All This and Heaven Too

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Some days are better than others and today was a good day. I was glad to get up and get going and decided to make soup beans for supper. I had seen a good bread recipe on several different blogs and wanted to try it. It seemed so easy. No kneading, no waiting for it to rise two or three times and only dirtied one bowl in the process of making it.

I was pretty happy how it turned out.

It was crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft and yummy on the inside. Plus it makes a pretty loaf.

David and I almost devoured the loaf in one sitting. Can’t make it too often then.

A nice pot of soup beans rounded out the meal. Wonderful for a cold winter’s day.

The wolf moon was a couple of nights ago. It looks like it is shining on a field of snow, but those are clouds.

Speaking of wolves…..

Bonnie and Belle don’t think much of this cold weather. I have been letting them into my shop at night and now they think they are indoor dogs. They gaze at me forlornly at the back door. Belle has her very own real bed to sleep on in my shop and Bonnie gets the recliner. We never had dogs in the house when I was growing up, but we always had dogs. They slept out in the barn in the hay with the other animals. I can’t remember a time I haven’t had a dog around me. And I hope I always will have.

I’ve started reading my granddaughter’s book and I may be grandma, but this girl can write. I am amazed and cannot wait to read more.

There is another book by this name written several years ago, so don’t get them confused.

This is my granddaughter’s pen name. I still cannot believe she wrote this. I will be snuggling down into bed tonight to read “Beyond the Open Door.” It’s for sale on Amazon right now. Buy. Bye.

An Author in the Family

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I am so proud today I am about to bust. My fourteen year old granddaughter just got her first book published and it is on Amazon for sale now. It is called “Beyond the Open Door,” by Abigail Grace. I just ordered a copy and cannot wait to read it. I didn’t even know she was writing it until she was trying to get it published. It’s one of a trilogy. A trilogy! How many fourteen year olds write one book, let alone three. And they aren’t short books either.

Abby has always been a reader. She is always saying she is a nerd, but she is far from it. She makes excellent grades in school, has performed on stage, been on mission trips and is just an all around great kid.

That’s her with her brothers and cousins. The only girl. We gave her a ukelele for Christmas and probably is playing it better than I play mine now.

Abby is our first grandchild. When she was born, I had to wait two whole weeks before I could see her because her parents lived in Chicago and we could not get up there right away. I could hardly stand it to wait that long to see her and when I first set eyes on her face, I knew I would love her forever. I have always told her I loved her before she was born and I did. I have been blessed to watch her grow into the beautiful young lady she is today and I look forward to seeing what she will do in the future. I know she will write for sure, but there is so much more waiting for that girl.

Anyway, check out her book on Amazon. I just ordered it and am looking forward to reading it just to see where her imagination has taken her.

Here’s to new authors, especially when one of them is your granddaughter. Bye.

Feasting at the Birdfeeder and Elsewhere

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The birds cannot find food when everything is covered with ice and snow, so I try to keep food out for them at all times. Besides making the birds happy, it makes me happy to watch them.

Sometimes there are over thirty birds sitting around waiting for a place to eat.

Mr. Cardinal sits on a limb waiting for his chance at the feeder.

Cardinals are the beauties of the bird world. Then there is the sparrow. Plain and not distinct from many birds that look almost the same except for a stripe here or a different color head there, but they still just kind of melt into the crowd. Kind of like people. Some of us just kind of melt into the crowd and others stand out like the cardinal. Doesn’t make us any less important, just like it doesn’t make the sparrow any less important. After all, the song says, “His eye is on the sparrow,” not “His eye is on the cardinal,” so God thinks we are all important.

Look, who is that lurking behind the bushes?

One of these things is not like the others,

One of these things just doesn’t belong,

Can you tell which thing is not like the other?

By the time I finish this song. Sesame Street.

Yes, a bunny came to dine at the bird feeder. He even chased the birds away for a while until finally they were all dining in peace together.

While the birds are eating, David and I aren’t doing too badly in the house. I made my new favorites sugar cookies this week. I got the recipe off the internet where I get a lot of my recipes.

They are soft and have just the right amount of sweetness and they are super easy to make.

