back fence chatter

It's such a warm day here, I could envision myself talking over the back fence with my neighbor. But she's inside, so I brought a tea tray up to my closet office as I work on a deadline this afternoon, knowing I need a whole pot on this long day. I think about this "go to" teapot of mine that I'm using with a favorite Christmas mug and tray brought home from England. The teapot is so everyday, a 50-cent find years ago in an antique shop. It warms me with pleasant memories of that mountain weekend with friends, just as it warms me with comfort and yes, coziness, (my new favorite word) as the steam from the tea presses on my face. The old pot is my favorite because it is so ... unassuming and I love its shape. And for 50 cents, a drip free spout.

So if I was chatting over the fence I might give a few "observations."  It could go like this:

1. I don't mind this extended warm weather, but I hope it doesn't trick the trees into blooming even before they're finished shedding their dead autumn leaves.

2. I tried so very hard to find a box of Christmas cards that actually used the word "Christmas." Everything looks 3-D and a bit weird to me, even the one or two packs that were truly Christmas cards.

3. And then I'd ask when did all the glitter and glitz take over the ornament aisle? I'm trying to find a pretty ornament to exchange at a party and I went through the shelves of a favorite crafty chain store and the only one that appealed to me was a cute pair of boots ornament. Which didn't really look like Christmas. Personally I'm not crazy--for myself--about all that glitter and powdery stuff shedding in my living room or onto my tree or into my still-recovering-from-bronchitis lungs.

4. And then we need a new angel for the top of our tree. Our angel has fallen to a irreparable state, How hard can it be to find a quaint, sweet replacement? Apparently not easy. The only one or two angels I have found are quite over-done, over-sized and holding electric (bright white LED of course) candles, one in each hand. Again not my taste, or maybe I don't want to mess with the white wires that attach to her candles. I'll head over to a consignment shop, but for now a glittery (succumbed, yes) silver poinsettia stands up in her place.

Of course I feel badly now. My observations sound a bit like complaints about the trivial trappings (of a holiday gone so off course over the years). I've got my focus back. Gratefulness. I might add to my neighbor before we say good-bye, that I love rereading Marjorie  Holmes' Two From Galilee at this time of year. A novel, yes, but it has helped me to grasp the suffering and challenges Mary and her fiancee endured to bring the Savior into the world. Something to ponder.

Oops, the pot is finished and it's time to get back to my real work.

snug as a bug

Hot cocoa on a cold day; a sip of delectable tea while sitting around a table with good friends; candles in the window; a dog snoring at my feet; a cuddly baby; a soft, warm blanket; nothing too big; somewhat old and comfortable ... these words and more conjure up "coziness" in my mind. We got into the discussion when my mother, surveying the switch in our dining room and living room asked, "Just what is coziness?"

I'm sure she knows, but maybe she never thought about it before. Since so many of you asked about what the "new" and "cozy" living room looks like, I thought I'd tuck a picture of it into a post about coziness. It's a word we often use to describe a place, and when we say the word, a warm feeling comes with it, don't you think? Of course I checked the dictionary and it used words like: "snug, comfortable, and warm," and another set of words I like: "marked by friendly intimacy." That's what we feel when we are in our new room where we read and have conversations.

I place a high value on coziness ... do you? Since pictures, at least for me, speak louder than words, I searched through my photos to come up with some that say "cozy" to me. (An aside: the center photo is of our dear Meshach who went to doggie heaven three years this week.)

We had plenty of "friendly intimacy" last night when the kids were over for the Gardener's birthday. After dinner, since it was "Little Brother's" first view of a Christmas tree (I wish I could have captured the awestruck look in his wide eyes when he first saw it), we hung around in our "small, intimate" room. And it was a bit crowded with the grands playing here and there and us trying to sit and talk. We should have gone to the larger "family" room, but of course we wanted to be by the tree. Next time I'll remember to add more chairs on the edge of the dining room.

I think we all look for coziness especially during the holidays ... 

