Meadowlark Days

Chicken Paprika

2011-12-14T16:04:00.000-06:00

This dish has become a new holiday favorite. My stepmom makes it for us when she comes down at the holidays! In fact, it's what we had for Thanksgiving dinner. My husband and I want to find a quicker way to make it so we can enjoy it more often, perhaps with boneless chicken breasts.

Chicken Paprika with Spatzle

1 3 - 3.5 lb cut up fryer

1/2 C flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 C butter

1 Large chopped onion

2 Tbsp paprika

1 C chicken broth

1 C light cream

1/2 C sour cream

In bag, shake chicken in flour, 1 tsp salt, and pepper 'til coated. Save 2 Tbsp flour. Brown chicken in butter, pour off fat, but return 3 Tbsp to skillet. Saute onion 10 minutes or so. Add paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, and broth. Bring to boil, lower heat. Add chicken, turning to coat. Cook, covered, 30 minutes or 'til tender. Remove chicken. Stir in cream. Make paste of saved 2 Tbsp flour and sour cream. Slowly stir into pan. Cook, without boiling, 'til thick. Add chicken. Serve over spatzle.

Spatzle

3 C sifted flour

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

3 eggs, beaten

1 C water

1/4 C melted butter

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Make well in center. Add eggs and water and mix thoroughly. Scoop up dough onto spatula or lage spoon and cut off small pieces with a knife directly into a boiling pot of salt water. As dough bits rise, scoop off with a slotted spoon. Place in covered bowl with melted butter and keep warm as the rest cooks.

{Water}

2011-11-19T22:10:00.004-06:00

Today was all about the water: a trip to the aquarium, a walk on the beach, coming home and taking a bubble bath with a book. I love these murals on the sea wall in Galveston. It was overcast and breezy today, a bit warm and humid. We hadn't had a free Saturday in months and enjoyed the sense of, well, freedom to take off and have a mini-adventure for the day. Have you had any mini-adventures lately?

Small Victories

2011-07-08T09:41:00.002-05:00

My quest to lighten the load in our home continues. Earlier this year, I did something I never thought I would do: recycle 10 years (!!!) of Martha Stewart Living magazines, including duplicates that I'd picked up at library sales. I lost count around 165 copies. I had recycled many other periodicals that I'd been hanging on to, but for some reason felt compelled to save the MSL ones as reference materials. As it turned out, once I actually sat down and started going through them (absolutely no idea how I had the time for this), there ended up being very little that I actually needed to save. I clipped craft projects and a few recipes to save, and that was that. I couldn't help but think about how much MSL and other home magazines are so very much like fairy tales for adults: perfect home, amazing dinners with beautiful friends, clutter-free rooms. I think they reflect the way we want our lives to be more than reflect how they actually are. As a reader and former library employee, I adore magazines, but I have had to stop some subscriptions just to slow the flow of stuff into the house. It also seems that many magazines just don't have nearly as much content as they once did - edited down for quicker reads for today's busy people. Of course, I still receive some mags, and I still have some piles sitting around that need to find their way to the blue bin...

Tying up Some Fun

2011-05-13T17:57:00.002-05:00

I don't have a lot of time for craft projects these days, but I had a tie-dye kit that had been sitting in my closet for years and finally decided to put it to use. A friend and I dyed onesies and little t-shirts for the wee ones in our lives. We also used Rit liquid dye in buckets to make easy versions of the ombre clothing in stores this spring. Our favorites were the ones with the top third dyed blue, the middle left white, and the bottom third dyed green. In the wash, the dyes ran enough to dye the middle white section a lighter bluegreen. Easy fun!

Now it's time to get back to laundry and dishes...

Icy Gardens

2011-02-16T12:47:00.003-06:00

It's been a weird winter in south Texas - many days warmer than average (mid-70s and humid today - blech) but we've also had many freeze warnings. I haven't been out with the camera much in the past few months, but I couldn't resist this frozen puddle in the backyard with the ornamental pear leaf encased within. It made me happy to see ice in the backyard, happy to find icicles hanging off of my truck one morning - I love chilly weather. I know that increasingly warm temps are just around the corner, along with decisions to make about what to do in the garden (keeping it simple this year, as I repeatedly learn that I don't have the energy in a Houston summer to tend a garden effectively), decisions to make about traveling in order to escape the heat for awhile. What decisions are ahead of you right now?

T Tuesday: Afternoon Tea and Thinning Out

2010-10-19T09:17:00.002-05:00

Things have been a little quiet on the tea front lately, but yesterday I enjoyed a delightful afternoon tea with a friend and one of her other friends at a little tea house in the area. With my pot of jasmine and their Earl Grey, we enjoyed cucumber sandwiches, chicken salad, samosas, and more. (I wish I would have thought to bring my camera!) It was a fun change of pace from the coffee in paper cups that is typically imbibed during dates with friends. This morning I am enjoying Tazo's Berryblossom White with my little dog stretched out by my feet, gnawing on a chew toy. His devotion is quite endearing.

I am slowly continuing my thinning-out project: pictured are a few items that have made their way to Goodwill. I had had them for a long time, and I found myself wishing that I had been taking more pictures throughout this decluttering process to remind myself of the progress I've made. The crazy floral tin was bought at a thrift shop during college in Vermillion, South Dakota; I began making the afghan in 2001 but never finished it and by this point no longer like the color choices I made or have the patience for it; the old lamp I bought at a garage sale in high school and after nearly twenty years of not having rewired it, it seemed time for it to go, hard as it was. I ended up keeping the marbles because they were so pretty to photograph. These items in particular carried memories with them.

Do you have any decluttering tips?

A Tea Kettle From My Past

2010-09-14T08:19:00.002-05:00

We've had sporadic internet problems due to a lightning storm, but we think (hope) the problem is solved now...so I'm back for Tea Tuesday! I have been rather obsessively going through closets and clutter these last few weeks. I even opened up the pile of sketches from Drawing 101 that had been taped up between two big pieces of cardboard for many years, sight unseen. (Drawing 101 was a very long time ago!) I enjoyed seeing the sketches again, and felt kind of sad that I haven't kept up with drawing, even if I have done lots of other arts and crafts in the meantime. I was intrigued by how many times the tea kettle in the bottom drawing showed up in the still lives - our professor obviously found it worthy of repeated attempts. The other images are also momentos of my past: the violin that I haven't touched in years, the Chuck Taylors that I wore in high school and college, my Great Uncle Louis who often visited for Christmas during those years. I kept these sketches, although many of them ended up on the curb (after being photographed if I liked them well enough - thank goodness for digital photography.) I was surprised that I finally let them go, since I tend to be very sentimental. But a big part of me is feeling that by letting things go, removing them from my home, I am making room in my life for new things.

T is for Transcendent

2010-08-17T10:02:00.002-05:00

Just yesterday we returned from Pennsylvania, where we were blessed with a new goddaughter. The church her family attends has recently been beautifully restored after a fire. The icons that cover the walls and ceiling of the church are wonderful and a great joy to see. Being a very visual person, one of the things that drew me to the Orthodox Christian faith was its embrace of the visual and multi-sensory (a nicely holistic approach to worship), its use of icons to remind us of Christ's life and the lives of those believers before us. I love that when I enter an Orthodox church, I know I am in a church and that I am there to worship God; countless visual reminders help me focus on this fact. Some moments are truly transcendent.

Stash Moroccan green mint and Raspberry Zinger were the teas I enjoyed when not at church! They were a nice change. Of course, not much time was spent sipping tea on this trip. My husband spent quite a bit of time folding paper airplanes for our godkids to throw across the room, and we also spent time drawing and doing a little art project. The weather was delightfully cool compared to Houston. You can find more Tea Tuesday participants here.

T is for Twin Cities

2010-08-10T09:03:00.002-05:00

A week ago we returned from a quick trip to Minnesota to visit family. One of the highlights was visiting the Minneapolis Farmer's Market, which was hands down the largest one I've ever seen - two blocks' worth of vendors. I was enthralled by the heaps of bright veggies and couldn't resist taking photos, although I did feel a little self-conscious shooting in the crowd - hence quick decisions about composition, etc.! We enjoyed some of the produce grilled, some of it raw, some of it steamed. I had quite a bit of quiet time on this trip to read, so I kept it simple and drank decaf Lipton and Constant Comment when I wasn't eating veggies! I've visited farmer's markets in Santa Fe, Rapid City, SD, Cannon Beach, OR, and Minneapolis this summer, but haven't made it to any in my own neck of the woods. For as large as Houston is, the farmer's markets here just aren't that impressive.

T is for Tasty

2010-07-27T09:41:00.002-05:00

S'mores, anyone? I wanted to share this yummy dessert from one of our meals in Oregon - skillet s'mores! Graham crackers on the bottom, chocolate in the middle, and the best part - toasted marshmallows on top. I know it's Tea Tuesday today, but I confess I drank some Sleepy Monk coffee with this dessert instead of tea. The coffee was delicious, and the next day, we stopped at Sleepy Monk itself for some of the best hot chocolate I'd ever had. The chocolate whipped cream was perfection, thick and substantial. I brought some of their coffee beans home with me...I think it's time to go brew some up...
Smore's memories you want to share?

Traveling Tea

2010-07-20T07:18:00.003-05:00

Often when I travel, I bring along a little assortment of tea. It seemed especially important to do so for last week's trip to Oregon, since I knew the weather would be cool and I'd likely be spending a lot of time reading and wanting a warm mug next to me. Tazo's Joy - their Christmas blend - has long been a favorite, and I stock up as soon as it appears around Thanksgiving.

Tea, of course, wasn't the only yummy thing about our visit to the coast. Here are some other highlights:

~Many hours on the beach, walking and reading.

~Finding peonies at the farmer's market! In July!

~Freshly baked cookies from Waves of Grain, a local bakery - moist and perfect.

~Enormous sugar snap peas at the farmer's market, perfect for snacking on at the beach, a long favorite.

~The constant sound of the ocean.

~Being able to sleep with the windows open - so incredibly quiet and cool.

~The glistening shore at low tide, mist and fog.

~Exuberant gardens around town.

~The silouettes of mountains and evergreens on the horizon (Houston is really flat.)

~Being able to wear sweatshirts, scarves, and even hats in July (Houston is really hot.)

So make a cup of tea, close your eyes for a moment, and imagine you're soaking up some of this peace as well.

More Tea Tuesday here.

Happiness

2010-07-14T09:45:00.002-05:00

We recently travelled to the Oregon coast, and let me tell you, I was a very happy girl. It had been nearly ten years since I had been back to Cannon Beach, and fourteen years since I spent a summer in college working there. It's beautiful whether it's foggy or sunny, but there is a wonderful cheerfulness when the sun is out and shining on the water and the wet sand. Most mornings we went out to catch low tide, which is also the time to find sand dollars resting on the shore. Most people are out looking for clams, but I'm just interested in the sand dollars. Fortunately, I was not disappointed!
I'm sure I'll have a lot more to share about this trip in upcoming posts. What are some of your favorite vacation memories?

TeaForte

2010-07-13T01:00:00.003-05:00

One of my most recent tea discoveries is also one of my favorites: my tea forte ceramic infuser. I had been using unbleached tea bags to brew my loose leaf jasmine vanilla because modern infusers always seemed to contain plastic (which I did not want to mix with hot water - all those chemicals) and the old fashioned spring-loaded types always seemed to leak tea leaves. This is an elegant solution. The metal base screws off so it can be filled with tea leaves, and it rests in its own little matching tray. I see they have several other plastic-free infusers displayed on their webpage. Thank you, Teaforte!

The Flowers of Home

2010-07-08T13:51:00.002-05:00

Is it silly to admit that one of my favorite reasons for going home to South Dakota in the springtime is to be able to visit favorite flower species that just don't grow in Texas? It's true, though. I plan walks along routes that I know will take me past favorite gardens or to places in the parks where poppies grow on their own. I carry the camera in my trunk and have been known to pull over to take photos of flowers when I come across them around town. A local gardening society does a wonderful job with the gardens at the Journey Museum; huge swaths of iris, columbine, and wildflowers meander through boulder-strewn beds. Orange poppies spring up every year along Rapid Creek in an undeveloped park; they are remainders of the gardens of homes that were lost in the 1972 flood. People are sometimes very generous with their garden flowers, handing out bouquets of peonies and irises without even being asked (including the bouquets pictured here, which were given to me right on time for my birthday, just by coincidence!) Of course, the lilacs are also a big star, and if you don't have any bushes of your own, you may have discovered places to cut a few branches to bring home with you. Flowers are certainly a way to celebrate spring! Do you seek out favorite gardens in your town?

