Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, my friends!  I pray that your day will be a good one.

I will be taking my usual Christmas to New Year's break, although I may drop in with a couple of book reviews.  I have one or two that are running a little late.  Otherwise, it is that time of year to rest and be still and ponder and pray.

May you be filled with JOY, no matter what the circumstances.  For some this is the best Christmas ever!  For others, one they just want to get through... holding onto the faith and the hope and the grace of the Lord.

For all of us it is a time to have a renewal of the wonder of the Christmas Story.  Let it never become any less than the miracle it is.

Glimpses of Christmas (Part 3)

A Winter sky...

I find it difficult to believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve!  Partly because the time seems to have doubled in speed during the last two weeks.  Partly because of the crazy weather.  It is Christmas week and we are currently under a tornado watch.  While not uncommon in the Fall months, I have never heard of such a thing this far north in December.

But on the bright side... we don't have to shovel all that rain.  I was also able to get all Christmas errands run without worrying about ice and snow on the ground.  But still... it is going to be a very muddy Christmas.

I will show the remainder of the photos I took last week but first I have to say hello to some special ladies... all friends with Saltina.  Well, kind of... I would call each out by name, too.  But since I can't, I send a hearty moo to the entire barn and a hug for each one of them.  :)

Since we will be alone and my husband is still (literally) under the weather, I am making his favorite meatloaf and mashed potatoes meal for Christmas.  It will be easy, provide leftovers, and I think lure him out of his lack of appetite.

So here are a few more photos from my decision to sparkle this year.  I have been collecting Christmas decorations since I was first married (a long time ago).  When Stephanie still lived at home, we would go to our favorite gift shops after Christmas to find wonderful ornaments and decorations on clearance.  She had a nice collection of her own when she left home.

Many are also gifts (like the snowman candle I found on my Welcome mat a few days ago... thank you whoever is the Secret Santa!), garage sale and thrift store finds, and that beautiful wicker rocker is from my neighbor's trash when he moved!

So here are a few more photos from my determination to sparkle this year...

All the books except for Christmas with Rosamunde Pilcher are from book sales over the years.  I found her book at a great price third party on Amazon... here.*

She shares photos and stories of a Christmas in Cornwall, a Christmas at her home in Scotland, and a beautiful Christmas short story.

 

The hedges are trimmed, the hedges are trimmed!  Did I mention the hedges are trimmed and sculpted and looking beautiful?  Hubby did a wonderful job on the one day he felt well recently!

Here is the old wicker rocker I kept from the landfill!

Last but certainly not least, a close up of that face looking out the window and supervising my photography.

Victoria wants you to know she was quite satisfied with my efforts except she really really really wanted to be outside "helping" me.

*Amazon Associate link.

Sunday Afternoon Tea - When we feel the presence of Heaven

There have been a few times in my life when it seems as if time stopped.  When I realized

the moment I was in was destined to be a favorite memory of a lifetime.  Most of these instances were not what one would think of being memorable.  None were planned as such.

One such memory was when I decided to stop at the tea room in a favorite department store after Stephanie's well baby checkup.  She laid back all cozy in her stroller as "we" walked through the china department and the housewares department and the book department... sigh.  Then we wrapped up our outing at the tea room.  No wonder she inherited my love of decorating, tea things, and books.

But there was something special about that day.  As if God Himself reached down and gave me a kiss on the cheek.  I felt the presence of Heaven that day.

Another unusual instance was as we were driving from Iowa on the Interstate, returning home for Easter.  First to my mother and stepfather's house and then on to the in-laws for the actual Easter dinner.  I think Christopher was about two years old and Stephanie in her early teens at the time.  I was listening to a special presentation on the Moody Channel out of Chicago that was being broadcast from Jerusalem.

Now, I cannot tell you why this affected me so much that over twenty years later it brings back the same feeling as that day in the car on the Interstate... but for some reason I had an overwhelming understanding of the world wide Body of Christ.  I don't recall having it before in such a way as I did in the car that day.  It just struck me that we were listening to brothers in Christ... talking from the City of David... to my little family as we drove through Illinois.

Amazing.  The wonder of it all.  That each of us who have made Jesus our Savior can call each other Family. 

There have been other moments and various days in which I felt His presence but the most magical moments... when I felt I was in a Christmas snow globe... was the evening my husband and I were Christmas shopping together in Downtown Holland, Michigan.

Stephanie was just old enough to leave alone for a couple of hours, having a friend over to keep her company.  There was a gentle lake affect snow falling and the quaint downtown section looked like old Europe with its' cobblestone streets and seasonal window displays.  Walking the sidewalks with the snow falling so beautifully, shopping favorite shops for just the right gift, stopping at the children's book store for one or two surprises... I knew there would be few evenings like this.

It felt as if He was giving me a Christmas gift in the form of a memory I would hold forever.  I think that was our last Christmas in Holland.  The town had already grown a great deal since we had moved there so many years earlier and today it is definitely not as quaint.  Most of our special shops no longer exist, not since the mall was built about the same time we moved away.

I think He knows we need those moments of Serendipity.  When in the midst of the fog we find ourselves in at times, when this old world doesn't seem to make much sense... He provides something special out of the very ordinary events of our lives.

