By Sun and Candlelight

Holiday Tea at Dawn's: O Christmas Tree!

Hello my friends, and Happy Monday! Welcome to our third week of Holiday Tea - and today I'd like to talk about Christmas trees! First though, a quick word about my beverage-of-choice this week ...

As you can see, my mug is pretty big - and also, very pretty! I bought this last year at HomeGoods (for all of $5!) and loved it immediately for its generous size as well as the lovely seasonal images. It has a big sturdy handle, too!

Inside my mug today is a wonderful hot tea I "discovered" this year, made by Twinings:

 

 

This delicious Christmas Tea has a smooth and lightly spiced flavor - and for me, "lightly" is a very good thing, when it comes to spices - because I get heartburn very easily! And sometimes, as much as I like the idea of a spiced tea, the flavor can be too reminiscent of cinnamon gum. Like I've steeped my tea with a stick of gum, lol! Weird, I know ... but once I had that impression from a previous tea, it just stuck with me! So clearly I'm a bit persnickety when it comes to flavored teas, but happily this one is smooth and subtle. :)

Now, I'm afraid I don't have any goodies to share today - the past few day have been busy and I just didn't have time - though honestly, if you were coming to visit, I'd be sure to have a few tempting things to offer! In case you were wondering, here's what's on my baking to-do list this week ...

Do you have any special baking planned this week?

Well, how we talk about Christmas trees now? Here is ours ...

This is the first year we've had a tree in our family room and I must say I love it here! This is an 8-foot Frasier Fir and I think it fits the room nicely. Would you care for a quick tour?

We use all white lights, two different garlands - one made of red wooden beads and another made from a golden ribbon festooned with festive red squirrels - and a red punched tin star as a topper. Many of our ornaments are "woodland inspired" and lots of them were made by my kids through the years.

The glittery pinecone was made by one of the boys - the softly shaded maple leaf was hand-painted by my mum. She gave us a collection of them last year, and I just love them! They remind me of my favorite season (fall), my favorite state (Vermont), my favorite colors (soft orange and gold) AND of course, my love for nature.

I'd wager many of us have popsicle stick crafts on our Christmas trees!

Another leaf and a cute little pinecone-y hedgehog.

The star was made for me by a sweet girl in our homeschool co-op years ago, while the moon was something I made myself. There's a little verse on the back, and a matching (or contrasting, I should say) ornament just around the corner ...

I don't do handcrafts nearly as often as I'd like to, but I'm thinking of making that a goal for the New Year - to indulge more of my favorite hobbies.

We have LOTS Of cardinals all over our tree, one of our favorite winter songbirds.

Birds in general enjoy a strong presence on our tree!

This is one of the few "fragile" ornaments we have on the tree - made of porcelain, it's a bit "clinky" (as Little Bear calls it). 

This is a very special ornament - a gift from Crackerjack's girlfriend, Jen, to our Little Bear who just this year discovered the excitement of "Minecraft."

Last year it was this guy ...

Little Bear's never even seen Star Wars, but somehow - youngest of four boys that he is - he just "gets" it! "That's BB8 Mama! He's a good guy robot!"

We have name ornaments here and there and as uncommon as my name is, my mother-in-law found this one for me last year:

And one last ornament which I just treasure, a gift from my boys:

I'm sure many of you mamas can relate! (p.s. That's a hand-painted sand dollar in the back ground. Well, painted with glue and then sprinkled with glitter! I made that one several years ago when we were celebrating National Poinsettia Day.)

And here's the cozy corner where I'm enjoying my tea today ...

We have no snow to speak of here in New England, but the skies seem to hold promise - thick gray clouds, a chill in the air. That said however, the forecast is not looking promising for a white Christmas! (It always pains me when we miss snow at Christmas ... and then spend the next three winter months absolutely inundated!) But boy do the days get so dark now, and so early!

And yet - we must take heart, my light-loving friends - the sun makes its triumphant return this Friday! In teeny-tiny increments perhaps, but each day going forward we'll have  just a little more light than dark each day. So, Happy Winter Solstice, everyone!🌞

Right now I'm all curled up on the family room couch, admiring the tree lights, enjoying a moment of quiet (while the boys are all occupied elsewhere in the house) and on my tv screen ...

Show of hands now - who loves The Great British Baking Show??

Our local PBS station ran a marathon this weekend of TGBBS's Holiday Masterclass series. This is not the same as the ABC special airing each Thursday night this month - this is not a contest, but rather a cheerful and cozy hour's worth of holiday home baking with show hosts, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. It is so much fun to watch Mary and Paul recreate their own family favorites! If you're looking to get in the "holiday baking mood," look no further than this program ... I especially recommended it for Anglophiles like me. :)

You know what else I'm doing right now as I enjoy my tea? I am looking through old December journals, remembering past Christmases and holiday ideas I've gathered over the years. Journal-keeping is another hobby I'd like to make time for in the new year ... it's something I've done since I was a young girl, but have seemed to let drop recently. 

Here's a peek at a few page spreads ...

As you can see, I fill my journals with clippings from magazines and random notes about our home, our family, craft ideas, recipes and just about anything that comes to mind! It's such a pleasure to look back over these journals - the plainest little spiral-bound notebooks but they serve their purpose! - and reconnect with my self and my thoughts on various things. I especially love seeing things like this ...

This journal was from December, 2012 - the year I was pregnant with Little Bear. I remember that ultrasound on New Year's Eve, vividly. A particular blood test had come back elevated and we were having a level two ultrasound to check on our little guy's development. They were going to do it after the holidays but we insisted on being seen as early as possible. We had to drive into the city mid-afternoon on New Year's Eve ... and oh, the nerves! Thankfully, everything was just fine with our wee one and we found out that night that our fourth born would be a fourth BOY! We gave him his name that night and celebrated the new year feeling immense gratitude for our blessings, most especially the health and well-being of all our children.

(And all that came rushing back from those brief cryptic notes!)

Well, my friends - that is all I have for today but as always, I thank you for joining me and wish you all the very best! I hope this next week is one of peace and joy for you and your loved ones ... I will see you again NEXT Monday, December 24th, for a cup of Christmas Eve cheer!

Holiday Tea at Dawn's ~ Thanksgiving Memories

Hello my friends and Happy Monday! Can you believe in a week's time we will be starting the very last month of the year??

Well, I hope you all had a nice weekend, and if you celebrate, a Happy Thanksgiving, too! Ours was lovely, but before I launch into holiday memories, I want to say I am so excited to return to my weekly tea series! My goal is to host afternoon tea here at my blog every Monday, beginning today and continuing throughout the holiday season ... I will include the usual disclaimer of course, that as life often gets busy around here, there may be a week or two when tea is a bit late!

Now, as before, each week's Tea will have a theme, corresponding (more or less) to my family's seasonal homeschooling themes. This week, for instance, our theme is "hibernation" and so for the next several days we will be immersing ourselves in Earth's natural rhythm. We'll spend time outside (weather permitting) and inside (through windows) observing changes in our local habitat, the decreasing light and increasing dark, as well as the local fauna preparing for the cold weather to come. We'll take notes in our nature journals and read books about how different species adapt to the change in seasons - humans included! Some of us hibernate and some don't ... but why?

As we head into next week, the theme will morph into "our own cozy nests," and we will undertake our own family hibernation - turning inwards as we prepare our home and hearts for the dark and dreary (but beautiful) days ahead. The weeks leading up to Christmas are well known for their "hustle and bustle," but in our family we try to keep a quieter and more peaceful Advent. Preparing for such a "hibernation" from the holiday "madness" takes a little forethought and some days, even fortitude!

Which brings us to this week, the last in November, which I feel is a kind of "break" between one holiday and the next. After a super busy November, I am currently catching my breath and preparing to take stock of what lies ahead. These are the days to create a plan that will allow us to feel cozy, comfortable, well prepared and ready to sink into the cold days ahead ...

When hibernating, I think it's as important to fill our emotional larders as well as the practical ones. The year's golden memories bring us such warmth and light no matter how dark the coming days may be. Such is the lesson in a lovely little picture book called, Three Pebbles and a Song. A mouse family bustles about gathering what they need for the winter - nourishment and nesting materials, for example - but little Moses brings something special to their family's hibernation. Memories and laughter are just as necessary for comfort and joy!

So in that spirit, what memories will you carry into the winter with you this year? How do you keep preserve those bright happy times for yourself and your family?

I'd love to hear about your Thanksgiving ...

What was your favorite part of the holiday this year?

What do you remember most fondly from your childhood holidays?

The best part of my own holiday was having so many dear ones here with us - many for the first time in years, and a few for the very first time! I also loved the feeling of having all four of my boys home together ... there's nothing like a "full nest" to ensure a mama bird's good night's sleep!

From my own childhood I would say I remember most fondly my grandparents' home - filled up with loved ones and such wonderful smells. I always loved watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade as well ... 

But one memory sticks out above all, when I was probably seven or eight years old ...

After dinner my dad and my uncle took a bunch of the kids on a walk, just a little ways down an old railroad bed. I am the older of two children in my immediate family (big sister to my little brother, Matt) so I was always thrilled when we were surrounded by cousins - some of them older than me! But what was particularly thrilling about this late afternoon "adventure" was when it started to SNOW. Just lightly, but still - it was like magic! (To this day, I always hope for a Thanksgiving snow!) We all headed back to the house which was all aglow and the desserts were set out and everything was just so wonderful and warm. The grownups might not have been too happy to see it, but we kids were CERTAIN the day's flurries meant we'd have a white Christmas for sure!

Fast forward 40 some-odd years and we had another lovely Thanksgiving Day, with many, many cousins catching up with each other. Here are a WHOLE bunch of photos from our day ...

As you can see it was a bright and sunny day ... but so very cold. The coldest Thanksgiving on record, I believe! (22° was the day's high.)

Another record of sorts - we were a party of 25! Hosting a dinner for that many people can be tricky - mostly because you need to find places for people to sit! Also, timing a large number of dishes to complete cooking at the same time ... well, that's another real challenge! I am grateful for my family, especially my dear mum, who help me pull it all together ...

And speaking of my dear mum - today is her 75th birthday! Here's a photo of the two of us from earlier this month ... 

As I said on IG this morning, this beautiful lady is my best friend, my guiding light and I am so blessed to say, my own dear mother. We have such fun together and I look forward to planning many more parties in our future!