T is for Taos

2010-07-06T08:38:00.002-05:00

After we left Santa Fe on our May roadtrip, we drove north to the town of Taos to meet an old friend for lunch. We had many miles to cover that day, but decided to make one last stop to visit Taos Pueblo, a Native American settlement that has been continuously occupied for over 1,000 years. For some reason, I'd never heard of this pueblo and was astounded to learn that there are actually dwellings in North America that have been inhabited for that long. The tribal members who live here do not use modern conveniences. They haul water from the creek and use kerosene lamps. Every year, another layer of plaster (mud and straw) is applied to the buildings, perhaps best seen in the middle photo of the church window. The igloo-shaped dome in the fourth photo is a traditional oven for baking bread. Originally the dwellings were entered through the roof, but today doors have been added. At one time, a very tall wall surrounded the village, but it has been shortened to a few feet. I'm glad we stopped here before heading back to the plains.

As for tea these days, I'm still stuck on my jasmine vanilla, although I did break habit and use Tazo's delicious Joy blend with my homemade crepes yesterday!

These photos are by my husband.

A Surprise

2010-07-01T09:59:00.002-05:00

I was delightfully surprised to find a complimentary copy of Somerset Life in my box yesterday - another one of my travel journals has been published. It's a lovely spread, pages 100 - 101. Thanks, Somerset Life!

T is for Travel: Georgia O'Keefe

2010-06-29T09:38:00.003-05:00

Last month, my husband and I set off for our annual road trip north. Instead of heading straight to South Dakota, we swung west to New Mexico. I'd been wanting to see Santa Fe for some time and we both yearned to be in the true West again, with its dry air, varied landscapes, and huge spaces. We were not disappointed. One particular goal was to visit the Georgia O'Keefe Museum in Santa Fe. I have admired her work since high school and had only seen a handful of her works in person. The museum was our very first stop in Santa Fe, and I was treated to a few dozen of her paintings. I spent much time admiring a series of three seashells, the canvases only about 8x10 inches. Their smallness surprised me, given how bold her work is. And I was delighted to see her portrayals of cottonwood trees, landmarks in the West, and a favorite of mine. Outside the museum, I smiled to see lilac bushes blooming against the adobe walls in the town. (They don't grow in Houston.) The next day, we drove out to Ghost Ranch, where O'Keefe lived and painted for many years. My husband took these photos of the scenery at the ranch. The sources of her inspiration were clear. An artist/retreat colony is now found on the grounds, and perhaps someday I'll be able to return for a workshop. It was fulfilling to finally see these places, after years of wanting to. Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to drink tea in New Mexico, but I'm enjoying my old standby jasmine vanilla now that I'm home.

Reminders

2010-06-17T09:13:00.003-05:00

I was fortunate to take a solo writing retreat early this month out on the South Dakota prairie with a well-known regional writer (more on that in another post.) I stayed all alone in an old ranch house for three days, with twice-daily visits from Linda to discuss writing. I was surprised at how comfortable I was staying alone at night with the nearest neighbor a half-mile down the road, the rest of the neighbors being cows and numerous species of birds. But I think much of the reason of why I was so comfortable was because of how familiar much of it felt. There were many little things that reminded me of my mom and my early childhood years: blue flax growing by the front door, windchimes, a birds nest sitting on the bookshelf, prairie flowers in the yard. All these were things my mom loved and that were little parts of my early years. When I was small, our house was on the last block in the neighborhood, the undeveloped prairie stretching out south. We would take little walks out in the grasslands, handing grass to the horses over the fence, watching the birds, gathering flowers. It was delightful to find these things again, decades later, in another place. What small things remind you of your early years?

In the Kitchen with My Sister

2010-06-13T12:56:00.003-05:00

Where have I been and what have I been doing? Driving through the West and now enjoying being home in the Black Hills again, staying with my sister and her family, for one. There are several adventures I hope to share here in the next month or so. We haven't been doing as much cooking together as usual during this spring's visit, but last night I did make soup using French green lentils for the first time, combining this and this recipe for a final dish that was quite yummy. We found these lovely spring onions at the farmer's market and used them as a garnish on the soup. Also at the farmer's market: little radishes and lots of canned goods, including chokecherry jelly, pumpkin butter, and raspberry rhubarb preserves that I look forward to using in Houston later this summer.

My brother-in-law is usually the one who whips up some of our Grandma Helen's Swedish Pancakes (really crepes) now and then for breakfast, but I also attempted them for the first time this trip. I'm thinking some of these green onions would be tasty in them! My sister and I fondly remember eating them at her house when we stayed overnight as kids, sprinkled with plenty of sugar. Here's the recipe - we now eat them with sugar and lemon juice or Nutella.

3 eggs

1 1/4 C milk

3/4 C sifted flour

1 T sugar

1/2 t salt

Beat eggs 'til thick and lemon-colored. Stir in milk. Sift dry ingredients; add to egg mixture, mixing 'til smooth. Drop batter by tablespoons (I used quarter-cup measure) onto moderately hot, greased griddle. Spread batter evenly to make thin cakes. Turn when underside is light brown.

A New Favorite

2010-04-27T08:33:00.002-05:00

Today for Tea Tuesday I will share that I have been drinking a lot of peppermint tea lately. I also like to add a bag of peppermint when I make iced tea for extra refreshment. But mint is one of those herbs that I don't dare plant in my own garden, given its amazing tendency to take over. Kind of like the variegated artemisia that I thought was so pretty last year, even though the nurseryman warned me it would take over. I've dug it out several times now and it keeps coming back - must need only the smallest fraction of a root to sprout new! But these photos are of another popular herb. Any guesses? It's parsley! It bolted after I trimmed it back six weeks ago, reaching three feet and developing these lovely flowers. I'm going to plant more just to enjoy the show next year. I've been admiring it a great deal. I'd make tea from it, but am not sure how palatable it would be!

Sweets

2010-04-20T07:07:00.004-05:00

I've missed the last two Tea Tuesdays (in-laws in town), but I'm excited to share this Turkish dessert with you. It is delicious enjoyed with a strong little cup of Turkish tea. Don't ask me to give you its proper name! It's a wonderful concoction from a restaurant that we frequent often, a pudding of types with slivered almonds on the inside and generous crushed pistachios on the outside. Dessert can be such a sweet spot in the midst of life. My fb friends may have already heard, but last week I was in the juror pool for a murder trial - so glad I was not selected. That would have been quite a challenge. I also had a sticky accelerator pedal in my truck the same day, and luckily stopped to have it checked out. It jammed on the mechanic who test-drove it! Thankfully no one was hurt, and it was a fairly easy fix. As mentioned, my in-laws were also here. My FIL went to town on our yard, pulling out bushes that died in the freeze, planting new ones, and stringing wire trellises for my jasmine. I was so thankful for his help out there. I need to pull a few more weeds, have it mulched, and then will probably ignore the garden until autumn, as the mosquitoes and warm weather are returning. I look forward to catching up with all of you!

Mr. Anole's New Skin

2010-03-31T07:36:00.003-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I was out trying to make another dent in the endless yardwork. Our plumbago bushes died in the freezes this winter, so I pulled out the clippers and started cutting them away. It took me a minute to realize what I was looking at when I saw this green anole shedding his skin - he blended in so perfectly! I was pretty excited to see him, because they usually move so fast during the day that I don't see them at all. We typically see them in the evening, when they climb onto the exterior walls and turn pale pink/white. I've seen one turn from brown to bright green and back right in front of my eyes when it crawled through a gap in the window screen and didn't know how to get out. Apparently, molting renders them more still, because I had plenty of time to run and get my camera and take photos. He was about 4 - 5 inches total length. I love the little discoveries that yard work can bring!

Tea Tuesday

2010-03-30T08:51:00.003-05:00

Very belatedly, I am sharing a little Chinese New Year goodie-box that a sweet friend gave to me this Tea Tuesday. Chinese New Year was six weeks ago! One of the packets contains green tea, but they're all so cute, colorful, and unique that I haven't been able to bring myself to open any of the candy or tea yet. I'm just enjoying looking at it! The little coins have symbols embossed on them that stand for various New Year's greetings: good luck, prosperity, etc. We'd gone to lunch that day at a Chinese restaurant with crunchy egg rolls flavored with sesame oil (one of my favorites), jasmine tea, and a delicious chicken and noodle dish. I love that tea is very much a multi-cultural affair, one that crosses boundaries easily from one country to the next.

Thanks to bleubeard and elizabeth for mentioning my blog today - she has quite a fun blog herself!

As an Orthodox Christian, this week is the high point of the year: Holy Week, leading to the feast of feasts, or Pascha. I am looking forward to attending services this week and then staying up all night Saturday as we celebrate with a midnight Liturgy! A blessed Easter/Pascha to all of you!

New Article

2010-03-25T16:48:00.001-05:00

I'm thrilled to share that I have a 3-page article in the latest issue of Somerset Memories of one of my travel journals! Page 118 if you want to take a peek next time you're at the bookstore.

Spring 2010

2010-03-23T07:03:00.003-05:00

I'm once again sipping jasmine vanilla as I think about this week's Tea Tuesday theme - what spring looks like in my corner of the world. Our lovely red bud tree is just past its peak of pink blossoms (seen above); the pink haze is lovely to see as we pull into our neighborhood. The Bradford pears still have a few white blossoms on them, but most of their leaves are out and a strong wind last weekend blew many petals down - it was snowing white flower petals! My daffodils are long bloomed and gone. Our cold winter and rare freeze have meant that my garden is getting off to a slow start this year - in 2009 this time I already had lots of blossoms and growth out there. But I have many salvias in my garden and they are sturdy plants, so I know they will bounce back. Even the azaleas in our neighborhood haven't bloomed yet, which is rare. I am eager for their appearance - a lovely bit of magic in the Houston area. We try to make a trip to the Japanese Garden in Houston proper this time of year to see the blooms there as well, and the massive azaleas sprawling around the Rice campus. Spring in Houston does mean tons of oak pollen and other allergens, so although the mornings are very lovely, I try to stay inside. But I couldn't resist last Saturday morning, because I had several new plants to put into the beds: ferns under the pear tree's shade, a few ornamental grasses, and more. Spring in Houston is quite nice.

Spring 2009

Spring 2008

Young Again...

2010-03-18T16:49:00.002-05:00

You don't have to be a kid to appreciate the newly expanded and renovated Houston Children's Museum. We spent several hours there recently with our young visitors. It was a blast, and I would have been totally agog if I were a child. The water play area was especially entrancing for all of us - several stations to manipulate water, including a giant contraption with mechanized buckets, a spillway, and lock-and-dam system. 'Kidopolis' was also fantastic - an entire area of the museum designed as a little town with stores, a bank, a grocery, police station, ambulance, restaurant, and vet clinic with toys and play money where kids could live out their play fantasies. It even had a photo booth to pose for silly shots. The kids hated to leave, and I could definitely understand why. Being there brought me back to the magical world of make-believe and pretend - I still have my collection of plastic horses and gear saved out in the garage from that own period of my life. Do you have a favorite childhood memory or activity?

Jasmine Vanilla

2010-03-16T07:43:00.005-05:00

Tea Tuesday again today, and the theme is 'where we live.' This idea could be explored on so many different levels - my disorganized house with the big kitchen that I adore, the suburb I'm in, the metro area I'm a part of, Texas pride (which still entertains me), or even the place that I consider to be my real home, the Black Hills, even if I don't currently reside there. On a ledge in my kitchen, I sometimes place flowers from my yard or bargains such as these daffodils.

I could also mention other areas I've lived, such as Bakersfield, CA, home of Sweet Surrender, a bakery with the most amazing chocolate cake I've ever had. I would enjoy the cake with friends and with a cup of looseleaf jasmine vanilla tea, sold in the canisters seen above for $12.00! Once again, Staple & Spice in Rapid City came to the rescue, where I could buy looseleaf jasmine and vanilla in bulk at a much cheaper rate and mix them together for the same effect. This blend lives in a jar in my kitchen and is one of my favorites.

The Black Hills have been mentioned a lot on this blog, but I've also mentioned Texas often. I live near Houston and have shared a few links below that provide images of some of my favorite parts of living in Texas. And there's so much more to enjoy about this region: tons of art museums and cultural activities, great and varied restaurants, our church, lots of houseguests coming our way, the Gulf Coast. On the flip side, I don't handle the heat, traffic, allergies, and crowds that are a part of living here very well, and am preparing to hunker down soon in my house for the long summer season. What are some of your favorite parts of where you live?