... possibly in part because we remember the stable where a young teenage mom 

wrapped her baby and laid him in a manger she had filled with straw to make 

it a cozy bed for him. I'm sure the environment was harsher than 

the Christmas cards show, but certainly 

the light and love of Christ filled the place with great warmth.

Linking to Mary's Little Red House for Mosaics on Monday

the big switch

We finally did it. Something we've talked about for years, and seen friends do successfully. 

We have a small dining room and fitting 12 around our table is the limit and quite confining. 

Once squished into one's seat at the far end of the dining room, there's no further moving 

during the meal. Sometimes I don't even sit at the table. And we love to have many 

around our table. Thinking of 12 or more at Thanksgiving encouraged us to give it a try. 

Yes, we switched the dining room with the adjoining living room.  

Our "new" dining room is so spacious I feel like I'm in a banquet hall. 

(Well, maybe that's an exaggerating a bit.) 

We set up the tree in the new ever-so-cozy "parlor" 

and it seeps into the "dining" room which is nice. I'm not about to move the tree, 

so I guess we'll keep things this way at least through the holidays. 

The "jury's still out" on if this should be a permanent change, but so far I'm 

liking it a lot. If it's permanent, the chandelier will be moved. I know it's a woman's 

privilege to change her mind, but I've been warned there would be no mind changing after that!

Potato Rolls

Potato rolls are a big hit in this house. It's been a few years since I made them, but I really wanted to get into some yeast and kneading last week, so pulled out the crinkled recipe card. My dad especially loved it when I made them--when things switched, and they started coming to my house for holidays rather than our going to their house. I miss my dad and this year as we cleaned up the kitchen we remembered how he always helped with the dishes. So this year I made them in his memory. I realize that this recipe reads a bit like my driving directions! "Turn by the purple house with the large bush at the top of the hill."






Potato Rolls ---  makes 5 doz. rolls    350 degrees/ 20 minutes

3 C milk (scalded) (I heat in microwave)

1 C mashed potatoes

1 C sugar

Put together and mix, add 2 C flour and let stand

I usually put my 1 pckg yeast in 1/4 cup tepid water with a tsp sugar and let it "start" before adding it to above mix. One just has to be careful that the scalded milk mix is not too hot--if it is it could kill the yeast. If it's more like tepid, the yeast should do fine in there, working off that one cup of sugar!

Then add:

1 Tb salt

2 eggs

1/2 C melted shortening

Enough flour to form stiff dough--about 4-5 cups

Knead well and let rise.  Form rolls and let rise two more hours. Bake and enjoy the delicious scent. Of course they are best fresh from the oven, otherwise I'd freeze them for later use. I also usually grease the tops of them with a smidge of butter when they come out of the oven. This recipe could also make a loaf of bread and rolls. 

the week that was

It was full and wonderful week ... left to right: my brother taking Mom on a walk; homemade potato rolls; "the climber;" napkin rings by our nieces; reflective moments; the last day for our pumpkin; Christmas begins; nieces and their grandma make a gingerbread house from "foamies;" and what comes after everyone leaves––cleaning up and enjoying the memories!

See Mary's Little Red House for other mosaics!

Pausing for Thanks

This is one of my favorite posts. Each time I read it I am reminded at how much 

I have to be thankful for. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

The day started in the wee hours as the Gardener had a 6 am medical procedure. Seemed the rest of the day filled up quickly, and late afternoon found us at the foot doctor's for another small procedure. I was rather tired, and wanting just to read my book. But I was very aware of my surroundings. I had never been to a foot doctor waiting room before and was amazed at the variety of people that had something going on with their feet. I made particular note of each one's feet as he or she walked out of the office. 

A 70-something woman wheeled in her husband. He immediately lost himself in his news magazine while she registered at the window. She looked exhausted. I was thinking of her small size and how in the world she managed to care for him. A mother and sister brought in their son/brother, a 40 or so year old man with c*rebral palsy. My, they had him in line. Turns out the mother, also in her 70s, had had recent knee surgery. 

