherds and about how a sweet little baby, lying in a manger would somehow change the world.

That Christmas Tree was the start of it all.

Next post we'll talk about shopping downtown; an experience I fear has been lost to a generation.



A Remedy for Decorating Doldrums

Good morning! I have today off, and though I planned to sleep in, there were just too many ideas buzzing through my head. You know what I mean...you get a day off and there are more things that you want to do than you can possibly accomplish.

The first order of my day was to do a bit of rearranging. I've been in the decorating doldrums for quite a while now...feeling pretty dis-satisfied with the way my home looks. That's partly because I'm in the middle of a 'style identity crisis.'  My tastes have changed but my furnishings haven't.

Sometimes though, small changes can assuage the urge to splurge. I bought this beautiful wool scarf to wear with my brown corduroy jeans and beige tee shirt; but it's been too warm to wear a heavy scarf indoors. So I put it on the coffee table. 

When I moved the cactus from the top of the refrigerator  to the coffee table, I noticed that it's about to bloom-- just in time for Thanksgiving. What a hardly little plant!  I've neglected it terribly, but bless it's heart, it's still going to bloom. (BTW, did you notice the pot it lives in? Its a garage sale find, an antique...around 100 years old!)

So am I going to bloom this Thanksgiving? Are you? Can we find things to be grateful for in spite of having been  metaphorically 'stuck on the top of the refrigerator'? I think it's time to begin meditating on all of the things I'm thankful for, instead of focusing on the things I don't have.

My Gratitude List for November 11

• health and the ability to get out and walk
• my good neighbors on all sides
• a soon approaching birthday...56 years strong!
• tea and scones
• the loss of 8 lb. which has nothing to do with tea and scones or pumpkin pie
• my loving, faithful husband
• my beautiful, beautiful children and grandchildren--all healthy and happy
• the fact that Christ is with me every day, even when I'm at my worst
• my sister
• pumpkin pie
• being debt-free in a world that's drowning in debt
• clear sinuses

AND...all of the lovely things in this world, like music and art and pretty yarn and fluffy kittens, snow-capped mountains, sparkling Christmas trees, full-moons, pine trees with owls in them, wagging-tailed dogs, embroidered tea-towels, sweet-faced children, and pumpkin pie. (I've mentioned the pie again...I'm really craving pumpkin pie!)

My list could go on forever.

***

A Thank-you, A Halloween Song, and a Hopeful Heart

I've been saving this picture from the Lynden Fair to share with you this month. I know Halloween isn't for a 10 days, but the kids at school are really getting excited, and their enthusiasm is contagious! Now I'm not the biggest fan of witches and goblins, but I've gotta say; this handmade rug is pretty darn cute. It would be so darling on the porch next to the pumpkins and cornstalks! It reminds me of a song we used to sing in elementary school: 

One little, two little, three little witches,

Fly over haystacks, fly over ditches,

Slide down moon beams without any hitches,

Hey ho Hallowe'en's here!

Horned owl's hooting, it's time to go riding,

Deep in the shadows are black cats hiding,

With gay little goblins, sliding, gliding,

Hey ho Hallowe'en's here!

Stand on your head with a lopsided wiggle,

Tickle your little black cats till they giggle,

Swish through clouds with a higgedy, piggle,

Hey ho Hallowe'en's here!

Thanks to you all for your kind thoughts, prayers, and words of encouragement over the past couple of weeks. I felt your prayers, truly! We've moved from tears to sighs over our Koda, and can now laugh about her antics and the fun times we've had. My wound is healing.

I'm about halfway through knitting my 'doggin hat'; the new one I'm making - hoping and believing that I'll be wearing it with a new canine companion. Today a co-worker told me she needs to give her 9-month-old purebred black lab away. She hasn't the time to really take care of him. So we are going over on Sunday for a visit to meet him. Kind of a blind date. Maybe this is the one for us.

In the meantime, please send up some prayers for Koda. The lady who now has her can only keep her for a limited time. She's looking for a nice big farm with pastures to run in-where Koda will never again be chained, or even on a leash. It has to be that way for my girl. She won't survive in any other setting. So please join me in praying that she'll find just the right place. I think God cares about these things, don't you?

Hope you have a beautiful autumn weekend!

From Peanuts...The Great Pumpkin

A Recipe, A Remodel, and the Rewards of Motherhood (just not in that order)

Lots of good things are happening around here. We just celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary, followed by a really nice Mother's Day. The remodel is in full swing and I found a recipe with just two ingredients that only takes a couple of minutes to mix up!

The Remodel



The bathrooms half-done and partly functional. We only have one bathroom, plus a toilet and sink in our laundry room; so taking out the tub meant that we had to take what mom used to call 'spit baths'. That gets old. So Dean, our contractor, took pity on us and was nice enough to install the new tub right away so that we could at least take a bath. The past few mornings we've been tippy- toeing across the cardboard that covers the new tile (which will be grouted after the walls are finished and painted) and soaking in our roomy new tub while viewing exposed plumbing and walls. I decided to think it rather avant-garde; like those swanky city lofts with the pipes running across the ceiling...well almost like that...in my imagination anyway! So as it stands today, the tub is in, the tile is laid, and the walls were texturized this afternoon. Tomorrow we paint, and after that-the grouting. Then the vanity, lights, and fixtures will go in. Hope to be done by Sunday.


'Avant-guarde' ??? The big tub isn't shown, it's just to the right. More pictures are forthcoming.

The Rewards of Motherhood

My biological kids all live out of town, but they don't forget me on Mother's Day. Some pretty tulips arrived from son, John and family.  Sam and Heather and their families each sent me beautiful, sentimental e-cards. Don't you love those e-cards? I have an account with Jacquie Lawson (a talented British artist) that allows me to send all the e-cards I want for one whole year. With a passel of grandchildren this is a life-saver. That year-long deal allows me to send cards on those less-important holiday that I normally don't acknowledge. The link to her site is www.jacquielawson.com. But can you guess what made me that happiest on Mother's Day? It wasn't the flowers or cards, or the yummy brunch that Kelly took me to. It is seeing that my grown children have grown up to become even better people than I dreamed. That's the real reward of motherhood-having great children. So hang in there, all of you young mothers. Keep loving them, making them behave, and praying for them. Your reward is coming- trust me.

The Recipe



And finally, I came across the easiest recipe ever last week. Thought I'd share it with you. It's for seasoned creamed cheese spread. I served it on fancy little sandwiches with thinly sliced cucumber at the Royal Wedding Brunch I attended. But oh, my goodness... this stuff is fantastic on toasted bagels. It takes all of my self control not to eat one (or two) of these for breakfast every morning.

Savory Creamed Cheese Spread

A tub of whipped creamed cheese

A packet of dry italian salad dressing mix

Directions: Stir the creamed cheese to soften a bit. Dump a little of the dressing mix in it and stir. Taste. If it's great, stop. If it's not, add more dressing mix. Repeat the process until you are happy with the results. Serve on bread, bagels, crackers, or as a veggie or chip dip.

Don't blame me if you eat more than you should...you were warned!