grandmas and their braids

I mentioned in a previous post that kids love to have a look at my braid when they visit my house (I cut off my long hair when I was in my mid-30s). But it's nothing as dramatic as looking at my grandmother's braid.

My grandmother was a dignified, hard working woman and this photo is how I remember her. You can't see that she's wearing sturdy "old lady" black shoes, stockings, and a dress. Always. She's probably in her early 50s in this photo.

When we visited my grandparents for a week each summer, we usually got a big treat. Just once each time we could get up early in the morning and come downstairs to their bedroom to watch Grandmother brush her long hair (down to her waist) and put it into one or two braids.

It was such a strange vision of our dignified grandma. She was transported into a young girl in our minds--long braids, glasses off,  and wearing a long, flannel night gown.

Then we would watch her pin it up, twisting two braids around her head, or one braid into the bun you see in this photo.

When she reached her 70s she cut her hair and would go regularly for a wash and set with a "blue rinse." LOL. She was a widow by then. I admire her tenacity in learning to drive in her 60s after my grandfather died. Her sons taught her.

But I digress. As to the viewing of braids, I'd choose a braid connected 

any day over one cut off and lying in an old chest.

voices from the past

A dear old friend died recently.  We haven't seen each other in years; she and her husband were sort of mentors to us when we lived in Africa with our young family. I was surprised to learn she was 90;  it's hard to take in how the years slip by and friends grow older, especially if we don't see each other in person.

Jean was always so gracious, good at hospitality, caring, and writing letters. We kept up through the years.

"Back in the day" we would use cassette tapes as letters, especially when we lived in Africa. It was a forerunner of Skype (that may be a stretch, LOL). 

In my ongoing work of sorting through old things and cleaning out, I've come across a box of cassette tapes. And yes, we still have a cassette player.

Some of us struggle more than others with the sentiment involved in keeping or tossing. 

I was glad that I had kept these up to this point, and as I listened 

to some of them I loved hearing the voices of our little boys.

Then I came across a "letter tape" from Jean, sent from Africa, telling little details of life there 

now 30 years ago. Listening to it reminded me of people and places I hadn't thought 

of in a long while, but more importantly, her voice was as clear as if 

she was standing next to me. So good to hear.

I sent the little cassette to her husband, wondering if it was the right thing to do, 

not knowing how he was dealing with the loss of his wife of 65 years.

I got a note back from him this week. How he loved the tape. 

And, it is the only recording he has of his beloved's lovely voice.  

I was so glad, at that moment, that I am a keeper of sorts.  

What a gift I had given to him, that could have long ago been tossed in a trash bin. 

The dilemma remains. What to keep, what to toss.

Heart Party Part II

Part 2

For this tea party we used adult-size teacups and saucers. 

Some of my most favorites, along with the teapot Little One's daddy

gave me for Mother's Day quite a few years ago.

And the tea this time was pretty hot and we learned how to sip every so slightly

to check how hot it is. They all did well.

Of course one of the most fun things about a tea party is the

act of placing sugar into the cup and stirring it. 

At one tea party I had, the sugar bowl was completely emptied.

This time the bowl was not emptied, but the sugar was all wet and soggy.

Just stop and smile at that visual.

After they were finished we had a quick trip to my bedroom to open

my grandmother's cedar "hope" chest and have a look at my braid.

It seems to be something they always want to do, 

if they've seen it before or heard about it..

Then for the wrap up of the party we read a story.

When my blog friend and former neighbor recommends a book I always

take note. This one, Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, surprisingly

was on the shelf at our library. What I didn't realize was how

perfect it was for Valentine's Day. (I believe God

delights to put things like that together for us.)

So we ended with a wonderful story with a good lesson

about love and friendship. Then off they went to

run outside a bit in the wind and dropping temperatures.

Brrrrrr.

I googled the name of this book and found it online being read by

a familiar actor. You might want to listen to it yourself! 

Heart Party Part 1

Part 1

I love valentines, tea parties, and sharing it all with little girls. I look back at some of the tea parties 

I've had with little girls, now all grown up--some with their own children, 

some off to college…. Now it's time for some new little girls. 