Local Flora and Fauna

My Backyard in Early Spring

Where I'm From

Jordan Pond

2010-03-09T12:21:00.002-06:00

I don't think I ever posted any photos of our time in Maine, or if I did, I can't find them in my archives. Today is Tea Tuesday again. Jordan Pond is a lovely little lake in Acadia National Park with the Bubbles peaks behind it, featured in Martha Stewart Living last summer. The restaurant there is famous for its popovers and tea, which we enjoyed on a chilly afternoon during our week there in October. Earlier that week, we'd hiked around Jordan Pond, much of it on a little boardwalk constructed over the mossy shoreline. The fall colors were near their peak and it was a beautiful time. Jordan Pond Tea is a blend of black and green that produces a refreshing flavor. I find I really enjoy blends of tea, such as Tazo's Joy, which is a blend of black, green, and oolong. Next time I visit Staple & Spice in Rapid City, I will need to buy some looseleaf black and green and blend them together!

9 Days Up North

2010-03-05T12:33:00.002-06:00

As previously mentioned, I was blessed to spend nine days up north in South Dakota a few weeks ago to meet my new nephew, play with his brother, and try to help my sister and her hubby out. It was a time of cooking, staying indoors (even the cats quickly returned despite their pleas to go out), playing, admiring the new baby, and time with family. The weather wasn't terribly cold, but I relished sleeping once again in my sister's most comfy guest bed under a down duvet - so cozy. We visited a few favorite local restaurants, threw a baby shower, and watched the Olympics on dvr. Nothing terribly exciting, perhaps, but it was refreshing and good for my soul to be home again.

My sister asked me to make our mom's beef vegetable soup along with fried bread, very much a favorite when we were children. I hadn't made fried bread in many years and remembered it being a challenge, but it sounded so good that we decided to go for it. Using frozen bread dough, thawed per instructions, it was much easier than I recalled. My almost-three nephew absolutely loved it, so we were happy to see the family tradition continue. Basically, all you do once the dough has thawed and raised, is to break pieces off, flatten them on a floured counter, and then fry them in an inch or two of oil over medium-high heat. We used an electric skillet. Heavily salt immediately after removing from the skillet, and place on paper towel-lined plate. Serve with hot soup, if you don't eat it all before dinnertime!

Tea Surprises

2010-03-03T08:50:00.003-06:00

I'm a day late for Tea Tuesday, but still wanted to share. Martha included this Inuit cloudberry tea in a recent ATC swap we did. I was surprised and delighted to know that even after all the tea I've drank, there are still flavors I didn't know existed. I'd never even heard of cloudberries, but what a dreamy name they have! The tea had a delicious, unique aroma and taste - all enjoyed in the 50-cent tea cup I brought back from a thrift shop during my recent trip to SoDak. What surprises have you had lately?

We were also just blessed with a 6-day visit from our friend and little godchildren from Pennsylvania - always a fun, riotous time.

Edible Tokens

2010-02-23T06:39:00.003-06:00

I'm back from another trip to South Dakota, this time to visit my brand-new nephew. What a sweetie he is! I also spent many fun hours playing dinosaurs with his older brother, who at almost-three is quite fond of imaginative play. Between cuddling the baby and pretending to be a triceratops, I enjoyed cooking for my sister and her family, drinking lots of tea while we stayed indoors, a few small snowfalls, and shooting photos. I hadn't been home in the winter in about seven years, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. 30 in South Dakota actually felt warmer than 30 in Texas! And I'm happy to report that flying continues to get easier with each trip. Sister and I made a few quick shopping trips during the week, including one to a favorite kitchen store that always holds surprises. They were sampling The Tea Spot Vintage Oolong (pictured above) and it was good enough that I brought some home with me. Purchasing tea on my travels has become a bit of a routine, an edible token of my time away, and sometimes my sister and I send each other tea after one of us has traveled somewhere. This tea will happily remind me of my February week up north.

Assisi Journal

2010-02-09T16:42:00.002-06:00

Just a note to share that I have an essay in the inaugural issue of Assisi: An Online Journal of Arts and Letters, made live today.

{Photo taken during our busy day in Boston last fall, in an alley behind the Old North Church}

Sedgewick

2010-02-04T05:56:00.004-06:00

Last Friday, I went to our local shelter after seeing an ad for their pet of the week. I'd been thinking about another dog for quite a while, and our vet said it was a good idea if we could handle it. The pet of the week was adorable and sweet, but quite a bit larger than I was ready for. A brief visit to the small dog section, however, led me to this guy, a six-month-old terrier mix. He came home with us for the weekend and wiggled his way into our hearts. What amazes me is how quickly he became attached to me, following me all over the house, eager to be held and cuddled. A good part of my motivation for bringing him home was to provide more play and companionship for my sweet first dog, Shiloh. And play they do! They also curl up to nap together, sometimes in the same crate. Yesterday was very hard because Sedgewick had many 'accidents' (which is why he's mainly confined to the kitchen until he's better trained and a bit older), but I'm reminding myself of what a sweet dog he is and how it will definitely all be worth it once he is trained. It's already been fun seeing how his personality differs from Shiloh's. I'm finding that I really like having dogs - they're entertaining, good alarm systems, and happy, cheerful little fellows. Even if they can be a lot of work at times! Happy Love Thursday, everyone!

Monastery Tea

2010-02-02T08:16:00.004-06:00

I've been meaning to join Kimmie at Art in Red Wagons for Tuesday Tea for quite some time, given how much tea I drink! This weekend we finally visited St. Paraskevi Monastery up near Brenham, Texas. Unfortunately we forgot our camera, or I would share some photos. Their temple was astoundingly beautiful, radiating peace and quiet. My husband and I and two friends from church were the only visitors that day, perhaps owing to the rare chilly weather. The abbess kindly visited with us for quite some time, sharing stories about the founding of her original monastery in Greece and plans for her monastery in Texas. She brewed a delicious pot of Greek mountain tea for us, which I'd never before had. It was lovely! Fortunately, they sell it in their bookstore so I was able to bring some home. The nuns served a delicious meal to us that included some of their homemade feta cheese and wine from the winery that helps press their own grapes. We were blessed to spend a few hours there. At home yesterday, I brewed some of their tea and added honey from St. Tikhon's Monastery in Pennsylvania in my new Charley Harper mug. I am sure this tea will always remind me of a chilly Texas day under the pine trees.

January Garden

2010-01-27T17:31:00.003-06:00

The last several weeks have been rather busy due to home improvements and a visit from dear friends. My garden has been thinned considerably since our rare heavy frost a bit back, but some things are pressing on in their lovely little ways. These diminutive wildflowers have popped up everywhere. My Savoy cabbages (not seen) and Brussels sprouts (second photo) are slowly growing and I look forward to preparing them for a meal later this spring. And, finally, for some reason I didn't believe the nurseryman when he told me the variegated wormwood (bottom photo) would take over, but now I see that he is right. One plant has produced a 4-foot patch of seedlings. They're pretty when they're small but not so much when they're mature. I will be transplanting them to a bare part of the garden!

I have returned to the pottery studio this month but have had to use a different, much softer, clay and have found it rather a struggle - although today I threw the largest bowls I've ever managed (still not really that large!) Loved ones are having babies right and left, so I also have several small sewing projects in mind. And for craft group next week, I found this lovely wreath project. Can't wait to put it together!

Simple Joys

2010-01-15T07:53:00.002-06:00

Galveston is only about an hour away but we rarely go. Everytime we are there, I vow to visit more often, at least in the winter when it's not unbearably hot. Walking on the beach is a universal pleasure - a calming, peaceful experience, as I'm sure you know. My favorite beach to walk on is Cannon Beach in Oregon, but it has been many years since I have been there. The Central and Northern California shore line also has some wonderful beaches for walking.

But mostly in the last few weeks, I've been attempting to organize and declutter. Four boxes of magazines recycled (even the scrapbooking ones that I thought I'd never part with!), a few donation runs, and some items listed on ebay. There's still more to do for a packrat queen such as myself, but I've made a dent. We've replaced an ineffective gutter and today a crew is coming to texture the wallpapered walls in my bathrooms (we'll see if they can actually remove the wallpaper, since it's applied directly to the drywall by the builders). These projects are very long overdue.

Do you have favorite beaches to walk on, or other locations?

2010

2009-12-31T08:13:00.004-06:00

My hope for myself and all of you in 2010: new growth, new roots put down for nourishment, new leaves stretching toward the sun. I will be trying to do more seed gardening this year, so these things are on my mind. I plan to stay home this festive eve and take time to review 2009 and reflect on the year ahead - not to set resolutions so much as just to refocus and reevaluate. Will it be possible to thin out those parts of my life that are unhealthy or unproductive, making room for better things? Like the nasturtium seedlings above: I hated to pull them out of the ground, but I knew if I didn't that the ones left behind would not be able to grow as strong. I admired the way they sprouted so confidently out of the seeds, and then I left them in the garden to return to the soil. I'd love to hear about your goals for 2010.

For those of you I'm not linked with on facebook, I wanted to share that I have an essay out in the new issue of Relief: A Literary Christian Expression. (It's only in print, not online. And a disclaimer: their bloggers are an odd lot and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of this author! But I always enjoy the essays, poems, and short stories in Relief.)

Little Observations

2009-12-28T10:06:00.003-06:00

~ I am thoroughly enjoying the manual milk frother that my sister sent me for Christmas, seen in the second photo. It turns milk into a foamy wonder that is better than that from a coffee shop!

~ Today I am attempting to bake bread from scratch for the first time. Results will be known within the hour.

~ I haven't seen as many birds in my yard lately and think I know why. I put out a feeder of black oil sunflower seeds to try to lure the cardinals back several days ago. Lured they were, but whenever they got close to the feeder, a very territorial mockingbird swoops in and chases them off. Said mockingbird doesn't seem to care about eating from the feeders, however - they are still full. It also chased off the bluejay. I hung out a second feeder and hope the cardinals and jays will keep trying, because I miss them.

~ We've lived here for 4 years, but only yesterday finally visited Brazos Bend State Park for a much-needed walk in nature. Compared to western mountains and pines it's far from pretty, but it will do!

~ A large gathering of Bradford pear leaves awaits me in the backyard. They were gorgeous while they lasted. And I actually love to rake.

~ I am finally reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and am quite inspired by it. I do think I will try making cheese and will put in a small spring veggie garden.

~ Likewise, I've just started Life is a Miracle: An Essay Against Modern Superstition by Wendell Berry and am very grateful for his thoughtful words and clear vision.

Sweet Shiloh

2009-12-27T08:44:00.003-06:00

They're sharing pet photos and stories over at Shutter Sisters today, and of course I just can't resist that! My sweet pup turned 2 on December 9; these photos were taken a week before Christmas, when he was enjoying the autumn leaves and sunshine out in the backyard. He continues to entertain us and win the hearts of visitors. He's extremely social and will go from person to person when we have gatherings, trying to figure out who will let him lick their feet or even sit on their lap while he tries to nibble their ears. He was in heaven this last week with houseguests, following them around constantly, prefering to cuddle with them over me, and trying to sneak up the stairs to their room. He sleeps a lot more than he did a year ago and we've even given in and let him sleep with us sometimes. He sits by the door waiting for me when I leave, watching out the window, and greets me with great enthusiasm when I come home. His silly antics and puppy love have wiggled their way deep into our hearts. We love you, Shiloh!

With us for a year

Ten months old

Coming Home

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T15:36:00.003-06:00

Christmas was special for us this year because we had family visiting to spend the holiday with us. We have not spent Christmas with family since 2003, when we last returned to South Dakota for the holiday. Given the blizzard they're still in today, I'm glad we didn't attempt it this year! When family and friends visit, we get out and do things we don't usually do. This time it included a trip to Galveston and a walk on the beach, attending a great performance of The Christmas Carol at a downtown Houston theater, visting Lakewood Church per the request of visting family (what a contrast to my last post! photos of the Osteens were the only iconic images around), perusing and sampling the huge cheese selection at a new H.E.B. in West University Place, a long walk in a new park, a carol service at a local Methodist church, and my very first 3D Imax experience - wow! Cooking a large meal and opening gifts were all the more fun for having family with us. I am grateful for the company of loved ones at the end of the year.

My thoughts are now turning to 2010 and the things I want to work on. Home projects are at the top of the list - installing a gutter, dealing with water problems, and lots, lots more. Removing clutter to make the home more pleasant is a part of that, although the challenge seems huge. Craft and sewing projects are there, and a more consistent prayer and devotional life, as is trying to exercise more and plant a small spring garden. I don't make resolutions, but I do form loose goals!

How was your Christmas? What are your thoughts for 2010?

