Cozy Acre

2010-01-05T12:50:00.000-05:00

A New Year

2010-01-05T11:28:00.001-05:00

Another year and not a single post for 2009. It was a rough year. A year of ups and downs but the downs were really down and the ups not all that great in comparison. We had a wonderful vacation in Disney World in August and got a new mini van in May, but those great things were minor in comparison to the months-long stress of a possible strike at Jeff’s work and worst of all, the tragedy of the loss of our future daughter-in-law Brittany and her unborn baby back in March. So though I went through the motions of being happy the rest of the year, I really felt there was an enormous shadow over us all year long. I am hoping that we have gotten away from that and I have great hopes that 2010 will be a wonderful year for us.

I don’t really believe in making New Year’s resolutions since I never seem to be able to keep them so I am just going to say that I know what I need to do and I am going to do my best to do them. For my health I should eat better and exercise. Easier said than done! I love junk food, all food in general, and I hate to sweat! But, I want to live. So I’d guess I’d better adjust my attitude about these things!

For myself, I’m pretty sure I know what makes me happy and I just want more of the same. I’m reasonably sure I know this because one day I actually had to stop and think about it. Being a mom full-time, I kind of lost myself along the way. I’m not sure when it happened but I think it wasn’t too long after I got married that first time. When I was single, music was my life. After I got married I seldom listened to music. ‘The day the music died’. Ha. Ha. I don’t know why. Maybe I just got busy. I used to write poetry but then I didn’t have time and then I didn’t have ideas and then it was just not something I was interested in anymore.

When I realized this I made an effort to list the things I used to like and what I used to be like. I found I still like many of the same things but having grown up since then I also found I have no use for some of the other things that meant so much to me. While I still like music, I’d have to say it doesn’t have the spell over me that it used to. Neither does poetry. But that’s ok. I love old movies, love my pets, love other things that fill me with joy even more. Maybe that’s why I didn’t need the music anymore. I had my son, then more children, and they were the songs and the poetry in my life. That’s a much better way to look at it, isn’t it?

So what makes me happy now? Being at home with my family. A cozy room with soft, comfy furniture, low light, a warm blanket and my Yorkie by my side, though he is usually right next to my husband! Playing games with my kids or just talking to them about life, about what’s important to them. Spending time with my husband, just snuggling or talking about what we want to do in the future. I know how blessed I am. I believe I am DOUBLY blessed because not only do I have wonderful people and things in my life but I am aware of it and so I treasure it so much more.

So here’s to a year of good things, good times, the people that we love. Here’s to 2010!

My Living Room

2008-10-28T08:24:00.005-05:00

Yipee! New furniture! I just love new furniture!! It's been a long time since we had new living room furniture and after much searching we finally found just what we were looking for! It's a lovely, soft, brown micro fiber and it's just perfect for relaxing and watching my favorite shows on! Not only that, we got a new entertainment center and tv. The whole house feels new, new, new!

My Kitchen

2008-10-28T08:17:00.004-05:00

We are always working on the house, trying to spruce it up a bit, keep it from falling down around our ears, etc. The latest project was the kitchen. It was actually started a few years ago, with new lights, flooring and appliances, but we just couldn't decide on countertops so it was kind of set aside for a while. Finally this summer we got around to picking out counters and then after installation Jeff painted a pretty shade of creamy mocha!

I Kissed A Squirrel and I Liked It

2008-09-06T10:06:00.004-05:00

Just kidding! I saw this picture of a squirrel on a news web site and it reminded me of a squirrel we saw in our front yard a couple of years ago. It was laying on the stone top of the statue of the Virgin Mary in our front yard. I thought the squirrel was dead, the arms and legs hanging down over the side of the grotto. But a little while later it was laying on the wood border around the lawn, again stretched out, tummy against the wood, arms and legs dangling. I guess it was cool to the belly but it sure looked funny!

Here Comes Hanna

2008-09-05T07:16:00.003-05:00

Tropical storm Hanna is heading our way. We are under a watch for the weekend and expecting sustained winds of 39-73 mph. Time to sand bag the back door, clean the gutters and pick up anything that could go sailing through the air. The last time we had a bad storm the trampoline hopped across the back yard! I get very nervous when there is a lot of wind. In fact, during Hurricane Isabell I drank Hurricanes to get me through! Jeff was working and I was a nervous wreck! This time he will be home and I will feel much better. Plus, this storm isn't a hurricane, just a tropical storm but they are still pretty intense.