So that's a look back at our Thanksgiving, but here are a few more photos from the past few weeks ... 

Tea with a warm slice of gingerbread, baked in celebration of the season's first snow!

Oh my goodness, and speaking of tea!! My top photo shows you how I'm taking my tea at this very moment ... it's English Teatime (black decaf), served in a big sturdy mug. I was tempted to drink full-test, because we had a bit of a rocky weekend - Little Bear has a rotten cold and has gotten very little sleep - but I kept it simple (and non-stimulating). As I type up this post, I'm sitting at my desk, the day is dark and wet, but my home office is bright and warm. Currently I'm gathering up all my holiday resources - books, magazines, cocoa, candles, planner - but we'll chat about all that next week!

And so, tea will be served here again on Monday, December 3rd, roundabouts 4 p.m. You are welcome to pop by - sip, read, comment if you wish, and/or send me your own pics for inclusion in my post! Just send me an email at drhanigan AT gmail DOT com.

Next week's theme is creating "Our Own Cozy Nests." We will also talk about managing our hopes for the holidays. ❤

Feel free to grab this button if you'd like to post about the Teas at your own site:

For now though, thanks so much for stopping by ... I will see you here again very soon!

Mitten Strings for God, Ch. 12: One-on-One Time

Hello my friends and Happy Sunday! Thank you for joining me as we continue to (slowly) work our way through the wonderful Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry by Katrina Kenison - my favorite parenting book of all time! Presently we are on chapter 12, the focus of which is providing our children with "one-on-one time." I am quite eager to hear your thoughts on this particular parenting concept - because maybe you, like me, struggle with this, just a bit?

So I have to admit, I was a little nervous approaching this topic. Well, perhaps "nervous" isn't quite the right word for it - more like, reluctant? Because this is one of those family values that I know in my heart is important, but is not currently a priority in our family. (Not that it shouldn't be a priority, it just isn't right now.) Spending alone time with each of our kids is one of those rather hopeful ideas that (unfortunately) often gets left off the to-do list ... along with "buy local," "exercise more," and "plan more date nights with Bill."

There are valid reasons why we can't seem to manage this kind of activity on any regular basis - we are busy, we are tired, we are stretched thin, our third son's special needs make it challenging to leave him home with others - but I know in my heart we could do this if we tried, and we should do this. Because time is a wonderful gift for a child, especially when we make it all about him. ❤

Now, don't get me wrong - we are with our kids a great deal (we do homeschool after all!), but we're hardly ever alone with any one of them, individually. At least not in the way described in this chapter, or the way I envision other, more active families do ... going on random outings and taking fun, spontaneous adventures.

So you can see why I wasn't all that eager to dig into this chapter since I knew it would pinch a little - highlighting, as it would, the kinds of meaningful things we're not doing for our children - and, honestly, who relishes the thought of adding another heap of parenting guilt to their plate?

And yet, I dug in anyway! And of course, I found the chapter ... wonderful. (As all the chapters are!) Because even when the truth is uncomfortable, it's good to just face it so we can start figuring things out ...

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I think it was easier to do "one-on-one time" when all my children were small, back when life seemed to move at a slower pace and we all followed the same schedule. Time is more structured these days, and we're all going in different directions, but that doesn't mean we can't work with what we've got, right?

This quote was an a-ha moment for me:

"Now, some years later, one-on-one time takes different forms." (p. 80)

I love to remember all the sweet things we did with our boys when they were little (though not necessarily one-on-one) but sometimes I think it's too easy to slip into nostalgia and dwell on the fact that those times are over. Aw, remember when we used to sit on that stone wall and just watch the ants? Well, these are new days, and things are different now, but why can't "new and different" make memories that are just as meaningful? We're the same family, and these are the same (albeit taller and busier) kids.

"Given our other obligations and the length of our to-do lists, it is all too easy to forget the good stuff - namely, how much we like our own kids as people." (p. 81)

Bottom line, spending time together one-on-one can be tremendously fun and rewarding. And it's important too, if we want to connect with our kids outside the role we play in our families - not just as "Mom and Son" (or Daughter, as the case may be), but as complex, creative and curious human beings. Sure, to my boys I am - and will always be - "Mom," first and foremost, but that doesn't mean that's all I am in my life.

"When we do recognize our children in this way we also invite them to see us more fully, not just as a parent but as another human being." (p. 82)

(Of course Little Bear just went through that phase when NOBODY was allowed to call me Dawn. I was Mama ... end of discussion.)

So as I read this chapter I tried to resist the urge to revisit all those old memories - lovely as they are - and instead thought, what about now? What's keeping us from doing this for our kids, and is it really all about time? Or is it perhaps a matter of perspective?

Because it may be cliché, but it's true - so much of parenting is just being here now. Not trying to be where we were three years ago, and not hyper-focusing on where we might be three years from now, but embracing the season we're living at this moment ...

So maybe instead of working against the grain and letting our limits define us, why not find what COULD work for our family? Maybe change our way of thinking a little and think outside the box?

And as I started to brainstorm, I realized - hey, maybe we're not doing as badly as I thought! We may not be getting out for cafe dates and museum excursions, but we are spending some one-on-one time when and where we can, in our own humble-bumble way ...

Here are a few examples ...

As I began this post yesterday, Bill and Little Bear were outside, just the two of them, "cleaning out the hen pen." (Don't laugh! I'm going somewhere with this.) Now, in truth, LB was driving his trucks through the mud outside the pen, while Daddy was doing the actual shoveling out of the you-know-what, but LB chatted away about this and that and was just generally as pleased as all get-out. He and Daddy were doing their work ...

... and there's nothing LB loves better than working with Dad!

So I started thinking back on a few other "one-on-one" times this week ...

I folded laundry while Earlybird tidied his bedroom across the hall and we brainstormed our Easter Dinner menu. (His idea, not mine, honest! The boy loves his holidays.) And when it's just the two of us up very early in the morning - while Bill's getting ready for work, and the rest of the boys are still asleep - we often end up watching the sunrise together. It's a very special thing, really - and it makes me so happy that EB loves things like sunrises and full moons and the smell of the air when the seasons are changing ...

(This is us visiting EB's neurologist at Boston Children's Hospital one day. Bill was with us too, but it was special for EB to have Mom and Dad all to himself. And any drive into the big city is "an adventure" according to my kids - especially if we pick up take-out on the ride home!)

Last week I picked up Crackerjack from a class, and I had my van all to myself - and on that 20 minute ride home we talked about something that was bothering him. CJ's a great one for "car talks" ... and I was so glad we found a quiet moment to have that discussion.

(CJ and I attending Mass alone together, one wintry morning.)

One day last week, Bookworm joined me in the family room where I was having my late afternoon tea and, while Little Bear played with Legos on the floor, we talked about recipes he'd found that he wanted to try. He's developed a real passion for cooking over the past couple of years, and we talk about recipes all the time!

(Moving him into his college apartment, junior year. Not a one-on-one moment, but the only recent pic of the two of us together I could find!)

Now, spending time alone with Little Bear is very easy to do - because he's my baby and he's with his Mama 24-7! But it's good to remember to slow down and share a little joy - by singing together, playing together, building Legos, reading together (natch), or best of all, spending time in nature ...

(This is a very old photo - he's about 16 months old here, and we were waiting for his brother to come out of class. A perfect opportunity to "connect!")

Now, not one of these moments described above were very flashy or outrageously fun, but in each there was a true sense of "togetherness" just the same.

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Moving on, I think just making the space in our calendar would be a good first step towards more conscious connecting - and so this is what a I did:

I simply took out my calendar for next week and penciled in the boys' initials!

(I actually used pen - but it's erasable!) 

I just tried to see where it would be easy enough to spend a little alone time with each of my boys, and here's what I came up with:

R (Earlybird) - Drive over to drop CJ at class, and on the ride back, we can listen to his audiobook or maybe chat about whatever topic he's keen on at the moment. Stop in to mail something at the post office, another favorite activity of his.

O (Little Bear) - Bring him to the library while EB is working with his therapist. Just a quick trip to pick out some fun books to read together this week. So often we pull up to the library and one of the older boys runs in to drop a return or pick up a hold, and then we're on our way again - always on a tight schedule it seems.

L & J (Bookworm and Crackerjack) - Two birds, one stone! We'll leave the "youngers" with Dad, and swing over to the B&N cafe for a cuppa and maybe a new book splurge. (Driving practice there and back! I may make them listen to Mom's disco Pandora station!)

Another thing I'm going to do as I go forward is to not get hung up on ONE on ONE. Sometimes I'll just have to combine two kids at a time - this is just the way it has to be sometimes, especially in families with multiple kids. Sure they have to share me, but they don't usually mind that when we're doing something fun, like here in this memory from years ago ...

(A ferry ride across Boston Harbor to meet Daddy for lunch! Goodness, just look at those babies!)

And not to turn my back on the advice I gave myself earlier in this post - to avoid mourning days gone by - but I do feel badly sometimes that I'm not as free as I was then to do these kinds of things with my younger two boys. No, it's a different kind of fun we're going for these days ...

(And some days that's just making ourselves laugh silly over selfies!)

Because the thing is, due to EB's special needs and numerous therapy appointments, we usually have to stick close to home. But in this season, right now, that's where we're at. We're embracing slower days and simpler pastimes, like making crafts and baking goodies - as well as taking nature walks through the yard, feeding the birds or even just getting the mail! (It's a long driveway and there's lots to look at on the way!)

So yeah - mother guilt is always there for the taking, but I'm going to do my best to give it a pass and look for what works and make the best of things as they are. After all, isn't that a lesson I want my boys to take into their adulthood?

Don't let your limits define you!

Now, this post is getting very long, but I'd like to mention one more quote because it makes such a wonderful point: 

 "Mothers can get so caught up in the caretaking that we may overlook each child's need to be seen as an individual, with unique tastes and temperment and gifts." (p. 81)

I fully admit I can be guilty of this. Caring for my family is my full time job - and I'm devoted to it - but we all know there's more to "taking care" than just providing three squares and clean laundry. But the days are often filled with so many tasks and to-dos, it can be hard to make time for less immediate, physical needs. And sure, some kids just naturally (and necessarily) demand more of their parents than others - but I know each of my boys need me (and not just my housekeeping skills), in their own way. 

"Yet when we do that bit of extra juggling required to make a special, separate place for each child, the rewards are well worth the effort."