Top photo by my husband

Glimpses of Heaven

2009-12-19T18:06:00.002-06:00

I wanted to share a few photos of the absolutely lovely interior of All Saints OCA in Northeast PA. We worshipped there with our friends and godkids during our visit at Thanksgiving. Several years ago a fire destroyed the interior of the temple; they have slowly been restoring the iconography and are nearing completion. Unfortunately, our camera chose this moment to stop working, so we only got a few shots. But I think they are enough to show how beautiful it is. I love being surrounded by images of fellow Christians and biblical figures who have gone before me when I worship; it very much provides a sense of continuity and timelessness. I love how you know that you are standing in the presence of God in an Orthodox church; there is no question as to what the purpose of the building is. We also attended vespers at St. Tikhon's Monastery the evening before and the peacefulness and beauty of the service was much-needed spiritual refreshment. We hated to have to leave. But no matter which Orthodox church I am in, I always encounter a spirit of peacefulness and awe when I am there. I am thankful for those moments with God.

Life as a Christmas Elf

2009-12-17T15:06:00.002-06:00

Today I mailed off my last packages. Here are a few things that I included as handmade gifts, some of which might be quick for you to make as last minute gifts if you need ideas! (If you're a family member and have secretly discovered my blog, I guess your surprises are ruined! ;-)

Desk calendars for those with office jobs (4x6 inches), using wallet-sized prints of my flower photos and free yearly calendars downloaded on the web.

Beaded earrings - copper, glass, minerals, sterling silver.

Guilty pleasure - pretzels in almond bark with sprinkles.

Typed, printed, and bound booklets of the favorite family recipes my MIL wrote out by hand for our wedding.

Herbal sachets (many of these are for my own closets, fabric stash, etc.) They do contain lavendar, but also whole cloves, thyme, mint, and rosemary. They smell wonderful! I tried out a few decorative stitches on my sewing machine for embellishment, and even broke into my vintage hankie collection for a few of them.

I also did some simple scrapbook pages, easy cookie cutter clay ornaments, pottery for one lucky person, and made a pile of photo notecards. I haven't been able to craft much this year with study and travel, so it has been rather fun to get back into it. The hardest part of Christmas prep remains: cleaning and straightening my house before visitors arrive! I hope your Advent season is going well.

Magical Surprises

2009-12-09T15:14:00.002-06:00

Last Friday, the very unexpected happened: it snowed in Houston. All day long. The flakes here were fat and fluffy, and enough accumulated to turn the yard white. This is a rare gift that I very likely will not see again in my time here. It made me quite happy and very tickled - what a joyful treat!

Today, looking at these pictures, I can't help but think about the unexpected snow as a metaphor for other unexpected good things: the upcoming feast of the Nativity, when God took on human flesh and was born in a manger, for one. I'm also thinking of changes that I've seen in people's lives and how heartwarming it can be. And even some changes in my own life. Spiritually, if you would have told me eleven years ago that I would soon become an Orthodox Christian and spend afternoons like today listening to the Paraklesis service sung by Eikona, I would have not taken you seriously. But God and life can surprise us - just like the snow did a few days ago!

Are you enjoying any unexpected events lately?

Advent Calendar

2009-12-02T07:18:00.003-06:00

We're back from yet another trip, this time to attend the wedding of my husband's sister in Ohio and then to celebrate Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania with our good friends and adorable godchildren. But more on that later! I've admired the envelope-type Advent calendars that I've seen on many craft blogs (the envelopes are often clipped clothespin style to twine along a wall, etc.) and so I decided to whip up a quick one to take to our godkids. It's pretty self-explanatory from the photos, and it was a lot of fun to make. Using a packet of 20 icon cards about the life of Christ as the envelope inserts (available from the Greek Archdiocese website) was a good way to keep the focus on the reason for Christmas. For the other 5 days, I inserted photos of my husband and me and included little notes to the kids. There are countless ways to vary this idea.

I'll be trying to whip up some more Christmas crafts for gifts in the next week or two. Will you be crafting?

Thankful

2009-11-19T15:41:00.002-06:00

{A purple coneflower from my barefooted afternoon shooting flowers in Rapid City in early October}

I find myself thankful for so much these days: the blessing of growth through God's grace, my husband's new job, finishing my master's exam (yay! passed with an A - what a blessing to be finished with it!), our sweet little dog, slightly cooler temps and time to plant some winter annuals and cabbage seedlings in my garden, our fall travels, all of our friends and family who are expecting little ones, finding courage to face my flight fears, and another Thanksgiving upon us.

I hope that you have much to be thankful for this year. I suspect that most of us do, if we just know where to look!

Impressions

2009-11-12T09:30:00.003-06:00

I have been playing with solar print paper this week, trying to capture my ornamental grass before I chop it back to move it to a different part of the yard. I love the way the paper captures the grass so accurately and magically, the process set in motion by the bright sun. Even after the grass is bagged and gone, its delicate seeds will stay with me, captured in blue tones. It's easy to jump from noticing actual physical impressions to thinking about things that have left an impression on my heart, soul, and mind, leaving wispy traces to remain long after the events themselves have occurred. I was reminded of this yesterday at the pottery studio as I was playing catch up on glazing after my absence to study and travel this fall. The staff there uses Pandora to provide our soundtrack. All of a sudden an old Paul Simon song came on, one that I hadn't listened to in many years, and it immediately took me back to high school, when I listened to it often. I suspect music leaves such traces on many of us - along with countless other things in our years.

Capturing any impressions yourself lately?

My October Magnolia

2009-10-27T19:58:00.002-05:00

Pink magnolias bloom in February or March down here, sometimes January. They bloom once a year. I thought I was seeing things last week when I looked out the window and saw a few blossoms on my poor trees. They have seemed rather confused since Hurricane Ike stripped their leaves off several months early a year ago. But then one of my favorite books from childhood came to mind, Leo the Late Bloomer, and I had to smile. My magnolia may be blooming late (or early), but at least it's blooming. And that is pretty spiffy.

{Speaking of children's books, there's another favorite I can't remember the name of. It was about various bugs getting ready for bed with adorable little illustrations. One of the bugs always dropped their shoes on the floor at bedtime. I must have been reading it in the early 80s. Does anyone recognize this?}

Smiling

2009-10-19T13:32:00.003-05:00

I'm taking a break from Analyzing Prose for a few minutes - so many things from my trip to SoDak and from Maine! that I keep thinking about. (We just returned from Maine yesterday; I've survived another flight and handled it ok even though it was quite bumpy at times. Lots and lots of photos from that trip.)

But for now, here are a few things from my time in SD recently that really made me smile. I spent a rushed hour helping a friend harvest all of her tomatoes before the first freeze. This box is only a small part of what we picked; I'm guessing the total was around 40 lbs. I love getting my hands in the dirt and in the garden, so this was a fun treat for me. And they tasted as good as they looked.

My stepsister has acquired a new Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy (along with two goats and two little ponies). Here, he's only 4 months old and 45 pounds! Obviously, he will be huge. He's all legs, and quite a mellow little guy. I loved meeting him, and seeing him try to get the rat terrier to play with him. Makes me want another puppy...

On my last Saturday in Rapid City, my sister, little nephew, and I went down to the first annual Pumpkin Fest. Have you ever seen a 713-pound pumpkin? I can now say that I have! We were suitably impressed. The best part was watching my nephew's excitement at the tractor parade and grinning at one old very authentic farmer who waved at us from his perch.

Something that is not making me smile right now is trying to deal with my mail-order pharmacy, an option that we were forced into by our insurance company. Has anyone else used them? I have had more problems than I can list right now, but it has been a very frustrating experience. Communication issues are only the tip of the iceberg and I now asked to be transferred to the American continent immediately upon connection.

But I'm smiling today because it has finally cooled off in Texas!

What are you smiling about?

My Feet on the Ground

2009-10-07T08:15:00.002-05:00

I was blissed out to spend 9 days at home in the Black Hills and Rapid City. Taking flower photos at the city gardens, I couldn't resist taking off my shoes and going barefoot while I clicked away. The grass up there is so tender, soft, and sweet; my toes were very happy. (I don't dare go barefoot on our rough St Augustine grass full of fire ants in TX!) I had many great little adventures that I hope to share with you later - hikes, fall colors, friends, family, a George Winston concert, a fender bender, pumpkin fest, and more. For now, I should return to my studies! What autumn pleasures have you had lately?

One Year Anniversary of Ike

2009-09-14T09:41:00.004-05:00

I am amazed that a year has passed since we survived Hurricane Ike. Seems like a significant anniversary to note! There has been a lot of news coverage of the rebuilding of Galveston and other coastal areas. Let's hope we make it many more years without another one.

Withered

2009-09-12T09:30:00.005-05:00

I was going to announce an official hiatus today, but realized I may stop in a few times throughout the fall. I am quite overwhelmed with studying for my master's exam while also having scheduled a few trips this fall that are much desired but certainly won't help the studying! I have been trying to limit all other activities that I can, putting off allergy testing and subsequent shots, downsizing volunteer editing projects, stopping pottery classes for the time being. Some of the texts I'm studying for the exam, particularly on style and stylistics in writing, teaching basic writing, and teaching ESL writing, are ancient (40 - 50 years old) and while interesting, I'm not sure they're even that relevant anymore to the field. I considered postponing next week's neighborhood association's craft group activity (which I lead) and waiting to jump back into our writer's group until winter, but the women in both of those groups are so fun and inspiring that I don't want to miss our gatherings. Yesterday I scheduled necessary and helpful tasks, even if they took time away from my studying: tea with a friend that I hadn't seen in two months (I found a new favorite at Barnes & Noble, Harney & Sons Green Tea with Coconut), an appointment at the post office for expedited passports should we go into Canada on an upcoming trip, and a visit to my doctor for sedatives for flights and concentration strategies for studying. I am so blessed to have found this doctor; she has made a huge difference in my life. I've never used exercise videos, but I'm actually enjoying walking at home (more like low impact aerobics) to burn off stress after studying.

I listened to Allison Krauss sing Graceland and Carolina several times last night, dear favorites; it was remarkably soothing. Perhaps significantly, both of these songs speak of travel, yearning, and grace. How did I not realize that until this moment? I am aching to be home in a few weeks for autumn in the Black Hills and time with my family (my sister is in England visiting her in-laws and I really miss our long weekend chats; there is no one else with whom I regularly have 60-90 minute phone calls!) I have to say that things like my master's exam really don't seem all that important when I think about home. (Hubby, unfortunately, will be staying here to work, and has been working lots of weekends, including today, as it's a very busy season.) All my worries and anxieties also seem lessened when I remember volunteering a few hours at a local day shelter the other week, handing out laundry bags and folding clothes for people without homes. It was humbling; I don't let anyone else touch my laundry and I couldn't imagine having to hand all the clothes I own over to a complete stranger to be washed. Perspective helps.

How do you handle stress? Any study tips? Please cross your fingers, keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I study and face my flight phobia! I am looking forward to catching up on your blogs when I can!

Late August Impressions

2009-08-27T08:04:00.002-05:00

There have been things I've wanted to share, but suddenly blogger won't let me copy and paste from Word, as is my usual m.o. for longer posts. Has this happened to you? So I'm just stopping by to share some simple pleasures I've squirreled away this week in between long study sessions. These $6 roses to start with. A late afternoon weekday matinee by myself, much needed escape from the books - Julie & Julia, which left me dreaming about roast chicken and beef stew. Playing with solar print paper in the backyard. Selling some old bookshelves through Craig's List - cash! 99-cent French bread from Whole Foods, toasted with butter - butter nearly rivals chocolate as one of my biggest temptations. Drinking the looseleaf jasmine & vanilla tea that my sister sent me this spring from the little organic grocery in our hometown, nibbling on small squares of dark chocolate with it while I study. Getting my first glazed and fired pieces back from pottery class. A hilarious package from my sister that left me giggling all day. New-to-me books from PaperbackSwap, setting them aside to read once this exam is behind me. Anticipation! Neighborhood children back in school, which makes afternoon shopping much quieter. A sleepy dog, who gives me something cute to look at while I study.

What simple pleasures have you had lately?

A Month of CSA Deliveries

2009-08-15T06:36:00.004-05:00

July 21

July 28

August 5

August 12

In June, we joined what was the only CSA that I could find that delivers to our area. For a city as large as Houston, I was surprised that there aren't more options. I wanted to keep a record of our deliveries to help us decide whether or not to continue with it in the future. The butternut squash has been a favorite, and we had the best peaches I've ever tasted in my life back in June. I will be making more zucchini bread this weekend. But the drought in Texas has really affected the quality of the produce and I'm suspecting that I could make my money go farther by shopping at a farmer's market or even purchasing organic at the grocery. I will share more photos as the months go on. Our deliveries are overnight, so I take the photos around 6 a.m. before I put the produce in the fridge...hence the artificial light!

*Do you belong to a CSA? I'd love to hear your experiences or even see photos of your deliveries!