It makes me wonder what Heaven will be like.  When evil will not exist and we will live in bodies which do not lean toward our sinful natures.  Yes, even Midwestern Grandmothers can let their dark side show at times.  The Holy Spirit has done wonders over the year but within... oh, my friends... that two year old that stomps their feet wanting their own way still exists to my dismay. 

During this Season of Sparkle, I have been pondering all that is good.  I've been thinking of my "word" for 2016.  What I feel God wants me to write about.  Where He has been leading my reading.

I think more than anything, I want His presence.  Just as I have sensed it in the midst of those normal days... shopping with a baby, Christmas shopping in a Winter Wonderland, driving through a Midwestern state listening to Jesus being proclaimed far away.  There have been other times when He surprised me with such a strong presence.  But those three were quite amazing.  Perhaps because I didn't expect them.

I have been thinking once again of the difference between Christianity and all other religions.  Our God came down to us.  He conquered death.  He took the keys of the Kingdom back to the Father.  He walks with us.  He says if we ask for the forgiveness of sins and we follow Him as Lord... we have the assurance of Heaven.

This week, as we draw nearer to the celebration of His birth, let us cozy up to the light of the Christmas tree... and ponder how His coming changed the world... our every day living... and our anticipation of That Day we go to be with Him.

Living the Pantry Lifestyle - Last Minute Gifts 2015

I made these washi tape covered tea lights as gifts last year.

I wrote about this subject last year and many readers received ideas for those last minute necessary gifts.  So I thought I'd merge last year's post with some added ideas.  However, this is just as "off the top of my head" as last year so I apologize ahead of time if it is hard to follow.

I mentioned last year how people who have extra spending money may not think some items would make excellent last minute gifts for one on a tight budget.  For instance, I mentioned how I love Mrs. Meyers products but they tend to be a little pricier than the run of the mill products.

Many homemakers I know on a tight budget would love cleaning products, hand washing soap, etc. in a beautiful scent.  This year Meijers had the Christmas scents so I splurged and bought a cranberry and a pine scented dish washing liquid.  It has been so nice using them all Holiday season.  Especially for one who does dishes the old fashioned way two or three times a day.  They were each a dollar more than my usual 7th Generation dish soap but two dollars well spent.

It doesn't have to be Mrs. Meyers, any product we have to use in our everyday life would make for a great gift if packaged in a special way.  Back in the day when I could still enjoy a hot bath (a no no for diabetics), my family would gift me each year with a beautiful milk bath product.  It was a luxury that I used once a week or so, especially in cold weather.

If you have a friend on a budget that loves to cook, a nice bottle of extra virgin olive oil would be an excellent gift... or some other cooking item they would not put in their budget like a good sea salt, champagne or a real sherry vinegar, a tiny package of saffron or other spice, etc.  The website The Kitchn often has great inexpensive foody gift ideas.

Someone on a very tight budget would enjoy a package of pecans or almonds (if you know they do not have a nut allergy), real maple syrup (I like Grade B for the richer flavor), real local honey, a chunk or two of good cheese like Parmigiana-Reggiano for the Italian cook, perhaps a good coconut oil for the whole foods enthusiast... there are all kinds of items someone on a tight budget may not buy for themselves but would be easy for you to purchase as a last minute gift.

If you know they love a particular kind of food, then a basket of ingredients would be a gift they most likely would love.  Most bigger grocery stores now have various ethnic aisles but if you live in a city or in a college town like I do, there are usually smaller ethnic food stores.  I bought sumac at the Asian store in town when it wasn't even available at the gourmet shop when I needed it to make some recipes from that amazing cookbook, Jerusalem.*

Of course you know I would mention good coffee or tea.  This is the time of year most tea companies offer their Holiday blends.  Herbal tisanes (often just called herbal tea) make great gifts for those who cannot have caffeine.  Some of these teas are seasonal such as Candy Cane Lane tea.  One of my favorite gifts from a friend who "knows me well" is a box of K-cups of my favorite coffee and hot apple cider... both items I don't often add to my grocery budget.

Do you see where I am going with this?  Use your imagination and you will come up with your own ideas because you usually know the individuals you are buying for.   You probably know their likes and dislikes and hobbies and such.  Every golfer on a budget needs golf balls and tennis players love to receive tennis balls.


Just think a little bit and I am certain you can come up with an idea that is "out of the box".

I mentioned before that one of my friends has told me she wished her children would give her a subscription to her favorite magazine.  It would be far cheaper than items she didn't want or need and each month she would think of them. A wonderful gift! 

Of course, with some magazines these days, just purchasing the latest issue and slipping it into a gift bag is all that is needed to bring a smile.  I adore the Stampington & Company magazines (Artful Blogger, Where Women Cook, Where Women Create, etc.) but they all begin at around $15.00 an issue.

Their magazine called Bella Grace is beautiful and especially loved by writers and those who love journaling.  But it is $20.00!  All of these magazines and others like them are really soft covered books that can be beyond the budget of some people... but would make a fabulous last minute gift!

