A wonderful St. Patrick's Day celebration to all.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Crochet Bits
Decided that today I would pick up my "fancy" work. I had started this crocheted Irish Rose Sachet, some time ago
, so, after some initial studying of the pattern and determining where I had left off.....why didn't I mark my stopping point?.....I worked a few rows. I enjoy any kind of needlework and find it a creative and soothing way to spend time, not to mention that I end up with a lovely, handmade heirloom to boot!
My Mom and both Grandmothers were avid crocheters. As a child, I would sit and watch their hooks flash through miles of thread and was amazed at the lacy, webbed wonders that grew from their nimble fingers. Finally, after begging her to teach me, Mom showed me the stitches and techniques that make up the crochet repertoire. My awkward, painfully tight stitches were horribly misshapen, the white thread grubby from my sweaty little hands. It took me so long to make even the simplest chain.....I felt certain that I would never be able to coax anything remotely resembling a work of art from my clumsy hook.
Over the years I would try crochet again many times. Slowly, I practiced and became more and more comfortable with the hook and yarn and even turned out a few nice things. My Mom didn't give up on me and she would always be there to answer any questions and help me solve whatever goof I had made. My Mom and my Grandmothers aren't with me anymore. I am fortunate and grateful to have inherited many doilies, afghans and other "pretties" they created during their lifetimes. They grace my home and life with their remembrance and beauty. When I pick up my "fancy" work, I am flooded with memories and a feeling of continuing their legacy. I know that they would approve.
, so, after some initial studying of the pattern and determining where I had left off.....why didn't I mark my stopping point?.....I worked a few rows. I enjoy any kind of needlework and find it a creative and soothing way to spend time, not to mention that I end up with a lovely, handmade heirloom to boot!My Mom and both Grandmothers were avid crocheters. As a child, I would sit and watch their hooks flash through miles of thread and was amazed at the lacy, webbed wonders that grew from their nimble fingers. Finally, after begging her to teach me, Mom showed me the stitches and techniques that make up the crochet repertoire. My awkward, painfully tight stitches were horribly misshapen, the white thread grubby from my sweaty little hands. It took me so long to make even the simplest chain.....I felt certain that I would never be able to coax anything remotely resembling a work of art from my clumsy hook.
Over the years I would try crochet again many times. Slowly, I practiced and became more and more comfortable with the hook and yarn and even turned out a few nice things. My Mom didn't give up on me and she would always be there to answer any questions and help me solve whatever goof I had made. My Mom and my Grandmothers aren't with me anymore. I am fortunate and grateful to have inherited many doilies, afghans and other "pretties" they created during their lifetimes. They grace my home and life with their remembrance and beauty. When I pick up my "fancy" work, I am flooded with memories and a feeling of continuing their legacy. I know that they would approve.
Friday, March 6, 2009
March Gardening
When the calendar says "March", lovely thoughts of spring and warmer weather drift like clouds through my mind. Wisconsin just laughs gleefully and gets ready to throw more below freezing temperatures (and at least one more huge snowstorm) at us desperate dreamers. 
I am certain that every winter season lingers weeks longer than last year's, sending me deeper into a frenzy of.....Gardening Withdrawal!
The only treatment for this horrid syndrome, the only way I can feel better, is gardening indoors in pots. I hear you laugh.... a poor substitute for the real thing I admit, but it helps me make it through the long, cold, slushy, grey days of everlasting winter, intact.
I am extremely fortunate that my husband heard my pleas for a year-round garden room and we added a greenhouse addition off the kitchen. (Don't ask him why anyone in their right mind would add a glass room to a house in a climate with nine months of winter......his crying gets pretty depressing every month when the heating bill arrives). Here, my much loved sunroom/dining room/greenhouse holds my salvation. My beautiful amaryllis bulbs are blooming right now, and none too soon! It's also time to bring the Angel Trumpets from their winter slumber in the basement, to the light, along with their fellow pots of shamrocks. And, the most fun of all.....it's time to plant seeds for the vegetable patch and bedding plants! Soon, dozens of tiny pots of seedlings will litter the floor and every available surface creating an olympian obstacle course just to get to the dining table. Can life get any better? So, come on Wisconsin, throw me your best snowstorm! I am happily puttering and potting in the warmth of my greenhouse and nothing you (or Wisconsin Power and Light) can do will dampen my enthusiasm!