Back to School Kits

2009-08-09T19:23:00.002-05:00

For several years I've intended to put together school kits to send to IOCC to be distributed to kids around the world who need them. This year, I finally did. The kits averaged about $5.00 per child - the scissors and pencil sharpeners being the bulk of that expense. What you see in the photo is all you need, plus a bag to put it all in. I purchased re-usable shopping bags and used fabric glue to attach three-inch strips of velcro near the top in order to provide the required closure on the bag. I plan to ship the kits at FedEx, which typically has much better rates than the USPost for large packages.

I've also noticed that local charities are collecting school supplies for needy kids as well. This option wouldn't require shipping!

I really believe in not showing off about whatever good deeds we do, but I also wanted to share just how simple it was to do this little project and perhaps challenge you to take advantage of the good sales and help some less fortunate kids begin their school year on the right foot. Please share any other ideas or programs you might know about!

Clues

2009-08-06T17:18:00.004-05:00

Where have I been and what have I been doing? I'm a visual person, so sometimes it's good for me to take photos to remind myself of what's keeping me busy. I've finally started reading for my (extremely overdue) graduate exam in English - at top are just a few of the many books I need to work through in the next couple of months. The biggest challenge has been finding a good place to study. But I am enjoying the topics. (And peeking from underneath the books? The tv guide...there's just something about Texas summers that leaves me listless by the end of the day.)

Speaking of books, I’ve finally joined paperbackswap and wish I would’ve joined ages ago when Mimi first told me about it. Are you there? Do you want to be buddies? My nickname is meadowlarkdays – please look me up!

I’ve also joined postcrossing this summer and received my first batch of international postcards today. It’s a unique project and I’m looking forward to more of it.

I don’t think I’ve even mentioned that I’ve been taking a pottery class (throwing on the wheel) for the last five weeks. My sister made this lovely mug for me for my birthday – isn’t it pretty? None of my current projects have been fired yet, but I do need to dedicate a post to the small hand building projects that I made in May in South Dakota in the class with my sister. She’s the one who inspired me to finally pursue this interest!

Finally, my membership papers for The Letter Writers Alliance arrived today! I love snail mail and am looking forward to exploring the possibilities here.

What new things have you been up to?

Old Fashioned Bread & Butter Pickles

2009-08-05T09:38:00.003-05:00

Old Fashioned Bread & Butter Pickles

3.5 Cups thinly sliced non-waxed cucumbers (Kirby works well, and I love the small Persian cucs in this recipe)
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
1.5 Tablespoon kosher salt

Mix these three ingredients together and then layer with ice and refrigerate overnight (or up to 24 hours.)

The next day, drain water and ice and place veggies in a medium-sized glass jar.

Syrup
Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 3 minutes:
1 Cup white sugar
1 Cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon celery seed

Pour over the veggies in the jar and refrigerate overnight before eating (I let my syrup cool for 5 minutes before pouring over.) Can easily be doubled or tripled if you are not the only pickle eater in your household (as I am.)

Wordless Wednesday: Lemon/Lime

2009-07-29T07:03:00.001-05:00

Found this in my fruit bowl last night - a bit disgusted (especially since it's only a few days old), but then intrigued by the coloring!

Any kitchen surprises for you lately?

My Father-in-Law's Garden

2009-07-27T10:56:00.002-05:00

It has been years since I’d been in Ohio during the summer, so I was delighted to see my father-in-law’s garden in full bloom again. He has turned most of his backyard into flower beds. This time of year the wildflowers predominate, as you can see from these photos. Over the years, he splits his plants and is able to expand his beds in a frugal manner. He composts kitchen scraps to add to the beds. I was inspired by his choices and plan to incorporate some of these flowers into my own garden. I got a little carried away with the salvia in my beds this spring and appreciated the masses of color that these plants offer, as well as their fun shapes and textures.

What gardens inspire you?

Previous favorite garden posts:
Sioux Park Gardens

Ladybug

A Year of Shiloh

2009-07-22T17:03:00.002-05:00

A year ago today, we brought our goofy dog Shiloh home with us. He was eight months old. We met quite a few more of our neighbors taking him out on evening walks and have had a good source of entertainment in the evenings when he races around the house or when he meets his puppy friends for playdates. It was a rough adjustment for my husband, who did not grow up with pets, but he has now become quite fond of the dog and will even pick him up to cuddle and tells me how cute the dog is. I started out saying that Shiloh would not be allowed on the furniture and would not sleep in our bed – and of course, neither of those are now true (although he does usually sleep in his crate.) He adores children and it has been so cute to watch our little nephew, only two, playing with Shiloh. He hasn’t had any accidents in ages, even when visiting new houses, although we are still working on the chewing issues – shoes, pillows, and books are favorites. I love how Shiloh is always happy to see me, full of enthusiasm, affection, and playfulness. I miss him when I’m gone. If you would’ve told me a year ago that I’d be this attached to a dog, I wouldn’t have believed you. But now I believe.

Related posts (with cute photos):

Ten Months Old

Meet Shiloh

Summer Wedding

2009-07-20T21:21:00.002-05:00

We had a little adventure this last weekend, taking off to Cincinnati for my husband’s brother’s wedding. The first and foremost thing for me was dealing with my flight phobia again. I still depend upon sedatives, but it seems like it’s getting a bit easier. I even find myself regretting not flying for seven years – think of all the other places I could have seen and how much more often I could have visited my family in that time! But better late than never.

The wedding was a brilliant celebration, held in a lovely old church which is now the Bell Event Centre. Our new sister-in-law is a delightful young woman. We visited with lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and I even met some of my husband’s relatives for the first time. I ran around taking lots of photos. The food was fantastic, the new-grassy band was a pleasant change from typical wedding music, the bride was beautiful, and the venue spectacular.

We also snuck in a whirlwind tour of the Cincinnati Art Museum. I easily could have spent a few more hours there if time had allowed – a gorgeous old building with a large collection. Visiting these old eastern towns is always such a shock to my western eyes – so many big, old buildings, both beautiful and run-down.

Any weddings for you this summer? Any new sights? Please do share.

Learning

2009-07-07T07:09:00.001-05:00

Hello, e-friends! I’m honored to mention that Shutter Sisters is sharing a little piece by me about South Dakota today. I’d love to share a bit of my home region with you, so please stop by if you’re interested in a quick run-down of the Black Hills!

In Texas, we have had a long stretch of record high temps and no rain. Shiloh the dog requires bribing in order to walk out the back door to do his business; he also is no fan of this weather (and he also does not like to get his feet wet on the dewey grass!) In the past two weeks, I’ve been reminded again, quite strongly, about learning to listen to my body and take care of it. I finally saw an endodontist to check out a back molar that has been sensitive for years; my regular dentist didn’t think a root canal was needed, but the endo took his super x-rays and said, ‘Oh, the nerve is slowly disintegrating and will just get worse and worse. This is probably what has been causing all of the floating pain in your jaw and teeth for the last year.’ It was nice to have an answer, although I am not looking forward to the procedure! I also tend to be pretty slack about the back exercises that my physical therapist gave me over two years ago, but have been paying the price for it the last two weeks with a lumbosacral strain that has largely kept me out of commission. I always vow to be more empathetic with people who are ill and struggling whenever I have these sorts of episodes, so hopefully that will hold true! I finally overcame my modesty and self-consciousness and found a delightful massage therapist who is helping me with the pain. I’ve been amazed that one session with her was more helpful than the muscle relaxants and pain killers that the doctor gave me! I share this not so much to complain, but in the hopes that it might be useful to someone else in the future.

We’ve also joined a CSA and have had two deliveries so far. They are a family business and seem a bit disorganized, but it is fun to see what shows up in our boxes. The eggs they bring (above) are lovely. We’ve also received okra, which has been a good impetus to look for some new recipes, since I’ve never cooked with it before!

Lastly, I’d like to share these lovely photos from my friend B., who as a British ex-pat has traveled much of the world. Her photos will show you gorgeous parts of the world that I suspect many of us can only dream of visiting!

And please tell – what have you been learning lately, about taking care of your body or anything else?

Stories, Written Down

2009-06-20T16:30:00.001-05:00

This May, my aunt asked if I would help her type up and re-organize the handwritten life story of her 88-year-old mother. I was immediately curious and happy to be of assistance. I’ve spent much of the past two weeks typing these pages, piecing memories together that sometimes jumped around from one section to another one. It was fascinating. M. was born in 1921 in Nebraska, lived without indoor plumbing or electricity into her mid-20s, raised eight children of her own while working hard as a farm wife, married a man who was one of 14 children.

Seeing this story written down also makes me think of Facebook and the emails I’ve been exchanging with high school and college classmates about where the last decade has taken them. I still have somewhat mixed feelings about FB; as I mentioned a while ago, the magazine Real Simple had an article about it that spelled out exactly how I feel. I was reluctant to join at first, but I have to admit that I’m enjoying it now, although I have purposefully limited the amount of time I spend looking for old friends. I do find sparks of affection welling up for these people who once shared my life and feel relieved to know where they are, to know that they are doing ok. That said, it is also somewhat disorienting to have so many different slivers of my life coming together on one screen. There’s also the reality that it is impossible for my friends to truly understand who I am now, and likewise for me to know how they’ve changed, without real, face-to-face interaction. FB also stirs up a feeling that I often have, a wish that I could gather everyone I love into one town and not have all my friends and loved ones scattered so far away. It provokes a desire to sit down for coffee in real life with them, rather then sending paragraphs through cyberspace. Having been out of touch for years with most of these people, and now so easily seeing updates on their lives online, also makes me feel as though I’ve stepped into another dimension of reality!

Speaking of stories, I had another birthday last week. These are some of my birthday peonies, which conveniently arrive in groceries right on time. (It’s too hot down here for them to grow.) I need to focus on writing the next chapter in the story of my life, reinterpreting the last chapters, and hopefully making it a story worth reading!

What chapters are you writing right now?

A Rural Secret

2009-06-12T08:24:00.002-05:00

I have a secret. More and more these days I find myself wishing that I was a rancher. Shocking, I know. Who would secretly wish for such a hard lifestyle, up all night in blizzards pulling calves from their momma’s birth canals, hauling hay and water, living in isolation? I’m sure I’m idealizing the lifestyle. But I certainly do admire the personal strength it takes to live like that and envy the strong communities that can evolve in rural life. Echoes of this community filtered into the small church we grew up in. I can’t locate it now, but a recent survey showed that sense of community is much stronger in the Dakotas and other rural states than in more urban areas. Yes, independence and a don’t-tell-me-what-to-do attitude are also strong up there, but I think the sense of community stems from the fact that people really have to rely on each other in such extreme conditions as rural life demands, and this carries over into the town folk as well. A life lived outdoors also seems to have a profound effect on people’s realities. I do know that I have not found the same sense of community anywhere else I’ve lived.

I’ve read several memoirs this spring that have made me think a bit more about this. They include The Perfection of the Morning, Refuge, and A Country Year. I don’t know that I would recommend any of them as great reading, but I enjoyed them because they hit upon topics that I think often about. Refuge was certainly the best written of the group, but it and Perfection did annoyingly get new-agey and earth mother/goddess/wackily eco-feminist at times. I’m gearing up to read the memoir Buffalo for the Broken Heart, by a South Dakota rancher and noted fiction writer, and I suspect it will be the best of the bunch.

So, one morning my sister, stepmom, two-year-old nephew, and I visited Old MacDonald’s Farm in the Black Hills, where I had the time of my life with all the animals, especially the calves and goats. We pass so many herds of cattle and calves on our road trips that it’s always nice to actually be able to touch them up close. My other secret is that I am thinking more and more these days about what it means to eat meat and trying to figure out how to approach it in a healthy, humane manner. Orthodox monastics are vegetarians for a reason!

What are your thoughts on these topics?

Rhubarb Bread and Coffeecake

2009-06-05T09:55:00.004-05:00

Rhubarb grows like a weed up north. My aunt and uncle were happy to give a bunch away to my stepmom and me, so we all picked it one afternoon (well, they picked and I took photos) and then enjoyed iced tea on the front porch. I think I enjoy rhubarb more for the nostalgic reminders of my childhood than anything else. So that evening I chopped up approximately 5 lbs. and froze it to attempt to bring it back to Texas.

Unfortunately, while it did stay cold on the trip, it did thaw. I was advised not to refreeze it, so I tried a few new recipes this week. One was for Rhubarb Bread, seen below, which I enjoyed. I pulled the recipes from my stepmom's box, a treasure of Midwestern classics!