Have you ever eaten at Olive Garden and gotten the Zuppa Tuscana? I found a similar recipe online and made it today. We will eat it tomorrow after all the flavors meld together. Some things are just better the next day.

Looking forward to eating this. Maybe I will need to bake some bread.

Hope you are keeping warm and feeding the birds. Bye.

Brrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!

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Here in the midwest and in other parts of our country, we are suffering sub zero temperatures right now. Well, I won’t say suffering exactly if you have a nice warm home and food to eat. But, anyway, it’s darn cold. I mean go outside for one minute to run back to check on eggs at the coop without a coat on and coming back almost frostbitten cold. Why did I do that?

I worry about our eggs freezing. We have had a few freeze before we could get out to gather them. Those we feed to the dogs. Sometimes one hen will sit out there for an hour or two on three eggs and I will have to reach under her to get the eggs and she says a few bad clucks to me, but I am not leaving those eggs out there in this freezing weather.

Our outside dogs are staying in my shop during this weather. Normally, I don’t worry about them getting too cold because they have an insulated doghouse with several inches of cedar on the floor. One winter when it got really cold I was worried that they were not warm enough in their doghouse so I crawled inside and they came in too and believe me, it got hot in there. But with these temperatures and the wind that is blowing I just feel so much more comfortable knowing they are in my warm shop. I don’t think Bonnie has left the recliner I have out there once except when we take her outside to go. She’s getting old and her old bones are enjoying the comfort and warmth.

We took the Christmas tree down today. I decided to leave our decorations up for the twelve days of Christmas. Did you know there were twelve days of Christmas? You probably know the song and it has a Christian meaning. My girly room looks kind of empty now without the tree, but I have a wonderful view outside and can see the birds eating at the bird feeder. Oh, be sure to put out some food for the birds right now as the snow has covered much of their natural food. There were about thirty out there at once eating. Several cardinals which brighten up the landscape. I am so glad we have cardinals in the winter because everything else is grey and brown and white.

As I told you my last blog I am working on Christmas gifts for 2014 already. I have so many ideas in my head and cannot wait to try them all. I have butterflies flittering around in my girly room right now and that is all I am going to say about that.

David was coming home from work last week and the brakes went out on his truck. Thankfully, he made it home okay. He called AAA and a tow truck driver came out. Our plan only paid to tow the truck for three miles and it was one-tenth of a mile over the limit to the repair shop. But the truck driver was nice and said he would just put down three miles and didn’t charge us the extra. There are good people in this world despite the fact the news tells us differently.

David is lost without his truck and feels it is beneath him to drive the Pt Cruiser to work. I don’t know why. He drives it every place else. Funny guy, my husband. But he is my hero. I opened the door to the basement this morning to go downstairs to get some canned goods and a freezing wind came up the stairs. David went down and saw a window had blown open and broke the glass when the window struck the wall. So he got some cardboard and taped it and sealed it so the wind couldn’t get in. It will have to stay that way until Spring because we are not having a window out to repair during the winter. I wonder sometimes what I would do without him. A somber thought. I guess I could have repaired the window myself, but it is nice to have a man around to do those kind of things.

How is your new year coming? I have friends who have already lost loved ones so it isn’t so nice for them right now. Hope it will get better for them as the year progresses. We never know what each year will bring. Joy, sorrow. new jobs, travel, getting new family members, losing others. It’s all part of life. Have to take the good with the bad which is why when things are good we should rejoice in that and savor every minute. May you all be blessed this year. Keep warm. Bye.

Finishing My Last Blog

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My computer went all whacko on me last night and refused to let me post anymore pictures. I think it was tired. So I will try to finish what I began yesterday. What was I talking about??? Oh, yes, traditions.

One of my favorite traditions on New Year’s Day is to put up new calendars. I didn’t get it done yesterday, but they are all up today.

I didn’t even know there was a Susan Branch until a year or two ago. She is an author who hand writes all her books and water colors each page. They are beautiful. She includes quotes and recipes and stories about her growing up which is very like how I grew up. Since we both grew up in about the same era, that is natural. She also produces a calendar each year and last year was the first year I bought one.

How can you not like a calendar which has on one of the dates in January to visit your local fabric store today? I visited one a little early already, but this made me smile.