I'm a person who loves gift cards and I know many who are the same.  I still recall a conversation I overheard between two obviously pampered university girls complaining about getting a gift card.  My first thought was, "Honey... wait until you get in the real world!".  I know... that was snarky but I didn't say it out loud.  ;)

So if you can't think of anything for most men, a gift card for Ace, Menards, or Sears Craftsmen tools would probably be welcome.  They know exactly what screwdriver would complete their collection.  My husband can get lost in the tool department of any store.

He has also hinted to our son that gift cards to the local car wash would be absolutely wonderful.  I know someone who makes a good salary but loves to receive gift cards to places like Starbucks. 

The last two years, my son's gift to his dad was a "coupon" for tickets to a future football or basketball game at the University.  Since the coupon for a football game was given in December, it was not fulfilled until the following football season but just as appreciated.

If you know the gift recipient well and they still say they want nothing but you know they need everything (you know the type), then there are creative ways to give a gift.  I don't follow into that category for God has taught me to be a good receiver through the years (I would rather have been taught to be a good giver but that is another story).

For instance, if you have a friend or relative that has a water softener (and in our area you had better have one), then find out what kind of softener salt they use and buy a few bags.  This would be especially helpful for an elderly relative!

Do they have a dog or a cat?  Find out what kind of food or kibble the animal uses (for they do tend to like a particular kind and stick with it) and then make the gift to the animal and not the person!  Better yet... from your dog to their dog, or your cat to their cat, etc.  It is a way to help the person on a tight budget in a loving and "not in their face" manner.

Fruit baskets make wonderful gifts for families on an extremely tight budget because they probably are not getting enough fresh fruit.  But not the fancy smancy fruit that has been cut and shaped and some dipped in chocolate.  It looks lovely and it would be temporarily good but it is just that... it must all be eaten right away since it is cut.  Leave that gift for the gourmet who would absolutely love it.

Since Mr. & Mrs. Christopher have been married (3 1/2 years!), we have either given gifts that would be good in an emergency (like their camping lantern... but they do go camping, too) or simply a good flashlight for each of them.  That has actually become a tradition now and I bought their flashlights for this Christmas on clearance over the summer for less than a dollar each, a really nice brand!  Last year they were each given small LED emergency flashlights for their cars.

So if you do nothing else but purchase a small bottle of great olive oil, a nice magazine, or a bottle of a lovely scented dish soap for a friend on a tight budget, it would be a very good thing.   

Just think... what is a luxury item that doesn't cost much but you know your friend or family member on a budget cannot buy for themselves? 

Come on, use your imagination.  Movie tickets and a bag of caramel popcorn?  Perhaps a garden magazine and gardening gloves (pretty much still available at many stores).  An easy to grow houseplant (with caution if they have pets).  A little first aid kit or car emergency kit put together for a friend's who travels.  Cute bandages for the kid's stockings?  A coupon to shovel their sidewalk or watch their children for an evening?

There are a lot of last minute gifts available if we stop and think and it is not out of the question to ask God for His wisdom.  ;)

*Jersualem can be found... here.  (Affiliate link)  

Glimpses of Christmas (Part 2)

Do you see a certain kitty photo bombing from the window?  I will show a closeup of the porch next week.

I gave up waiting for a beautiful sunny day... for there has to be full sunshine to take photos without a flash when you live at the corner of a forest.  One must never wait for perfection... or sunny days in December.

My husband felt a little better yesterday so we got outside together and (finally) we were able to check a huge chore off the To Do list.  The hedges that have been taking over the house are now nicely trimmed.  I helped a little on those but mainly stuck to pruning the seedlings growing up at the fence-line.

The forest is always trying to take back the land.  Yesterday was the one day in the forecast we could tackle this project.  The wind chill today would make it too cold and next week is calling for the return of warm temperatures and rain.  :(

So here is Christmas at my home this year, when I chose to decorate like crazy and sparkle.

Without the flash...

A corner of the family room.  The walls are actually a soft butter yellow.

The entryway.  I love that Christmas painting, purchased at the Salvation Army thrift shop last year.  Of course, the little aluminum tree is what was on clearance for $10.00 this year.

The centerpiece is enjoying its' new location on the family room coffee table this year.

A mish-mash of Christmas items in the family room.

My sister, Bonnie, gave me this antique container many years ago.  She was once an antique dealer.  We aren't sure what it was used for but it is definitely primitive... so beautiful with the very modern silk greenery in it.

The same old gang with a new Christmas tree and two "new" thrifted melting snowmen.

My obsession... and I have sent a lot to charity!  Those left are much beloved, often given to me by a friend or relative.

Title this "close up with flash"...

This bell garland is the same as the one I cut up for the centerpiece shown a few photos earlier.

A kind of closeup of the remaining bears in my collection.  There are a few in the study.

I hope you liked this little tour.  I will try to get an official My World this Week posted... next week.

Dropping by to say hi...

From my Instagram feed

It has been too dark to take more photos with the digital camera.  So I'm sharing the above photo, taken with the iPad camera.  I made lemon scones* this past week, doubling the recipe and baking half right away and freezing the unbaked scones for another day.  I read on The Kitchn website** that you can do this so we'll see if it works.

I adore Christmas teas.  The one shown above was purchased last year but is still quite tasty.  I bought the lemon curd on sale last summer.  Oh, my... Heaven will be so nice.  Yummy foods will not be fattening or raise blood sugar levels.  Until then, scones are nibbled with great delight and only one per tea time.

