Home, Soldiers Angels and friendship

Like everyone else I am sure, Home is very important to me. It is not the house itself but what it holds, a part of me and my little family, mostly reflected in well let's just say in a somewhat eclectic collection of odds and ends. As my husband is found to say when you have gone twice around the world, you have a tendency to pick up a few things here and there...

I love anything which speaks of days gone by, tablecloths, runners, local pottery, copper, brass, bits of china and anything that reminds me of the ocean. Every shade of blue of course and red for happiness!

Autumn is my favourite time of the year, the crisp cool mornings, the rich colours of the trees, the rustling of the leaves falling, the smell of home baked bread and the anticipation of the Christmas season!
Early mornings on the island with the fog lifting slowly, the sound of the loons in the inlet, the screeches of the seagulls flying over, the occasional sighting of playful sea otters...

I love classical music, good jazz and the swinging fourties, fresh flowers, seashells, corgi items of course and books, books and more books. I love new skeins of yarn and knitting needles, the start of new projects...

O did I mention how much I love chocolate...and dreaming...

With friends and family on most continents we are happy to be able to keep in touch with emails, blogs and of course snail mail. As to the later as we have no deliveries of any kind on the island, picking up mail requires a ferry ride across our inlet!

There is such a comfortable feeling in hearing of each and everyone and in turn share what is happening in our little corner of the world!

Many of our soldiers here at home and across the oceans hope to hear from someone who cares.
A letter means so much! Let no one be forgotten!


http://www.soldiersangels.org

Lazy days, good friends and Twelfth Night

Once again our fair weather is not so "fair" thus we wonder if indeed this is truly the month of August! Our roses however are ever blooming...
I find this a perfect time to catch up on my never ending knitting - too many projects and too little time - good reading and of course a cuppa!

Forget about time table, ferry schedule - ours is once again delayed due to low tides - anything that truly is not that important, and here is to lazy summer days...

As you can see, I am not the only one who thinks there is always tomorrow...Talk about relaxed!
Maybe we should take a cue from our furry friends!

As "Twelfth Night or What You Will" happens to be my favourite of Shakespeare's plays I was reminded a few days ago whilst shopping for what else but more yarn, with a friend of one of its most famous phrases: “If music be the food of love, play on” such an elegant and so romantic line!

This play was written as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the closing of Candlemas, the formal end of Chrismastime in the year's calendar (called also the Eve of the Feast of Epiphany).
It has all the elements of a great comedy being based on mistaken identity, good fun and of course romance. Just in case you want to remember school days...

http://shakespeare.mit.edu/twelfth_night/full.html

Lazy days maybe but already dreaming of Christmas time...

Samplers, Treasure chests and linen

One of the many things I remember from my childhood is the linen Granny or Mum used on our dining room table. There was always a tablecloth on our table and I cannot imagine either ladies serving a meal without it.

There were delicate linen used only for the holidays or special occasions, tablecloths with bright seasonal designs, napkins and basket liners.
But the one item I most remember was the "everyday" tablecloth. My sibling and I being typical children were somewhat clumsy and spills were common. Thus Granny resolved this problem with a thick oil cloth.
I still remember summer holidays on the coast, Mum packing trunks to be delivered to our rental and Granny choosing a new oil cloth for the summer table. The apartment or house then become "ours" as it created a coziness we thrived on.

Mum had a favourite department store she often shopped at whilst Granny prefered the open air markets both in the city and on the coast. Either place would display lovely linen, local or from faraway places just waiting for us to discover!
Granny ever so practical would look for items which would serves us well along the years whilst Mum chose to buy and often store for later uses...which often never came.

I myself live with the motto "If it is not an heirloom or used at least once a year, it goes!" I use everything I have constantly and whilst some linen shows some wear and tear, I cannot stop using them. I find the house much more homey this way!
It is odd but growing older I seem to remember more and more of those moments, recalling smells and feels. Lavender always played apart in it as Granny would tuck linen sachets in all the closets!

I still reach out for linen first in any stores, be it department stores or thrifts shoppes. There is nothing like a well used linen item and I love the feel of its starch!

I have a few treasures I tucked away for special occasions and I do not hesitate to use these for a celebration such as a birthday, holiday or special events. Others however can only be described as souvenirs! One of these treasures are samplers sewn-ed by Granny at her school as seen in the above photo.
During the First World War times were hard as the country was occupied and supplies were scarce. Her sewing however at 9 years old was absolutely lovely and I have kept this to remember a spunky 9 year old who would have preferred to run across the dunes with the boys then doing cross stitch!