But then the most amazing thing occurred. The door opened and it was as if a light filled the room. A beautiful woman in her 50s, well dressed with gorgeous shortly cropped silver hair, sailed into the room. She went right up to the office window and greeted everyone. Obviously she was a regular patient. She asked everyone intentionally about their Thanksgiving plans, and wished them all a happy holiday. I noticed she was wearing a long skirt with nice white sneakers. I looked again and noticed that she had a light limp. And then I looked again and realized she had a brace on one leg for support, and on the other---no leg at all, but an artificial, mechanical leg.

She finally sat down and started talking with the waiting mother-with-the-new-knees in conversation (remember, I had my nose in a book, but obviously wasn't terribly focused on my book.) She ask all about her Thanksgiving plans, down to the details of the menu and who would cook what. What an art she had in engaging others in conversation! Then the mother turned the conversation and asked the silver haired lady questions. "I can't help but notice you have only one leg, yet you are so happy. By watching you today, and how beautiful you are inside and out, I realize my problems are small, and how I need to count my blessings."

The silver haired lady replied in such a gracious manner, "Oh, I can handle this, because I am alive! I have had severe di*betes for years and needed a kidney replacement as dialysis did not work. Oh April Fool's Day some years ago I got a call at 2 am saying they had a kidney and a pancreas for me. My body accepted the transplant beautifully and all was well until I got a blood clot in my foot. They had to amputate my leg (di*betics have poor circulation in their feet, causing many problems, and potential for amputations). But I could so easily have died. Losing a leg is nothing. And it is all the Lord. He got me through it, and HE gives me joy each day."

This woman positively glowed. I felt like I was in the presence of the Lord. It was an experience I will probably never forget.  At this Thanksgiving, though I may fret over some challenges in life, there is SO much to be thankful for. And I am.  

patterns

 I find my eye is drawn to series, patterns or "repeats" when I have my camera in hand.

 If you look for them, you see plenty.

These images are all from the beautiful southern city of Charleston.

Joining Mary's Mosaics on Monday.

doctoring soup

It's November already and no post here on soup? Something's not right! Soup is my favorite, versatile food, and one of the reasons I like winter so much. I guess "retirement" has been so busy I haven't had time to make soup from scratch. But when I grab a can of soup, I can't leave it alone. Today we had some canned chicken vegetable soup. I added:

one can of red beans
garlic and onion seasoning
Chili powder
a little chicken paste
a cup of low sodium V-8
3 Tb. or so of cottage cheese
Feta Cheese garnish.

It just makes it a bit more special, delicious. and a home made "flare!_

A moment in time

Do you ever have moments––just a brief second or two––where you get a glimpse of something that brings forth a memory or emotion ... or a sense of calm?

We got lost––my fault––I was tired and missed the turn. We were driving out in the country, and a storm quickly came up but soon turned to a gentle rain. We had to turn around so I found a side road. At the corner was a house with a simple front porch and a porch swing. Two men were sitting on the swing, watching the rain and talking.

It was a moment. I was transported first to the swing and the sound of rain on the roof and swishing water around the porch floor. I could smell the humidity, the mildew, the scent of fresh rain. I felt the cool breeze that stirs with the rain. I felt a peace and a rest and a slowing down. No particular moment from my past came to my mind, but a familiar sense of sitting out rain storms on porches, near open windows, in a schoolyard under a tree, or splashing through puddles protected by an all too small umbrella ...

As I turned around and continued to drive, I savored my reflections and the image of those men sitting out the rain. I felt refreshed just as the rain had nourished a parched earth. I think I'll remember this for a long time. I love a rain storm after all. I'm guessing you understand what I'm fumbling to express.

vintage

 This week three quilting friends and I headed an hour south to a shop called The White House.

 It was in a white house and half of the fun was just walking around 

such a quaint, beautiful old home.

I was interested in the abundant vintage linen, all in beautiful condition.

And my quilting friends were, of course, interested in the quilting fabric.

I was glad I stopped in the little restroom tucked under the stairs.

What a great idea to use a vintage tablecloth for a shower curtain!
Got my creative juices stirring for my next project ... fixing up another bathroom.