The weather has been strange all over the country.  The warmth and rain are welcome by some but for those in my family who suffer from mold allergies, it has them on the sofa... or worse.  My husband could not stand up yesterday.

When people hear about him having had to go on Disability many years ago due to environmental allergies, some don't realize the ramifications of how serious they can be.  I texted the kids and a close friend to pray!  Rain on all those decaying leaves are dangerous for him.  He is feeling a little better this afternoon since the rain moved out late yesterday.

The extended Fall made it possible to get some work finished in the yard and garden that we thought would have to wait until Spring.  But we are ready for the weather to return back to normal.  Going outside in December without a jacket is just plain un-Christmasy!

On a brighter note, I made biscuits this afternoon for the first time in... years (since I need to be careful with carbs).  But I needed some for a recipe I'm making for dinner to use up leftovers.  I forgot how delicious these are.

Although I will post the recipe soon, they are simply: 1 cup self rising flour, 1/2 cup buttermilk or heavy cream (I usually use heavy cream), and 2 T. oil for every four standard size biscuits.  Cut out 1" thick and bake at 450 degrees for approx. 12-14 minutes, until biscuits are slightly brown on top.  I always double the recipe since that uses up one pint of cream.  Like I said, I will post it on the recipe "blog" soon.

My daughter let the grandchildren open their Christmas gifts when the two boxes arrived.  (Being frugal, I sent the books Media Mail.) They have enough to open Christmas morning and this extends the Season.  I used Amazon credit for most of the gifts.  An item I bought for both my daughter-in-law (for her birthday) and my ten year old granddaughter, was an adult coloring book***.

It is the book created by one of my favorite authors, Margaret Feinberg.  It is unique because each page contains a beautiful Bible verse as well as flowers to color.  When finished, each page could be frame worthy.  I read that she is creating a second color book since this was so popular.

I do pray each of you finds a way to enjoy this special season.  Isn't it true that any challenge we are going through seems to get magnified during Christmas, whether it is stretching finances, dealing with illness, a prodigal child, a death in the family, and so many other difficulties?  It is rare to come into the Christmas season with no challenges at all.

Not to mention, for already busy moms there is the added stress of even more to do.  My Season is very quiet but I remember working full time while balancing church and school activities.  (One child was in public schools, the other spent three years in public schools before homeschooling.)

I spent time in the study this morning, reading through a few favorite Psalms.  My Bible opens to this section immediately unless I'm purposely going to another part of it.  What a gift these Psalms are to those of a Judeo-Christian heritage.  

So I am at the end of just saying hello.  Back to the To Do list in the non-virtual world.  I really need Downstairs Staff.  ;)

*   Lemon Cream Scones... here.
**  Freezing Unbaked Scones For a Quick Breakfast article... here.
*** Live Loved: An Adult Coloring Book... here.  (An Amazon Affiliate link.)

Sunday Afternoon Tea - Christmas books and some Kindle links for cozy Winter reads

I am certain by now you can tell that I am making every attempt to really celebrate this Holiday Season.  It started with taking in the Beauty of October, saw me through our Thanksgiving Feast, and will continue until the first weekend in January when we have a belated Christmas dinner with our son and his wife.

Why?  Well, it is my attempt at coming against the darkness through sparkling.  Huh?  In case you haven't noticed, the world is quite unsettled.  We hear the rumblings of war in the Middle East and terror showed up in Paris.  We are appalled at evil finding its' way into an office Christmas party in a California city.  

For some of us, that darkness has permeated into our homes, for everyone has a Holiday Season when life is far from perfect.  Most of us know someone who is suffering this Season which is to remind us of our Savior and our Salvation.  Life is not fair.  Life can be so... hard.

It isn't Heaven, yet.  But that does not mean we cannot bring light into the darkness.

I embrace the good stuff of the Season in many ways.  I love Christmas movies and Christmas music and Holiday Menus and getting together with people I haven't seen in ages (like friends and former neighbors Sheila and Suzie!).  However, a very favorite way for me to celebrate... and this will come as no surprise... is to lose myself in a Christmas book.

Now, I have written many times of my love for re-reading favorite books.  They are like old, beloved friends.  They are warm and cozy and never ever surprise me with unexpected endings.  They are much like my favorite red flannel housecoat (a Christmas gift from Stephanie the year Elisabeth was born) or the ancient pair of SAS sandals I keep on the boot mat for walking out to check the mail.  When there is no snow, of course.

The characters in much loved books are my friends and quite honestly, I have forgotten at times that they are not real.  I suppose they are very real to those of us who love them. I do read new books now and then at Christmas but they are few and far between.  As it turns out, this year all my books are re-reads.

I don't make a contest of it, should I not get through all of them during the Season, I keep those unread on the coffee table to finish at my leisure.  For never do I want to turn something that is a delight into another form of burden.  Especially during a Season when there is often too much to fit in, anyway.

What am I rereading this year?  Well, I started with some Goudge.  For is there a better place to begin?  After perusing once again A City of Bells, I am now starting The Sister of the Angels.  It is the small sequel that is all about Christmas.  It is quite... magical.  Narnia magic, you know.