I picked up Little One and her friend after school the other day and we came to my house 

for a tea party. Two other little girls joined us. Two were 6 3/4, one was 5 2/3, and one was 3 1/2. 

Or so they said (you know age can get a little competitive, at least at that age.)

Our conversation hit all kinds of topics, from where in the world is

Hong Kong, to how tall South African penguins are, to the meaning of arrogant.

Hearts of cheese were extremely popular. I think they were hungry.

The cookies were just OK. I feel like I've lost my touch in

decorating cookies, but these girls didn't mind. Their core values for cookies:

icing, it's thickness, and the embellishments.

They were such sweet little ladies. I noticed at the start they were all

sitting with hands folded on their laps, just smiling.

We read from God's Valentine Chapter and substituted "Jesus"

whenever there was the word "love" as our pastor did last Sunday.

"Jesus is patient and kind; Jesus does not envy or boast; He is not arrogant or rude. 

Jesus does not insist on his own way, He is not irritable or resentful . . . Jesus

rejoices with the Truth. Jesus bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Stay tuned for Part 2.

The Great Table Exchange

From Point A to Point B to Point C to Point D.
That's how it went down one Saturday.

A new table comes from the store to Youngest Son's house.
(A to B).

Their old table comes to our house (that's B to C).

Our old table goes to young friends' house (C to D).

I loved our old table. And old it was, a pub table with leaves that 

pulled out from underneath each end. 

We loved both eating at it and using it as a work table.

But we've never had enough sturdy chairs and it was time.

Our "new-to-us" dining room table has good sturdy chairs. 

It can be extended to seat 12.
And even though the table's about the same size as the other,
it strangely makes the room look bigger.

With a piano in the dining room you'd think we'd have some dinner music.

But the pianist is usually busy serving the meal.

I enjoy seeing my great-great grandmother's white bowl on a lace tablecloth.

now for something totally different

 Life has been a little quiet … it's winter, we've been busy 

and I've been sick. No snow for excitement, no tulips here yet,

just cold temps and life, but wonderful life.

So I looked back to our stop in Germany last summer.

Just some random favorite scenes that caught my eye.

I found it interesting that young people (I was told) enjoy wearing the

traditional dress for everyday and dress-up wear,
just updated a wee bit (see first mosaic.)

the rest of the day

 Rest. What is it?  I'm an activist and enjoy work and a busy life. 

But I also long for quiet and rest.

I'm an enigma.

 So when I got sick yet again with a throat so sore I thought it 

must be strep, I went right to the doctor.

 We were to keep the grandchildren this week while their

parents are away. So I needed to know what we were dealing with.

Diagnosis? A virus. Treatment: True rest, fluids,

and no grandkids (too contagious). Big disappointment.

 I admit I don't know much about rest.

But I tried. Only two small loads of wash and then I rested on

the couch most of the day, sipping water or tea,

drifting off into a nap. The Gardener heated leftovers for dinner

and cleaned up the kitchen. I think it actually helped.

I feel better today and plan to rest another day.

Maybe I'm learning something.

"Most of the things we need to be most fully alive never 

come in busyness. They grow in rest." 

    ~Mark Buchanan, The Holy Wild: Trusting in the Character of God.

simply white

Why do winter and white seem to flow together? It might be the thought of snow 

(only a thought here this winter), or the starkness and sort of "cleanness" of white,

 related to a new year, cleaning out, a fresh start. 

Once Christmas was cleaned off the mantle I hung up a much loved photo 

of my mother's family, and thought "white." Easy to accomplish a white mantle 

with my love/collection of pitchers, especially white ones. My eye is so pleased to

 look upon pretty shapes in all sizes. I actually filled the mantle all the way 

across with a full line-up but it was voted down by the 

Gardener as "w-a-y" too much. I trust his good eye for decor.

 I married a renaissance man.

 Have you heard that expression?

making do

One of the biggest things I learned living in Africa was how to "make do."

Yes there are all kinds of "outside the box" ways of doing things.