As the mother of a little boy who loved treasures chests I was always on the lookout for them and one day found the perfect one for him. We filled it with shiny nicks knacks and piece of broken custom jewelry which his great grandmother would keep for him and he would play for hours. No one was allowed to remove any piece from it and its contents were cherished by him as the cavern was by Ali Baba! He still collects albeit I have not seen any treasure chest lately!

I found the blanket/linen chest however a wonderful custom, something I have yet to acquire. O the items I could fill it with! I wonder if I can still find a spot somewhere...Dreams, lovely dreams...

Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges, book review

Jerry Bridges is an author whose work I very much enjoy reading. He has a remarkable talent to choose a particular subject, delving in it and presenting in such a way anyone can relate to!

The more I read on and the more I found it to be true: God's Grace is so simple!
Jerry Bridges shows us the true side of God's Grace and reminds us our Saviour paid the price of our admission into eternal life. He skilfully tells us to stop trying to buy our way in, instead showing us how to give out of love, not as a way to earn merits.

Each chapter gives us a remarkable insight into life as we see it and allows us to use God's Transforming Grace to live confidently in His wonderful love.

Ten years in the making, this book comes with an amazing study guide of eight sessions that will bring even more understanding of God's love for His people, a perfect tool for personal reference or discussion in a small group.

I give this book a 5 stars. It belongs on any Christian library!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Back from the mountains, Martha Washington and Mount Vernon

Back from the mountains! Painting our cabin took a tad longer than expected and we still have a few things to do but it looks better than it was, luckily! Originally painted by its previous owner an (horrid) bright green, we decided to blend the exterior with the landscape and chose "Streambed" for its new colour. I myself think it more as wild sage...

Anyone who has had the pleasure of choosing a make over colour for their home knows it can be a challenge depending not only on the palette offered by the store but also by its sale people.
In our case, it took 3 men to calculate the amount of paint required to cover the walls of a 16 x 20 cabin or 320 sq. feet...
Even keeping in mind 3 windows and a door, 2 x 14.5 pitches and 2 heights of 8 ft, I never came to the 280 sq. feet they advise me...
Guess who had to go back down the mountain to buy more paint...
Not to sound too critical but we ladies sometime knows better...

"To calculate square footage, multiply the width by the height of each wall and then add the figures together. Next, calculate the area of all surfaces that will not be painted, such as windows, fireplaces, and the like. Again, multiply width times height and add the figures together. Then, subtract this number from the first number. Finally, add 10% so you will have some paint left over for touch-ups or repairs in the future.

To calculate how many cans of paint you will need, divide your final number by the spread rate of the paint.

" There you go!
But then I am only a woman...


http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Washington-Cookbook-Marie-Kimball/

Coming back to the many amenities of civilization - the cabin has a generator, a solar pump for our 306 ft deep well, no electricity or running water and as for the loo, it can be a challenge at times - we always seem to have lots of mail to deal with and then (or not) a few parcels.
In this instance once again the USPS reminded me not to put them on my Christmas list... One parcel is AWOL, a second was delivered at a neighbour's box... However my copy of Martha Washington's cook book arrived safely! Wow!


I had the pleasure of discovering the First Lady's kitchen and herb garden a long time ago and never forgot it. A step back in the past and yet amazingly all the necessary requirements of a much more modern but efficient kitchen. I loved its tiled floors, the large working tables and the spacious yet cozy feeling the kitchen exuded.

I soon learned Martha Washington made sure every dish was prepared exactly as called for in her personal cookbook given to her at the time of her first marriage to Daniel P. Custis in 1749.

As a wedding gift, her mother-in-law presented Martha with a personal copy of the Custis family cookbook. Handwritten by an unknown hand in old English, the recipe book containing over five hundred recipes had been in the Custis family for generations. This was a family heirloom dating back to the early 1600s and the recipes dated apparently from Elizabethan and Jacobean times, some say the golden age of English cuisine.

The First Lady kept and used her family cookbook for more than 50 years. In 1799, she presented the book to her granddaughter, Eleanor Parke Custis as a wedding gift when she married Lawrence Lewis. It was handed down from mother to daughter until 1892 when the Lewis family presented it to The Historical Society of Pennsylvania where it still resides today.

The above cake was a favourite of the family and often served at dinners presided by Washington and the First Lady.

"Take 40 eggs and divide the whites from the yolks and beat them to a froth. Then work 4 pounds of butter to a cream and put the whites of eggs to it a Spoon full at a time till it is well worked. Then put 4 pounds of sugar finely powdered to it in the same manner then put in the Yolks of eggs and 5 pounds of flour and 5 pounds of fruit. 2 hours will bake it. Add to it half an ounce of mace and nutmeg half a pint of wine and some fresh brandy.