I once again have Elizabeth Goudge's A Christmas Book on the re-read stack.  It is another book I found used on Amazon at a very inexpensive price.  Since I am not an actual collector and I will accept a book in "good" condition, I've been able to find some older books at very good prices.  Especially library discards. 

A Christmas Book contains sections from Goudge's various books which are related to Christmas.  Her books provide both a magical sense about them while at the same time they are Christian based.  This is a great book for one to keep out to read "just a little at a time".

For the first time during the Christmas season... but a book already read... I included I Saw Three Ships.  Which is actually a small Christmas story.  I find Goudge's "mystical magical" side not unlike that of Lewis and Tolkien.  Since this story is based on a legend, it leans very much in that direction.

Christmas at Fairacre contains three wonderful Christmas stories by Miss Read.  I already owned a beautiful vintage copy of No Holly For Miss Quinn.  But I didn't have Village Christmas and the Christmas Mouse so I was quite happy to find this book a few years ago, with all three books in one volume.  These stories, about Christmas in an England that is now far past, are as peaceful as stopping for afternoon tea with a friend.

My remaining fiction re-read is one of my all time favorites, Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon.  It is a stand alone Christmas story from her Mitford series and I think my very favorite of them all.  I love Father Tim, his wife, his town, his dog as big as a Buick (and no, I have not read the latest Mitford book, yet!).

My only nonfiction re-read this year is Winter Song: Christmas Readings by best friends Madeleine L'Engle and Luci Shaw.  It is a combination of short prose and poetry for the Advent season.  If you enjoy reading either of these writers (and especially if you love both as I do), you will also re-read this book every December (or July).  ;)

All of these books bring peace to my heart and in their own ways, remind me of what and Who Christmas is all about.  As with any very well written book, they feed the sparse soul with great Beauty.

I'm including links to Amazon for further information.  But also as a Christmas treat... I have included links to two of my all time favorite trilogies that are being offered at extremely good prices.  

While I much prefer old fashioned hold-in-your-hands books, one of the wonders of the Kindle is being able to read books that were once very difficult to find and if you could, most often priced out of reach for people on a limited budget.  It is quite nice that so many favorite books are now being reprinted in paperback and/or offered for the Kindle.

I don't know why the D. E. Stevenson trilogy that begins with Vittoria Cottage is so inexpensive for the Kindle but it is my favorite Stevenson series.  The first book takes place in England and the second two mostly take place in Scotland.

The Oxford Chronicles is also a favorite trilogy.  The first book begins on the day C. S. Lewis passes away.  It is the story of a family who loved Lewis and were greatly influenced by him and his friends.  The third book of the trilogy partially takes place as a prequel in WWII but it is also quite wonderful and tells us the back story of the parents in the family.

Melanie Jeschke writes beautifully and makes one feel they are in Oxford along with the Inklings.  I read the books in paperback but they recently came out in Kindle format at a very inexpensive price.

While not Christmas related in themselves, they make for cozy Winter reading!

Now... to return to Sister of the Angels, along with perhaps a cup of hot tea.

Amazon links:*
Christmas at Fairacre... here.
Shepherds Abiding... here.
Winter Song: Christmas Readings... here.
I Saw Three Ships... here.
A City of Bells...  here.
The Sister of the Angels... here.
A Christmas Book... here.

Favorite Books now in Kindle*

The Drumberley Trilogy by D. E. Stevenson
Vittoria Cottage... here. ($3.99)
Music in the Hills... here. ($3.99)
Shoulder the Sky... here. ($3.99)

The Oxford Chronicles by Melanie Jeschke
Inklings... here. ($2.99)
Expectations... here. ($2.99)
Evasions... here. ($2.99)

Added Note:  Should you be in search of wonderful vintage titles... my friend, Lanier, has an online bookstore.  Her bookstore link is... here.  She talked about her bookstore recently... here.

*Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.  Which means I receive a very tiny percentage of each sale.  It cost neither of us anything but a little extra time.  You can enter your Amazon shopping by clicking on any link or on any item in the Amazon Widget.  I thank you.

Image:  Artist, John Sloan

Living the Pantry Lifestyle - Feasting until the Wedding Supper

Christmas 2014

I don't see it quite as often as I did a few years ago but once in awhile... as I am standing in the line at the grocery store... there it is.  A glossy magazine cover with an article about low fat Christmas meals or low calorie New Year's celebrations.

Now, I know magazine editors have to come up with something to grab people's attention for every issue but this is just plain silly.  For if there is ever a season to Feast... this is it!  Not every day (for then we do enter January needing the over sized sweatshirts) but one or two or perhaps even three feast meals from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day are part of what making memories is all about.

Years from now, our grandchildren will not recall Grandmother's wonderful carrot and celery salad.  They will remember baking cookies with her during that special once-a-year afternoon in her kitchen.   For it is at this time of year more than any other that we tend to take the food stained favorite recipes out of the card file.

Food is a big deal at the Holidays.  It is a part of our very special forever memories.  For instance, I made dressing for Thanksgiving just the way my mother made it (and most probably using her mother's recipe).  I didn't just call it "dressing".  No, it is called "Mamaw's dressing".  I think of her as I make it each Thanksgiving.