So busy, so tired, but so happy

2008-09-04T13:01:00.008-05:00

Update on what we have been up to since I last posted. I know it’s been a while, but I have been busy…cleaning, getting new stone for the driveway, re-painting and decorating the girls bedrooms, new carpet on the lower stairs, new counters and paint in the kitchen and we just bought new living room furniture! Busy, busy, busy! I feel a little stressed, a little tired but a lot happy!

There is so much we want to do around here but money runs out after a while so we do what we can. Ambition runs out, too. Jeff really likes to have a project going at all times. I like to say ‘I’m done’ and rest and enjoy. We are so different!

We also held our family fantasy football draft. My team is called Team Gus after my favorite Yorkie! He is the fur baby love of my life! Saturday he goes for his first professional grooming. Poor baby, he gets so car sick so I know he won’t enjoy it but he needs his nails done and while I love the natural look for his hair, Jeff said a professional cut would look cute and it’ll grow out and get shaggy again, so we’re doing it bright and early –I mean early, too, it’s a 7:30 am appointment!- and hopefully we won’t have hurricane rain to drive in!

I have been a little concerned about the weather, too. Hurricane Hanna is heading for the east coast, but south, so no major stuff here, just rain. Then there’s Ike. No one is sure where that one is going. Then Josephine. That one has me worried. It looks to me like it’s heading straight for Maryland and I remember how scared I was when Isabelle was here and it was only a category 1. I love thunderstorms but I HATE wind. Too many trees around our house and they all scare me!! Keeping my fingers crossed that they stay away or if they do come our way, that we are prepared and stay safe.

Music

2008-04-09T07:55:00.003-05:00

My son James introduced me to a wonderful new singer named Sara Bareilles. She sings a mixture of pop & blues and is extremely talented. Her current hit is called Love Song but the song I love most is called Fairytale. I think all girls/women can relate to this song and it is sure to be the anthem or theme song of females everywhere once they hear it. So if you have not heard Sara, give a listen. I don't care much for this music video but it is my favorite song, so take a look and click on the links next to the video to see more of her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cGQoPmefyA

It's Spring and I'm Thinking of Flowers

2008-04-07T12:37:00.002-05:00

We have gotten through Easter, a baptism, the busy schedules of April and now I can hopefully enjoy spring. We still have a confirmation, first communion and assorted other activities but at least the promise of sunshine and warm weather are there and that makes life in general a whole lot easier to deal with.

If April showers do indeed bring May flowers we had better get the antihistamines ready! We have had quite a bit of rain lately and I can already see a difference in the lawn. There isn't actually too much grass out there, it is mostly clover, but that doesn't bother me as it does Jeff because I know I'll be able to watch the wild bunnies come to dine in our yard and it is a worthwhile trade off.

The flower beds are showing quite a bit of growth, too, but nothing is flowering yet. I need to decide what I will add to the beds this year. I love pink and tend to plant a ridiculous number of pink impatiens but this year I am thinking of either planting all yellows and orange to go with the house or possibly a rainbow of colors. I think that appeals to me more. I have been looking at May Baskets and my head is full of lilies and tulips, sweet peas and ferns. I think this year I might just go with that image and plant it all in every color I can find. At least the yard won't be boring!

This weekend the girls and I are going to make paper cone May Baskets for them to give to their friends on the 1st. They will fill them with candies, stickers and flowers and decorate them with lace doilies and pastel ribbons. I hope to make a May Basket of my own, filled with my favorite flowers.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T12:51:00.004-05:00

Today is St. Patrick's Day and we have been busy enjoying it! We have been listening to Irish music, watching the parade that is being held in New York, crafting and cooking! The corned beef is in the crock pot, the Shepherd's pie and the Colcannon have been made (the Colcannon was sampled and is out of this world!) We are looking forward to a wonderful dinner tonight! We are having, along with the corned beef, Shepherd's pie and Colcannon, Irish mussels in garlic butter, Irish cheeses and soda bread. We will watch The Quiet Man tonight since we watched Darby O'Gill and the Little People yesterday. I just love St. Patrick's Day! It is one of my favorite holidays!!

2008-03-17T12:44:00.003-05:00

Coconut Cream Pie

INGREDIENTS
1 (9 inch) graham cracker pie shell
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the pudding mix and milk until the pudding mixture thickens. Fold 1 cup of coconut and half of the nondairy whipped topping into the pudding. Pour the combination into the prepared pie crust.
Spread the remainder of the nondairy whipped topping on top of the pie. Sprinkle with the remainder of the coconut. Refrigerate, and serve chilled.