And what a sweet reward it is to connect with, and truly enjoy, our children. Practically speaking, it's such a smart investment of time that pays handsomely not just in the here and now, but in the future as well. Emotionally speaking, it's a gift - to them and me, both. This kind of time spent is never a waste, and I find when I do have a personal moment with one of my sons we both come away feeling deeply content. I can see it in their behavior and I feel it in my heart. If ever there was something essential to plan, this is it ...

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Well my friends, I'm going to let you go now, before I make a very long post even longer, but I thank you for reading and would love to hear from you too if you have time. All are welcome to join in on these MSfG conversations ... by leaving a comment here, or linking me up to something posted somewhere else, or sending me a blurb or a photo by email ...

---> drhanigan AT gmail DOT com

We have many more Mitten Strings chapters to cover (18 in fact!) and at the rate we're going it will take us many months to finish! But of course finishing isn't the point ... savoring is! Although I'm sure you're all thinking: Why can't she just finish this post, lol?! 

So! Leave a note if you can, but as always, I wish you well and hope that we'll connect here agin another time. For now, please take care of yourselves and your loved ones ...

I will see you here again very soon!

p.s. If you're wondering what on earth that top photo has to do with this post - ha ha! -well, it is a picture of my tea spot as I started this post. I guess I forgot all about it! I'll have to do another post just about tea, another time. :)

The Cookbooks in my Cabinet! ❤

Hello, my friends ... and Happy Tuesday! I posted this picture last night on Instagram ...

My Little Bear helping his Daddy with the asparagus for supper. :)

There's nothing LB likes better than helping us around the house - especially when he gets to "cut" fruits and vegetables (using a butter spreader and working with small soft bits). I just had to snap this picture because it was such a simple, sweet, everyday moment ...

Anyhoo! Over on IG, Cindy asked if I could share the titles of my cookbooks seen in the cabinets in the above photo, and I'm very happy to do just that! For the record these are not ALL of my cookbooks, but the ones I like to keep handy. Also, I've had most of these books for years ... I actually haven't purchased a cookbook in a long time, instead turning to Pinterest and food magazines more often nowadays. Especially my treasured Everyday Food collection which is stored just to the left of those cookbooks (current season's issues only.) I also check with the library if I see or hear about a new and interesting title I want to check out! But all that said, I absolutely LOVE cookbooks and can read them just for reading's sake! (If I ever had time to read anymore, lol!)

(Also for the record, as I've mentioned in previous posts - and over there on my sidebar - I am part of the Amazon Affiliates Program which means if you click through one of my links and end up making a puchase, I get a small commission. So thanks in advance if you do use my links for your shopping!)

Now, without further ado ... here's a list of those books and a few of my thoughts on each one!

FIRST CABINET:

• The Tasha Tudor Cookbook by Tasha Tudor (*Every page is absolutely lovely. I've made several of her recipes and they've all made me happy.)
• Frozen Assets: Cook for a Day, Eat for a Month by Deborah Taylor-Hough (* Her mix-and-match quick bread recipe is a LONGTIME favorite here!)
• The Four Season Farm Gardener's Cookbook by Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman (*True story - I met this couple way back in my days of food writing and they were the nicest folks! His talk on organic farming and seasonal eating was phenomenal.)
• English Tea & Cakes by Celia Brooks (*A tidy and charming book about England, tea and cakes - what more could one possibly want?)
• The King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook by Brinna B. Sands (*This is the source of my favorite fruit crisp and Boston brown bread recipes!)
• The Silver Palate Cookbook by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso (*One of the first "real" cookbooks I ever owned! I actually met the authors at a food event in Boston many years ago. What fun that was!) 
• The New Basics Cookbook by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso (*The Beef Bourguinon recipe is absolutely amazing - we cooked it for friends one New Year's Day in Vermont. Actually - Bill and his friend Charlie (my dear friend's husband) did the cooking!)
• The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso (*Perhaps my favorite cookbook of all, a graduation gift from my high school best friend who knew how much I loved seasonal cooking!)
• Fix It and Forget It Cookbook by Phyllis Good (*I especially love the Hearty Beef Stew recipe in this one - the cloves add such a nice flavor!)
• How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking by Nigella Lawson (*Honest to Pete, I've never made any of the recipes in this one but it's an absolutely gorgeous book to look through!)
• The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond (*I love Ree Drummond, 'nuff said.)
• The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier by Ree Drummond (*This was the one I got when I was really hoping for her holiday book ... but shhhh don't tell anyone that. Seriously though, this one is terrific.)
• The Foster's Market Cookbook by Sara Foster (*I remember Sara Foster was a friend of Martha Stewart's and a guest on her tv show. It's a great book - lots of homey, farm-y food.)
• Barefoot Contessa Parties by Ina Garten (*I've made a lot of BC recipes through the years and they are always - to quote the Contessa herself - "FABULOUS!" True story - I met her once at a book signing in Boston and she let me give her a letter I had written her about my then 5 yo Earlybird, who was pretty much in love with her. She is as beautiful and kindhearted as she appears on TV!)
• Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten
• Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten
• Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten

NEXT CABINET:

• Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten (*I clearly have a thing for Ina Garten! All her books are awesome ... they make me wish I had more time to try new recipes!)
• The Forest Feast for Kids by Erin Gleeson (*I also have The Forest Feast Cookbook, but it's on loan to my mum! Such a pretty cookbook with some very interesting - and inspiring! - vegetarian recipes.)
• La Tartine Gourmande: Recipes for an Inspired Life by Beatrice Peltre (*I'm a little embarrassed by how many times I have to say - "gorgeous book but I've not tried any of it" - but alas, that's how my cookbook appetite goes! Too many cookbooks, not enough time! No, scratch that - never too many cookbooks! This one is truly lovely though ... and one of these days!)
• Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families and Friends by Pippa Middleton (*Ahem. I have not made any of her recipes but I adore this book, especially for the crafts and games to go along with each seasonally themed feast! Plus ... it's British.)
• Jamie Oliver's Great Britain by Jamie Oliver (*Two things I love - all things British and Jamie Oliver, my favorite chef!)
• Jamie at  Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life by Jamie Oliver (*Another one of those cookbooks I read just for the sheer delight of words, pictures and ideas ... his show, "Jamie at Home" (much of which was filmed in his own garden) remains my FAVORITE cooking show of. all. time.)
• Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook by Martha Stewart (*Oddly enough, as much as I love Martha, I don't have many of her cookbooks - but this one is a longtime fave.)
• Williams-Sonoma Family Meals: Creating Traditions in the Kitchen by Maria Helms Sinskey (*Funny story - I bought this huge, gorgeous and somewhat costly cookbook at the Williams Sonoma store shortly after I found out I was expecting Little Bear. I was so excited to be cooking with a little one again - and for a larger family! It was very easy to convince myself I needed this on my shelf.)
• The Wholefood Harvest Cookbook by Rachel Hunt (*In the early 90s I worked at a small Boston-area newspaper, doing food writing (amongst other editorial assistant type of things) and I stumbled across this amazing book at the New England Mobile Book Fair, which was, and still is, a wonderful independent bookstore. It's actually a British book - which makes it all the better to my mind, we've covered this - and is divided by months of the year. Full of lovely, cozy illustrations and lots of seasonal vegetarian dishes!)
• Autumn from the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch (*One of those books I'll read through every year to get excited about autumn!)
• Summer from the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch (*sigh ... I'm missing summer now! This book evokes the sheer loveliness of summer in New England ... I re-read it every year, and the recipes are so inspiring!)
• Christmas from the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch (*Christmas in New England + simple, yummy recipes + beautiful illustrations = LOVE.)
• Heart of the Home: Notes from a Vineyard Kitchen by Susan Branch (*Ms. Branch's first ever cookbook - so pretty.)
• Vineyard Seasons: More from the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch (*Another first cookbook for me - I received this as a Christmas gift from my folks in 1990.)
• Marmalade: Sweet and Savory Spreads for a Sophisticated Taste by Elizabeth Fields (*Because one of these winters I WILL make marmalade!)
• The Northern Exposure Cookbook: A Community Cookbook from the Heart of the Alaskan Riviera by Ellis Weiner (*Northern Exposure is my favorite television show of all time. Yes, I love it even more than Downton, and that's saying something! I've never made any of the recipes in this - and by now you're not surprised - but it's a very fun, quirky this book.)
• Quick & Easy Dump Cakes by Cathy Mitchell (*Have you ever made a dump cake? So easy and fun! This book was a gift from my folks.)

 

Well, my friends ... I hope you enjoyed this peek into my cookbook cabinet! I had fun reminiscing as I linked up these old favorites! And as I get ready to write out my October menu calendar, I'm feeling inspired to dive back in and take a look around ... :)

What are your favorite cookbooks? Do we have any in common? When did you start collecting cookbooks? Drop me a note if you have a minute ... clearly I love to talk cookbooks!

Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday, everyone ... see you here again very soon!

#52 Weeks: My Pantry & Bakeware ...

Hello, my friends and Happy Tuesday! I hope your week is off to a great start! I have just finished up week three of the 52 Week Organized Home Challenge and I'm here to report in! (Please see my previous progress reports here and here.)

Above you see my kitchen pantry and if I may say so, I just adore my pantry. It's located in the kitchen proper, on the wall across from the kitchen "nook" and just before the passageway into the family room. When we were first shown this house (almost four years ago now) there were several things that really stood out to me as a prospective buyer (already half in love with the house from the first foot out of the car!) and one of them was this pantry. It was built by a local craftsman and apparently several homes in our town have the same feature. Short of a separate room with a utility sink and work table - and maybe rafters for drying herbs - I thought this was pretty perfect as pantries go! Certainly a "luxury" we had never enjoyed before in our previous homes. Food storage was always tricky especially as our family grew and I yearned to cook more at home.

Now, I grew up with a back hall pantry (the stairwell down to the back door) and my grandparents had a wonderful pantry in their basement (also in a back stairwell). My grandparents went through the Great Depression and lived by the old adage "use it up, wear it out, make do or do without" ... AND, always be prepared. I remember having such a feeling of comfort and security just knowing those shelves existed. Grama would often send me down to fetch a can of this or that ... but sometimes I looked it over all on my own ... just because. Full of jars and bottles and cans of all kinds, I found them fascinating and maybe even a little mysterious. :) Both my mother and grandmother were fabulous home cooks (my mum still is!) who loved caring for their families and so by extension, their pantries provided more than just physical nourishment. Nowadays of course we can just run to the grocery store and get what we need - almost at any time of day - but still, my Yankee roots urge me to secure for the future, stock up on goods, fill the larder, and never take any of it for granted. How blessed we are to know we can feed those we love when they are hungry ...