I am certain that every winter season lingers weeks longer than last year's, sending me deeper into a frenzy of.....Gardening Withdrawal!The only treatment for this horrid syndrome, the only way I can feel better, is gardening indoors in pots. I hear you laugh.... a poor substitute for the real thing I admit, but it helps me make it through the long, cold, slushy, grey days of everlasting winter, intact.
I am extremely fortunate that my husband heard my pleas for a year-round garden room and we added a greenhouse addition off the kitchen. (Don't ask him why anyone in their right mind would add a glass room to a house in a climate with nine months of winter......his crying gets pretty depressing every month when the heating bill arrives). Here, my much loved sunroom/dining room/greenhouse holds my salvation. My beautiful amaryllis bulbs are blooming right now, and none too soon! It's also time to bring the Angel Trumpets from their winter slumber in the basement, to the light, along with their fellow pots of shamrocks. And, the most fun of all.....it's time to plant seeds for the vegetable patch and bedding plants! Soon, dozens of tiny pots of seedlings will litter the floor and every available surface creating an olympian obstacle course just to get to the dining table. Can life get any better? So, come on Wisconsin, throw me your best snowstorm! I am happily puttering and potting in the warmth of my greenhouse and nothing you (or Wisconsin Power and Light) can do will dampen my enthusiasm!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Birthday Tribute for Errol
Happy 12th Birthday to the best little buddy a girl could ever ask for. You've been continuously by my side (literally) from the moment we brought you home, all 16 ounces of you, 
a tiny ball of fluff and unbearable cuteness. Born on St. Valentine's day, an appropriate date for a friend who gives love and adoration every day of the year. We bonded immediately and I am ever grateful that fate brought us together in such a serendipitous way. Eager to please and never holding my humanness against me, your feelings are easily hurt (on the rare occasions a little "naughtiness" comes through) and you aren't happy until proper apologies are made on both sides (hugs, pats..... and a nose lick for me). Your royal heritage befits you, and I treasure each and every moment as a gift of love and never ending loyalty........not to mention a whole lotta fun!
a tiny ball of fluff and unbearable cuteness. Born on St. Valentine's day, an appropriate date for a friend who gives love and adoration every day of the year. We bonded immediately and I am ever grateful that fate brought us together in such a serendipitous way. Eager to please and never holding my humanness against me, your feelings are easily hurt (on the rare occasions a little "naughtiness" comes through) and you aren't happy until proper apologies are made on both sides (hugs, pats..... and a nose lick for me). Your royal heritage befits you, and I treasure each and every moment as a gift of love and never ending loyalty........not to mention a whole lotta fun!Can anyone tell that I am a certifiable dog nut?
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Family Treasure
Every now and then, I enjoy a good treasure hunt at one of the many consignment and thrift stores in our town. My tiny little abode is already filled to overflowing, so, I try to find small knick knacky things to add some seasonal or everyday decorating interest. This particular trip was unusually successful--and I plan on sharing the rest of my "finds" in future posts. However, 
one item was of particular value, in the sentimental sense and as a valuable piece of family history. This particular shop I visited, is always crammed full of goodies, some jumbled in boxes, some in piles, some hidden way under shelves and you have to do a little bit of creative digging to find the buried treasures. Kneeling down onto the floor, I reached under a bottom shelf, to rummage amongst a pile of trays, and found a box of "silver" doo dads. I immediately grabbed a wine bottle coaster since I have been looking for one to buy for my husband. He was standing right beside me and I handed it to him and mentioned that it was engraved. He pointed out to me that the names engraved were the names of my Aunt Ruth and Uncle Ray (both now deceased). He asked me the date of their wedding anniversary and I said that I was certain it was Sept. 19. I couldn't believe my eyes and I couldn't believe that the names and date didn't even register as familiar in my mind! Of course, that was a sale that I absolutely couldn't pass up.....not to mention that it was only a dollar. I brought it home, cleaned it up and will use it every time we open a bottle of wine. Quite a bargain and a serendipitous find, it will forever remain a tangible reminder of two members of my family who aren't with us anymore.