St. Patrick's Day Dinner

2008-03-16T17:30:00.004-05:00

Here are two recipes I am using tomorrow. I will make a couple of changes to the corned beef. I will not use Guiness but will use their lighter beer, Harp. I will also cook in my crock pot for 7 hours on low as suggested by several reviews. I paid $2.58 for my 3 pound corned beef. What a bargain!

These are from allrecipes.com

Diane's Colcannon
SUBMITTED BY: DianeF "While Colcannon seems to be associated with St. Patrick's Day, I love the combination of potatoes, cabbage, onion and bacon all through the cooler months of Fall and Winter! I attend an annual St. Patty's Day party and this is the dish I'm always asked to bring... and I'm happy to say that the bowl comes home empty every time!"

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 slices bacon
1/2 small head cabbage, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, crumble and set aside. In the reserved drippings, saute the cabbage and onion until soft and translucent. Putting a lid on the pan helps the vegetables cook faster.
Drain the cooked potatoes, mash with milk and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the bacon, cabbage, and onions, then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the melted butter. Serve immediately.

Guinness® Corned Beef

SUBMITTED BY: SHAMELESS PHOTO BY: Em "I discovered this tasty St. Patrick's day treat when I attended an Irish Rovers Concert. My family and friend insist that it is a staple at get togethers any time of the year. Roast this Corned Beef slowly at a low setting for a melt in your mouth delight. The aroma is fantastic!"

INGREDIENTS
4 pounds corned beef brisket
1 cup brown sugar
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Irish stout beer (e.g. Guinness®)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Rinse the beef completely and pat dry.
Place the brisket on rack in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Rub the brown sugar on the corned beef to coat entire beef, including the bottom. Pour the bottle of stout beer around, and gently over the beef to wet the sugar.
Cover, and place in preheated oven. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Editor's NoteDuring the last hour, you may put vegetables in the roasting pan as well. Try a wedge of cabbage, new potatoes, onion, carrots, etc. You may need to add a little more beer with your vegetables.

A Most Amazing Guitar Player

2008-01-21T22:40:00.000-05:00

I took the girls to a concert tonight that was sponsored by a local church. We saw a man named Tony Melendez. His mother took Thalidomide when she was pregnant with him and as a result he was born without arms. His father was a guitar player so as a child Tony had the opportunity to play and experiment with the instrument. He eventually taught himself how to play using his feet. He is simply amazing.

He has played for both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict. He has traveled the world. You can see him on you tube -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRiF84zWOcI&feature=related

It was an incredible evening and we had a truly wonderful time together.

Keeping a Resolution

2008-01-19T09:49:00.000-05:00

Gosh, I’m good! One of my resolutions for the New Year was to sort through my boxes of accumulated stuff in the basement. Jeff and I cleaned out two storage areas earlier in the week when we were putting Christmas things away and the boxes (4 large totes, 3 small totes and four large bags of clothes to go to charity) had been sitting in the hall waiting for me to sort them since then. We have played this game before. In the past the boxes sat and sat and finally got shoved back into storage just as they were. But not this time! I sorted all but two bags of clothes! Out of all the other things I sorted I ended up with one box that I put all my 'keep' stuff in which will need to be sorted one more time into piles so things can go to their 'homes' (kids school papers I want to keep, craft stuff that wandered off and never made it back to the craft box), etc. I have a HUGE amount of trash and things to go to church for their thrift store.

I am tired but happy most of it is done! I enjoyed the feeling of this so much that I decided to sort some more! I have what I call 'baby boxes' (boxes I have for each child with all their baby stuff, like cards, banners, baby books, first outfits and then school stuff) and have started going through those. As a new mom I saved everything. Every little booklet the hospital gave me, every envelope, every school paper when they were little. Now I look at this stuff and think 'what is it??' I have finally realized that these things will not be nearly as interesting to the kids as they are to me. I want them to have a small amount to look at so that they won’t feel overwhelmed by it and I want what I keep to really show who they were at age 4, age 5, etc. without taking a long time to tell the story. Jennifer loves giraffes. So when I come across a little one line story with a drawing of a giraffe on it, this is who she is. She also loves drawing ballerinas, so those are keepers, too. The art she did in kindergarten where the art teacher did most of the work does not show who Jennifer is. So that stuff can go. I have it down to science now *feeling proud of myself* and I feel like I finally see the light as far as my final phase of de-cluttering my house goes. I feel refreshed.

