little ones

Can you imagine a grown woman doing a photo shoot of these little baskets?

Yup, that's me and I did!

I've been addicted to crocheting these little ones lately.

I have plans to use them as gifts.

 I am so in love with all the colors. 

I thought it would be fun to gather them together to take their picture.

 And it was.

Joining with Monday Mosaics.

Heart's Desire

I warned the Gardener before we ate that this is truly the oddest thing I have ever made. I wondered how it would taste, but since it was filled with some of our favorite foods, how could it be wrong?

Sometimes I make something up and then forget how I made it. We liked this so much I decided to write it all down. I even made it into a recipe card on my P*nterest so I could refer to it and named it Heart's Desire What's for Dinner.

The recipe is so versatile you could really add anything you want. But here is how it went:

Mix four eggs with 4 oz softened cream cheese, spread with a dash of grated cheese into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.

Meanwhile cook trimmed cauliflower until just soft and drain well. Spread cauliflower chopped small on the top of the "crust."

In large bowl mix finely chopped onion, red or yellow pepper, sliced black olives, a can of artichokes drained and chopped small, a can of (or fresh/cooked) mushrooms drained, two grilled yesterday chicken breasts thinly sliced, 1/3 or so Cup mayo, 2 tsp curry powder, pinch salt and garlic or other spices as desired. Spread this mixture over cauliflower and top with grated cheddar or other cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Served with our garden tomatoes and fresh blueberries, it was a low carb hit for sure.

take along

A few years after our college graduation, a friend from nursing school was kidnapped by enemy soldiers while she was working as a nurse in East Africa. Updates about the kidnapping were frequently in the newspapers. I was a public health nurse at the time and as I traveled from house to house, my patients would bring the news articles to my attention. The end of the story is that after a month her captors released her and she rode out of the camp on a camel. They had taken good care of her. She was four months pregnant when kidnapped and after her release, blood tests showed she was healthier after the ordeal.

From what I remember, she had nothing but a comb, a towel, a bit of soap, and a white shawl which served as a sheet. Somehow she got a needle and would occupy herself pulling threads from the multi colored towel and embroidering scripture verses on the shawl … scripture she knew from memory. I've often wondered what I would do in a similar situation.

There are certain things I like to take with me whether I'm gone for a day or three weeks: a small Bible, my camera, a book, something to write on, and my crocheting. I like to have my large cozy shawl or wrap that my son brought home from India; it serves as a light blanket. I guess I'd include my phone.

But I could reduce the list to a Bible and crocheting. I do love having handwork with me.

On a somewhat related subject, don't we all think from time to time about what we would take if we had to leave home quickly? The first things I always think of, as in the case of fire, are photo albums. But let's say the bag is very small--what would be on your list? If a challenge came to us such as my friend experienced, I think many of us would deal with the situation just as she did. We never know how strong we are until we are tested.

dog days

The heat seems relentless … large cracks line the hardened clay where grass has 

died from the drought … and no end in sight.  I call these the "dog days of summer."

A day in the mountains brings some relief though the heat seems to have followed us.

A little ice cream sure helps.

Joining in Monday Mosaics.

the baby that wasn't ours

When the Gardener was in graduate school we had a baby. We actually did, much farther along in his studies, but the baby I'm talking about wasn't ours. We subparented this baby.

"Subparenting" was a common term back when the Gardener was in seminary. On the school bulletin board were many job offers for parents wanting to go away for a night, a week, or even a month. The school had a good reputation and I guess they trusted seminary students. We subparented a lot; it was a good way to earn money and gain experience. Once we cared for a family of three children for a month while their parents traveled the world. Another family hired us several times while they went out west for ski vacations. With both of those jobs we dealt with after school activities, homework, household chores, cooking, etc.

But the most wonderful assignment was caring for four month-old Abigail while her parents and big sister went to Israel for a whole month. At the time it didn't seem strange, but I can't imagine it happening now. I don't remember any background checks or technicalities like that. We met the parents once or twice before they left. They must have really trusted us.

Of course I fell in love with Abigail and totally delighted in caring for her. I was so anxious to become a mom myself that I savored every moment with her. We took walks with her stroller, enjoyed bath time, played on the floor together … we easily fell into her routine. We appreciated living in a house rather than our tiny apartment, but most of all we loved caring for our sweet baby-for-a-month. It was like playing house.

Abigail changed a lot in the month her parents were away. When they returned I'm not sure how much she remembered them. And of course it was hard for us to say goodbye to her. I think we babysat a couple of times after that, but then eventually lost touch. I hadn't thought about this experience for a long time when suddenly--boom--it popped into my mind. I wonder what Abigail is like today. She must be about forty.