Rhubarb Bread

1 ½ C brown sugar
2/3 C oil (I used 2/3 C applesauce + 1 Tbsp oil instead)
1 egg
1 C sour milk (just add 1 Tbsp of vinegar to milk) or buttermilk
1/2 tsp salt
½ C nuts (I used more)
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 ½ C flour
1 ½ C chopped rhubarb

Mix all together (dry first, then add wet, then add nuts and rhubarb.) Put in two greased loaf pans. If desired, top with ½ C sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon, and 1 T melted butter. Cook at 325 for 40 – 60 minutes. Very moist and yummy.

I also combined two recipes to try out Rhubarb Coffee Cake.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

1 ½ C brown sugar
1 egg
1 C sour milk or buttermilk
1 tsp soda
¼ tsp salt
½ or more C walnuts
½ C shortening
2 ½ C flour
1 tsp vanilla
2 C rhubarb
Cinnamon if desired
Mix dry ingredients, form a well, and add wet. Or just mix it all together at once!

Top or swirl into batter mixture of:
½ C white sugar
½ C brown sugar
½ C walnuts
2 T melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Bake 350 for 40 – 45 minutes. Very sweet! Can probably reduce topping sugar if you want.

A Robin Family

2009-06-04T09:46:00.002-05:00

Robins are one of my favorite birds, mainly for their cheerful songs, which I love to wake up to when I stay up north, but also for the cheerful way they bob through the grass. A pair choose to make a nest on a ladder hanging on my dad's fence this spring. We waited eagerly for a few weeks while Mama Robin sat on the eggs. (I'd hoped to get a photo of the eggs, but there was no way they'd let me get close enough.) Just a few days before my time in South Dakota came to an end, they finally hatched. Their little mohawks of fuzz are pretty cute! I did feel a bit guilty about disturbing them, and Daddy Robin made a valiant defense of his babies, even hitting my hat once or twice. That's him in the third and fifth photos as he chased me around the corner of the house. Their nesting site seemed rather exposed, but hopefully a few babies will survive. I was so thrilled to see this little family. Any nesting going on in your neighborhood?

What Remains

2009-06-02T08:10:00.002-05:00

I am back from another jam-packed month of May in South Dakota, my mind full of memories and experiences that I’m still processing. It’s hard to decide what to share first, but today’s Shutter Sister topic helped make up my mind. They ask, “Share with us wonder and questions and eyes bigger than ordinary. Share with us faith and unfaith and how it looks to wonder what happens next.”

And so, I share with you lilac photos. These are not just any lilac photos, however. These are lilacs that survived a massive flood in Rapid City in 1972, one that killed almost 300 people and swept away the very homes around which the lilacs grew. Fortunately, my parents were out of town on their honeymoon that week when their little rental home near the river was destroyed. These five lilac bushes stand evenly spaced in a large field near a city park, steadfastly hanging on and continuing to grow decades after they were planted. That they survived amazes me. Apple trees can also be found nearby, and in other parks, poppies sprout year after year along the river where gardens were once nurtured. In their own way, the lilacs and poppies stand as memorials to the lives that were lost, blooming each year near the flood’s anniversary.

And so, I wonder what parts of you and me hang on and survive after change, whether good or bad. I wonder what parts of us tenaciously remain rooted in our souls, even when much around us changes, even when our very selves are changed through the floods and feasts of life. It’s something I’m still thinking about.

I suspect the lilacs will be around for many more decades.

Happy May Day 2009

2009-05-01T10:51:00.002-05:00

Happy May Day, all! I'd love to leave a little basket of candy or a small nosegay on your front door! Since I can't, consider this my May Day surprise for you. Our garden seems to be doing well so far.

It has been a rather frantic week, anticipating our big road trip to SD and trying to prepare and pack for my month up there. We are taking Shiloh the dog along with us; I am a little nervous about him escaping! But I am so happy to be going home again to spend time with my family and friends, take lots of walks and hikes, and visit my favorite little restaurants. I am not sure how often I'll be around, but I hope you have a wonderful month of May!

A year ago: May blizzard in South Dakota, May Day

Mockingbird Update

2009-04-29T17:54:00.003-05:00

I am so happy to tell you that the two baby mockingbirds that I saved from the neighbor's cat early Pascha morning are alive and thriving! They've nearly doubled in size in the 10 days since I held one in my hand. They fly pretty well, if a bit clumsily, and they are beginning to feed themselves. They still shriek a lot for their parents' attention, and flutter their wings energetically when food arrives. Today all four of the bird family were quite upset when the red squirrel made his occasional appearance. The parents took turns divebombing the squirrel while the babies sat in the tree and squawked. It was quite amusing.

Recent Paper Crafts

2009-04-25T16:05:00.002-05:00

I don't have much to say today, but I thought I'd share a few more projects. I hadn't rubberstamped in a while, but the neighborhood craft group wanted to learn some techniques, so I designed some simple cards for them to copy. It was fun!

Also some scrapbook layouts of winter events - it's really hard to photograph a layout!

This layout was inspired by one of Ali Edwards'.

Pascha Morning

2009-04-22T15:31:00.000-05:00

I’m always thankful for Orthodox Holy Week and Pascha (aka Easter; Pascha is the Greek translation of the Hebrew pesach; both mean Passover, which is so appropriate). Amazingly, we have passed through them already, after our journey through Lent. I am thankful for the quietness of Holy Week and the opportunity to focus particularly on the foundation of our faith; I am thankful for the exuberant joy of Pascha as we celebrate the Feast of Feasts, the Resurrection of our Lord, the harrowing of Hell. Pascha is the only night of the year where I’ll stay up until 4 a.m., celebrating the Liturgy and then a potluck with our church family. It is a joyous time.

Early Pascha morning, I found myself chasing off death in the form of the neighbor’s black cat, who’d ventured into our yard to try to rob the mockingbird nest. I was awoken by the cat screeching as the parent birds showed their anger, so I quickly dressed and ran outside in the dark to chase the cat off. With a flashlight, I spent the next 45 minutes looking for the baby birds. I am happy to report that I found them, darling little fledglings who were not quite ready to fly but close to it. I held one in my hand after I caught him; he gazed at me with his dark eyes with solemnity, his beak and legs much larger than I’d expected. In fact, his little feet wrapped tightly around my fingers. It was quite touching. I put him back in the nest, which was built in our lovely jasmine vines right near the bedroom windows. The other one escaped me and ran into the thick nandina bushes. They peeped their pitiful distress calls and cried all morning, and eventually their parents started feeding them again. I even called a wildlife refuge center in case we needed to take them in. I humbled myself the next day by walking into a dog salon and asking for a bag of dog hair to spread along my fence line to keep the cats out. They seemed to think it would work. My own dog endured many hits in his rear end from the adult birds; it was actually very funny to see his surprise and shock each time; of course he was not injured. I am so happy to report that the baby birds are now up in the trees, not adept fliers but at least gaining competence. So far, the story has a happy ending.

Sewing

2009-04-18T19:22:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share a few of the projects that I've worked on in the last month or so. Sewing still remains rather frustrating to me and at times I continue to wonder why I torture myself so! First is a tote bag adapated from Last Minute Patchwork & Quilted Gifts. I made three of these, two for gifts. My attempts to attach snaps with my Crop A Dile were not successful, so I just sewed some ribbon inside the top in order provide a way to close the bag.

My little nephew up north recently celebrated a birthday and I sewed two owls for him, adapted from some free patterns on the web. Apparently he has joined the owl craze that is sweeping the nation.

And lastly, I took a binding class at a local quilt shop a few weeks ago and started out small with potholders, also gifts. I really don't like to bind, but it's nice to finally know how to do it!

Any projects you'd like to share?

One Year Blog Anniversary

2009-04-07T11:00:00.005-05:00

Today is the one year anniversary of my blog. The year has passed quickly. To celebrate, I'm having a little giveaway of handmade notecards. Leave a comment before Friday at midnight Central and I will select a winner. I want to spread the love, so previous winners, unfortunately, are not eligible! Thank you so much to those of you who have become blog friends and who stop to read my little musings. I'd also love to do a little de-lurking, so if you are a reader but haven't commented yet, please say hello! I'd love to hear from you.

Here is my very first post, explaining the reason for my blog and its name:

So, why ‘Meadowlark Days’? To put it simply, the call of a Western meadowlark is one of the most joyful things I know. Their exuberant song echoing across a short grass prairie always grabs my heart and raises childhood memories of long days exploring outdoors, examining stones, flowers, and branches as I ambled in the fields near our house. The meadowlark’s song is a thing of beauty and inspiration; I hope to use this blog to prod myself to remember to notice the small bits of beauty, joy, and wonder around me and to remind myself to explore with as much abandon as when I was a young girl. A day when I hear a meadowlark’s call is a good day. I hope you will join me on this journey and share your explorations as well!

Another favorite early post.

UPDATE: Pres. Kathy, you're the winner!

Here are your random numbers:1
Timestamp: 2009-04-13 18:38:29 UTC

A Nosegay for You

2009-03-29T17:02:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share some of the beautiful little moments that have come my way lately.

First of all – ranunculus for sale at the grocery store! I tried valiantly to grow ranunculus in Bakersfield, and would have succeeded were it not for the creepy beetles who came along and ate all the blossoms at their peak. I don’t often purchase flowers, but these reminded me of peonies. I love their curly stems.

A beautiful wee tabby at one of the garden centers we visited this week. She was curled up on a shelf on one of the displays and was quite hidden, but was more than happy to accept a chin rub. Don’t you love it when businesses have resident pets?

Phone calls with my sister, one in particular on a snow day when the entire town was closed in. And another one this afternoon. I always enjoy our chats.

An e-mail from a friend that I hadn’t heard from in a few years, informing me of the birth of her third baby and the pending adoption of another foster child. I am blessed to know there are people like her out there. And she’s still several years away from age 30!

A small quilt binding class. Binding has been my last hold-out. I need to practice, but at least I (sort of) know how.

A delicious cool front that came in Friday night, just before our big day of yard work. It made our work much easier. There’s something so gratifying about physical work.

Beautiful, meditative Liturgies at church, especially Presanctified Liturgy and Adoration of the Cross. These services, for me, have so embodied the often-quoted story about the ambassadors sent to learn about Orthodoxy who reported back that ‘they knew not whether they were in heaven or in earth’ during the Liturgy. My mind often wanders during services – how easily I lose my focus – but there are also profoundly beautiful moments.

Preparing a small birthday gift for my husband’s 87-year-old grandma. I love sending mail to elderly people.

No, it’s not all sunshine and roses around here, but small moments mean a lot to me. What blessings, big or small, have come your way lately?

Garden Update

2009-03-28T21:20:00.000-05:00

My appearances here are becoming less and less! This isn’t intentional, just a side effect, I suppose, of having lots to do. We’ve been putting quite a bit of time into the garden, and I’ve also been hidden away working on a personal essay for a writing workshop I’m in.

Little by little, we’ve been doing a lot in the garden. Last weekend I planted quite a few herbs and some new flowers in my main bed, which has the advantage of its soil already being amended and improved. Trying to garden with a young dog at my heels was quite entertaining! He would grab small pots and run off with them, bite flowers off of plants, and eat the herbs. He was being silly, and he knew it.

We’ve also been working on putting in a new flower garden in the big empty spot where we lost a nice tree in Hurricane Ike last September. After I tried to plant a few things there, I realized the soil desperately needed to be amended before much more went in the ground. So my lucky husband has been digging in countless bags of peat moss and potting soil the past two days! Bless his heart. I laid twenty bags of mulch while he was working on that, and suspect that I will be hard-pressed to move tomorrow as a result.

The best part is that I did put new plants into the amended bed, digging them in this afternoon. I’m quite excited about this and hope that everything thrives and does well! If it does, I will share pictures. We still have work to do, but I think the worst of it is over.

What home and garden projects have you been working on?

Domestic Scenes

2009-03-19T19:47:00.007-05:00

I'm afraid I haven't been around in blogland much lately. I have finally been pressured into joining the dreaded facebook, and have been familiarizing myself with it. Real Simple magazine had a good article in April's issue that clearly stated a lot of my thoughts about fb. I will have to share that in another post!

But I wanted to share a few domestic scenes with you this week. I finally made my first batch of refrigerator pickles, a favorite from childhood, made by my mom. When I stumbled upon some Kirby cucumbers, I just knew I had to make them. I used this recipe, modified somewhat. They were good, but I'll tweak them a bit next time. It was rather exciting to make them, though! (It doesn't take much to make my day.)

I've also managed to do some stash busting this week, and used up 12 yards of flannel that I'd had for several years to sew baby blankets for a donation drive at church. They're so easy: 36-inch squares of two different fabrics, sewn together inside out, turned rightside out, and then topstitched around the edges. Yes, perhaps they're not traditional baby blanket colors, but they're warm and I'm thrilled to find a use for that flannel! They will go to an orphanage/day care center in Romania; it's a little humbling to think my quickly whipped out blankets might be used to wrap up little babies in need of so much. I wish I could offer so much more.