Shaking Off the Blues & Ready for the Weekend

2008-01-18T12:32:00.000-05:00

So I played a little online and decided it was time to shake my blues away. I started making a list of things I want to get for my house. A berry wreath would look nice on the wall behind the front door. I would like a key holder for next to the front door so I can stop wasting time searching for my keyring! Gooseberry Patch has some braided trivets that would look really cute in our lodge themed family room. I also want to get a basket for holding rolls or bread at dinner. A set of new placemats would be nice for the table, too. I must admit that made me feel better! That and the grilled turkey, bacon and provolone sandwich I made for lunch! Yum! I love comfort food!
Today is Friday and we call Friday night 'Pizza Night' at our house. Every Friday we have pizza and watch the travel channel. We've been doing it for ages and we love it. In our jammies early, each one of us brings our blanket out to the living room and we set up camp. Usually we have chips & dip later on (Tostitos and cheese & salsa dip) and most of us end up falling asleep with the tv on. It is a great way to start the weekend! This weekend we don't really have any plans. It is supposed to be wicked cold (using my best Boston accent) so I am thinking about making a crock pot full of chili on Sunday. I have been promising Bethany I would play Life with her and since I am feeling better I guess I had better honor that promise. She got it for Christmas so has been pretty patient!
I hope everyone stays warm and cozy and has a wonderful weekend!

My Mother (kinda sad)

2008-01-18T10:20:00.000-05:00

I am really missing my mother this morning. She has been in heaven for almost thirteen years and while I miss her all the time some days it is more intense. Some days it feels like she is still here and I just want to sit and have my morning coffee with her. Is that too much to ask? I imagine her sitting at her kitchen table with her bagel, coffee and grapefruit juice. She is reading the newspaper. She has on her glasses, the ones that turn into sunglasses outside, but the light in the house always made them go dark and she would complain that she couldn’t see the newsprint.
I want to hug her gently. She was so tiny I always wondered how she ended up having such not-so-tiny daughters. I tend to miss her most in the morning, when the house is quiet and I am alone. We were supposed to be old ladies together. We had a plan. We were going to tint our gray hair blue and buy support hose together and go pick up our free cheese on Wednesdays. She was a very young 68 when she died. I was 32. We had a plan and I feel cheated.
I always thought it would be cool if we were neighbors and could just walk on over to visit with each other. It never occurred to me she would leave so soon. She was seldom sick. But when she got sick it wasn’t pretty. Cancer isn’t a pretty disease.
I was surprised toward the end that she was mourning all the things she wouldn’t get to do. Wait a minute. What about me? Aren’t you going to miss me?? I’m losing my mother here. But nope, it was all about her as well it should have been. But I was feeling my impending loss so greatly that it shocked me to realize what a loss it was for her. How stupid of me.
The anniversary of her death is next month. I try to ignore it, to forget the dates. One year a ‘friend’ of mine called to see how I was doing. Fine, I told her. She kept on, wanting to know was I really fine? Yes, fine. She kept it up. I asked her why she was asking me and she she answered with ‘you know’. No, I didn’t. Not until she finally said ‘it’s the anniversary of your mother’s death!’ Oh. Yes. Well, um, I was fine but now I am bummed like anything. Thanks for reminding me. Friend. In my family we try to slide past those days, knowing full well our loved one wouldn’t want us to be sad and dwell on it. They would want us to be happy. So in March I try to be happy and ignore the days. But usually sometime in January or February I get my day to dwell anyway. I don’t know who decides when that day will be but it happens every year. I start missing her like crazy and it feels like she is still here and I just want to sit and have my morning coffee with her. Is that too much to ask?

Gus

2008-01-17T17:34:00.000-05:00

I just found a lump on Gus. It is on the left side of his neck and is about the half the size of a marble. I called the vet right away but he is leaving for vacation tomorrow for a week. We have an appointment for next Thursday at 10 am. Beth said she had noticed it on him a while ago but I never felt a thing. Now I am worried. I have always said 'pets are pets' but now I feel maybe they are a little more than that. At least he is to me. I hope it is just a swollen gland and that he is just trying to fight off the virus I had and the flu Jeff has had. Not feeling very happy right now.

It's Snowing!

