Not a Fan

 Hilary and I were talking about Halloween the other day.  She takes after her mom.  She doesn't like it.

I don't.  I really don't.  I guess it is because when I was little and we dressed up for Halloween and trick-or-treating, we only went to our neighbors' houses and our relatives.  That was fine.  I was little and just liked being able to do that.  Of course we weren't allowed to eat much of the candy---it disappeared after we came home.  But I didn't realize at the time that Mom was taking most of it and eating it when we were at school.  

When we moved to Mt. V when I was 12 and Greta was 8, trick or treating went out the window.  There was no dressing up and no going to relatives' houses, mainly because we had no relatives except Uncle Bob and Aunt Dorothy and Mom didn't like them so we didn't go.  I do remember trick-or-treating for UNICEF with the church youth group and walking up and down the streets around the church. I also remember putting together a Halloween type of party for the little kids at church and decorating our Fellowship Hall.

Of course at ISU we had parties on the floor and people would trick or treat throughout the dorm.  My favorite costume then was dressing up like the charwoman as Carol Burnett did on her show.  Somewhere I have a picture of our group in Erickson 3rd floor.

Later when I began teaching there were some dressing up of the staff, but mostly Fall Break fell during the holiday and I was spared.  Plus after we were married, Gary's time in October was spent in the combine.  It was more fun to be with him than try to attend or organize any type of party.

When the girls were little, we did some trick or treating, but once again, only to neighbors, relatives, and people we knew.  Since Gary was in the field, usually Karen rode along.  I remember having car issues at Kenny and Jan Kruger's house one year.  I also remember Jan laughing at the girls and giggling at Megan telling her she liked 'French fries and chip-it' her version of ketchup.  Of course Megan denies that now, and she says she can't stand ketchup or anything that resembles it, but we do have those memories and I am sure that Jan remembers it too!

As Hilary and I were talking the other night, it was the same thing for reasoning for not liking trick or treating. Lots of time spent traveling from place to place, since we are not too fond of asking strangers for candy.  Plus it makes for a late night and with school the next day, usually, it means grumpy kids who have also been dealing with 'sugar highs' instead of sleeping.

However as I was thinking about it, and pondering what Hilary said about needing to 'dress up' at school because everyone was....I spent a few Halloween days teaching as the Wicked Witch.  I borrowed a choir robe from the music department.  I had a witches hat that I used.  Plus I had a great mask which covered my entire face with cut out areas for the eyes and mouth plus a couple of nostril holes so I could breathe.

I wore black pants and shoes and a black shirt.  After I did my running around before school, I donned the robe, adjusted the mask, and settled the hat on my head. When the first class came in, I was waiting in the back by the closet and most of them didn't notice me right away.  When they did, the chattering stopped and the room became eerily quiet.  I taught the class as usual, but the students were very still and there was essentially no noise whatsoever.  During work time I would walk up and down the aisles and students would visibly move to the opposite direction so I wouldn't brush against them with my huge black sleeves.  No one would meet my eyes.  No one would talk to me.  All of them seemed to be intimidated by the Wicked Witch.  Even the kids who were usually talkative or the ones who seemed to challenge me with every assignment .....  were quiet.

When the bell rang, the room emptied quickly and quietly.  The students beat a hasty exit.  Between classes I would stand inside the doorway and say hello to passersby.  Students would either ignore me or they would move to the opposite side of the hallway to avoid making any type of contact with me.

By the end of the day I was hot, my hair was smashed, and I was super glad to hang up the robe and stash the hat and mask for another year.  But there were several take-aways from the day.

One was....people who are different, or scary, and shunned by others.  No one wanted to talk to me.  No one even wanted to make eye contact with me.  Even the toughest kids, the football players, the bullies, those who like to antagonize others...none of them would communicate with me in any way.