And, I rather liked the way these daffodils looked after they'd dried up in the vase. They were from my garden. A few more are blooming, but they're almost done. A friend also split some of her perennials to share with me this week, which was exciting gardening news (thanks again!). She brought her border collie to play chase with my pup in the backyard; what fun to watch them race around!

Have you tried any new recipes? Enjoyed any spring flowers?

Re-seeding

2009-03-13T10:38:00.003-05:00

I'm luxuriating in what will likely be the last truly cool days here until next December. The rain has returned, badly needed. There have been bits of beauty in the last few weeks: my red salvia after being watered, lovely blossoms at the Japanese Garden. The red salvia have even re-seeded themselves, which is quite exciting to a beginning gardener like myself! They're popping up all over and will look lovely once they grow. I spent a lot of time weeding this week and made enough progress to be able to plant a few things in the big empty spot where we lost a tree in the hurricane last fall. I will be relying heavily on salvias because they do so well here, and there are many varieties of them. The weeding was rewarding; there's something exhilarating about hard work. I've also planted a few varieties of thyme along the front walk, not so much for herbal use as for groundcover and a nice scent. I hope they do well.

Speaking of the salvias re-seeding, wouldn't it be nice if our energy and creativity just re-seeded themselves as easily as the salvias do? After our fourth (and last) round of week-long houseguests in two months, I find myself a bit at odd ends, procrastinating on all the things I need to do, even the fun things. But at least I could bring myself to pull weeds!

What are you up to?

Saturday in Galveston

2009-03-11T06:33:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday: My first time back to Galveston since Hurricane Ike. Photos by my husband. They were hauling sand onto the beaches, repairing the sails on the historic Elissa. Cruise ships were taking off, part of Moody Gardens was still closed. A rogue wave hit me and soaked me pretty well. A sunny day touring with our visiting family.

In the Details

2009-03-05T21:24:00.004-06:00

It may be a cliche, but I never cease to wonder at the exquisite detail in the natural world all around us. The complexity and beauty of even a small flower or mushroom is noteworthy. I've heard atheist professors openly admit that the intricacies of the human body are the biggest challenge to their disbelief: How do our arms know to grow to the same length in the womb? How are our amazing, complex eyes created so perfectly, essentially little cameras in our heads? I think this detail in nature is partly why I love the Psalms so much - so many of them delineate God as He is revealed in nature. The Psalms are on my mind especially now that Lent has begun and I'm reading/praying a chunk of them daily. A group of twenty women around the country are rotating through the Kathismas (ah, the internet); between all of us, the Psalms are prayed in their entirety every day. Knowing that I'm responsible to fulfill my portion keeps me motivated to keep with it daily. Having gone through most of Christ in the Psalms last year, I also find myself seeing Christ revealed in the Psalms so much more than I did before. It's really quite striking. I also remember what Kathleen Norris wrote in Acedia & me. She continually referenced the psalms and noted that the desert fathers and mothers considered praying of the psalms to be essential for overcoming acedia. I appreciated this insight.

On another note, I'm expecting more houseguests tomorrow! If you're interested, there will be a small post from me on 40 Maxims (see side bar) on March 7.

Fifth Photo Tagged

2009-03-03T19:15:00.004-06:00

I was tagged by Martha to open my fifth photo folder and post the fifth photo in that folder. This photo is from my sister's wedding in 2005. My husband is escorting my dear Grandma Helen to her seat. The wedding was held outdoors, overlooking beautiful Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. This photo is bittersweet. The wedding and the weeks leading up to it were delightful and full of celebrations - the bridal shower, a small bachelorette party that involved a surprise limo ride through the Black Hills and a stop for dinner at our favorite restaurant in Hill City, an authentic British tea for the ladies in the backyard a day or two beforehand, and a rehearsal dinner at a local park with our favorite Chinese restaurant catering. One of our good friends and I shared matron of honor duties. Another good friend was the impromptu coordinator and later stayed in our cabin, snoring all night - although we were all too wound up to sleep well anyway! The bitter part is that Grandma passed away less than a month later. We four granddaughters (my sis, our cousins, and I) were all very fond of her and she is still deeply missed. But I rejoice that she was able to be there for all four of our weddings and that I was able to see her again that summer and see how excited she was about my sister's wedding.
If you want to play along, consider yourself tagged.

{Crafting it Forward}

2009-03-02T18:50:00.001-06:00

The always creative Martha posted a giveaway on her blog this weekend. As I was one of the first three to comment, I am hereby {crafting it forward} on my own blog.

So, the guidelines: The first three people to comment on this post will receive a handmade gift from me! There’s a twist, though – winners must post this giveaway on their own blog, and then create something handmade for the first three commenters as well. You have 30 days to make and send your handmade goodies, any price range, anything you decide to make. I think it will be fun.

I’m so eager to see who will post! And if you know me, you can probably guess that I may just go ahead and make cards for you! Perhaps I’ll let the winners pick their favorite images from my blogs…we’ll see!

Earth and Sky

2009-02-28T18:59:00.003-06:00

Hello! It seems I am turning into a weekly blogger. It was a mix of lovely and not-so-lovely moments this week. The lovely moments included a visit with a friend at the park on a breezy morning, a hot bath with a few drops of lavender and eucalyptus oil, reading the fifth Isabel Dalhousie novel on the sofa with my dog napping nearby, some new goodies from Central Market (8-grain hot cereal, anyone?), our first visits to a local arboretum and a local plant nursery. The not-so-lovely moments were mostly my feeling crabby at the warm temps and returning allergy season, mental exhaustion after having an essay critiqued, a return of restless sleep, feeling overwhelmed at the mere thought of trying to change my eating habits (and that’s not even considering that Lent is nearly upon us!) But really, I suppose the good outweigh the bad in this case, don’t they?

I was so excited to spot these turtles sunbathing at the arboretum. I imagine them as good friends or extended family, pulling up onto the log for some turtle gossip and camaraderie. I almost feel a bit lonely looking at their cozy little community here! A frog also jumped right into my path and patiently posed for a photo.

Also at the arboretum: These purple shamrocks are all over town at the moment, and I’ve spotted the orange berries in a few places. I couldn’t resist adding a few more leaf shots to my 100 Leaves Project. My next post will likely include a few more arboretum shots.

How about you? Lovely moments this week? Not so lovely? Please do share.

A Week of Delights

2009-02-20T16:03:00.001-06:00

I had a delightful visit with my sister and little nephew. Some of our highlights:

Smiles at how well my nephew (almost two) and my young dog played together and hung out. They were well matched, although the dog did gnaw up my nephew’s little shoes when we left them in the kitchen. Fetch, tug of war, even bedtime kisses for each other.

Cooking coconut Indian chicken, trying a great new Greek chicken recipe, making cream of asparagus soup from the Moosewood Cookbook, and other food. Delicious Valentine’s Day cookies made by my sister.

Taking a crash course in Elmo’s World.

Smiling at seeing my nephew’s reactions to the animals on his first trip to a zoo.

A wonderfully lazy day walking to the park, playing at the playground, and relaxing in the backyard drinking vanilla jasmine tea and eating sonpapdi, a sweet and flaky Indian dessert.

Attending my first Weight Watchers meeting. I am still trying to get my head around learning to eat in a healthier manner. My sister has done so well that I’m inspired.

Finally getting a chance to shoot photos of the elusive turtles at the pond (above.)

Chatting and hanging out with my sister! My husband kindly babysat so we could go shopping and to a movie, in addition to our time at home.

Witnessing my nephew’s cute little personality, hearing his cute little voice, seeing him learn new words, and teaching him funny things to say. (“I’m sooo cute!”) Seeing what a great job my sister and BIL are doing with their son.

I felt so blessed to have them come down, as well as refreshed and inspired.

How was your week?

Happy Valentine's Day; Memory Eternal

2009-02-13T16:41:00.003-06:00

Great Aunt Marion

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Here’s a peek at some of my crafting, as well as at a little bouquet for my sister’s arrival. Our redbuds are just beginning to bloom; these are the only branches I could reach to snip. I’m so excited for her visit with my little nephew. We’ve had more out-of-town visitors than usual the last few months, and we’re really enjoying it. Of course, it does mean that I’m fairly absent on my own blog, as well as yours! I do miss keeping up with all of you.

This little bouquet is also serving as a small memorial of sorts. Late last night we found out that my Great Aunt Marion passed away (sister of my grandma and Uncle Louis). She became rather reclusive in the last decade or so, but I have very fond memories of visiting her in the tiny North Dakota town where she lived. She had a large old house; mourning doves were always cooing in the cottonwoods and elms outside. We didn’t have mourning doves in western South Dakota, so their sound was novel and new to me. It is a sound I will forever associate with peaceful visits to my family. Like her siblings, she was a character. Also like her siblings, she didn’t talk much about things that happened in the family many years ago, leaving many of us in the dark about things we’d really like to know more about. I’m mourning her passing. I can still hear her sweet voice with its heavy northern accent, see her sitting on her porch with a cigarette. I’m also mourning the family history that was lost with her. Lives are such mysteries to me. For how complex and rich our lives are, so often what I know about my older relatives can be summarized into a single paragraph. This seems like such an injustice to who they must have been. I wish there was a better way to hold onto the essence of who our loved ones were. For all the photographs and memories we have, they still fall short of capturing who the person completely was. No doubt this is at least a small reason for the pain of death.

Birthday Visitors

2009-02-06T14:05:00.002-06:00

We were blessed by a visit from some old dear friends and our three little godchildren this last week. We celebrated all of the kids' birthdays. To their delight, they had a chance to decorate their own cakes. Blowing up balloons also proved to be quite entertaining - or rather, blowing them up and then letting them fly around the room as the air escaped! We were able to attend Liturgy together, play at the park a few times, make parachutes out of garbage bags to toss off the landing (Transformers in tow), play silly games, and make block towers. I always have a renewed appreciation for mothers after our visits and their daily disciplines of feeding, cleaning, and caring for their kiddos. And of course, our gratitude to be these children's godparents is even more strengthened by our time with them. They have blessed and charmed us with their little ways.

We also visited a railroad museum, where a friendly, grandmotherly guide made our visit just perfect for little boys.

A trip to the zoo was also in order, although most of us were recovering from stomach bugs! My favorite part was visiting the goats and scratching their necks. They were pretty sleepy!

Any birthday memories? Zoo memories?

Noticing

2009-01-27T15:39:00.003-06:00

Aloe vera blossoms taken in my backyard last week. The former owner of this house must have planted a house plant she'd grown tired of. The aloe is located all by itself in an odd corner, but it grows well and blooms like this a couple of times a year.

I am stalling today, slowly avoiding doing the things I know I need to do. It is warm here in Texas, and at 90% humidity. This makes me a little crabby. Updating my address book just now, I am reminded of a few small gestures that seemed to mean more to the recipients than I anticipated. I want to remember these, to remember that something that seems small to me can mean so much to someone I’m thinking of. In one instance, I wrote a Christmas card/thank-you note to the woman who volunteers as the bookstore coordinator at our church. She left a very warm, touching voicemail for me later that day thanking me. It stopped me in my tracks and made me wish I’d done more than just give her a card: perhaps brought in something baked or a gift certificate. Likewise, I took a loaf of banana bread to a woman in our neighborhood who keeps our phone list updated. Again, I later found an extremely warm, grateful voicemail from her. Their thankfulness was so touching to me and was almost humbling; I felt that my little gestures did not deserve such thanks. But it was also affirming and reminded me that it is worth it to do little things. So often it seems that most people don’t notice small courtesies or bother to really listen to each other, but moments like these remind me that it’s worth it to strive to let others know that we appreciate them, even if it’s just sending them a card. To me, a big part of Christianity is stopping to notice others for real, not with just a passing glance, to listen to them and acknowledge their presence by being fully present myself. Of course, this is sometimes easier said than done, depending upon how tired, preoccupied, or stressed out I am.

Have you found yourself in either the giving or receiving end in these sorts of situations? I’d love to hear.

A Few More Sewing Projects

2009-01-24T08:30:00.003-06:00

Some of you asked for photos of what I've been sewing. Top is a simple curtain for our closet, made from an old sheet. I topstitched some green ribbon near the bottom. I love the way the light plays through it. (I've also sewn some other simple curtains, but these are the most photo-worthy!) I also sewed six simple envelope pillow covers for the sofa pillows, using redtag decorator-weight fabric from Joann's. I'd never done this before, and it was easier and more rewarding than I expected. What projects are you working on?