Each calendar page is a work of art and very interesting to read. There are probably a few left out there, so run to your local calendar store and get this calendar.

I have to have a labrador retriever calendar which I put in my downstairs bathroom. This one has all puppies which really makes me want to get that lab pup this year.

I have been buying Lang calendars for years. This one was a gift and will hang in my dining room. This is the one on which I write all the birthdays and anniversaries in our family.

This Lang calendar will hang in my shop. I love all the old timey pictures in it. Makes me wish I had lived in those simpler times. Especially on a farm. With a horse.

Did you make any new year’s resolutions this year? I quit doing that long ago. Too much pressure. I have a lot of plans and things I would like to do this year.

I want to spend as much time as possible with my children and grandchildren.

I want to learn to play my ukelele and not be afraid to play it in front of people.

I want to make as many quilts as I can, especially the ones that will be gifts.

I want to learn how to water color like Susan Branch. She started water colors later in her life. She didn’t even know she had that talent until she just started one day. Isn’t that like a lot of us? We are afraid to start something new because we are afraid we won’t be any good at it. So what. At least you tried. There are so many things we can learn if we just set our minds to it.

I want to be a good witness for Jesus Christ. I have given this year and my family to Him and pray He will do His will in them.

I want to stay connected to old friends and family members I don’t see very often.

I want to keep raising chickens and maybe adding a few more to my little flock.

I want that lab puppy.

I want to see my grandson play his lacrosse game in Traverse City, Michigan where David and I honeymooned many years ago. There is a road in Traverse City named after my husband’s family because only his family lived on it at one time. I don’t know if any of his family is still living on it, but we will probably check if we get up there.

I want to see my granddaughter play her ukelele we gave her on her praise team at her school.

I want to get to Cincinnati and Chicago for personal reasons. I want David’s brother and sister-in-law to bring their grandchildren to visit us and meet our grandchildren.

I want our new porch to be built this year as the old one is pulling away from the house and playing havoc with the walls in our living room.

I want to write more blogs to include stories about my growing up on an Indiana farm in the fifies.

I want to have Bible studies in my home and have fellowship with other Christian women.

I want to walk more, eat less, lift weights more and just take better care of my body. Notice this is the last thing I put on my list. Hmmmmm.

Oh, I could add a few hundred more things I would like to do this year, but I think these will keep me busy for a while. Hope your new year is productive and creative. Bye.

Happy New Year Traditions

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It has been a pretty happy and joyous holiday season and I have enjoyed it all, but now it’s time to look toward a brand new year and think how I will spend my time in it.

Before I get to that, though, I want to finish up some Christmas things. We had such a nice Christmas. Low key and quiet with some rambunctious children thrown in. This year there were two gifts that were special to me. I got a camera which I am still learning how to use, but that isn’t one of the gifts I am talking about.

I was given this darling Jim Shore Santa and I love Jim Shore figurines, but if you look closely, you will see just why I am particularly happy with this one. He is holding a chicken and a basket of eggs!

That could be Freedom he is holding.

His basket has several eggs in it. How cute is that? I am wondering if this is the start of a chicken figurine collection?

The other gift I received came from my loving husband. I have wanted one of these for years. My brothers had one when we were growing up and I played with it a lot.

A ukelele!!!! Oh, how I love this. I am practicing on it all the time trying to get my fingers to make the chords sound right.

It’s so pretty, too. Green paisley. It has a really good tone and my fingers are beginning to get toughened up by playing it so much. I know I am going to get hours of fun out of this and I hope I get good enough that when some of our friends get together with their guitars and banjos I can join them on my ukelele.

Today, the first day of 2014 was a really nice day. We went shopping and I got some fabric. I haven’t bought fabric since, well, since we went to North Carolina two months ago. This time, though, I was buying to make gifts for, what else, Christmas this year. Yes, I am one of those people who works all year on Christmas. No waiting until the last minute to buy gifts for this girl. I like to spread the cheer all year and enjoy wondering how people will like their presents I give them. I have had some specific orders for presents this time and they are going to take a little time.

I came home with these treasures.

Love these wool felt pieces for which I have plans. I bought a new pattern today and it is so cute and know just the person for which I will make it.