I sometimes reflect on whether we had even the slightest bit of impact on wee Abigail when her life intertwined with ours for a brief month. I like to think so.

a mixed sprinkle

I knew my young friend K loves old things so I brought out Mom's 72 year-old crystal ice tea glasses for her little sprinkle. We were having a small shower (sprinkle) for K's new baby boy. Because her first is a girl, we thought some boys' books would be just the thing to help celebrate his arrival. So along with the crystal, I arranged some old books, matchbox cars, and candles in recycled olive jars--an eclectic mix to celebrate this boy--with aged beauty along with simple and casual, and trumping all, a love for books. (Little One helped me arrange the table and thought the match box cars with "pizazz" should be front and center. She has a good eye.)

We read some children's books aloud, and then watched as K opened
one book after another--a mix of baby board books and story books for later. 

I think they will need to build a book shelf.

I usually give books for baby presents and often include this quote with the gift.
It's a favorite of mine. If only young parents could slow down and
realize the great value in reading to their kids!

"Reading aloud is the most intense, exclusive, intimate and powerful thing you can
do with your children. When you read to them you can't wash the dishes, you can't
drive the car, you can't make the beds. You can only read aloud.
That speaks powerfully to young children. And to older ones.
The great books open the way for conversation about all the important issues of
life in a way that what happened on a television show or even in a schoolyard doesn't."
--Eldon Ross Lipson

In the pink with some chocolate

I didn't go to a favorite little resale shop looking for a pink covered dish.

(But I do love pink and it reminds me of my mother who loved the color.)

And when I saw this sweet pink serving bowl and lid for a song,

I was drawn to it.

I always see friends when I go to this shop, so I must have spoken

of my attraction to this dish because others heard me say it.

Before long women I don't even know were telling me I should buy it.

Talk about pressure! But it did seem to keep calling out to me.

Sure enough it came home with me and I have

enjoyed using it as I actually kind of needed a serving piece like this.

And it certainly makes a statement!

I probably should give it a name.

Thank you for all the comments on my "growing older" post.

Those kind of comments encourage me to continue blogging.

It's a goal list, rarely all accomplished, but when I do get close to it, 

the day is a better one. As to the chocolate comments, yes.

I do partake for "health reasons" but am conflicted

right now in my attempt to avoid sugar.

Certainly dark chocolate contains very little sugar, right?

Joining in Monday Mosaics.

taking stock

Around the time I add a year to my age, I find myself

taking stock or thinking about life a bit.

You know, the regrets, the wonderful moments.

So much to be grateful about.

I recently read one of those articles posted to fb that talked about women 

"over fifty" and what they should or should not be doing. Most of it I take

with a grain of salt but I did appreciate their encouragement for women to

"dress their age." How beautiful an older woman can look when she is not

squeezed into a mini skirt or trying to look like a teenager. I loved

how Vanessa Redgrave dressed in Letters to Juliet.

While I continue to grow, and learn new ways,

I have figured out life a little by now--haven't we all?

Here's my list of things I hold in value for each day living:

Early rising

Stretching and exercise

Time with God

Drinking lots of water

Eating no or little sugar, low carb, lots of veggies and fruit

Taking time to read a book

Writing notes of encouragement

Working with my hands

Looking outside myself for people who need help

("It is better to give than to receive")

Taking time to cook a nice meal, 

set a pretty table, and sit down for dinner with my Gardener.

Don't go to bed late.

If I do all these, it's bound to be a good day.

family together

 Tired but refreshed would be the way to describe how we feel after a week

 in the Tennessee mountains with our entire extended family minus three.
Away from technology, surrounded by gorgeous views, and
with the ones you love the most … how can you get it much better?

 When the kids were the age that their kids are now, our families vacationed every

year together. Now it was time to try it again. Including spouses, 26 descendants
from our parents gathered and together we made we made a wonderful memory.

Second cousins got to know each other and played together easily.

We hiked a lot and the youngest of the bunch kept up most of the time.
On one hike she was quite pleased

with her big stick and her "baby stick."

The only time she went on strike was when I said,

"Look, we're in the mountains!"

She stopped in her tracks, dropped her sticks

and with her lower lip out and tears approaching,

 reached out her arms to be carried while

exclaiming, "We are not in the mountains."

not just a granny square

When we taught our mentor girls how to crochet one thing led to another.

Before we knew it there were some 40 women in our church getting

together once a month to share patterns, ideas, and bring together our completed projects.

When everything is gathered together, the colors are vibrant and amazing.

Our prayer shawls, potholders, dishcloths, soap holders, lap blankets, baby blankets,

booties, baby caps, headbands, dish scrubbers, baskets, scarves, blankets … and more …go all over

our city and the world beyond, and wherever they go, 

recipients smile and are blessed by the gift. 