As with everything, there needs to be a balance.  Moderation in all things as they say.  It is especially important for those of us who must watch carbs that we eat carefully in the days (and after) leading up to a Feast... or a party... or the day we bake cookies.  For we know we will eat a few!

But that does not mean there is no Feasting at all during this season.  Let the magazines be full of low fat and low calorie recipes come January.  The real food challenges we face in modern times is in the way most of us eat the rest of the year, anyway.

As we know, the Bible talks about the Feast Days.  They were God's idea.  It was then they enjoyed the fatted calf.  Not every day.  Here we are thousands of years later reading about those meals and the joy that surrounded those special days.  Part of what made them special was the anticipation of the food they were to enjoy on each Feast Day.

This is the Season for making memories.  You will only have Christmas 2015 once in your life.  The years fly by.  This Christmas, my husband and I will be alone for only the second time in 41 years of marriage. We are still celebrating Christmas with Mr. & Mrs. Christopher but after the actual day.  The timing was my idea, later rather than squeezing in a night before they leave on a long planned vacation.

My daughter's family and the grandchildren will celebrate Christmas in New England.  We learned long ago that traveling between our houses in winter is not a good idea.  So we plan to see each other in warm weather. I can give my children the freedom not to be here at Christmas because I realized long ago that it was important to make memories when they were in our home.

If you still have children at home... make it a good memory.

It is the perfect month of the year (at least here in the Northern Hemisphere) to serve the hot chocolate with special Christmas cookies and cozy up together to watch favorite Christmas movies.  Even if the toddler gets milk in a sippy cup to feel a part of the celebration.

Roast the goose or the turkey or the ham or the vegetarian equivalents, bring out the butter, bake great grandmother's special cake... serve them on pretty plates if you have them.  This is the time to use the china and the crystal and the silver and the pretty napkins... and the stains on the white tablecloth will usually come out if you soak it overnight.

This is the season of rejoicing and celebration.  For there is a really really good reason to celebrate.  Jesus was born and lived the perfect life and became the sacrificial lamb.  Yes, Easter is coming.  Good Friday will be here soon enough.  But this time of year, we celebrate the star and the angels and the shepherds and the wise men and most of all... that little family in the manger.

This Christmas may find you alone or (as in our home) just the two of us.  This may be the first Christmas with an important person missing from the table for various reasons... a death in the family, a soldier serving in another part of the world, a loved one in a nursing home or a hospital... it is part of life.  Most of us have known those bittersweet Holiday seasons.

However, remember this... someday there will be a Wedding Feast.  Until That Day.  While we still live in imperfection.  Christmas gives us permission to sparkle a little.  To embrace life.  Even when it is far from perfect.  To look at our Feast as an act of worship to the Giver of all good gifts.

To enjoy life... not as we want it to be... but how it is at the moment.  For if we wait until that Day to sparkle, our world will not see His Light shining through us.  Enjoy.

Last Act: The Final Years and Emerging Legacy of Ronald Reagan, a review

I admit before writing this review that if one were to ask my opinion of who were the greatest presidents in U.S. History... I would say George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan.

Those younger than myself may not remember the turmoil of the 1970s and that feeling in the country that America was entering the 1980s on the cusp of losing its' greatness.  There was a reason that during this time the original "preppers" movement began. 

However, something happened (or should I say "someone") to change all of that.  Ronald Reagan was elected president to the great astonishment of many in politics.

There have been many books written about Reagan, two of them by the author of this book, Craig Shirley.  However, I cannot recall any other book (or in depth article) written about those years after Reagan left office.  Those are the years covered in Last Act.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the details of Reagan's years after leaving the Presidency, how Nancy and other family members dealt with his Alzheimer, the events surrounding his State funeral, and most of all... how his legacy is being fulfilled.  For even his haters had to later admit (or most of them were honest) that he had been the right man for the job at that time.  It is full of stories that take us behind the scenes of all the important events.

This books reads like a very interesting novel and it is apparent the author has quite an affection for the former president.  I liked that.  Some biographers are simply writing about their subject... I felt Mr. Shirley was writing about his old friend.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Ronald Reagan or simply is interested in that time of our history as a nation.  You will enjoy the reading.

This book was provided by the publisher for review but the opinions are my own.

Further information can be found at Amazon.com... here.*

*Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

Glimpses of Christmas (Part One)

Today I'm sharing photos snapped around the house as we had a rare afternoon of sunshine.  I will share more as the Season progresses.

Also, I had some comments about Instagram.  I don't post a lot on it, not like people who carry a phone (I usually use the iPad) but I do enjoy posting when there is a great photo opportunity.

I started an Instagram account when a couple of my younger friends made it their primary social media outlet and I wanted to keep up with them.  However, I am enjoying following people who take lovely photos that fill me with Beauty and Peace.  You won't find any reality TV stars in my Instagram feed.  ;)

Now for glimpses of Christmas in my home...

I will share more at another time!

Sunday Afternoon Tea - The Christmas Worldview

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has
risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

C. S. Lewis

During the last year we were homeschooling full time, I taught a class about "worldview" for our co-op.  What is a worldview? The simplest definition is, "the lens from which you view life".  How you perceive reality may be a little more metaphysical.