The second came from our discussion the next day in class.  Student would peek around the door, then I could hear the sighs of relief and the comments "Oh GOOD!  She's here!"   "Yeah!  She's back!"  I always asked "What do you mean?   I've been here."  But I wasn't really.  They found the Wicked Witch unnerving.  They didn't like looking at her during the class time.  They were uncomfortable with her walking around the room, stopping at their desks.  They told me they were hoping that I wouldn't stop to talk to them and they definitely would NOT be raising their hands for help if they had questions.  One student even said "It was just too weird.  The voice sounded like Mrs. Siemens, but it wasn't you!  I wanted YOU to be here, not that wicked witch." 

Yes. that was fun.  I remember another time when I set up the room like a group discussion.  I sat off to the side wearing my witches outfit ,but I read a few Halloween stories to the students and we had treats after.  A little different with not the same results.  But interesting reactions, nonetheless.

Still,..not a fan of Halloween.  This year the five munchkins will go to the Party Barn and hit an ugly purple donkey pinata, trying to spill the contents of wrapped candy onto the floor.  Papaw will grill hot dogs and we will eat those and chips plus brownies.  It should be fun, then it will be over for another year.

Halloween. 

Yep.

Apple Cake

 I have been into making apple pies lately.  One fall I must have baked double digits of apple crisp.  But today I was just hungry for apple cake.

I had bought more apples at Hillside Acres last Friday, I think it was.  Then on Saturday morning we bought even more apples at Payless (for less $ a pound than at Hillside Acres--no surprise there!).    So I had plenty, even though Gary and the kiddos had been eating some apples as snacks the last few days.

The search began for my apple cake recipe.  I know that Mom's recipe was somewhere; I just didn't know where.  Plus I knew that Gary preferred the icing that his mom always made for apple cake over the one included with Mom's recipe, so I was searching for that one also.

First thing was going through the recipe boxes. I pulled two of the ones I used most often off the shelf in the little island.  I found several main dishes that I wanted to use in the next week or so, and I pulled them out for future reference.  No apple cake though.  Since I couldn't reach far enough into the lower shelf of the little island without getting down on my knees, I called Owen for help.  That little cutie had to put his head into the shelf area and reach as far as his long arms could to pull out three of the remaining recipe boxes.  One was double in length, and one that I took from Mom's kitchen.  Another was my old green metal recipe box, very well-organized and neatly down in my junior high/high school handwriting, but it wasn't in my possession until after we cleaned out the house in Wooster.  Just another one of those items that Mom wouldn't let me have----even though it was mine. 

But I digress.....still no Apple Cake recipe.

Next was the small recipe book that I received as a Secret Santa gift from Bobbi Doll when we were all in the Extension Homemakers Club, Fireside Friends.  As I flipped through it, knowing that there was no apple cake recipe written on its pages, I was surprised to find one of the recipes I was looking for!  Agnes' Apple Cake Frosting!  Gary's favorite!

 

Just about the last resort---the small spiral bound recipe book that I bought at Borders on the Levee in West Lafayette when they were closing the store---going out of business.  We had been wandering around in there, just looking for a bargain or two, and I spotted that cute recipe book. I added special recipes to the pages that were provided, recipes that were favorites so I would have easier access to them. Now, though, there are so many printouts of recipes I have found online or that have been posted by friends on FB stuck in the book too that it is overflowing and stuffed full.   But......as I flipped through the desserts section, I found Mom's Apple Cake recipe!  Yeah!

 

The apple cake turned out great, and I was making the frosting on the stove after Megan left with Lynnlee and before Hilary came to pick up Owen.  The frosting is supposed to be poured onto a hot cake--and it was!  It looked SO good....caramel and coconut.  

 

Funny that I went through five recipe boxes, searching for two old recipes that I found later in two of the created-by-me books of family favorites.  But I did find a few other recipes that I had forgotten about and need to try again in the next week or so.

Apple Cake for us and for Michelle when she visits to review our Medicare and supplement plans.  

And Stuffed Shells for dinner tomorrow.....

And Taco Soup for the weekend.

And who knows what other old recipe will appear on the table next week?

Bon Appetit!