David and I ate at Olive Garden for lunch. I got baked shrimp parmesan and it was so good.

When we got home, I grabbed Belle and she and I took a four mile walk. I wasn’t intending to walk quite so far, but the more we walked the more I wanted to. It felt good to get out in the fresh air. I let Belle loose and she ran all over like a little kid let out of a cage.

When I got back, I started on one New Year’s tradition. Every year for as long as I can remember, my mother made new pillow cases on New Year’s Day. It’s good luck, she said. I have followed in that tradition and I made a couple today.

I used this pretty pink check fabric for one.

No, this isn’t my pillowcase. I am going to sew yo-yos on the one I made today and it will look like this one when I am done. It’s going to take about sixty yo-yos I think.

I made a pillowcase for David for Valentine’s Day using this fabric. I will put a York peppermint patty on his pillow.

Here are my completed pillowcases. Here is a quick tutorial to make a pillowcase.

This is for a standard size pillow. If you have a King size or other size pillow you will have to adapt this to your pillow.

First cut a length of fabric 42 inches wide by 35 or 36 inches long.

Turn down 1/4 inch on one of the 42 inch sides and press.

Turn down another 3 inches and sew.

Put right sides together and sew the side and bottom seams together.

I use 1/4 inch seams.

Clip one corner where two seams meet. Be sure not to clip your stitching or you will weep and wail and wonder why you ever started this project.

Now this next step is not necessary, but I think it gives a nice finish to your pillowcase. I zigzag all my seams.

Turn your pillow right side out. Press the seams flat and then press your pillowcase. You can starch it if you prefer. I don’t, but that’s my preference. There. You have made a pillowcase. Wasn’t that easy?

Another tradition my mother had was to make something from cabbage on New Year’s day. It could be sauerkraut, coleslaw or fried cabbage. I made scalloped cabbage. I don’t have a picture of it right now, but it turned out real pretty and is it good. Even if you don’t like cabbage, you might like this.

I was going to show you another tradition I have, but for some reason my computer says no, you cannot add any more pictures to your post. Don’t know why. My husband and I have both worked on it with no luck.

So I will just wish all of you the happiest of New years. I am so happy you take some time out of your busy day to come read this little blog. I am thrilled beyond measure people all around the world are reading it. You there, in Norway, thank you for stopping by. That gal in Australia who comes here. Wish I could meet you all. The British ladies who live where I would love to visit one day. The one in Kuwait, China, France. I know I haven’t mentioned all the countries, but I just want to say I love knowing you are all here. The local girls, too. I love you all. I look forward to writing about this life of mine. It’s not a large life, but it’s a fun, wholesome, happy life and I wouldn’t want to live any other. I’ll be telling you about some of my plans on my next blog. BYE.

End of Year Frivolities

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Well, it’s the end of 2013 except for the celebrating. My idea of celebrating this year will be to go out to the chicken coop at midnight and throw the girls some chicken scratch like confetti and yell, “Happy New Year!” which will cause them all to lay an egg because they will have all been asleep.

I will also give Belle and Bonnie some bones and give David a great big kiss and go upstairs and snuggle down into my bed and read a good book.

I’m done with all the partying and trying to pretend to have fun on New Year’s Eve when really, I would rather be home with the one I love or if any of my other loved ones wanted to join us that would be okay, but don’t expect me to be the life of the party.

I use to think we needed to be out doing something on New Year’s Eve and every year I never felt like it was all it was cracked up to be. David and I dressed up one year and went to a big party at a hotel in Indianapolis. There were bands and lots of food and even a casino. I don’t gamble but this was not gambling for money. We were the oldest ones there and everyone treated us so nicely and we had a good time. At the end of the evening there was a balloon drop and it was amazing there were so many balloons. We had masks and hats and noise makers. It really was fun. We stayed all night at the hotel and the next morning they served a huge breakfast buffet with everything you could think of, even sushi, which I tried and decided I didn’t like it much, but everything else was so good. We planned to do it again the next year, but David had back surgery right after Christmas that year, so we couldn’t go and for some reason, we have never done it again

We have several birthdays in December. Our youngest grandson was born three days after Christmas and this year he had his very own party instead of sharing a party with his older brother who was born in November. It was like Christmas all over again for him.