2008-01-17T13:26:00.000-05:00

Wee-hee! It's snowing! I love snow, especially when it comes down the way it is today. It looks like a snowglobe with huge fluffy flakes and it's sticking, which it wasn't really supposed to do. It looks like we have about three inches. Gus went out for a little bit, digging his nose in it and snorting and prancing around. I know it's supposed to turn to rain later on but that's ok. I will take what I can get and be glad.

A New Day

2008-01-15T19:49:00.001-05:00

Jeff is still home sick but feeling a bit better than he was yesterday so we decided to take the Christmas tree down. First we needed a couple of boxes that we had shoved in a future bathroom downstairs that now currently just pretty much collects junk. We ended up cleaning the entire room and then moved on to the storage area under the stairs so we could put the junk we took out of the bathroom in there! Finally, after sorting, tossing and cleaning we got to the Christmas stuff. Only by this time it was just me working on it. Jeff was distracted by his xbox 360. No fun for me who was anxious to get it done! Abigail and Mariah came home from school and they helped me get started and actually finished up the tree when I had to go pick Bethany up from Girl Scouts. When I got home we finally got the boxes up to the attic. Jeff decided a couple of boxes up there that belong to the older boys could come down and be taken home by their owners. So I still have boxes around! But at least they will be leaving here and I won't have to deal with them anymore! I still have things out on the buffet that need to be put away and the boxes in the corner of the kitchen as well as several boxes I need to sort from the bathroom & storage area! Like I didn't have enough to do already! Well, at least the tree is down and maybe this will be the year I actually sort those boxes of stuff. I have been putting it off for years. If there is one thing I have learned it is to tackle the chores you dread the most first and just get it over with. Unfortunately these are not easy boxes to sort. They are baby clothes and cards and letters that are twenty plus years old and just glancing over them makes me want to look and read and naturally get distracted. So each day for the next week I will try my best to start just one box and go through it as efficiently and quickly as possible. Hopefully I can get these six or so boxes down to two or three and reclaim my house! I do hate the way 'stuff' takes over and can really control your life if you let it. So I guess I have one New Year's resolution - go through those boxes. I am a bit curious to see what treasures I will find.
I have learned one other thing - to think twice when I start decorating next year. Maybe I don't need to put out quite so many decorations!

A New Year

2008-01-14T08:29:00.000-05:00

A new year is upon us and here I am, still a slacker in the blogging world! I keep promising I will do better but for some reason I just can't get in the habit! I journal in my own private journal very often and post on message boards but am such a slacker here! Well, I will try to do better, promising myself I will post at least once a month. It's not like there is nothing to blog about. There is always plenty going on. This month the most significant thing happening in our house is sickness. I have had a sinus/headcold thing going on since New Year's Eve. Yuk. I didn't even make a proper New Year's dinner of pork and sauerkraut, I was just too sick. And here it is the 14th and I am still getting over it, but am much better than I was. Now Jeff is sick with the flu. He is achy and coughing and off of work. Next week he'll probably have the sinus thing and I'll have th flu! I'll tell you how bad I have been feeling - our Christmas tree is still up. And I don't even care.
I am still doing EMS but mostly driving the medic unit which I prefer. Life at a firehouse is a like a soap opera and I have a hard time stomaching it. But I do love EMS so the medic unit is the place for me right now.
I am still teaching ccd and helping with Girl Scouts from time to time but the plan now is to run a junior/cadet troop next year since I will have 3 girls in those levels and they are not happy with the troops they are in. It won't be bad, it will only be 2 meetings a month and I will be leading with friends. I enjoy volunteering and have over 1800 lifetime hours. I have earned the bronze, silver and gold Presidential Service Award pins for volunteering and have my girls logging their volunteer hours now, too. www.presidentialserviceawards.gov is the address if you are interested.
Since my last post we have added a new member to our family. Little Gus, a Yorkie, joined us on November 17th. He was my early Christmas gift and we all just adore him! He is such a baby and spoiled beyond words!
The coming months have many exciting things happening for our family. Mariah will be baptized on Easter Sunday. Abigail will be confirmed in April. Mariah receives her First Communion in May, James gets his master's degree in May and Joe graduates from high school in June. I have many things to plan for but they are all happy things!

Back to School and Back to Blogging

2007-08-30T06:57:00.000-05:00

It has been ages since I posted but life has been so busy! Jenny’s First Communion, school’s end, summer vacation to South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana and bringing my step daughter home to live with us.
Summer felt odd. We are usually busy with Girl Scout day camp, vacation bible school and lots of swimming. Camp was cut short by our trip, the pool didn’t get put up until later in summer and we missed bible school altogether. School was almost looked forward to just to get us back on track.
So here we are, getting up in the dark and all of us feeling tired! The kids are glad to be back with their friends and everyone seems happy, especially Joe who is a senior this year. The only problem is that the house feels so empty!