Valentine's Day ATC Swap

2009-01-21T19:30:00.005-06:00

Would anyone like to participate in a Valentine's themed ATC swap? Depending upon how many people are interested, I'd like to have each of us create one ATC for everyone in the group. If there's a large interest, I'll split us up into smaller groups. No rules other than that the ATC be Valentine related and standard ATC size (see link above). Any media of your choice - rubber stamps, photos, collage, etc. Please leave a comment if you're interested and a way for me to contact you. I'll leave sign-up open until (comments now closed). After that, ATCs should be mailed to me before February 6, along with a SASE. I'll then gather them together and mail them out, hopefully right in time for February 14! Updated: We now have ten so I'm going to close comments so we can get started on our ATCs!

A Clear, Cool Day

2009-01-18T10:17:00.002-06:00

Clear, cool days have been somewhat rare this winter in Texas, but last week we had several of them. I hadn't been photographing much and had been feeling uninspired, but I was so glad I came out in the middle afternoon to see what the sun was doing in the yard. I captured a bit of peace that afternoon, that old sense of well-being that comes from being outdoors on a nice day. I loved how the magnolia leaves were catching the angle of the sun, as well as the sweet potato leaf below. There are mysterious little flowers growing in my garden that I didn't plant; they are only about two inches tall (second picture.) I have never seen them before. I don't think they're weeds. My daffodils are beginning to push their way out of the ground, and it won't be long before the Bradford pear has leaves again. My dog was happily chewing on sticks while I was out, and the goldfinches were chattering in the treetops, waiting for me to leave so they could return to the feeders I've put out. It's been so fun watching them and the other birds back there - always a bevy of mourning doves, a lone mockingbird, a jay or two, a few sparrows, sometimes a wren, occasionally ma and pa cardinal, and the finches. This half hour in the yard was definitely a gift. It's nice to look back on these pictures while I'm sick this weekend and spending most of my time dozing on the sofa...

Rejection

2009-01-15T15:25:00.004-06:00

Last week I received a kind rejection letter, likely the first of many. It read, "Although we will not be publishing your essay, we wanted you to know that we found much to appreciate in it. Several staff members mentioned the beauty of the language as well as the apt and colorful descriptions of landscape. I thought the last collection, the tops-of-trees items, was a very poignant one - a great end to an essay that shows how collections reveal the collector's life. Please do try us again." While I was grateful for the compliments, I also would have liked some constructive criticism and more input as to why they were not publishing it. Perhaps, as my husband said, it just didn't fit in with the other essays they'd already selected, or perhaps it was too similar to ones they already had. Or perhaps they were looking for something entirely different. At any rate, it was nice to at least hear back from them! The little writing I've done has taught me that writing is so much like visual or musical art - a continual process of working toward balance and good design, a strong composition, tweaking fine points.

Speaking of rejection, Frederica Mathewes-Green recently published this essay on consumerism. I found the last half particularly useful. It also made me feel a bit better about my mind-numbing hours of sewing lately, although it also confirmed the emotions I've had while shopping too much as of late as well. Do you have any good resources for overcoming the consumeristic drive?

Photos: Our Bradford pear in winter, my sweet potato vine (part of 100 Leaves Project) the day before the frost got it this week.

Sewing Projects

2009-01-12T19:39:00.004-06:00

As promised, here are a few photos of New Year's sewing projects. Top is the Amy Butler Frenchy bag, middle is a tote bag adapted from this book, and bottom is the owl linked below. I know some of you are much more advanced seamstresses than I am, so please overlook the wobbly bottom on my Abraham Owl and any other flaws you might spot! We also made a Dorset bag out of a pretty dinner napkin (with a zipper instead of drawstring). For some reason, I continue to torment myself, sewing several simple curtains from vintage thrifted sheets and making my first easy pillow covers this week. Truth be told, I don't particularly enjoy sewing (and that's putting it mildly!), but I do like being able to make things and update corners of the house. I did break down this evening, though, and tried out Stitch Witchery to hem the most recent set of window toppers. It's refreshingly easy and quick! Do you sew? Do you like it?

ps - All of this sewing has kept me away from the web - I miss all of your blogs and hope to make my visits to you very soon!

The First Days of 2009

2009-01-09T19:39:00.002-06:00

My husband's parents have come and gone. His father left us several foil-wrapped packages of hilloo in the freezer (a Middle Eastern dessert made of farina, walnuts, butter, and sugar), as well as a lovely new fence gate and rebuilt fence section, faucets that no longer drip, a front door that doesn't stick as badly, and a bathroom door with a mended hole. His mother left me with a completed Amy Butler bag, two zippered pouches, a simple tote bag, a completed Abraham Owl, and refreshed embroidery skills - all projects I'd been wanting to tackle, but not on my own without guidance! I've made a lovely dent in my sewing projects with her instruction. I've even been inspired to start sewing curtains for various windows since their departure. I will share pictures soon!

It was cozy to have family in the house. I liked going to bed at night and still hearing muted conversation coming from the kitchen and living room, still seeing light glow under the door. It made me feel young again, nestled back with my own family or rooming with friends in college, where there was more activity than my quiet husband and I generally have going on in our house. Sitting down to real dinners every night was also nice. I did cook them all myself, but they were more balanced and complete than I usually prepare, and sharing them together as a group also felt cozy.

Who did you spend your holidays with?

Blue jellyfish photo by my husband from their daytrip to the Gulf Coast. I stayed home to sew, but I wish I would've seen those jellies! Top photo is my FIL making hilloo.

Tagged

2009-01-05T19:33:00.001-06:00

A while ago, Martha tagged me to share seven random things about myself. KatCollects also tagged me for six things, so I’m combining them. With no further ado, here goes:

My first job was at Burger King when I was 15. It lasted for three days before I fortunately got a job clearing logging slash and thistles at Mt. Rushmore, which was a much better option. I worked for the forest service the next two summers as well – it was delightful.

I love the sound of wind blowing around the house. There is nothing like wind to remind me of South Dakota.

One of my favorite albums is Hymns of Paradise, the Orthodox Christian funeral liturgy, chanted by Fr. Apostolos Hill. It is peaceful.

I don’t wear makeup or bother with my hair. I tried for awhile in junior high, but I was never successful and finally gave up! But I do end up feeling like I don’t fit in sometimes as a result.

I have one delightful sister. I always wished that I had more. So I am thankful for my close gal friends!

Sometimes when I go to bed, I remember how cozy it was to stay over at my grandma’s and imagine sleeping in her guest room on a snowy night. Or I imagine walking along Cannon Beach, Oregon, where I had a summer job, as I drift off. On those nights, I often dream about finding massive sea shells.

I enjoy people, but I need lots of quiet time to recharge. My days really are quite quiet.

If you’re reading this and want to join in, please consider yourself tagged!

Happy New Year

2008-12-29T20:27:00.003-06:00

Just popping in to say hello! I hope everyone had a delightful, peaceful Christmas. Ours certainly was. I had a lot that I wanted to share today, but I've been cleaning all weekend, buying groceries, etc., in preparation for my in-laws' arrival tonight from Ohio, and I find myself a bit brain-drained! I will mention, though, that I've finally made a good dent in Acedia & Me by Kathleen Norris. (excerpt here) (In case you are not familiar with her, she had several books on the bestseller lists a decade or so ago, mostly dealing with religion and, a personal favorite topic of mine, living in western South Dakota.) Acedia & Me was a bit slow to get into, but now I'm finding myself absolutely fascinated by the connections she's making between acedia and so many of the issues in our society. I'm sure there are other interviews out there, but you can find one here. I'm marking lines on nearly every page and will likely read it again soon so I can more fully grasp the concepts. So much of what she writes is resonating with me, although she does write from a somewhat different tradition of Christianity than I am in.

I was blessed with many thoughtful gifts this Christmas. One I want to mention for my Orthodox friends is Mary the Mother of God: Sermons by Saint Gregory Palamas, edited by Christopher Veniamin and available from Mount Thabor Publishing at St. Tikhon's Monastery. I began this book this summer while visiting friends (who subsequently sent it and two other books from the series for my gift!) and found it insightful, entralling, and well translated/edited. I am eager to complete the book and the other ones that came with it. I read so much fiction this fall that I decided to force myself to return to non-fiction for a time.

I will be back next week with more photos and more to share. I wish all of you a wonderful beginning to 2009!

Christmas Eve Day

2008-12-24T08:07:00.002-06:00

It's Christmas Eve Day! Warm wishes for a peaceful evening as you celebrate tonight.

Early Christmas Getaway to Hill Country

2008-12-22T06:49:00.003-06:00

We hadn't done anything in Texas all year, so when we finally had enough time to sneak away to Hill Country this weekend, we went for it. I know many of you are freezing right now, but on Saturday we were hiking this Western trail full of prickly pear in Colorado Bend State Park, which gets a whopping 56,000 visitors per year. It was 80 degrees and the sun was hot. Too warm for me, especially in late December - St. Nick, send some snow my way!

Our dry, hot hike led to these lovely little falls nearby the Colorado River.

For many years I yearned to be a park ranger. This hat reminds me of the one that Curious George's caretaker wears! In case it's not obvious, I believe in sun protection.

We stopped at the beautiful Inks Lake State Park on our drive back to the cabin. I quite contentedly sat at the water's edge and tossed leaves in the lake for half an hour.

Such a beautiful sunset leaving the lake.

It got even more beautiful by the time it reached its peak.

We stopped in the quaint town of Wimberley on the drive back, where I found some affordable little treasures. I brought all of our Christmas albums along for the drive for some holiday cheer. We will have a quiet Christmas, so this was a fun prelude to the holiday. Please do share your adventures this week, whether you're traveling for Christmas or not!

All photos by my husband, other than the leaf.

And the winner is...

2008-12-22T06:19:00.003-06:00

Michelle from Our Little Monkeys! I will be in touch with you.

I wish I would have been able to send something to all of you! I'll have to have more giveaways in the future. I loved reading all of your travel memories - you are some adventurous women! My exploits have been limited to America, with brief border crossings into Canada and Mexico, but now that I'm flying again, perhaps I can remedy that. I look forward to hearing more about everyone's travels, near and far, on your blogs in the future. Thanks for your comments on my blog - I enjoy them!

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:8
Timestamp: 2008-12-22 12:18:42

Christmas Crafting: Beaded Jewelry

2008-12-18T16:41:00.003-06:00

A peek at some of the necklaces, bracelets, and earrings that I mailed off for Christmas (I'd mailed others before taking this photo.) A simple gift idea, just stringing and crimping! I don't wear much jewelry, but am drawn to natural mineral beads for their beauty: jade, aventurine, freshwater pearls, tiger eye, many types of agates, quartz, and more. I would have kept going but I ran out of wire! As you can see at my work table, I'm also rather messy! But I'm also oddly organized in some ways...How are your Christmas plans coming along?

Thanks, Amy Ruppel (Or, Meet the Owls)

2008-12-17T16:42:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago, I won a giveaway at Shutter Sisters for an original Amy Ruppel 5x5 inch painting (top photo.) It is super sweet and quite a delicious addition to my home. For the time being, it is residing in a bookcase with my other owls (middle two found at thrift stores, bottom one at Starbucks.) Amy was Target Stores Holiday Artist of the Year in 2007! Thank you, Amy! I love it.

My First Giveaway

2008-12-16T13:19:00.003-06:00

I've been wanting to hold a little giveaway as a way to say 'thank you' to my blogging friends as well as for the giveaways that I have been fortunate to win myself. I'm starting out a bit small, but hopefully you'll like it! I'll send the winner a set of 6 of my door photo notecards (2 of each color), 5x7 inches on white art cards. Also included is a set of map notecards - the winner can tell me what location in the USA they would like cards of and I will do my best to find some maps in my stash to make the cards! (I used to sell these on my rather neglected little etsy shop.)

To enter, just leave a comment, perhaps leaving a brief travel memory (since we're looking at maps here!). To enter a second time, just mention/link it on your blog and leave another comment!

Deadline will be this Sunday at 12 midnight Central Time. Please leave a way I can contact you if you don't have a blog! I'll draw the winner by random number and will announce it next Monday morning.

Christmas Crafting: Ongoing Scrapbook

2008-12-16T10:50:00.003-06:00

(I'm on the left, in case you were wondering what I look like! :-)

I like to make small scrapbooks for gifts for people, but I wanted to be able to make something for my sister that wouldn't be restricted to one event or one visit, etc. I decided to start an 8.5 x 11 ring-binder scrapbook for her this Christmas. I'm really liking this style of scrapbook, since it's so easy to add pages and I can use different sizes as well. I'll be able to send her additional pages as time goes on. Here are a few pages. As you can see, I like to keep things pretty simple.