He was one happy kid.

He licked his fork clean of all the icing.

He opened lots of presents. He does that tongue thing that seems to run in our family. My mother use to stick out her tongue when she was concentrating.

We had a nice evening visiting with my son-in-law’s family and enjoying the children. When we were driving home we passed this amazing, Christmas lighted house. We pulled off the road to take pictures.

A beautiful Nativity.

Polar bears around a tree.

This house had everything lit. It was beautiful.

Santa and his sleigh.

It was a lovely ending to a very nice day.

Now that 2013 is being put to sleep and a brand spanking new year is upon us, I want to wish you all a very blessed new year. May your year be one of health, joy and love. I’ll be writing about my plans for the new year next time. Happy New Year! Bye.

I Got This New Camera, so……..

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Last fall I dropped my little camera that I have been using ever since I started my blog. It wasn’t an expensive camera, but it did the job I wanted it to do. When I dropped it, I couldn’t zoom in for pictures any longer. So, David got me a new camera for Christmas.

Since we got to spend some time with our grandchildren this week, I got to practice taking pictures and my grandchildren were happy to oblige.

Photo bomb.

My granddaughter wasn’t here at the time. She was busy getting her first book published. Yes, my fourteen year old granddaughter has written a book. One of a trilogy and she will soon be a published author. That will be a blog in itself when the book gets published. Therefore, I didn’t get many pictures of her.

I wanted to get a picture of all the cousins together. Getting kids to all smile at the same time can be hard as you will see by the next few pictures.

Finally got a decent picture, but, as you can see, I got the other adults’ pictures, who were trying to take photos too, in the mirror behind the children.

This boy was a chubby little baby just a blink of the eye ago. Now he can bench press his six year old cousin.

We gave the children some Christmas gifts. These are games David and I built and painted. We gave them an assortment of balls and they spent a good part of the evening rolling the balls down the ramps. There was a third one, but I didn’t get a picture of it.

I tried getting creative and took a picture of my daughter’s Christmas tree’s reflection in the window. I think it looks awesome. They live out in the woods up a big hill. The view in itself is awesome.

I’m really looking forward to taking pictures in the coming year with my new camera. Who knows where it will take me or I will take it. What adventures we will have. Maybe something spectacular will be photographed. Who knows. The new year lies before us with all its joys, sorrows, fun, and living to experience. I want to photograph it all. Bye.

Signs of the Season

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Just a couple of days ago the headless scarecrow and the woodpile were shrouded in layers of snow and ice. I slipped and slid back to the chicken coop to gather the eggs and feed and water the chickens.

After two days of rain, the snow is completely gone, but not to worry. The weathermen are forecasting more snow and ice and cold weather coming our way. Such is life in Indiana.

We are ready for Christmas.

The tree is decorated with all the ornaments and children’s creations we have collected over the years.

Most of the presents are wrapped and under the tree.

Stockings are hung by the, er, window with care. My mother made the red stockings with the rickrack on them many years ago when I was a girl. She made them for her Sunday school classes and filled them with homemade candy and cookies. She always made gingerbread men and I would help her decorate them.

Old electric candles are glowing.

I got these cute loaf bowls from a friend today. Tomorrow I am going to bake little loaves of bread in them and make garlic and butter bread sticks for a family get together we are having.

I made candy today and realized why I hate to make candy. I don’t have the patience. These were supposed to be neat little squares of peanut butter fudge dipped in chocolate, but they quickly became globs of peanut butter and chocolate with no shape whatsoever. They are still good, though, and about five hundred calories a bite.

David has been doing his part being the hunter and gatherer. He went and got us Kentucky fried chicken one day when I just could not cook another thing.

Lights glowing, hearts waiting for Christmas Day. It will come whether we are ready or not.

Merry Christmas to you all and Happy Birthday, Jesus. I will see you on the other side. Bye.

I Can’t Believe, But I Do

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I can’t believe it’s less than a week until Christmas. I have lived through many Christmases and each one has been different, but still the spirit of Christmas lives on.