Breakfast at Tiffany's

2007-03-12T09:27:00.000-05:00

What a fun weekend! Jeff was working in Chevy Chase last week and saw a row of nice shops he knew I would enjoy browsing in – Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Cartier and Tiffany’s. He was right! So Saturday we took a day trip ‘up the road’ and I got to visit all these wonderful stores! Jeff was very nice about it and let me roam to my hearts content. He even bought me a necklace at Tiffany’s that I liked. It has a heart shaped charm that reads “Please Return to Tiffany & Co. New York”! What a sweetheart!

When we were done shopping we headed to D.C. & spent a couple of hours at the Air & Space Museum. The girls had never been there before (they like the Museum of Natural History and that is where we usually end up) so it was a nice treat for them. Since the Museum of American History is doing some renovating they have several displays at the Air & Space so we got to see the Scarecrow and ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz, the Wright brother’s plane, and lots of other things as a bonus. We had a wonderful time.

We went to an Irish restaurant called the Dubliner for dinner, so from start to finish it was a perfect day! When I turned on the tv that night Breakfast at Tiffany's was on! Coincidence? I think not!

A New Year, A New Tradition

2007-01-09T08:37:00.000-05:00

My sister and I went to tea last week at a place called The Royal TeaRoom. It is in a very pretty old house that used to be the rectory for the Episcopal Church that sits next door to it. My sister is new to teas and hadn't really been too interested until she went to a formal tea while on vacation in Florida this past fall. Since then she has mentioned it several times.

I bought her first tea pot for Christmas (a pretty Lenox pot with a cardinal on it). Last week I sent her some links to local tea rooms and we decided to give this one a try. It is one I had not been to before and was really hoping we wouldn't be disappointed. We had a wonderful time! The service was great and the food was incredible. I had nothing to worry about!

They had lots of pretty things for sale and Nancy bought a small teapot covered with roses. Naturally I had to buy a new tea pot and got a pretty white one with shamrocks on it for St. Patrick's Day. My sister has decided that she enjoys going to tea parties very much so we are going to have monthly teas at each other's houses. I am very happy about that since it is just one more thing we can do together.

I am already planning our tea party for the end of January with a Winter Wonderland theme, using mainly white, silver and crystal. I am looking forward to this very much!

Four Days Until Christmas

2006-12-21T11:27:00.000-05:00

Four days until Christmas. The children are out of school for the holiday. The house is all decorated, most of the gifts wrapped and just a few more batches of cookies to be baked before the big day.
There are no ‘have to have it’ gifts on anyone’s list this year. I like that very much! No struggle to find that one desired item, no risk of disappointment and it is just a little less stressful all around. The girls are looking forward to Christmas for the sheer joy of the day, not just for the goodies.

I am looking forward to having most of my chicks back in the nest. It will be noisy, it will be crowded, it will be bliss. I know that the morning will dawn will smiling faces and small squeals of delight. Kindness will fill the room. Later, the aroma of the breakfast casserole will fill the air and then we’ll fill our tummies before putting our gifts to use.
Football will be the background noise of the day, too, but that’s ok. That means the men are home and for that I am grateful.
Dinner will be eaten in late afternoon by people too full from snacking on cookies and treats all day long. Sleep will find some, sprawled on couches and the floor. The room will be dark except for the glow of the Christmas lights. It will feel like the day is just about over.

Then someone will pull out a guitar and start strumming softly. Another guitar will appear and a voice will be added. Music will fill the house. Christmas classics, rock classics. Old and new tunes that most of know and some of us will learn as the songs progress. The music has begun and will continue until fingers and throats are sore from too much merriment.

It will end, reluctantly, but only after having given this family a wonderful night of song and memories. These are things I truly look forward to. These are the true gifts of Christmas.

Comfort Food

2006-12-15T09:55:00.000-05:00

There is nothing like a hot meal on a chilly day. This will be perfect for this weekend with everyone going in different directions. I keep the spice mild so the girls can enjoy it, too.