one item was of particular value, in the sentimental sense and as a valuable piece of family history. This particular shop I visited, is always crammed full of goodies, some jumbled in boxes, some in piles, some hidden way under shelves and you have to do a little bit of creative digging to find the buried treasures. Kneeling down onto the floor, I reached under a bottom shelf, to rummage amongst a pile of trays, and found a box of "silver" doo dads. I immediately grabbed a wine bottle coaster since I have been looking for one to buy for my husband. He was standing right beside me and I handed it to him and mentioned that it was engraved. He pointed out to me that the names engraved were the names of my Aunt Ruth and Uncle Ray (both now deceased). He asked me the date of their wedding anniversary and I said that I was certain it was Sept. 19. I couldn't believe my eyes and I couldn't believe that the names and date didn't even register as familiar in my mind! Of course, that was a sale that I absolutely couldn't pass up.....not to mention that it was only a dollar. I brought it home, cleaned it up and will use it every time we open a bottle of wine. Quite a bargain and a serendipitous find, it will forever remain a tangible reminder of two members of my family who aren't with us anymore. Friday, January 30, 2009
Baking My Bread
Nothing warms a home on a cold winter's day like baking bread. I prefer to make it entirely by hand. I love the smell of yeasty dough and the pleasure of rolling up my sleeves and burying my hands deep in it's sticky midst while kneading, satisfies the frustrated gardener in me. I love to get my hands "dirty". My maternal grandmother, Lena, baked the best bread I have ever tasted. Spending time with her was a great treat for me as a child. She indulged my every wish and made me feel that I was the most precious person in the world... and I adored her.Having lived most of her life on a farm in (very rural) Missouri, while raising and feeding eight children, food preparation was a normal and necessary focus of her days. Baking everything from scratch was a habit she maintained for the rest of her life....and perfected as an art.
I gladly and eagerly gobbled my way through countless cookies, banana breads, pies, cakes and, best of all, loaves of fresh, soft , crusty, white bread. Did I mention that I washed all these goodies down with my very own cup of coffee? Much to my mother's dismay, Grandma would pour me coffee and I would sit at the table gulping (no ladylike sipping for me!) and feel like one of the grown ups. Turns out Grandma knew best, all my mother's dire predictions that coffee would stunt my growth, turned out to be false. I'm a good five foot six inches tall.
Those memories and experiences have shaped the life I strive to live daily. A life filled with preparing and sharing wonderful foods, home made and home baked with loving hands and a generous, giving heart.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Cabin Fever
It happens every January and lasts well through April. I'm talking major "cabin fever". The snowbanks are as tall as I am and the temperatures fall way below freezing. So goes the climate in Wisconsin. I start out feeling just the tiniest twinge of restlessness and soon it balloons into feeling claustrophobic in my own house. I get cranky and irritable. I try not to have a negative attitude about winter but, each year, when January rolls around, the trapped and closed-in feelings return like clockwork. I'm a person who loves to dig in the dirt, planting seeds and bulbs and watching the magic happen. I love sunshine, warmth and balmy breezes so, why do I live in a climate with a growing season of four months?? 
To lift my spirits, I am posting a picture of my blooming perennial border in all it's summer glory. For now, I will have to be content with looking at my pictures and dreaming of the new gardening season ahead. I can already smell the heady scent of spring as I dig into the soil.......
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