In June we sent 1200 items with a team to Haiti. 

Soap holders that double as washcloths are used there, 

as well as potholders for women cooking over open fires, 

or to protect their hands when carrying heavy buckets of water.

We put wings to the work of our fingers!

summer nights

 The city on a warm summer evening is one of my favorite places to be.

There's always a breeze and people to see.

We like to take a picnic supper along and eat near one of the many fountains.

 On a recent night we ate with friends on the second floor of the structure shown in the upper

right, above, until security kicked us out. Apparently it was "closed" after 6 pm.

Thankfully we did not bring the usual china or candles, so quickly scooped up our picnic 

and headed to a lower table, feeling a bit like teenagers caught in the wrong spot.

A good summer to me includes a couple of evenings here.

As darkness descends and the lights come on 

there just isn't a much prettier or relaxing place to be.

Joining Mosaic Mondays.

rain catcher

 I've always thought our side (back) door looked a little plain.
And a great place to get wet as

one awkwardly manages umbrella and packages

while unlocking the door during a rainstorm.

 We finally did what we have talked of for years.
I think it adds a little charm to our house.

 Thankfully we've had some rainstorms recently.

Good for the grass and garden's sake, but

also a chance to try out our new addition.

And it works great! 

just right

 We enjoyed a big celebration this weekend for friends

from Europe back for a visit and at the same time,

a 60th birthday. It was fun to work on decorations.

The above rice jar was my P*nterest find.

 The long table on a friend's porch easily fit 14 of us.

The next morning we enjoyed a parade in our cul de sac put on by the 

children who live here, followed by some yummy treats on their porch.

Our kids were away so we enjoyed quiet the rest of the weekend.

First a tiniest of road trips to the other side of town,

then grilling chicken just for two,

and finally, watching the fireworks on TV.

Later falling asleep to the sounds of fireworks in the distance.

A perfect weekend.

whimsy eggplant parmesan

One fresh eggplant, sliced, oiled and broiled (and salted.)

 Ground turkey browned along with onion, sweet pepper, 

zucchini and olives.

 Sauteed mushrooms in garlic and oil.

 Layer sauce, eggplant, cottage cheese, meat

and veggies (including left over roasted vegs)

grated cheese, then do it all over again.

Top with a thin layer of sauce and more cheese.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes,

serve with a salad.

My whimsical take on veggie eggplant parmesan this week.

It was good.

summer captions

It's been so hot. Over 100 degrees each day this week. 

Finally today after some much needed rain a break in the heat.

Outdoor concert with a favorite hometown band. 

What little boy doesn't want to celebrate at least one birthday with a dirt cake?

Littlest One insists on wearing her sunglasses inside and upside down. 

Fathers' Day at our church: all the men and boys up front to sing.

A warm night of dominoes and 60s music with friends on the porch.

It wasn't til later that I realized why this game was so hard for me.

Look at how busy the tablecloth is along with the colorful dominoes.

No wonder!
Joining Judith's Mosaic Monday

hair story

My hair is so, so thick that I feel confident that I'll probably never start balding as some women eventually do. The only time I've messed with my hair color was in college when I combed in "Clairoxide" in the summer to add some blonde highlights. My increasingly gray highlights are natural even though I'm often asked about my color. While I've always wished my hair wasn't so very straight, its curious that at this age I'm suddenly getting cowlicks, and not in advantageous spots. I have found a hair stylist that I adore. Christie listens to what I want, does many of my friends' hair (so it's a little taste of "Mitford") and even better, her price is so cheap. Just in the past week two women have asked where I go, and I have to say that Christie is "closed." No more new customers. This girl is busy. And she can hide my cowlicks.

She loves to talk about the color of my hair. She says more and more women are coming in and asking for gray, which I find amusing, unless she's just trying to make me feel good. Are these women taking a turn to reality, or is it because gray is so popular in decorating?

So here's the story. One day Christie told me about an 80-something woman whose hair color is just like mine. She comes in weekly for a trim because her hair grows so quickly. She's an "active 80" and has beautiful white hair, but gets gray highlights because she's not ready "to go totally white." While I was getting my hair cut a sharp looking woman, looking to be in her early 70s or late 60s walked in and greeted Christie. She sat for a bit but then grabbed a broom and started sweeping the floor. Her gray highlighted hair was lovely. How amusing that this was the same 80-something woman Christie had just been telling me about. And our hair is identical. I hope I will be in as good shape in my 80s. Just from chatting with her a bit I'm guessing a lot of it has to do with her outlook on life.