Chili

1 lb ground beef
1 3 lb can kidney beans
2 1lb cans tomatoes, diced
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
green pepper & onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or ¼ t garlic powder
1 T sugar
chili powder- start with 1 t and increase as desired
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper

Brown ground beef and drain. Put in large pot or crock pot and add remaining ingredients. Cook for 1 ½ hour if on stove top, 4 hours on low in crock pot.

Next to Jazz music, there is nothing that lifts the spirits and strengthens the soul more than a good bowl of chili . . . . Harry James, Trumpeter

A Call from the North Pole

2006-12-15T09:03:00.000-05:00

The local high school sga has an elf program and last night Snowflake the elf called my girls to wish them a Merry Christmas let them know that everyone in the North Pole is thinking of them. She told them they were both on the ‘nice’ list and asked them what they want for Christmas. Their lists to Santa have already been sent, but I guess the girls thought he might need some new ideas. Bethany said she wants a thousand piece puzzle with a picture of our house on it! When Snowflake asked Bethany if she wanted anything else she ‘no, thank you.’ Jennifer said she wants a new doll to be a friend for her favorite doll, Cookie, and a shelf for her giraffe collection. Maybe Snowflake should call a bit earlier next year!

A Favorite Book

2006-12-15T08:24:00.000-05:00

I first saw the movie Mrs. Miniver at the suggestion of my mother. I had asked her what her favorite movies were from the 40's and she was quick to put it at the top of her list, along with Love Letters and Leaver Her to Heaven. Mrs. Miniver became one of my favorites, too, and when I found that it was based on writings by Jan Struther that had appeared in a newpaper and then were put into book form, I naturally had to track down the book. I was also later pleased to find it online The book is a bit different from the movie and I enjoy the two as individual stories. Some of the stories are special, like the one I am posting here.

Mrs. Miniver Comes Home

It was lovely, thought Mrs. Miniver, nodding good-bye to the flower-woman and carrying her big sheaf of chrysanthemums down the street with a kind of ceremonious joy, as though it were a cornucopia; it was lovely, this settling down again, this tidying away of the summer into its box, this taking up of the thread of one's life where the holidays (irrelevant interlude) had made one drop it. Not that she didn't enjoy the holidays: but she always felt -- and it was, perhaps, the measure of her peculiar happiness -- a little relieved when they were over. Her normal life pleased her so well that she was half afraid to step out of its frame in case one day she should find herself unable to get back. The spell might break, the atmosphere be impossible to recapture.

But this time, at any rate, she was safe. There was the house, as neat and friendly as ever, facing her as she turned the corner of the square; its small stucco face as indistinguishable from the others, to a stranger, as a single sheep in a flock, but to her apart, individual, a shade lighter than the house on the left, a shade darker than the house on the right, with one plaster rosette missing from the lintel of the front door and the first-floor balcony almost imperceptibly crooked. And there was the square itself, with the leaves still as thick on the trees as they had been when she left in August; but in August they had hung heavily, a uniform dull green, whereas now, crisped and brindled by the first few nights of frost, they had taken on a new, various beauty. Stepping lightly and quickly down the square, Mrs. Miniver suddenly understood why she was enjoying the forties so much better than she had enjoyed the thirties: it was the difference between August and October, between the heaviness of late summer and the sparkle of early autumn, between the ending of an old phase and the beginning of a fresh one.

She reached her doorstep. The key turned sweetly in the lock. That was the kind of thing one remembered about a house: not the size of the rooms or the colour of the walls, but the feel of door-handles and light-switches, the shape and texture of the banister-rail under one's palm; minute tactual intimates, whose resumption was the essence of coming home.

Upstairs in the drawing-room there was a small bright fire of logs, yet the sunshine that flooded in through the open windows had real warmth in it. It was perfect: she felt suspended between summer and winter, savouring the best of them both. She unwrapped the chrysanthemums and arranged them in a square glass jar, between herself and the light, so that the sun shone through them. They were the big mop-headed kind, burgundy-coloured, with curled petals; their beauty was noble, architectural; and as for their scent, she thought as she buried her nose in the nearest of them, it was a pure distillation of her mood, a quintessence of all that she found gay and intoxicating and astringent about the weather, the circumstances, her own age and the season of the year. Oh, yes, October certainly suited her best. For the ancients, as she had inescapably learnt at school, it had been the eighth month; nowadays, officially, it was the tenth: but for her it was always the first, the real New Year. That laborious affair in January was nothing but a name.