I had the middle school and high school age kids read fiction and nonfiction to better understand how different writers can look at the same subject and come up with totally different conclusion, all because of their personal worldview.  That lens through which we view the world.

I love the above quote by C. S. Lewis for it describes my worldview completely.  I look at everything through the lens of my Christian faith.  It keeps me calm in a crazy world.  I can look at current events in the light of Christ's return and while the news leaves me apprehensive, my worldview tells me all is well in the end.

The King is Coming!

The more years that have passed, I am finding there is another type of Christian worldview.  What I would call a "Christmas worldview".  It is what I experience from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day each year.  Most years.  Not all of them.   There have been Holiday seasons when the sparkle was dim due to life's events.

Most years, I choose sparkle.  For you see, to me the entire Season is when Heaven bends down and kisses the Earth.  Just as in that first Christmas.   My house never looks as good or smells as good or feels as warm and cozy as it does during this Season of Christ-mas.  The music plays in the background as I cut out the cookie dough or chop the onions or address Christmas cards.

Candles flicker on dark days and most nights.  The Christmas tree lights are plugged in on my way to make morning coffee and again when the sun is setting in the December's early evening.  This is the time of deepest darkness and the season of... sparkle and light.

There is a Christmas worldview because of the first Advent.  We cut out cookies in the shapes of stars and angels as well as snowmen and candy canes.  We give gifts like wise men once gave and assemble together to sing His praises as the angels did that first Christmas morning.

The first Advent, the culmination of the first Testament, brought us not a King... but a Savior.

The second Advent, which is soon to come, is the culmination of the second Testament.  That which brings Hope to us in this dark world.  This time, the baby in the manger returns as the Lion of Judah.  How better can it be stated than in these words by Handel:

The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever...

The world is much as it was at the time of the first Advent.  There is war and rumors of war.  Those who believed were in danger, downtrodden, and martyred.  The enemy of our souls appeared to be winning for awhile.

However... that which he intended for evil, God knew would bring much good.  For the Gospel was taken to the world.  The good news spread to the North and the South and the East and the West. 

As we read our Bibles with a candle flickering, perhaps the Christmas tree lit, and a hot beverage at our side (cold for our Australian friends)... we know the Truth.  We sense it in every cell of our being.  His return is soon.  This old world wouldn't last much longer without it.

If you have not accepted Jesus as Savior, if you have not asked Him to forgive your sins as the Son of God.  If Christmas is only at the Mall and not in your heart... what are you waiting for?   Find a Bible.  Read the Gospels.  Start with Luke where we learn most about this precious Baby who grew to give His life... to take back the Keys to the Kingdom from Lucifer.

Read Isaiah 53 if you are a Jewish brother or sister.  What a remarkable Christmas gift to lay at His feet.  The very thing He most wants from from the humanity He created.  The reason He came that very first Christmas.  He wants... you, your love, your eternal presence with Him.   That is the Christmas worldview.

Advent past.  Advent future.  Christmas now.

So, my precious friends.  When you listen to the evening news or read the headlines of the paper, know this...  Aslan is on the move.

Living the Pantry Lifestyle - Musings on chocolate chip cookies

It may be the freezing fog outside my window but I think I have lost my ponder and misplaced my "muse".   I really can't come up with anything much to write about today.  Even Rudolph must have his off days when his nose cannot shine bright enough to edge out the fog!

All I could think of to write about were the chocolate chip cookies I made and how wonderful it was to have them in the freezer.  It is brilliant having the dough ready because it can be baked at the last minute for nice, warm, gooey cookies.   When I freeze them already baked, their siren song woos me to the freezer for "just one".  Right...  More about them later.

With Christmas squeezing a tight budget, I haven't taken advantage of the sales on baking goods.  Except last week when Kroger had their bags of sugar 99 cents each if you bought four.  I don't need white sugar, there is more in the pantry.  But at that price four bags hopped into my grocery cart!  When stored carefully, it lasts for a long time.

I've done a lot of reading about food shortages in WWII and one item that was definitely missed was plain old sugar.  We don't need very much but by baking "sugar goodies" ourselves, we are staying away from high fructose corn syrup.  Not to mention using real food like butter.  Okay, I admit to having Crisco sticks in the pantry for a couple of recipes.  ;)

You may remember I froze cookie dough ahead of time a couple weeks ago.  This was the first time I formed chocolate chip cookies on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and then flash froze them in the deep freeze about an hour.  (Set the timer so you don't forget them!)

After they were firm enough, I slipped a dozen in each quart size Ziploc bag.  Then I slipped those bags in a gallon size Ziploc bag for double protection against freezer burn.  If you are going to that much expense and trouble to make something, you certainly don't want freezer burn!

Well, on the day after Thanksgiving, when I was going to take some of the cookies to my friend's house, I didn't feel well at all.  It was wonderful to pull out two bags of the frozen (and already formed) cookies.  All I had to do was place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake an extra minute or two.

I told Stephanie, that this is the way I'm making chocolate chip cookies from now on.  She thought it would be a great idea to have these in the freezer for last minute cocoa nights with their family.