Sunday Morning

Maybe it's because I am used to him.

Maybe it is because our children grew up together and his wife is my friend and we were all in the same Small Group at one time so he seems like a real person, not someone who should be set apart as a 'minister.'

Maybe it is because he made the connection with Leo and Agnes and then was with us when they died, even coming to the hospital the morning that we lost Leo.  Their funeral services were so thoughtful and perfect tributes to the great people they were in our lives.

Maybe it is because he uses outlines and speaks to my head because that is the way I taught.  Organized.  Outline.  Notes.

Maybe it is because he speaks to my heart.  How many times have I felt like he is telling me JUST what i need to hear exactly WHEN I need to hear it?

Maybe it is because I have tried to find another minister, closer to home, that can speak to me the way he does and make the same type of impact...and I haven't.

Maybe it is like he says, that he is just the mouthpiece...that the real words are coming from a higher power who knows that I need to be connected.

Whatever the reason....the sermon this morning spoke to me on several levels.

Cleaning out his dad's house.  So much of what he and his brothers experienced hit home with me.  The dumpster.  The packed closets full of clothes, many with price tags still hanging on the sleeves.  The disgusting food in the refrigerator.  The trash that needed to be discarded.  The usable things that were given away (in our case, sold at auction).  The decision to toss some things that pulled at the heartstrings.  Been there.

References to the scriptures.  Since I began the OBS on studying the Bible in 40 Days, I find myself recognizing passages and there is a spark of knowledge when a particular book, chapter, and verse is a focus.  If I were to grab my Bible, I just might find those verses highlighted and notations written in the margins.  I love delving into scripture, and this is validation that it is working with me.

Finally the election.  Jim stated today what I have been feeling.  Our country is very divided right now.  So much is dependent on this election.  I know that Jim has voted already.  And he said that he already knows who is going to win.  It will be the man who is in God's plan to lead our country for the next four years.  God has a plan for us; this is just one of things that will fall into place according to His plan.

Gary didn't hear the sermon this morning since he slept later and was in the shower when Jim was speaking.  However, when I shared my take-aways with him, he disagreed with the view on the election.  He said that there are so many workers on the side of Satan out here more people who were trying to overthrow the good with evil.  He said no matter what, he is positive that God will be taking care of us.

That was  my Sunday morning.  Late breakfast.  Listening to a lot of The Ball Brothers and Legacy Five on YouTube.  

Great message, Jim.  Just what I needed to hear.

The Dilemma

This whole pandemic situation is getting to me.

Yes, I know that there could be worse things going on.

I know that precautions need to be taken.

I know that there are many unknowns about it and how it spreads and what the precautions need to be.

And just when I am NOT worried about it, something happens to cue that anxiety to rear its ugly head and make my mind run off in all directions.

One thing that I read echoed my thoughts well -  we can't live our lives in fear.  And we were.  Fear of being around people.  Fear of going anywhere off of our property.  Fear of having a temperature or the loss of smell or the loss of taste.  Fear of someone in our extended family contracting it and passing it to one of us.

I also lean toward the fear of how quickly all of us caved into the directives - closing churches, moving all classes to online versions, restricting travel, essentially eliminating small business transactions, encouraging online shopping and to-the-door delivery.  Isolating us from personal contact with others---other than through texting, emails, and some type of zoom calls.

I also agree that we need to live our lives as best we can.   Shopping for groceries.  Meeting a friend for lunch.  Visiting the apple orchard.

But taking extra precautions is necessary also.  We have been planning grocery shopping for early morning weekday hours, rather than on weekends or in the evenings.  I have ordered many items online rather than shop at a store.  We tend to eat a restaurant during off hours as well, either mid-morning or an hour or so after the regular lunch hour.

Hand sanitizer?  Got it and use it!   Masks?  We wear them.  Keeping socially distant?  We try.  I find myself changing directions in aisles and my eye contact with others has diminished to nearly nothing now.  Clorox wipes - use them, but not as much as I did in March, April, and May.