(I won't share all I could do with the same bucket of water.)

It was actually fun, using my creativity, as well as learning from

my African friends who lived so graciously, and often with so little.

When our toaster oven "bit the dust" last week I wondered if we should replace it. 

Hadn't I toasted with a frying pan before?

 I started researching a new toaster or toaster oven but nothing affordable looked satisfactory.

Since we actually don't make toast that often, would it be worth it?

So the other morning we shared a bagel, perfectly toasted in the frying pan.

I even added just a tad of coconut oil to sweeten the deal make it a smidge healthier.

We concluded that for now we'll "make do" and skip a new appliance, 

simplifying our lives in one small way.

"Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well."

Jack London

Additions

It's hard for me to leave soup alone. Today when we came home from church I had no meal planned
so I found a can of corn chowder and started to heat it on the stove. First of all I added
a package of salmon. Then I dug around in the frig to see what else I could find.
And I added: several dollops of sour cream (at the end) and cottage cheese, some grated
cheddar cheese, 1/2 can left over black beans, left-over broccoli chopped, white wine,
and a couple of drops of oil seasoned with basil and another with hot pepper. It was hearty and so,
so good. But the Gardener commented that the one problem with such a
 soup is I never make it quite the same again. That's right, it all depends on the frig.

I'm enjoying the speciality oils from TJ that our kids gave me for Christmas. Mmmm.

Joining with Judith for Monday Mosaics.

dish deal

So many people mentioned my dishes in my recent afternoon tea post,

I decided to do a "photo shoot" with them.

I don't think I'll ever tire of these dishes. I've probably had them eight years.

 I found them at a discount store so am surprised at the delicate detail in the flowers.

I haven't seen them since so am thrilled at my find. And I have a lot of them.

The set came with small plate/saucer, cup, salad plate, bowl and plate.

I love the way they complement other odd dishes I have--both white, and blue and white.

They keep me smiling!

winter afternoon tea

 An impromptu gathering of friends for tea (it only took 8 emails) seemed so much nicer at one of our homes than a coffee shop.The grayness of a cold winter day allowed the candles to shine. A wrinkled tablecloth was not so noticeable as we focused on our teacups by candlelight. Individual teapots kept me from popping up to refill a big teapot and we each choose our blend of tea.

We endulged in blueberry muffins and little chocolates, 

while we caught up on our lives since the holidays.

Sweets for the palate and

sweet, nourishing conversation.

do you make lists?

When the grandees were over one day in December I started a list

of things we might like to do. (Not so) Little One picked up the

white board immediately and added to the list, including a couple of things

that would not be on mine. She then grabbed it up as we went from

one thing to the next, being sure to check off each completed activity. 

Here's the list: read, color, snack, watch TV (not), cook dinner (did not get to that),

eat candy canes (not), puzzles, tea party, listen to music, rings (figure out a game

to play with canning jar rings).

She's about all things school now, but I think her mom is also a list maker.

I got this idea from a friend who arrived at her granddaughter's house 

and was met with a white board list of things her granddaughter 

was hoping to do during Grandma's visit. I loved the idea. 

Bev said her daughter in law is an avid list maker. 

I thought we'd try to take a picture.

Little Brother has a sense of humor!

faded roses

My thoughts go frequently to my mother these days as this was the time,

two years ago, that she was ill and slowly saying good-bye to us.

I was with her every day.

And when I see faded pink roses I always think of her. 

She loved a delicate shade of pink. These helped us celebrate her 90th birthday. 

I'm so grateful for memories!

A Tale of Two Sweaters

Both sweaters were worn in high school: the red by a father, the pink by a daughter.  The pink was my first knitting experience; we could say the "sweater I learned on" and it was not the best fitting sweater. But I was pleased with my neat stitches, and not one was dropped (lost.) I delighted in wearing my dad's sweater especially on winter youth group retreats. It was perfect for the frigid temperatures as we tobogganed and skated. Then I moved on to other things I guess, and both sweaters went into hiding (i.e. storage). Each year when I brought out winter things and packed up summer clothes I'd get out the sweaters and have a look at them, wondering why I was keeping them. You know the drill. "Maybe a little longer; someone might want them." Especially that amazing 80-year-old red wool turtleneck.