Did I tell you these cookies get ravings?  I tweaked two different cookie recipes to form this one.  If you are interested in making them, the recipe can be found... here.  This is a big recipe, it puts a bit of a strain on my professional size stand mixer.  If you need to cut the recipe in half, go ahead.  Although... if you don't have a large mixer and you do have a very strong person in the family to stir it... that would work, too.  ;)

NOTE:  I was asked if I used semi sweet or milk chocolate chips.  I use both in this cookie recipe.  I like to mix them in a lot of recipes calling for chocolate chips.

So... I need another cup of coffee and hopefully the frozen fog will lift outside soon.  For those outside of Northern climates... frozen fog is different than regular fog.  It can cause frozen condensation on the roads. Which is not a good time to be out!

Image:  Fresh Bread by Loren Entz

Instagram Photos

The tree I now use inside was my "porch tree" a few years ago.  Photo from approx. 2011?

It has been so cloudy that I haven't been able to take photos of Christmas decorations this week.  However, I did take some for Instagram with the iPad and those photos can be filtered to make them brighter.

All the decorations are up, I finished the porch a couple days ago. It no longer has a Christmas tree but I think it looks nice.  A "My World" post will follow next week, after we (finally) have enough sunshine that I don't have to use a flash.

Those who follow on Instagram will have seen these already... @coffeeteabooksandme.

The Christmas reading has begun by taking two favorite Christmas related Elizabeth Goudge books off the shelf.  They are A City of Bells and the sequel called The Sister of the Angels.

The buffet absolutely sparkles this year.  Everything there came from Goodwill, garage sales, or the thrift shops over the years.  Except the "sprig" of an aluminum tree branch and the Merry Christmas banner.  Both came from my favorite primitive country shop, the banner was purchased on clearance after Christmas last year.

This vintage look aluminum tree was purchased on clearance this year for $10.00  It had been $35.00!  I don't know why it was already marked down (I suspect the seller needed space for smaller items) but when I walked in my favorite store and saw this, I bought it immediately (and I had $10.00!).

The photo doesn't do it justice at all.  It really sparkles in the lamplight.  It reminds me of the Christmas trees that were so popular in the 50s and 60s when I was a child.  This appears to be my year for sparkling.

These decorations are all from a previous favorite primitive country store that is no longer in business (in our town).   I believe all were purchased during after Christmas sales.  Usually the way I get most non-thrifted decorations (hmmm... is that a word?).

Just chatting...

Christmas tree 2015

I'm really here.  In person.  Not in a rerun of an old (but popular) post.  Life became crazy busy for awhile and when one has to move slowly throughout her days, it takes awhile to recover.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving with Mrs. Christopher's family here.  We enjoy their company and it is always an excuse to get my husband to finish some long awaited projects.  ;)

There are a few projects that need to wait until Spring.  We had to get the leak in the roof fixed a few weeks ago before it did further damage to the ceiling in the kitchen.  Come Spring, when the windows can be left open, the kitchen ceiling will be patched and painted.  The pipe was fixed coming in from the well (thank God!) but a new well pump needs to be put in come Spring, too.

Hmmmm... it almost makes one want to rent a condo.  But I'm not.  I'd miss waking up to see the neighbor's red barn and the forest next to the gravel lane.  

I decorated the Christmas tree one day and then the next found out my sister was in town. Christmas decorating went into double time so at least the living room was done before they arrived for the visit (just a few hours later).  The family room was decorated yesterday.  It all looks very Christmas-y now.

Bonnie's place always looked gorgeous every Christmas when she lived in town.  (I'm sure it still does in Georgia.)  Christopher loved the way his Aunt Bonnie decorated, which never failed to surprise me.  She has a primitive country-Victorian style.  We overlap at the primitive country but I mix it with English country.   My son liked hers better.   I did, too, each Christmas.

I decided to use most of my decorations this year.  Even the porch is going to get festive again.  We had a new family move in to the former farmhouse on our lane and that family has kids.  So I figure that is reason enough to make the porch look pretty.  Kids absolutely love things to look decorated at Christmas.   The "decorate porch" box is set out and ready for nice weather to combine with a burst of energy.  My energy.

I will wax poetic more about this favorite Season in days and weeks to come.  In the meantime,  my very precious friend (and a favorite writer), Lanier, had to say goodbye to her father this past year.   She has written beautiful thoughts about feasting in a time of great sadness... here. 

I should admit that this morning my husband walked into the front room with me sobbing over the iPad.  It didn't help when I told him that I didn't understand God at all letting Lanier's goat die.  Yes, he did look at me as if I'd lost my mind.  But then I showed him a photo of Puck and how we had been praying he would get better.  But Puck died in surgery yesterday.

Puck, a beautiful pet Nubian goat.  Another loss for my friend.  Anyone who has loved a family member with fur knows that the hurt can run deep... and she is already feeling the pain of loss.  So if you would, mosey on over and read her beautiful words and say a prayer for her in the season mixed with great Beauty and Goodbyes.

I will be back in a day or two.  God willing and the creek don't rise (and nothing else in the house springs a leak).  There is a symmetry... water I wanted didn't come in due to a leak in the pipes and water in the form of rain in the kitchen that I didn't want made its' way in.  I expect my house is asking me to make up my mind.  Do you want water or don't you?