And, by the way, it's quite a feat to photograph the back of one's head.

on providing

I've been using my iPad to read the first book in the Narnia series to my granddaughter. We began just to satisfy her curiosity, and then she got hooked. How I loved reading the series to her dad and his brother, and now I'm enjoying sharing it with her. The first day we read I found something on line. I'm not sure how these copies are done, but sometimes a letter is left off a word, etc. We're never sure we'll find it the next time we read so I decided to reserve a copy from our library. I went online and found only two in our large city library system. I tried to reserve a copy but it looked like someone already had so I knew I wouldn't get the book soon.

I was telling the Gardener my surprise at the lack of Narnia in our city library and how I had tried to reserve it. It was the plan for me to go over to their house to read and babysit after lunch. As I headed out the door my phone beeped with a message -- from the library -- my reserved book was ready. Had I actually reserved it? Who knew! Then followed another beep and a message from DIL--could I come 15 minutes later? That would give me just the time I needed to stop by the library.

It was an old copy with the same sweet sketches as in the one I read to my kids. I was eager to tell Little B about the provision of this book -- I call such things a "wink" or "smile" from God.  For isn't He concerned about everything in our lives? Both big and little? She took in my story, eyes a bit wide, and then her mom iced the cake.

"What was our lesson in VBS this morning, B?"

It was on "God provides for us."

Another wink.

the tiniest of vacations

 We went to a wedding in Greenville recently and 

decided to stay overnight and visit the city park before heading home.

 What an amazing park in the middle of the city. 

You notice how the suspension bridge left one side free

for viewing the waterfall?

We walked and bench hopped and even found a swing to enjoy.

The morning was cool before the heat set in.

It was the tiniest of vacations, but as we all know,

even a couple of hours in such a place can be refreshing.

Joining Mosaics on Monday today.

a second kiss

Well actually I never got a second kiss, but I could have. The Gardener was off to 

other parts of the world. I ask him again and another time and maybe a third or fourth time 

as he packs, "Do you have your passport?" "Yes, yes." 

Always a man full of patience with my repeats.

Friday afternoon rush hour traffic. I leave him at the airport door and my mind briefly 

flirts with the days past when I would go in and sit with him until boarding. Before 2001.

I'm on the expressway headed home. Traffic surrounds me as by now employees are flocking from the city with the weekend in mind.

My phone rings and I answer cautiously (I'm driving you know) 

and hear the Gardener's voice.

With passport safely tucked on his person, he tells me he has left something very important at home, crucial for his work. Can I make it home and back before the flight leaves? Bumper to bumper as my mind races about which route might be better. I breathe a frantic prayer and it almost seems like God parts a path through the steel on wheels.

How many times do we ask what we did before cell phones! I try to remember how things evolved the one time he actually did forget his passport. I must have known before I left him at the airport. That ended up being a frantic trip home and back and a begging of the next flight to LA, where he had a layover,  to carry his passport to him.

I feel more comfortable as I glance over now at the gray laptop on the seat beside me. We are on our way back and traffic is flowing. I make it just in time. He rushes to the car a little breathless with a face full of gratitude and relief. A tall man can't reach into a car across to the driver. "A kiss" I beg. Sorry no time to come around; there's a plane to catch. No second kiss. 

We touch hands through the open window and off he goes.

texted beauty

 Beauty comes in all ways, and sometimes through a text.

 I love it when someone sends me a picture they know I will appreciate.

 It's like saying "I'm thinking of you."

 These are a few beauties I've receive on my phone recently.

All but the top one came from my boys.

These vibrant beauties were not texted but came right through the front door.

Neighbors got them at the "left over market." There is still a lot of life

 in them. It was sweet to see the girls from next door carrying 

a big bright bouquet to each neighbor in our cul de sac.

We put some on the tables later when we all gathered for a cook-out.

home…again

 (my grandmother's house)

Each house I pass by is a piece of art for me. I grew up being a house 

person--our whole family seemed to love houses maybe because 

both my grandfathers had businesses involving houses. 

My favorite place in the whole world is home, but I know not all houses 

are homes, and not all homes are the havens that my home was growing up. 

It's a blessing I don't take for granted.

I've written a lot about home on this blog and here I go again!

I place a high value on comfort and peace in our surroundings.

Where we live there is a lot of pressure to "update" our homes both 

outside and inside, furniture, bathrooms, kitchens, etc.

Sometimes it's tempting, but I prefer the old heirlooms,

the stuff that tells me stories, has character, 

and promotes cozy. 

I love the descriptions of a home in E. Goudge's Pilgrim's Inn. 

I could read it again and again.

"There did not seem to be a straight line anywhere, and yet the old place 

gave no impression of decay. …The room was gracious, lived-in, 

warm, glowing, and altogether glorious….

Standing there in the sunlight and firelight, George and the children felt as

though they had come home. They looked at each other, but could not speak."