Translated for us:

In making Martha Washington's famed cake, Mount Vernon's curatorial staff followed Mrs. Washington's recipe almost exactly. Where the recipe called for 5 pounds of fruit, without specifying which ones, 2 pounds of raisins, 1 pound of currants, and 2 pounds of apples were used. The wine used was cream sherry. Since no pan large enough was available to hold all the batter, two 14 layers were made and stacked (note: the original was one single tall layer). The layers were baked in a 350 degree oven for 1.5 hours. Should be iced with a very stiff egg-white based icing, flavored with rosewater or orange-flower water."

Obviously I cannot justify baking such a large cake but a smaller scale version sounds lovely!

The book is a wonderful way to step back in times gone by and since I love History and Cooking, I went one step further and found a copy of the First American Cookbook produced in 1796!

http://www.amazon.com/First-American-Cookbook-Facsimile-Cookery/

Worth reading, and bound to find a place on your bookshelves if you are anything like me!

Please note I was not remunerated in any way for this post and simply wanted to share my opinion!

Resurrection in May, book review

Recently graduated from College, May Seymour has good looks, intelligence, friends and everything to look forward to. She just does not know yet what to do with her life.
One day she meets Claudius, a caring elderly farmer who welcomes her in his home and his life for the summer and May discovers the simple joy of working the land alongside her new found friend.

Summer comes to an end and she embarks on a mission to Rwanda. There she will find herself in the midst of civil war and will become a tragic victim whilst experiencing also deep love for the people surrounding her.

After her return home May comes to Claudius's farm to heal and with his help and his friends, she finds a certain measure of peace yet becomes a recluse.

Through correspondence she also renew her relationship with Eli, an old boyfriend whose life has taken a completely different path. May painfully rediscovers life and faith whilst accepting there is a reason behind God's plan for all of us. She will indeed resurrect!

I reviewed this wonderful inspirational book whilst sitting on the porch of our little mountain cabin. I finished the last page and sat back for awhile, just thinking back on what Lisa Samson wrote in this book and all I can say is 'Wow!". This is truly the kind of writing that makes you think back and feel your faith.

In her "About the Author's page" Lisa Samson speaks of liking nothing more than sitting around her kitchen table talking with friends and family.
I found myself wandering what comes after "Resurrection in May"... I look forward to her next book and I give it a whole heart-ed 4 1/2 stars.

I received this book free from Booksneeze as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Poppies, lavender and the Bible

(http://www.lartdevivre.ca/)

Poppies and lavender together in a tablecloth, even available in oilcloth! I am dreaming...

I just attended my very first wreath making class at the Blue Willow Lavender Farm (http://www.bluewillowlavenderfarm.com/) and I have lavender on my mind! There is nothing like the scent of this wonderful herb and since I love poppies above all other flower (well maybe with Sunflowers, Lily of the Valley, Peonies,...You know...

I think the combination is perfect for our dining room table! I actually have a smaller tablecloth with poppies as you can see but the oilcloth would be so practical...Yes, I dream again...

As a little girl, I always asked why this, why that... I realized whilst visiting the Blue Willow Farm I know very little of my favourite herb.

With a bit more research I found out it is mentioned in the Bible, not as Lavender but as "Spikenard". In the Gospel of Luke it is written: "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment."

Another ancient reference to lavender involves how it got its scent. The herb is believed to have been taken from the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve. However, the powerful perfume came later. According to legend, the clothing of baby Jesus bestowed the scent when Mother Mary laid them upon a bush to dry.

This may explain why the plant is also regarded as a holy safeguard against evil. In many Christian houses, a cross of lavender was hung over the door for protection.

Now I know just a little more about Lavender!

As to the poppy, Homer in the ILIAD mentions the flower: "And as a poppy which in the garden is weighed down by fruit and vernal showers, droops its head on one side ".

In the Bible, the Apostle Peter writes:"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall. . . ". This fleeting bloom is believed to be the common poppy.

Spring in the Holy Land comes early. By February, the hills above the Jordan Valley are filled with wildflowers. The hills above the Jordan Valley have one of the most diverse floras per unit area on our planet. One of the plants that stands out here is the poppy with its red flowers.

You can see lots of poppies along the road from Jerash to Angana growing amongst the olive trees, the crimson color of the flowers complementing the dark green leaves of the olive. And here I go again, dreaming...Jerusalem, perhaps one day...

In the meantime my family and I will be spending a few days of relaxation reading and dreaming... Until the next time!