So what is "The Dilemma"?  Thanksgiving.

We have hosted several family gatherings since March.  Father's Day with the girls and families.  Fourth of July with Karen and Clay, Amanda and Chris, Shelby and Caleb (and Elijah) plus the girls and their families.  Gary's 70th birthday party.  Owen's birthday party on Labor Day weekend.  The Shrimp Boil.  And soon...Tessa's 8th birthday party.  Those have gone well, but we have used the Party Barn for all of those, with the doors open, chairs under the trees or around the fire ring, and the gazebo offering even more open air seating.

Thanksgiving is a whole different ball game.  Most likely the house will be closed up--I mean it will be in November.  The same people will be in attendance with the addition of Sandy and Kent, and then Mike, Angie, and Nick.   The hope is that if anyone is not feeling well or thinks there has been exposed to someone who has COVID or is going to be tested, then that person will stay at home.

Already there have been notices published about the dangers of small gatherings, especially Thanksgiving.  There have been suggestions of alternative plans, such as only the immediate family for dinner, then a Zoom call for everyone who would usually be in attendance.

It wouldn't be such a concern for me, but since we are hosting the family dinner on Thursday, the decision or guideline needs to come from us.

What to do?  What to do?

Gary says we go on as usual.  If people want to come, they do. If they are fearful, they will stay at home.

We shall see.  But for me, it is a dilemma.  I just wish all of the uncertainty would be over.

Apple Pie

 It's apple season.

As a rule I don't eat apples.  I don't like to bite into them and feel like my teeth are going to break off. If they are peeled and sliced, I might eat a few, especially if there is a bit of peanut butter closeby so I can smear some on the slice itself.  Otherwise, not an apple fan.

But...I do like apple crisp and I make a mean apple crisp.  Ask the PTK people at the Ivy Tech Logansport campus.  When we were putting together the lunches for Wednesdays in the Commons, there was always a request for Mrs. S to make a huge pan of apple crisp. And it vanished.  Each and every time we served it.

My two favorite pies are peach and coconut cream.  Apple pie has never even been in the running for the top 3.  But this fall I began to bake apple pies.

Homemade crust is the best, but if there is no time, then the Betty Crocker (or is it Pillsbury?) version has to do.  The recipe for the pie can be found in my favorite pie book.  It was a Christmas gift in 1966, and I have used it often.  The apple pie recipe is simple, just some sugar, flour for thickening, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Nicely sliced (or chopped) apples tossed into that mix, then poured into the pie pan lined with crust.  Add some butter pats and a top crust, crimp the edges, and pop it into the oven.

Gary has never been a fan of apple pies---until now.  His comment was that the apple pies he has eaten in the past, whether ordered as a slice after a restaurant meal or an entire pie purchased at a fundraiser, have been filled with the thickening and very few apple slices.  Since my pies have at least 7 cups of sliced apples added, too much goop is not an issue.  

Today's apple pie had been sitting on the stove while the potatoes were baking in the oven.  Thus, it was warm when cut and served after our grilled steaks dinner in the Party Barn this evening.  Yummy good it was!  

I am converting.  My Top 5 Favorite Pies list just might need some revision.

The Green and Yellow Quilts

 Two things...

I really don't like pro-football, except for the Colts and maybe the Saints (because I like Drew Brees - Boiler Up!).  

I don't make quilts for anyone other than family or extremely close friends (like Brandy for her first baby and Courtney for Ryan).  

But when Lindsey shared the news that she was pregnant, during one hair appointment when she was mixing up the color for my touch up and highlights, and when we were talking about how she wanted to decorate with a Packers theme....both of those things flew out the window.

For one---Rodger instilled in his family the love of the Green Bay Packers.   The green and yellow.  Cheeseheads.  He was a super assistant principal.  He loved his daughters with a passion.  And he left this earth too soon.  The legacy he left with her is totally understandable.  And sweet.