Connecting to Mary's Little Red House for monday mosaics.

apron strings

 Last night Merea met at my house for our monthly meeting. 

(Merea is a Hebrew word meaning "one who is a close advisor or companion.")

 Eight younger women and six older women. During our meetings we share 

our stories, a devotional, and do a craft together. 

Over the months our relationships grow and we speak into each others' lives. 

The younger women suggest things they want to learn. 

Some of the girls used a sewing machine for the first time as we 

sewed simple seams to make aprons out of tea towels.

The directions are simple. Find a good quality, fairly large tea towel. 

Fold over two corners

and sew the corners.

Thread the ribbon through each sewed side, 

secure it with a hidden pin at each corner when you have

 the length you want for around the neck and tying at the waist.

Cute and simple gift idea!

Please visit Yvonne's Stone Gable Blog to read more creative ideas!

rags to riches

The Gardener and our boys had fun during their childhood collecting Horatio Alger Jr. books

 and reading them together. It was something to look for in junk shops or 

garage sales, and a find was always celebrated. 

One of the most prolific children's authors, Alger wrote almost the same story line with each book. 

A poor boy rises to success through hard work, honesty and bravery. 

The books took place in the 19th century and always involved a villan and then
a wealthy benefactor who noticed the boy for his character, and helped him get
established in life. Our boys had fun guessing just how the plot would come about. 

I like to think the boys learned a bit about good character through the books.

But was it so much the stories they enjoyed? Or snuggling in close to their "papa," as they
called their dad, and hearing his voice reading to them. I'm not sure, but I know I loved
listening to the reading and their lively discussions while I cooked supper in the kitchen. 

The collection remains in our aged "secretary," a favorite piece of 

furniture found long ago in a crumbling antique shop.

coming in march

A baby sister!

Progress part two

Progress has been made on the new guest room. After a search for window treatments,
I realized maybe the same color as the wall would be just right, and I think it is.
 There are no yellow curtains to be found, and I didn't feel like sewing something.
These were cheap but will work at least for now. 

In the window area is the large traditional stool we brought from West Africa.

The changes from the last post are subtle. I found shams after a dramatic
search deep, deep into the back of the shelves at T. M.'s ... it was the only actual
pair (two of a kind) I could find, and exactly what I wanted. And reduced in price! 

Quilted dresser scarves were perfect to go along with the bed quilt, and
I love aqua so much I had to add that pop of color. I looked a lot for something
round to go over the bed, and suddenly realized what I wanted was hanging in
our porch. I may paint it white, not sure.

I discovered a favorite family photo in my parents' boxes.
I'm so happy to have it in a simple frame, hanging in this room.
Baby brother was in Mom's tummy, but I love the
rest of us sitting with our collie dog in front of the house
our dad built us, back in the idyllic fifties.

I think I'm done for now unless we sometime find the perfect headboard.

Joining Mary's Monday Mosaics, and trusting everyone will be safe in this monster storm.

voter distractions

We interrupt the guest room redo for a true confession story about voting. It was a glorious, warm, fall day. Maybe one of the last warm ones. Leaves are "peaking." The Gardener and I went out to exercise our freedom by casting our early vote. In true unorganized last minute fashion, I ran to the computer to print off the list of who all we wanted to vote for, including the judges. When I first saw the list, the judges were at the end, in a tidy row. At least I thought I remembered that. I'm sure it was on some list I saw.

The first distraction to my vote was that we voted at an empty doctor's building that years ago was my ob/gynie's office building. My second distraction was a woman offering us a list of judges to vote for. Was this legal? Then I realized she was quite a distance from the door. Then the woman who did my final check-in lives up the street from me and our conversation about sinking yards further distracted me.

As I stood in my little booth I gazed out on what had been the waiting room for my doctor. I started thinking about the many, many hours I had sat in that room waiting for appointments. And then I suddenly remembered that on my last visit I had left a piece of me there. Whenever I think of carrying my uterus and appendix home from Africa in a jar of formaldehyde, I get a bit amused, remembering the reactions during security checks. I had placed it on my doctor's desk, wanting pathology done on it.