Art by Tasha Tudor

Well, anyway ... back to the pantry in question! And if you can't tell, the photo at the top is the "before" shot. ;) I was told by a few folks that this looked pretty good as is (was), but honestly, things were really quite messy. There was so much out-of-date food (that moved with us from the old house!) and crumbs and stickiness of all kinds. And I really didn't have a good idea of just what all was in here. It's hard to "work" a pantry with which you're not completely familiar! And as I've mentioned before, one of my 2017 goals is to cook more at home - to make more of the food we eat rather than rely on packaged/prepared/processed kinds of foods. Better for us and our budget!

So the first thing I did was to empty the WHOLE thing out, shelf by shelf, and place things on the kitchen table.

(I mean, how many bags of flour does one family really need?)

See, here's an example of one of my problems. I don't cook with flour as often as I should (or would if I had my A-game going) so I had no idea how many bags of flour we actually had. I'd buy flour if I saw it on sale, or if I was at the store thinking how I'd like to make pizza dough from scratch, then I'd buy flour just in case I didn't have the right kind on hand at home. Several of these bags were past their expiration date and honestly, that is just shameful.

(I'm baring my soul here friends ... just in case you thought I was some kind of super-organized, homemaking maven! Lol.)

I also had SO many supplies for cupcake baking ...

But that makes sense because we do make cupcakes quite often (apparently not from scratch though) and sprinkles don't ever really go bad. (Do they?)

Ok, so once I had ALL the foodstuffs out (I worked cabinet by cabinet - my kitchen table's not that big) I stood on a chair and vacuumed and wiped all the shelves. (The boys were beside themselves ... Mama, come down from there! That's not safe! We'll tell Dad!) Next I combed through it all and got rid of expired items. (This was better done when my husband was at work ... he would have fainted to see me toss so much food!) Finally, I set things back in place, again going shelf by shelf - trying to come up with some efficient storage solutions as I went along.

And voila!

A trimmed down, clean and organized pantry. With plenty of room for adding more! Generally speaking, the left cabinet holds savory things, the middle cabinet is for baking, fruits and sweet mixes and the last cabinet is for health, pets, baby and breakfast items.

How about a tour? :)

Top shelf has beverages. We don't drink soda often, but keep it on hand for company and large-scale entertaining. The shelf just below that has snack-type foods - chips, taco shells, crackers and salad croutons.

Next shelf down is for rice and soups ...

There are two handy pull-out metal drawers for seasoning packets/sauce mixes, soup bouillon, and seafood cans/pouches.

Ok, on to the middle cabinet ...

Top shelf has flours, oats, cornmeal and pancake mix. (p.s. As I went along I worked on a pantry inventory - using handy printables from Taylor at Home Storage Solutions 101, noting any pre-made packaged foods I'd like to make from scratch - such as pancake mix.) The next shelf down has sugars (confectioner's sugar, brown sugar (hidden in an air-tight container just behind the Domino boxes), stevia, organic raw sugar and plain old granulated sugar. Also, a bin full of decorative sugars, colored sprinkles, icing gel, cupcake liners and toppers, etc.

Moving down ... we have the spice shelf! The rack on the far left has pull out shelves and the two bins hold spices for cooking (left) and baking (right). (Generally speaking of course. Just how it made sense in my own head.) Then there is a mortar-pestle for grinding whole spices, an air-tight jar with cinnamon sticks, a pretty crock of Herbs de Provence (a gift from a friend), and a few other assorted spices ... vanilla beans, dry mustard, Bell's seasoning, cream of tartar, chili powder and seasoned salt.

More pull-out drawers below  ... these hold gelatin, yeast, pudding mixes, and chocolate chips/baking chocolate of all kinds. Just below that are assorted baking ingredients: cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, coconut oil, corn syrup, molasses, honey, shortening, and cocoa.

(Notice I'm spending more time on these shelves ... I'm much more a baker than a cook. Flour issues notwithstanding.)

Ok, next we have flavorings and seasonings ... salt, No-Salt (for my dad), assorted seasoning rubs and blends, cinnamon sugar and vanilla sugar (in the latched jar), packets of raw sugar, vanilla and assorted flavorings (peppermint, almond, lemon, orange, hazelnut, etc.), a large bag of mulling spices, a small bag of dried flower petals, cloth spice bags, and rosewater and orange blossom water. And a pack of flavored Italian honey. This is a fun shelf - it might be my favorite! :) Madagascar vanilla is my favorite thing in my kitchen. Well, after coffee ... and maybe tea.  

Ok, on to the next shelf! Here we have dried fruits (dates, raisins, cherries and cranberries), a good ol' jar of Marshmallow Fluff (a New England staple), a jar of mincemeat (which actually contains no meat whatsoever) and many, many cans of squash and pumpkin. (One can never have too many cans of pumpkin, imho.)

Allrighty, last cabinet!

At the very top is a cabinet with medicinal things, matches, bandaids, sunscreen and, oddly enough, bubble solution. Bubbles bring high emotions in this household, so it's best to keep them somewhere out of sight when not in use.

The next shelf down holds my "master stash" of tea and a basket of assorted cocoa packets ...

Then we have a shelf for larger containers of cocoa, marshmallows and leftover Halloween (and um, Thanksgiving and Christmas) candies. Nobody eats these really, but I can't bear to throw them out! (Actually, that's not entirely true - the Annie's Halloween bunny grahams are gone now.) And behind the tea tins on the left is a large container of protein powder we never remember to use. I love reusing those pretty Harney & Sons tea tins for storage!

And here we have the pets and baby shelf, holding a basket of canned food, pouches of treats (one for cats, one for hens), a tupperware container of homegrown catnip, Little Bear's toddler snacks and bottle liners. (He's actually off bottles now - he really held onto that bedtime bubba! - but we're saving those liners in case my sister-in-law - who is due soon with her first baby - might need them.)

Next shelf down holds cold cereal boxes - they don't fit standing up and we have yet to find another storage spot - and a bin of oatmeal packets, plus a jug of spring water.

And then we have ... hey, wait a minute!

Oh, do cats love it when you clean. :) But this is actually an empty shelf! (Which is fine ... sometimes, especially when Bookworm is home, we have lots of cold cereal boxes on hand.) And below that is a bottom shelf holding extra boxes of food wraps.

Ok, a couple more photos showing you how I tackled the "organize bakeware" mission ...

Same procedure as the pantry, more or less - took everything out of these cabinets and weeded through it all. What do we need up here in the kitchen? What can go down to storage in the basement? Then cleaned out the cabinets themselves and finally, placed all of my bakeware back inside.

Far left holds baking molds and and muffin pans, plus a large half-sheet cake pan. The middle cabinet holds bundt pans, springform pans, quiche/tart pans, and regular 9" round pans. Also, a couple of waffle makers. And the third cabinet holds a bin of random baking supplies - cookie cutters, candy molds and popsicle molds - as well as our Griddler and deep fryer.

You can probably see that these under-counter cabinets have a neat feature - a surprise cabinet on the backside of the jetty! (Do you see Little Bear's tiny face peeking in through the light in the back? :)

In this cabinet, which opens on the kitchen nook side, we store our crockpots, pressure cooker, juicer and salad spinner just behind.

(The crockpot on the let was missing its inner pot - it was in the dishwasher!)

So that was last week's challenge in a nutshell. Pretty big nut there, Dawn - I bet you're thinking! Well, you know how I can talk. But thanks so much for sharing in my pantry joy - I hope you enjoyed hearing about the process! This week we're assigned missions that target the refrigerator and freezer and as you can see below ...

I'm getting a lot of help from my little guy! :)

Well my friends, thanks again for stopping by and I'd love to hear about your pantry if you have the time to leave a comment. Or pantry memories? I'm very fond of those. :) I'll be back next weekend (or so) with another progress report ...

As I've said before, I am really enjoying this challenge! It feels so good to devote my time and attention on my home and really get things back in order. This is my workspace after all! I'm here all day (for the most part) really using these spaces with my family and it's my hope to become even more comfortable in the kitchen, cooking more often and with more purpose than I usually do. I think a tidy pantry is a good step in that direction, as will be a clean fridge and freezer!

So see you next time ... I hope to be back again this week, perhaps with a "home office" kind of post, but we shall see what the week brings!

Take care of yourselves and your loved ones, my friends ... see you here again very soon!

Gratitude & Remembrance (November Crafts)

Hello and Happy Thursday, my friends! I hope your November is off to a great start!

I posted the above picture on Facebook and Instagram, because I find it so inspiring when craft supplies are organized for a particular season or month. I don't always have them so well-ordered but I do like to keep items stored in seasonal groupings when possible. This is my "stash" for November and I thought I'd share what we got up to these past couple of days ... :)

November is the month for remembering our blessings and expressing our thanks, and like many families we enjoy keeping a "gratitude project" of some sort in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. There are all kinds of variations on this annual activity, but I kept things super-simple this year ...

A grapevine heart ($8 at Michaels Arts & Crafts), hung up with some twine, and autumn leaves cut from colorful cardstock ...

I hung the wreath on our kitchen/dining room door and each day we'll write down our blessings and add a leaf (or leaves) to the wreath. We're only two leaves in now, but I added extras as seen above to show you the overall affect. I think our "Thankful Heart" is rather pretty!

I placed the extra paper leaves in a small box along with a pen and left it on our kitchen table. Hopefully this will remind us to record our blessings around the supper table each night.

And yesterday (Nov. 2nd) was the feast of All Souls (also known as the Day of the Dead). One of these years we will make the traditional sugar skulls symbolic of this Mexican feast day, but this was not that year. Instead, I used some cupcake liners decorated with colorful skulls (found at Target) ...

... and made up some "harvest" muffins with that applesauce I told you about in my Halloween post, as well as some mashed squash ...

... and four beautiful eggs laid by my chickens!