She turned away from the window at last. On her writing-table lay the letters which had come for her that morning. A card for a dress-show; a shooting invitation for Clem; two dinner-parties; three sherry-parties; a highly aperitive notice of some chamber-music concerts; and a letter from Vin at school -- would she please send on his umbrella, his camera, and his fountain-pen, which leaked rather? (But even that could not daunt her to-day.)

She rearranged the fire a little, mostly for the pleasure of handling the fluted steel poker, and then sat down by it. Tea was already laid: there were honey sandwiches, brandy-snaps, and small ratafia biscuits; and there would, she knew, be crumpets. Three new library books lay virginally on the fender-stool, their bright paper wrappers unsullied by subscriber's hand. The clock on the mantelpiece chimed, very softly and precisely, five times. A tug hooted from the river. A sudden breeze brought the sharp tang of a bonfire in at the window. The jig-saw was almost complete, but there was still one piece missing. And then, from the other end of the square, came the familiar sound of the Wednesday barrel-organ, playing, with a hundred apocryphal trills and arpeggios, the "Blue Danube" waltz. And Mrs. Miniver, with a little sigh of contentment, rang for tea.

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/struther/miniver/miniver.html

Oh, Fudge!

2006-12-12T19:32:00.000-05:00

I am thinking about making this wonderful fudge for Christmas. It is very easy and tastes wonderful!

Famous Fudge
4 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup butter
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 t vanilla
11 ½ oz package milk chocolate chips
12 oz package semi sweet chocolate chips

9x13 pan, lined with buttered heavy duty foil
Melt first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan, bring to boil & allow to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add marshmallows. Mix until smooth. Add vanilla & all the chips, mixing until smooth. Add nuts, if desired.
Pour into pan and refrigerate until firm. Can be stored in the refrigerator tightly wrapped for up to one month.

Christmas Movies

2006-12-12T13:35:00.000-05:00

I watched “Meet Me in St. Louis” on tv last night. It doesn’t matter that I own it on dvd or that I have seen it at least a thousand times. It is my favorite movie and I just had to watch it. Plus, there is something about watching it ‘live’ when lots of other people are watching it, too! I know it sounds crazy but I also know that others feel the same way. I have never really thought of it as a Christmas movie. There is a Christmas scene but all seasons are shown so it is more of an anytime movie for me. I think it will always be my favorite.

Each Christmas I seem to find one movie that just suits my mood for the season. Last year it was “The Bishop’s Wife”. I just love the ice skating! This year it is “Christmas in Connecticut”. Hardly a typical Christmas story but I love seeing the farmhouse. The huge fireplace, the antiques and the layout of the house are just so perfect. I could very easily live on a farm in a house like that!

My other favorite Christmas movies are White Christmas, Holiday Inn, A Christmas Carol (the 1938 version), It’s a Wonderful Life, Holiday, A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation. I plan to watch each of them at least once this holiday season!

Mornings

2006-12-11T09:05:00.000-05:00

I think morning, after getting through the waking up business, is really one of my favorite times of the day. When all the hectic stuff is done and it's just me, the house, the computer and my cup of coffee, I really do enjoy morning. It's the first opening of the eyes that just really bugs me! But once I am seated here at the computer and my world opens up 'to infinity and beyond' I feel pretty good. I am sure the coffee helps quite a bit!
I enjoy reading the news online. I enjoy checking my emails and seeing what's new. I like going to my message boards and catching up there, too. I like the light coming in my windows into the family room, the sounds of the aquarium bubbling softly, the cat rubbing against my foot, the feel of the keyboard under my fingertips. I always say that morning is my least favorite time of the day and that I am a night person. But that just isn't true. I enjoy every part of my day and appreciate each day for the gift it is. I just have a hard time dealing with those first few seconds!

Lazy Sunday Morning

2006-12-10T09:58:00.000-05:00

It's a lazy Sunday morning, just the perfect type of day to spend reading emails, requesting books from the library, drinking coffee and relaxing. After reading the blogs of a few friends I decided it might also be a good time to start one of my own. So here I am!
I suppose this will be full of the homemaking things I do and the movies I love and the activities of my family who are number one in my life.
I think of our home as a haven from the outside world, a cozy place to feel safe and warm and loved. Hopefully you will get that feeling when you read about our lives.
On this Sunday we will be baking the rest of the Toll House cookies we started yesterday. It is sunny but cold outside, so a perfect day to have the house warmed by the oven and the aroma of baking cookies and freshly brewed coffee scenting the house. Dean Martin will serenade us in the kitchen with his version of Christmas classics. I am looking forward to my day!