I won't say how many years this little exercise has taken place, but this year I made the "rash" decision to take them off to where someone else might use them. I loaded them in the car and snapped a picture. I tried not to be sentimental about them. Especially the red sweater. I later told my sister what I'd done. "So that's where Dad's sweater went. I used to wear it too, and always wondered where it ended up." An immediate lurch in my stomach.

Had I made a mistake? The bane of a sentimentalist trying to purge. Maybe it never feels 100% right. 

little lessons

Cold weather is hitting us hard today. I can tell immediately by my hands what the weather is. Dryness and cracks around my thumbs seem to come instantly. And our southern homes don't seem insulated as well as up the ones up north, so drafts are a plenty and in the evening especially it seems so chilly.

So I've learned a few things over the years that help. First the rubber gloves. I have an aversion to the big yellow ones because if I'm doing dishes and something sharp pricks a hole in one, it's a goner. And then there's the water getting inside a glove--I can't abide that. So I started using medical gloves--much cheaper and tighter and I can reuse them for dishes for quite a long time. I even wear them when I'm cleaning or using my hands with other projects--and don't feel badly tossing them. The snugness even keeps my hands damp, which helps to keep them from drying out.

Then I wear a warm scarf around my neck, especially in the evenings when I'm sitting around. What an amazing difference it makes. Pictured is one of my favorite indoor scarfs--soft and warm and not itchy. :-)

The last little lesson I learned from a blog last year. I use liquid bandaid on cracks on my fingers but they can still be painful. I learned that chapstick applied to the crack will seal it from the air hurting it. Wow, what relief!

Seems that cold weather is hitting us in many areas of the country today. Stay warm!

pocket pants

Pockets are handy, but especially for little boys, don't you think?

Our second son, at a certain age was adamant that his pants had pockets,

each and every day.

(He also wore a cap, from rising to bedtime.)

When I saw this little Hummel in my sister's china cabinet,

I thought about "pocket pants," as we called them.

There have been times when our grandson has come for the day

and I request that he wear pocket pants.

We never know what little treasure might need to 

be transported home in a pocket.

"… the hope of the future with a frog in his pocket …"
(author unknown)

not alone

C. S. Lewis wrote, "We read to know we are not alone."

I believe this is true for blogs. As we read we find much in common. 

It brings comfort, doesn't it, to know someone else is experiencing or has experienced

the same as us? When I consider stopping my blog, this thought 

and blog friendships are what keep me going.

I always enjoy sharing ideas and life as we communicate with each other.

Wishing you all many joys in 2015.

looking back on December

 Earlier this month we met some of our family at a halfway point for a
Christmas gathering complete with a Charlie Brown tree.
December is a time for family, and we remember those now missing
from our celebrations. While we miss them, we find comfort in a new generation,
 also a bonus of growing older.

Sisters: one learning to play the piano, while Littlest has discovered pouring tea.

 Both the Gardener and I were sick on and off with a virus through the month

but I at least managed to enjoy Little One's school program and our church's Messiah.

We savor meals with good friends around our table--even more as the years pass it seems.
 Time with grandchildren is always precious. Here we are doing a sock puppet show.

A favorite time of the whole year is Christmas Eve with our family gathered around.

Joining Cheryl's last Gathering the Moments. 
Thank you for hosting, Cheryl.
I've enjoyed participating this year and am grateful for Cheryl's friendship, 
and for her encouragement to slow down, 
to look back, and to savor the moments each month!

2014

Digital photos are great, especially when they help us remember the past year.

The above show somewhat randomly the year that was:

an abundance of snow, times with good friends near and far, travels locally and far 

from home, our mentoring gatherings, birthdays, grandchildren, my knee surgery, 

and the youngest grandchild's delight at Christmas.

Grateful to God and looking forward with anticipation to all the new year holds.

Joining Judith's Mosaic Mondays.