I try to keep muffins low in sugar but for today's feast I added some simple icing and a pretty chrysanthemum from the garden:

(Marigolds are actually the traditional Day of the Dead flowers, but my little calendula plant - aka pot marigold - stopped blooming some time ago. I will try to keep next year's plant alive in a sunny window just for this feast day!)

But the muffins were quite a hit with the boys who enjoyed theirs with apple cider, while I had mine with a hot cup of orange spiced tea. All the flavors and smells seemed so autumnal and it was a gorgeous morning, too - so warm and breezy. I had my kitchen window open as I worked and just savored such a blessed day. And baking those muffins really made me think of my grandmother, who was well known for her delicious pink applesauce. In particular, as I milled the apples, my mind was on Gram ... I was using kitchen tools that once belonged to her!

All I could think was Grama, I hope you can see me and how much you have inspired me. I hope you know just how much I admired you and how your love and vision lives on in my heart and my home even now. Goodness I miss her ...

Anyhoo ... here's another Day of the Dead decoration, a little planter my brother gave me last month:

So fun! I keep it on my kitchen windowsill. That's an aloe plant growing there ... hopefully I'll keep it alive!

Now, in Catholic tradition, November is dedicated to praying for the Holy Souls. So on the first of this month I set up a small remembrance altar so that we may honor our loved ones who have passed away. I've done this in a windowsill in recent years but this year I decided to devote our living room mantle to the project.

I started with some particle board letters ...

I bought these at Michaels for $1.49 each and painted them in a soft bronze shade. While they dried (where Little Bear couldn't reach) I got to work on the rest of the altar items - photos, candles and flowers. I have several vases in my collection but I wanted something small, so I made up some simple vases from things I had on hand ...

These are glass votive candleholders (about $1 at craft stores), along with a bit of sheer ribbon, some rustic twine and small beige doilies.

I wrapped the green ribbon around each glass twice (securing the ends with a hot glue gun), then wrapped and tied the twine around the middle. The doilies are just lightly glued to the bottom of the glass. (And as you can see I had my usual assistant close at paw hand ... keeping his eye on that twine, sneaky thing that it is ... with all that twisting and twirling.)

Then added more of those orange mums ...

These fit in nicely with the other remembrance items, but I think they would also be lovely on a Thanksgiving table. Or possibly even a Christmas gift - a paperwhite bulb stuck in some pebbles? I don't know if the glass would be too small, but I think it would be very pretty.

For this annual project I have some small photos of our late loved ones which I display in tiny metal holders (prayer card holders actually - purchased a long time ago at a local Catholic gift shop). But I found I was one short, so I made up a makeshift photo stand with a small binder clip!

And lastly the candles, which we light as we pray for our dear ones ...

I have plenty of real candles on hand - some of them blessed at church on Candlemas - but because I have curious cats and young kids about, I decided to stick with battery-lit tea lights this year. 

I really love how the altar came out. I laid down a wide "ribbon" of burlap before setting it up and hung a garland of autumn leaves just under the mantle edge. I placed our Halloween roses on either end along with some white miniature pumpkins and our beeswax candlesticks ... plus a few Thanksgiving decorations. :)

I am always fond of projects that involve candlelight, but especially so at this time of year. The days are short and dark and we can all use a little brightening as winter nears. As the year ends we watch nature dwindle and fade - reminding us that our own lives will end just as surely someday. But in the midst of that sadness comes human love and our memories and God's love and our prayers ...

I found this quote the other day and felt so moved by it:

"How can the dead be truly dead when they still live in the souls of those who are left behind?"

(From The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, a book I never read but I sure love that sentiment.)

Traditional prayers are deeply meaningful, of course - but I like to think our every loving thought and memory is a prayer in its own right. Feeling my Grama as I cooked those Macintosh apples and lifted my face to that warm window breeze - is something that is not only good for her soul, but mine. I pray for my loved ones all the time, but I hope I do them as great an honor by living my life by their example, with their unconditional love in my heart. 💛

 ***

Now, it was supposed to be Mexican for supper last night, but I didn't have all the appropriate ingredients on hand ... so American Chop Suey it was ... and with garlic bread, no less! Tonight is a catch-up night with assorted leftovers and grilled cheese sandwiches. Maybe some soup, too ... it's quite rainy and dark out there! Leaves are blowing about and the hens have tucked themselves away for the night. But our lights are lit and our den is warm, so it's all good here ... 

November really is a lovely month. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by my friends ... see you here again very soon!

Happy 5th Birthday, Archie & Ollie!

Hello my friends, and Happy Monday! This is my favorite picture of our cats - they were so little then!

It's hard to believe our kitties are five years old ... boy, has time flown! I hear it is also "National Pet Day" so this is a great time to talk about pets ...

Do you have any? Are you a cat or dog person? What kinds of pets did you have growing up?

I like to say I grew up with dogs, never realizing I was actually a cat person! But the truth is, I love all animals. I really do. When I was very young, like four or five maybe, we had a large tankful of fish and then I got a pretty green and yellow budgee at Grant's Department Store ("Gypsy" I named her). And as a pre-teen I had a couple of hamsters, "Cuddles" and "Pumpkin" ... fluffy little things who each lived a scant year or more.

But when I was seven my folks took my brother and I into Boston one Sunday afternoon, to a breeder of Cairn Terriers, and that was where we got our first dog, "Duncan" - or, Sir Duncan of Cork, as was his official name. ;) He was a sweet little dog, if a bit of a curmudgeon at times ... and boy, did he think he was about 20 sizes bigger than he actually was! My mother had grown up with Cairn Terriers (Penny and Pat were still alive when I was a baby) so it was kind of a nice family tradition. Several years later, when I was in 7th grade, we adopted another dog from a local rescue shelter. This was Natasha (or Tasha as we called her) and she was a small/medium-size, black-and-white terrier mix of some sort - a mutt, or so we thought. Years later we found out she was actually a Portuguese Water Dog! (Though perhaps not purebred.) What was funny was Tasha LOVED water. We would visit my aunt and uncle's Maine camp in the summer and Tasha would run into the water, leap onto the dock to shake and then jump right back into the lake. She was a dear little dog, a real "nana," always taking care of us. :)

Duncan passed away when I was in college and then Tasha several years later when Bookworm was a baby. Aside from a stray pit bull ("Annie") we took care of for a short time, they were the only dogs I ever owned, and I remember them both so fondly. 

So cats didn't come into the picture until 1990! My folks found a newborn kitten left behind by a stray mother cat and decided to keep him. He was named "Timothy" and was a gorgeous cream-colored cat with taupe and brown markings and pretty blue eyes. Timmy definitely had a little Siamese in him! And he was very much my dad's cat. This happened while I was away at school and it all seemed a bit surreal to me! We were a dog-and-cat family now? Wow! A year or so later, my folks were throwing a graduation party for my brother and me (he from high school, me from college) when we came to discover the aforementioned stray mother cat had delivered yet another litter of kittens - this time, beneath our family room addition!

Fast forward a bit - we kept all the kittens and the mother cat because, A. it was hard to find them good homes and B. we kinda fell in love with them. And because Mama Kitty did NOT get along with Timmy (and vice versa), when Bill and I married, we took the small feline family with us to our tiny 1-bedroom house in the woods. I jokingly called them my "dowry!" 

Early readers of my blog (going 10 years back) might remember our original cats - Mama, Midget, Smokey, Penny and Patty - because I blogged about them a lot. They were mostly black and white, though Penny was calico. They all lived good long lives and were wonderful pets. I enjoyed them so much and at some point though the years I came to realize, I was in fact, a cat person! When our last cat, Smokey, passed away at 20 years old in 2011, we thought we might take a little break from pet ownership ... but that idea didn't last long!

In August of 2011, we found ourselves ready - eager! - to adopt new cats, and this time I wanted orange cats or "marmalades" as they are sometimes called. Mostly because they would look quite different from our original cats. Well, after a brief search - keeping track of available rescue kittens online, orange cats are fairly rare - we found two gorgeous marmalades at a nearby feline rescue organization. They were four months old and had been part of a litter of nine abandoned kittens found in an alley. One visit was all it took - Archibald (nee "Jerry") and Oliver (nee "Josh") were absolutely endearing. Archie was all over us, a real little fireball ... whereas Ollie was quieter, laying happily in our arms. They've stayed pretty true to their original impressions these five years later!

Oliver (in the foreground) is still our "gentle giant" ... he's a marshmallow, just so sweet and quiet. A bit shy, he tends to stick to out-of-the-way corners during the day, but you can always find him somewhere near Crackerjack. He is very much CJ's cat. :) Archie, on the other hand, is what we call our "alpha" ... he definitely thinks he is in charge around here! And he is very much "Mama's cat." He can be found wherever I am through the day - right in the mix of things - and he sleeps at my feet every night.

They are such good cats - absolute loves - and we are looking forward to many more happy years with these fellas. So on this special day, I'd like to say:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARCHIE & OLLIE!

Treats twice today and lots of belly rubs ear scratches!

❤

Thanks so much for joining me today, friends and indulging me in this little bit of pet nostalgia! I know I've been very slow at blogging lately, but that's just how I need to roll at the moment. (Could I beg a few prayers if you have a moment? I'd appreciate it so much and please know I think of you all and pray for you, too!)

I am defintely not giving up on my space here - though I am fairly active over on Facebook and now Instagram, too. I do have lots of post ideas and drafts in queue and when I have time I will be sharing my thoughts and discoveries and queries with you all here. But for now, I will wish you all a lovely evening and hope to see you here again sometime soon!

More Q & A: journal = scrapbook?

Good morning, my friends! And Happy Monday!

I am checking in quickly this morning - it was a busy weekend and a very late night last night as we cheered on our beloved Patriots ... but I'm quite happy to say this morning that we are going to The Superbowl!! Well, not us personally of course - but our team will be there! And we'll be there too, if only in spirit, watching at home in New England.

:)

Anyhoo, suffice it to say I was not able to watch Downton Abby last night (or TGBBC either). I hope to catch them one night this week and when I do I will get a "Masterpiece Monday" post up so we can chat - only it will probably be more like "Masterpiece Wednesday or Thursday."

So today, I'm a bit sleepy-eyed and slow-moving (much like my Oliver up top), but I'm going to do some catch-up here as I find time. So many of you have left wonderful comments and I can't wait to read and digest and respond. I will also continue working on several upcoming journal/planner drafts, and while I don't have any of them quite ready to post yet, I will answer this quick question from Kelly, because I think I have a pretty brief answer.  