So I went ahead, focused the best I could, and placed my vote. I carefully followed my list as it went pretty much in order. At the end were the judges. But at the end of my cheat sheet, the judges were missing. I glanced over at the Gardener. He certainly was taking a long time. Was he upset that the judge list was missing? I nervously tried to find it on an email via my phone, even though a large sign on the wall over the Gardener's head said "Do not use cell phones." Did that include using the internet? It was really too dark in the room to see the phone anyway.

Later, to my chagrin, I found the judges tucked in the middle of the list, not in the order of the ballet as the other names had been. I need to stick to my normal polling place where there are no distractions.

a work in progress

      I was busy last week getting a spare bedroom into shape for weekend guests. Sometimes a push is what you need. But I first was waiting for the carpenter to repair a wall before the painting could begin. After the painting, the mattress could be moved from its temporary home in our dining room to where it was intended to be.
      I love the gray color of the walls, but it teased me as I painted, for it looked so blue. The room is larger than it looks and after two coats of paint I felt like I had run a marathon. We "shopped the house" for things to use in the room. The only exception so far is the GW lamp next to the bed. I was amazed to even find a gray bedskirt tucked away in a drawer. The quilt is an old one given to me by a good friend. I think I like yellow and gray color scheme and am seeing it more and more. Here are the "befores and afters."

 Still needed: window treatments, some sort of headboard, shams and more appropriate coverings on the dresser and old sewing machine table, and some pictures on the wall. So stay tuned for another installment.

about the shoes

Only another blogger can truly understand the community and friendships that form through blogging. It's like living on the same street with other persons who come out of their houses and chat over the fences on a regular basis. They share stories, ideas, crafts, thoughts and so on. The one thing about blogging, though, is that you can pick and choose what you talk about. That might not be so easy in a real life neighborhood.

So it warmed my heart when a bloggie friend emailed me during the day I retired from my nursing job. She was thinking about me for she also had retired from nursing and "got" what I was going through. It meant so much. Thank you T.

Then last week I received a card (see photo) in the mail with a familiar sweeping penmanship --- for I had heard from this friend before. In fact, she helped me figure out what to do about my mantle-less fireplace. She also was remembering my retirement and wrote me a whole lovely note about shoes--the ones I would put away and the new ones I would put on. What sweet thoughts she cheered me with as I ponder this new life and adjust to the changes and the "hole" I feel in my life right now. And as I figure out the new shoes to wear. Thank you H!

It's not that I haven't been busy --- way too busy in fact. So I haven't had time to fully take in what I have done. I've purposely not jumped into a lot of things. I want to take my time and just see how life plays out for now. The feeling that something is missing may continue for awhile, but I will add that there is great pleasure in not having to work weekends!

Just a few minutes after the Gardener and I sat on our bed with my laptop--a few months ago, made our final decision about my retirement and pressed the "yes" box to SS,  I happened to read a blog post of another bloggie friend who that very week had retired from her job. She shared a poem that has come to mean so much to me in this new adventure. It was like the hand of God tapping my shoulder in approval. Thank you P.

The Dawn of Something New

The morning sun warms my face, while the daily grass washes my feet. 

I am renewed, and for the first time in a long time, I breathe fresh air deep 
into my body and my noisy being quiets. 
Suddenly, my ears awaken and I hear your clear voice. Love overwhelms me and 
the trees and rocks and mountains celebrate. 
Touch me dear Lord, give me peace beyond understanding, joy unspeakable and 
unwavering faith for the journey.

Author Unknown

the mantle autumnal

For years I had a yearning to decorate a mantle, which was nonexistent in this house until last year.

I find it more of a challenge than I imagined. 

Especially since many things do not stand out against rosey red bricks.

First come the ancestors, of course. Always in my house. This little girl is my mama at about two.

Candles are always good. You see those and books all over our house. 

And, of course, blue and white.

So there we are. Tweaked many times. A work in progress until it's time for the next season.

Joining Mary's Little Red House for Monday Mosaics. And the Inspired Room for the Holiday Nesting Party