I believe we celebrate Jesus Christ’s birthday at Christmas time. Jesus was very probably born in warmer weather since the shepherds were watching their sheep out in the hills around Bethlehem when He was born. December 25th was picked long ago as the date Christians would celebrate his birth. Christ Mass is how the word originated.

Anyway, I believe Christmas is special because there is a spirit that surrounds the whole holiday. The spirit of love, joy, peace and giving of gifts like the magi gave gifts to the Christ child. I love the gift giving part. As I grow older, getting gifts just doesn’t seem as important to me as giving them. I wish I could give more.

David and I have put on our Santa hats and gotten to work building, painting and sewing Christmas gifts. This weekend I will be baking and making candy. Some of the grandkids will be here so they can help me.

Years ago when David and I had a quilt shop we sold this quilting book. It has so many wonderful projects in it and I have made a few.

I made this quilt and gave it to someone who is a teacher. I would like to make another because I really love it.

I made this quilt and it is put out every Christmas. There are a few more projects in the book I plan to make for next Christmas. Wish I had more time to get them done this year, but time is running out.

These are some of the things I am working on or will be working on this week. I forgot I had the Betty Crocker Christmas cookbook and am finding several recipes in it I want to try. I also am going to make gingerbread cookies. Something I haven’t done in years, but it just sounded like fun this year. I would like to make peanut brittle. I love peanut brittle. One time I was riding my exercise bicycle while eating peanut brittle at the same time. David came into the room and laughed and said “You’re defeating the purpose of riding the bike, aren’t you?” I just laughed and ate another piece of peanut brittle.

I told you I would show you my Jim Shore nativity set so here it is.

I found this in a Hallmark store one year and fell in love with it. Each figure has a quilt pattern on it.

Look at the beautiful quilt covering Jesus. He didn’t have something so lovely covering Him there in the stable with all the animals. All Mary had were a few rags with which to wrap Him. The Savior of the world wrapped in rags lying in an animal’s feeding trough. How lowly was the birth of the King of the universe. God’s son come to earth to save us all. The best Christmas gift anyone could receive.

This little lamb is so sweet. Another quilted covering. Jim Shore knew this added touch would make his figurines special.

The Wise men. Where did they come from? So far away, Jesus was about two years old when they finally found him. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense and Myrrh which is why people always think there were just three. It doesn’t say three wise men in the Bible. There could have been more or maybe only two with several gifts. Still, they knew this was an important enough birth to make the long journey to see the Christ child and bring him expensive gifts. Mary and Joseph probably used these gifts to help support their little family when they had to flee to Egypt because the evil King Herod was looking for this special baby who would be king.

To think, God’s son was threatened to be killed before He would have ever had a chance to die for us all on the cross. But God had a plan for His son and for all of us.

Mary probably rode a donkey on her and Joseph’s trip to Bethlehem to pay taxes, Yes, taxes have been around ever since there has been governments. How would you like to have to travel eighty miles sitting on a donkey when you were nine months pregnant? But Mary did it. It was foretold thousands of years before that a virgin would give birth in the town of Bethlehem so she was destined to go there by whatever mode of travel.

I love this little donkey. One year little hands dropped this donkey and then hid him under our couch where I found him with an ear off. David glued it back on and you can barely tell it was ever broken. Now I put this nativity up high where little hands cannot touch.

These cats did not come with the nativity, but I know from experience there are always cats in a barn where there are cows. My daddy use to spray milk right into our barn cats’ mouths straight from the cows’ udders. I always thought that was so funny.

I hope you are looking forward to Christmas as much as I am. Christmas will come whether there is a tree or gifts under the tree or a big dinner. It’s all about the spirit. I plan to spend a little time with Jesus this season enjoying His goodness and light and I hope you know Him and if you don’t, I hope you meet Him one day. He loves you and cared enough for you to die for you.

Peace, joy, and love to you all. Bye.

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Snicklefritz

So glad you came. Come sit a spell and read about the tale of my life.

All This and Heaven Too

An Author in the Family

Feasting at the Birdfeeder and Elsewhere

Brrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!

Finishing My Last Blog

Happy New Year Traditions

End of Year Frivolities

I Got This New Camera, so……..

Signs of the Season

I Can’t Believe, But I Do