I thought of one additional question, Dawn - could your journal be described as a scrapbook? I love the idea of it but as I mentioned, I tend to keep parts of my life organized differently so I'm having a hard time seeing how this fits in. Understanding it as a scrapbook helps me to understand this better.

Kelly, my journal is a collage of memories and observations, mostly about family, current events and the turn of the seasons. I don't, however, include photographs or stickers ... and it's not all that planned ahead or thought out. And I don't really show other people (though I certainly could and hope I might someday).

So I consider my journal habit to be a form of scrapbooking, just maybe not as formal or clever. I dabbled in Scrapbooking, as a hobby, many years ago when Bookworm was little. I attended "Creative Memories" parties and subscribed to Creating Keepsakes ... and collected TONS of scrapbooking supplies. I remember when I started blogging I called it a kind of "online scrapbooking" ... and that's when my love of photography and capturing memories really kicked in. I couldn't seem to sit down and create pages, but I could upload photos to my computer and write (rather lengthy) texts to go along with them.

Our photos now are stored here at my blog and on my (personal) Facebook page as well as on our home computer. Oh, and my phone. Bill just offloaded about 1100 pictures because I'd used up my storage space - in about a month, lol!

(All that said, I think digital photography has made true, in-your-hands photo albums, a rarity these days. And that's a shame, because those types of memory books are wonderful to display and share with friends and family. That might be a great topic for a post - storing and sharing family photos - though, come to think of it, we might have done that already, lol ... )

Well, this wasn't as brief as I thought it would be, but I hope I've answered your question, Kelly. Please let me know if that cleared things up for you, and if it didn't, feel free to ask for more clarification. Thanks so much for reading and caring and sharing!

One more shot of Oliver because ... well, just because:

:)

My friends, I hope you will excuse a bit of a pause as I get my gears going this week - we're heading back to formal lessons and everything else that comes with it! (I've made note of several homeschool-planning questions and have a draft started!) And I think I might have found a solution for my weekly planning sheet/clipboard conundrum. Photos to come! 

Enjoy your Monday, everyone ... see you here again very soon!

To my mother, on her birthday ... ❤

Today is my dear mother's birthday, and as many of you know, I am very close with my mum and so grateful for all she has brought to my life ... beginning with my own life, of course! There's that to begin with, of course!

My mother, Maureen, has always been my best friend, and I talk with her every day about ... well, pretty much everything! Bill and I are grateful for how involved she and my dad are in our family's life but, truly, it has always been that way ...

My friends, may I reminisce a bit while I have a moment?

My brother Matt and I were so blessed to have Mum at home with us and I can honestly say my childhood was pretty much idyllic. My parents have a wonderful marriage and my mother was truly happy raising her children and taking care of her home and family. I could not have asked for a better role model and I knew from a very early age that what I wanted more than anything was to be a mother just like her. Because to my mind, and from what I saw and experienced, nothing could bring greater happiness.

I loved how she read all the time, and seemed to know so much about everything. I loved how she sang along in the car as we drove around, but especially when she sang folk songs with my dad and his guitar. I loved how she was always doing something creative - crafts of all kinds. I loved how she fed us and and to this day I wish I cooked as well as she does ...

I loved how my brother and I always felt involved and important to our parents. Our opinions counted and our feelings mattered. I especially loved how - even when we chose paths that were slightly off center, my parents supported us and encouraged us ...

I loved how my mum was always volunteering in the community and especially at my school - as leader of my girl scout troop, or a chaperone on field trips, or the mom in the front office making photocopies. I loved knowing she was close by and involved in my life. It's no wonder my house was the one all the kids wanted to be at! It was bright and happy and inviting and I was just so proud that she was my mum.

I loved how she had such a friendly and lovely way about her - whomever we met - whether it was familiar friends at a party or a perfect stranger in a checkout line, she was always gracious and kind. I hoped to emulate her as I became a woman myself.

As I got older and became a mom myself, I loved watching her become Nana. I love the special bond she has with my children and that she knows them so well (and they her). I love how I feel I can always ask for her help when I need it (though it's often offered before I even have to ask). I love learning from her and sharing our thoughts on everyday and worldly events. I loved watching her care for my grandparents as they aged and grew fragile ... I loved how she took on every responsibility without question and always with much love. Setting another example for me to remember and emulate as life moves forward ...

Most of all, I love how she loves us. I felt it then without thinking about it much - a child takes their parents' love for granted perhaps - but these days I find myself thinking about it all the time. I know how blessed I have been and continue to be every day I have my mum in my life.

Happy Birthday, Mum. I hope you don't mind that I just blathered on about you here, but I really felt it in my heart to share you with my readers today. I share a lot of myself here and who I am here is all because of who I have been my whole life: your daughter. ❤

With Much Love and a Grateful Heart

~ Dawn

 Blessings to all on this snowy Thanksgiving eve ... thank you so much for stopping by!

Monday's Musings

I shared this picture on Facebook recently so this will not be new for some of you - but the jars ("vintage" Ball) and the flowers (peonies from our yard) just make me so happy I had to share it again here. :)

Speaking of happy, I hope your Monday's been nice and your week's off to a good start. Did you all have a nice Father's Day? Ours was lovely ... weatherwise and otherwise!

In honor of this special day, here I am with my Dad and my brother, Matt.

I think I can speak for my brother when I say we had an absolutely wonderful childhood. Happy and safe, comfortable and secure, the kind of childhood one remembers fondly and hopes to bestow on their own children. And I know Bill feels the same way about his family ...

(Three generations in one frame: Grampa, Daddy and Little Bear.)

:)

"Anyone can be a father, but it takes a special man to be a Dad."

These words are very true and I am blessed to have a few special men in my life. So today I am wishing a - belated but sincere - Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!

May God Bless you with all you need as you care and provide for your families. Strength, wisdom, patience, faith, courage ... your hearts and arms open to the love all around you.

*❤*

Thanks so much for stopping by my friends ... see you here again very soon!

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

"A hundred hearts would be too few, to carry all my love for you."

~ Unknown

Good Friday Morning, my friends. I hope this note finds you well!

We'll spend our day shoveling out from yesterday's storm (and prepping for another on Saturday), but there will be time for celebrating, too. Today is a wonderful feast day! And I have a few things planned for my fellas ...

But first, I found this old picture the other day and thought I'd share it here ...

Me and My Valentine, 1989 - the first year we were "official."

Blessed we have been in our life together! 

Happy Hearts Day, everyone!

On Grandma's 100th Birthday ...

Do you ever wish there were visiting hours in heaven?

Longtime readers of my blog will know how very close I was to my maternal grandmother ... "Gram" or "Damee" (as my boys called her) would have been 100 years old today! She passed away several years ago, but I miss her so much, and especially so at this time of year, when we would share our "January birthdays" celebration.

My brother Matt and I with Gram - I think I was maybe 12 or 13?

If you'll indulge me, I'd like to share some of the things I remember best about my grandmother. She was a huge part of my life, every step of the way ... 

We read Anne of Green Gables together.

We shared a Victoria magazine subscription for years.

(How she would have loved Downton Abbey!)

 We enjoyed a beautiful dollhouse together for years - first mine and then later, hers.

In the summers she took us to Concord & Lexington where we immersed ourselves in the local history: the Orchard House and the Revolutionary War.

We'd visit family and friends up in Maine - often returning with delicious lobster (her lobster stew was THE best) ...

From the time I was a little girl, she'd take me with her to her weekly "hairdresser appointment" and what fun I'd have there ...

Grama and Grampa traveled a lot and on every return trip they had a doll for me, one that reflected the country's culture ... 

She grew up one of the older children in a large Irish Catholic family ... and she loved to share stories. I loved to hear her talk about her family members, their home, and her life stories ... long afternoons sitting in her den, sharing tea and conversation.

When we'd go out to dinner she always let me have the cherry from her "amaretto sour." ;)

It was Grandma who took me out for my driving lessons ...

She taught me about making lists (she was the most organized person I've ever known) and about staying on top of household chores ...

She was the BEST homekeeper you can imagine ... her home was neat and clean but always so welcoming.

She was always on top of the current news and very politically minded (and opinionated!). She read a couple of newspapers every day - checking off articles to return to ...

Her pantry at the foot of the stairs was filled with everything you could imagine, all organized and well maintained.

She was thrifty (living through the Depression taught her that) but knew the value of quality ... no "mongrel" brands for her family! She and my grandpa were also the most generous people you'd ever know ...

She was the one who broke the truth to me about Santa ... she was that kind of confidante, a dear friend as well as a grandmother ...

 *❤*

 All of these things make up my memories of my grandmother, and it's fun to reflect ... but sometimes I get sad too, because I wish I could go back and just have a little more time with her ... how I'd love for her to know Little Bear.

But when I look in the eyes of my children, and as I look around my home, at how I live my life now ... I know her love lives on in me. As I carry on being the best mother and wife I can be, giving all I can for my family - in this way I keep her alive in my heart.

Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday, my friends ... I'll see you here again very soon!

Happiness is ...

... being married to your best friend. :)

Today Bill and I celebrate 20 years of marriage! I can hardly believe it, how time has flown. I have such wonderful memories from that day ... we were surrounded by so many people we loved! I've been uploading photos scanned in by my dad, and thought I'd share some of them here with you all.

(Side note - how different photo-taking and saving is nowadays! How much easier to store and share photos with computers and digital photography.)

First, a shot from inside the church as Bill and I made our way up the aisle as husband and wife.

This is the gazebo in my mum and dad's backyard, all decked out for the autumn-themed wedding.

Waiting outside the church with my dad. His friend Skip was our chauffeur for the day - driving us to the church (and Bill and I to the reception) in his gorgeous antique car.

Bill's mom made these adorable "bride and groom" scarecrows. They were stationed outside the reception hall and "greeted" guests as they arrived.

With our beloved grandparents ... how we miss them.

Me and my girls ...

Bill and his guys ...

I love this picture - it was taken while two dear friends helped me with my bustle, "hidden" behind the bushes. We were laughing ourselves silly trying to wrangle that bustle!

We did finally get the bustle done up as you can see in the photo below. Bill and I sharing a kiss during our first dance (to "At Last" by Etta James).

A toast with the bridal party ... our tables were done up with pumpkins, candles, flowers and bittersweet vines.

Our getaway car!

We drove down to Colonial Williamsburg for our honeymoon, stopping at bed-and-breakfasts in Connecticut and Maryland on the way.

One more ...

So many blessings we've shared ... looking forward to the next 20 years!

*❤*

Have a wonderful Wednesday, my friends!

Lullaby Magic

One of the joys of having a baby again is rediscovering all the lovely little things we've forgotten through the years. So as Little Bear grows, Bill and I find ourselves remembering things like familar facial expressions ("That's Crackerjack's smile!" "That's Bookworm's furrowed brow!") and favorite toys and books ("Oh here's Elmo - or MoMo as Earlybird called him!" "Remember how much they all loved this book?") to long forgotten instincts - what a particular cry means and how to rock a wee one just so ... 

Well the other night, as I rocked a fussy baby all across our bedroom floor, it suddenly came to me - a lullaby I sang to each one of my boys, a beloved song that my own father sang to me when I was a child (often accompanied by his guitar) ... I have not thought of it in years! But with a couple of tries the words all came back to me (click the title to hear it online) ...

Morningtown Ride

Train whistle blowing, makes a sleepy noise,
Underneath their blankets go all the girls and boys. 
Heading from the station, out along the bay, 
All bound for Morningtown, many miles away.

*Sarah's at the engine, Tony rings the bell,
John swings the lantern to show that all is well.
Rocking, rolling, riding, out along the bay,
All bound for Morningtown, many miles away.

Maybe it is raining where our train will ride,
But all the little travelers are snug and warm inside.
Somewhere there is sunshine, somewhere there is day,
Somewhere there is Morningtown, many miles away.

*Sarah, Tony and John became Bookworm, Crackerjack and Earlybird. :)

I sang it over and over to Little Bear, who crooned right along with me. (He absolutely LOVES music we've discovered.) And to be honest, I actually found myself tearing up because I was just flooded with memories of my first babies - so vividly aware of how fast time does fly - and so completely filled with love for this new one ...

*❤*

My friends, what were/are your favorite songs to sing with your baby? I do love a lullaby but I'm quite partial to Beatles ballads as well. Actually, my go-to sing-a-song is this and it's another I remember fondly from childhood.

:)

Well, enjoy your Friday evening, my friends and Happy Weekend as well!

In Remembrance ...

An altar for saints and souls ...

This activity has become a part of our All Souls Day tradition - an altar filled with candles, flowers and pictures of loved ones passed away. This year I added symbols of family patron saints as well.

I used clean leftover baby food jars (from those Halloween carrot breads!) to hold the candles, and for candles I used tea lights blessed by our pastor on Candlemas. The jars could certainly be "fancied up" with paint or glue and glitter or colored tissue paper. But EB got such a kick out of washing the jars - and honestly, my energy was running quite low - we just left them "as is." :)

Marigolds are traditional flowers for All Souls Day (aka the Day of the Dead) but I'm hard pressed to find marigolds at this time of year. Even our hearty mums are well past withered at this point. So instead, I picked up a very small bouquet of russet-colored chrysanthemums and cut them down to fit the jars and a couple of glass votives I had on hand.

I've set up the altar in different spots through the years, but this year I chose the family room mantel. I nestled the jars into a leafy fall garland that stretches along the length of the mantel, and then I set out the pictures we had gathered of loved ones who have passed on. Behind the pictures we set up holy cards, pictures and other symbols of family saints.

*†*

My grandfather ("Pa") with a two year-old Bookworm and me. Behind the picture is a holy card for Blessed John Paul II - a man my grandfather not only admired, but happened to look very much like. :)

(At the far right in the wooden frame is Crackerjack's patron, Saint George.)

Bill's grandmother ("Grammie") with Crackerjack, who was probably about four in this picture. I had not found my holy card of St. Therese before I took these pictures ~ Grammie was extremely devoted to The Little Flower. :)

In the background is Earlybird's "Saint Nicholas" dvd. :)

My mother's brother ("Uncle George) with Crackerjack (on his First Communion). CJ adored his great uncle, and the feeling was mutual.

(Not shown off to the left is a framed picture of Bookworm's patron, Saint Thomas Aquinas.)

My beloved Gram ("Damee" to the boys) with me, on her "divan" many years ago. (Judging by my haircut, this was shortly after Earlybird was born.) In the background is a holy card for Saint Francis which once belonged to my grandmother and - though it's hard to tell in this picture - was hand-stiched with fine embroidery thread.

I love how the whole altar glows as the light fades on All Souls Day. We keep our altar lit till the candles burn down ... or until Earlybird begs to blow them out. ;)

On this day for all souls, we think about, talk about, and pray for these dear people. We remember how much we loved them ... and how much they loved us. And I remind the boys that that love never ever ends ... and that someday we'll see them again.

❤

Well my friends, thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you've all had a good week. Have yourselves a nice, rejuvenating weekend ... and I'll see you here again very soon!

Happy 19 Years!

And they've been very happy indeed!

Nineteen years of marriage ... three beautiful children ... and one more on the way! Time sure has flown ... but God's been good to us ... so very good.

❤

This photo is my favorite from our big day ... our first dance as a married couple. I remember this moment so clearly! Our song was "At Last" by Etta James ... it's a beautiful song to begin with, but it was very fitting for us ... we had been together four years before we got married: two years spent dating and two spent engaged! So we were truly so very happy to be married, "at last." :)

Now, Bill and I usually enjoy dinner at our favorite restaurant on our anniversary ... but we're postponing our night out this year - just until my morning sickness passes. ;) Instead, we'll enjoy dinner at home with our boys ... Bill just helped me assemble a huge beef stew in the crockpot ... it will cook all day and be served alongside a nice crusty bread and glasses of sparkling cider (the same kind we served at our reception!). And later today I'll enlist a boy or two to help me make our annual "family birthday cake." Because, after all, our family was "born" on October 23rd, 1993.

❤

Have a lovely Tuesday, my friends ... I'll see you here again very soon!

A Birthday Dinner for Bookworm :)

Last night we took the older boys to a favorite family restaurant, in celebration of Bookworm's 17th birthday. I've been coming to this restaurant for special dinners since I was a little girl, so it's more than just a really good meal - it's a place where many fond memories were made. Both Bill and I said last night we felt my grandparents, especially, were "with us" in spirit ... they loved treating family and friends to a special meal here. And oh, how they would have enjoyed treating these boys ... they truly savored the whole experience!

So Nana (my mum) came over to have dinner with Earlybird and Bill and I headed out with the older two ... we were just a few minutes ahead of this crazy storm:

As we arrived at the restaurant, the skies opened up and we just made it inside ... where there were fireplaces going, and soft candlelight. So very cozy!

Here are the boys with their salad courses: Crackerjack's is nothing but lettuce, while Bookworm's has just about everything on it!

And here is Crackerjack with me ...

And Bookworm with Bill ...

Lol, I think my wine glass is present in each and every picture! I truly savored this glass, though ... it's a Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon.

The food, as usual, was fantastic. We don't go out to eat much at all - for one thing, it's expensive (and we do live on one income) and for another, we have a special needs child so restaurants are not always easy for us. But a few times a year we do treat ourselves, and most of the time it's here. It's hard to pick anywhere else because the food is always excellent! And as I said above - this place is so special to us. :)

In the top picture you see Bookworm with a lava cake they brought out to him (a lovely courtsey). He shared that with CJ and enjoyed that very much - but he still ordered (and almost finished) his favorite dessert: a Swiss Chocolate Bread Pudding au Caramel. (And yes, it tastes as good as it sounds!)

When we left the restaurant, the skies were starting to clear, and look what we spied!

And a little further up the road, we saw the full rainbow - and it was complete!

I don't think I've ever seen a complete rainbow before!

So it was a very nice night, and now I think the birthday celebrations have come to a close. (Though Crackerjack leaned over at Mass and whispered in my ear: "Hey Mom, it's St. John's birthday - are you making a cake?" Lol, I probably will.)

We have more summer birthdays to look forward to - several famliy members enjoy summertime birthdays, including Bill in July and Crackerjack in August. Will we end up at our favorite restaurant again? We just might!

*****❤*****

Well, my friends, I hope you are enjoying a nice weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing in our joy. I hope you enjoy the rest of your Sunday ...

I'll see you again very soon!

Exploring "B" Foods Week

In continuation of a project we started last week, the boys and I are currently exploring "B" fruits and veggies. Our produce choices this week include bananas and blueberries, which are easy to love, as well as beets, which are not quite so ... "child friendly." ;)

Here are a few of my ideas for "B" week:

Bananas

Bananas are so sweet and delicious ... we're big banana fans in this house! So we started by finding out where bananas grow. Can they grow in our part of the world, we wondered? A quick look online and well, the answer was decidely, no. Banana plants need tropical conditions, year-round (not just in the depths of July).

We also found some neat video online that shows how bananas are harvested.

Earlier in the week we went shopping for bananas ... and we observed how some are yellow and some are green, and some are a little of both. We also saw bananas that were nearly brown! We chose some greenish ones so we could watch them ripen at home (and enjoy them fresh) and we also chose some "freckled" bananas with which we could bake something yummy.

We also bought a tub of Stonyfield Farms "BaNilla Yogurt. (We almost always have a tub of this in the fridge!) Saturday morning we'll make smoothies using this yogurt as the base.

And these would be fun to try if we have extra bananas and time!

*

Blueberries

Little blueberries, one of the few fruits native to North America, are a big deal here in New England! And we learned that May begins blueberry season, which lasts through October and peaks in late summer. And that makes sense to me, because I've always connected blueberries with August. My grandparents would come back from Maine with fresh quarts of blueberries and then Gram would make THE best pies and cake. Yum.

I also remember sitting on my grandparents' hillside and picking the bitty bushy berries that grew wild there ... I'd fill a tiny dixie cup ... eat half of them, and then bring some back for my grandmother to "cook." I can remember that hillside so vividly ... the scratchiness of the scrubby undergrowth, the various shades of the berries - some of them so puny and hard. I think finding and eating food in its natural environment - whether you grow it or seek it out - is such a memorable childhood experience. And such a great learning experience, too.

So we "googled" a little, and learned that our neighbor state, Maine, is the top U.S. producer of "lowbush" blueberries, whereas Michigan produces the most "highbush" blueberries. We investigated the difference between high- and low-bush berries and then looked up what we would need to grow blueberries on our own. (According to this book - which is FABULOUS, by the way - we can grow them in pots, so I'm now totally sold on the idea. Not quite the hillside I grew up with, but it will certainly do!)

Back at the market, we searched out a nice pint of blueberries to bring home (we checked to see where the different packages were from). I found this recipe for Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake which we will bake this weekend to serve at Mother's Day Brunch.

I also dug out and read our much beloved (and bedraggled) copy of Blueberries for Sal (making me simply pine for a summer in Maine) and I just requested Blueberry Train from the library. (How perfect for EB?)

*

{Note: I have no picture of beets here, because we have no beets just yet!}

Beets

So I must admit, there's not much love in this household for beets, but I did not let that deter me. My mother LOVES them and I have very fond memories of the beets my grandfather grew in his garden. I never ate them myself (or if I did, I repressed the memory), but he was so proud of them, and they were just huge and earthy and so vibrantly violet. And my grandparents and my mother just relished them. I always wished I did like them because they seemed like such an honorable vegetable to like.

So, my plan for exploring beets is this ...

We will watch one of our Jamie at Home episodes, titled "Carrots and Beets," and see what Jamie has to say about these humble root vegetables. I have his J@H cookbook (which is SO beautiful and makes for excellent reading whether you cook anything from it or not) and I am going to try making the "Roasted Carrots and Beets" one night to accompany our supper. The recipe involves herbs, citrus and balsamic vinegar and honestly it does all sound rather delicious. It will be an experience if nothing else.

But to find beets, I want to get as close to the source as possible, as it is my understanding that beets are at their best when freshly harvested. This is likely true for most fruits and vetegtables, but if you're a beet, you can probably use all the help you can get. The farmer's market would be the ideal place to find them - roundabouts late June or July - but we'll settle for a quality produce store. This weekend we'll visit either Trader Joe's or Whole Foods and see what kind of beets they have on hand. Hopefully we'll find beets of a smaller size and varied color, but we shall see what we shall see!

As I said to the boys, Nana loves beets, so there must be something good about them! (I'll let you know how it goes, and if you have a fondness for beets I'd love to know how you prepare them!)

*

Well, my friends, I'm going to sign off ... but thanks so much for stopping by! I also thank you for all the FANTASTIC dinner ideas you've been leaving me under yesterday's post! Lots of great ideas there ... and goodness knows, I can use them! I also thank you all for the kind words and encouragement for my daily domestic notes blog. It's fun for me to do and I'm glad you find it fun, too!

So take care of yourselves and your loved ones ... I'll be back here again very soon!

Happy National Teacher Day!

What a great day to remember those teachers who touched our lives in a meaningful way!

When we think back to our teachers in school, naturally we remember some with more fondness than others ... just as I'm sure teachers remember some students more fondly than others, lol!

In grammar school, I'd say my favorite teacher was Mr. Kingston, 7th grade. He taught English and was very kind and encouraging. He told me he'd see my name in print someday, and I never forgot that. :)

In high school, my favorite teacher was, without a doubt, Sister M.L. (Mary Louise). She taught French and was quite harsh - somewhat infamously, so - but she truly had a heart of gold and a wonderful sense of humor. Of course, I was able to see this only after freshman year ... once I grew a thicker skin and got used to her "style."

And in college, my favorite professor was Chet Raymo (of the Boston Globe) whose fantastic journalism class I took senior year. He taught me SO much about writing and expressing one's point as finely as possible (i.e. in as few words as possible - though I obviously tend to lose sight of that lesson, lol). I remember he and his wife hosted a spaghetti dinner for our class at the end of the semester - it was lovely spring evening, the wine and conversation flowed  ... and I'll always remember it as one of my first "Oh my gosh, I'm a grown-up!" moments. I felt inspired, connected and ready to step out into the world ... which is a good way to feel at the end of your college experience. :)

*

So, on this National Teacher Day, I'd love to ask you: Who was your favorite teacher in school, and why? If you have a moment, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

*

Well, my friends ... have a GREAT day! I'm off now to scramble eggs, scan the paper, and set out math. Just a typical Tuesday morning for this teacher! But first, before I get too far into my day, I'm going to call my mum and dad and thank them for being the best and most important teachers in my life. Because, "so much of what we know of love we learn at home." (unknown)

❤

See you all again very soon!

:)

"Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire." ~ Yeats

18 ... and Counting!

There are 18 pictures in this post ... I was 18 when Bill and I met ... and as of today ... we've been married for 18 (wonderful, way-too-fast) years!

So this morning after Mass, we had my folks and my brother over for a little brunch. It was such a beautiful day - just like the day of our wedding - bright and cool with the foliage at its peak. Celebrating with food, family and fond memories was such a nice way to celebrate our special day ... I'd like to share a few pictures with you, and a few flashbacks as well ...

In the front window I set up a collage frame filled with wedding day pictures, our anniversary cards and the flowers Bill gave me this morning. (Very pretty flowers for sure - but they are now sitting on the front steps since the cats find them absolutely delectable.)

And on the kitchen island, my go-to buffet surface, I spread out the brunch goodies ...

Oh my goodness ... this quiche. SO delicious!

It's called a "cheeseburger quiche" and if anyone would like the recipe I'd be happy to post it - it was easy to make, and so very tasty!

I have to point out the flowers barely visible in the background of the above picture. These are hydrangeas from our front garden ... full, lush and perfectly purple and green. How I love hydrangeas!

In fact, I will always think of hydrangeas as our wedding flower. We had a really wonderful florist - he had recently opened a nursery in a nearby town and we were quite taken by his natural, seasonal, "earthy" arrangements. We were only his second or third wedding, but he came highly recommended. Best of all, when we described our dream of a very "autumnal" wedding - pumpkins, bittersweet, kale and the like - he was right on board! For the bridesmaids' bouquets he suggested hydrangeas because they really are the star of the fall garden. So I spent the weeks leading up to our wedding studying (sort of stalking, really) neighborhood hydrangeas - observing how they were changing in hue. By October 23rd they looked something like this ...

And they really made a beautiful bouquet, mingled with other complimentary flowers (autumn roses, etc.).

Back to the buffet though, the menu also included ...

Fresh grapes, granola, dried cranberries and yogurt. Raspberry turnovers and crumb cakes as well as Nana's special scrambled eggs ...

Hash browns, bacon and chicken-apple sausages, and soft downy biscuits.

And just for fun ...

... a few dishes of seasonal candy. :)

For liquid refreshment ...

Sparkling cider - straight apple, and apple-cranberry. This is what we served for our wedding toast, and it's nice because not only does it taste lovely, but it is free of alcohol so everyone can enjoy a sip or more. :)

Now, I don't have our wedding photos scanned in, but I thought I'd share a few of the pictures from that collage shown above. When I look back at these photos I know why our parents and grandparents all called us "the kids" - we looked so young!

And I guess we were. :) 

Bill and I are on either end of this picture - our "scarecrow selves" are in the middle! My mother-in-law made these fantastic creations - they stood outside the reception hall and as guests came up the long winding drive, they saw the "bride and groom" welcoming them in all their autumn finery. More than one guest thought - from a distance - it was actually us!

Here I am with my dad on our way to the church ...

His good friend Skip did us the great honor of driving us on this day in his gorgeous, vintage car. Wish I had an exterior shot to show you - it made quite the set of "wedding wheels!"

The gazebo at my folks' - also decked out in autumn regalia.

Here we are with our grandparents: on the left, are my Grampy and Bill's Grammie, and on the right stand my Grama and Grampa (who became "Damee and Pa" to our boys). All of them are gone now ... though sometimes that doesn't seem real. I miss them all every day.

It's hard to see in this shot, but this is the wedding party table, and it seems this was the "toast moment." Directly behind me stand the maid of honor and best man, Sabina and John, our best friends from high school. On the left are my dear friends - college roommate, Kathy and cousin, Amy. And there are those aforementioned pumpkins and bittersweet!

Here are the remaining bridesmaids:

Unfortunately, the picture slid off center - but on the left are Amy and Kathy again, and to my right is Sabina, my cousin Kate and sister-in-law Ami, and in front is my cousin Kara - our sweet little flower girl!

Now this next picture is quite fuzzy and at first glance it might seem like nothing much is going on at all, but for me it will always be one of those unforgettable wedding moments ...

What we have here is me in the middle with my two friends (and editors) from the paper where I worked at that time. The formal pictures were done and we were trying to tie up my bustle before heading into the reception. But oh my gosh, we just could NOT get that darn thing to cooperate! And oh, how we laughed ... we just laughed ourselves silly, hiding behind the hedges, fighting with that blasted bustle. Betsy and Martha kept me calm and in good spirits and yes - we did finally get that bustle to behave itself!

And now here we have the wedding cake ...

... garnished with a garland of autumn leaves. It was a delicious carrot cake with a soft cream cheese frosting. For brunch today I had planned to make a triple layer carrot cake, but at 7 a.m. it was either take a shower or bake a cake before church ...

Needless to say, I went with the shower and promised the boys I'd make our "family birthday cake" sometime this week. :)

Now, for a few bits of random wedding trivia:

Our favors were Yankee Candle "Spiced Pumpkin" votive candles.

Our wedding party was introduced to the theme from "Northern Exposure" because it was our absolute favorite TV show at the time (of all time, really).

For our first dance we spun to "At Last," by Etta James; our last dance was set to "Shower the People," by James Taylor.

We went to Colonial Williamsburg for our honeymoon. We drove there in Bill's old Saab ...

... the streamers and cans only lasted a mile. ;)

Well, we may not look like "kids" anymore - and we have a few of our own now - but I wouldn't trade one wrinkle or gray hair for even one precious moment of the last 18 years ...

Honey, I love you. I hope and pray our next 18 years are as blessed!

*❤*

Dear readers, thank you for allowing me this rather long and rambly bit of reminiscing ... it was a lovely indulgence, to spend a few hours this afternoon remembering this special day and all the wonderful people who helped us make it so. 

So I'll wrap up now and be off ... but I'll be back next time with a post on my holiday planner ... that was one of my many plans for the weekend but, well, let me be frank: not many things on that list got accomplished this weekend! (I tend to wear rose-tinted glasses when it comes to making up weekend to-do lists, lol.) I will post about my planner sometime this week - hopefully tomorrow but certainly as soon as I can.

Have a great night, my friends ... and as always, thank you so much for stopping by.

:)