For two--while I didn't know Lindsey well when she was growing up and since I left WC before she became old enough for my classes, I don't have that connection with her.  I started to visit her salon after Donna died (and she died after I needed to find someone closer than north of Medaryville to cut my hair) and after the disastrous experiences with a stylist in Logansport. I always admired Lindsey for being a young entrepreneur, a girl who wanted to own her own business and was working hard to do just that.  She had a good head on her shoulders, she thought things through, and she tried to make sensible business decisions.  Plus I liked the way she interacted with her customers,  including me!

In our discussion that day, while she was working on coloring and highlighting my hair, a plan was made for me to make a quilt for her expected baby in Green Bay colors with hopefully Packers print fabric.

Do you know how difficult it was to find that particular fabric?  Well, let me fill you in.  Betty, my quilting lady, said all of her team fabrics had been snatched up in her Etsy shop soon after the pandemic quarantine began.  People were sewing.... and sewing things with team fabrics!  I checked online stores, I went to JoAnns, and there was nothing.  Enter Bonnie. 

Bonnie is a friend from Dotti's.  She lives outside of Madison, Wisconsin.  At one point in our chat group she mentioned having a coupon from JoAnns that she wanted to us.  A quick text to her asking for some help with this elusive fabric resulted in several texts, pictures being sent to my phone, and a couple of phone conversations, and finally a package arriving with two yards of Packers print plus some solid yellow and a few fat quarters of solid green.

The first quilt was underway, the top finished, and off it went to Betty for quilting.

Then....another text.  My phone was pinging one afternoon while I was stirring a dressing to put on top of sliced cucumbers and onions (that great summer salad).  When I finally checked my phone, it was Lindsey asking if I had the time, and the fabric, for ANOTHER Packers quilt. Why?  Because the ultrasound the day before indicated that there was not just one baby---but two!  Twins!

Off to JoAnns I went for more green and yellow fabric, for Bonnie had bought two yards of the Packers print and I had plenty of that to use!

Fast forward to the past week or so.  Both quilts had been quilted by Betty with a unique sports design---footballs, helmets, and stars. Hand stitching of bindings had been completed.  Labels cut, written, and zigzagged onto the bottom corners.  Ready to deliver.

Today Lindsey was feeling not the greatest.  She feels big (what does one expect when carrying twins?).  She can't sleep because of the breathing issues and her asthma.  She is tired and has difficulty cutting hair.  She can sit on a stool to work on the back, but she has to stand to cut the top and sides.  It is exhausting.

So the bright spot today was her first look at the quilts.  

I think she loved them.

She is ready for the bedroom to be ready for the twins, and the quilts will be the finishing touch.

When I left the shop today, Lindsey was sitting on a stool behind the counter, tired, worn out, and waiting for her next client.  But she looked at me and smiled, then thanked me again, and she told me how much it meant to her that I had made quilts for her babies.  

When I walked out of the shop, my eyes were just a little bit wet.  

Cleaning Out the Fridge

 You know what happens. 

That container of very delicious soup that you could eat for lunch the next day---isn't eaten because plans change so it eventually is pushed to the back of the fridge.

It is much more economical to buy the bigger bag of carrots.  After you use a small number of them in the chicken noodle soup you are making, the rest can be nibbled on by one of the kiddos or dipped into that great dill dip you picked up at the store.

Who wants to throw away frosting, especially the homemade cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls that seems to last forever because not everyone likes it or that buttercream icing for the cake that didn't bake (see previous post), especially since the buttercream icing does have a pound, yes a pound, of butter in it!

Those little individual servings of peach and vanilla yogurt that are great for the kids?

A nearly empty bottle of rhubarb jam.

Why did we buy lemons?

A ziplock bag of ketchup packets from take out orders?

Reminder to self - If a  whipped cream cheese carton is in the back of the fridge with a very expired date on it, DON'T OPEN IT!  Definitely practicing the gag reflex on that one!

The refrigerator was new in September 2018.  While I (or Gary) routinely goes thorough some of the containers and the produce drawers and pitch outdated items, I have not removed everything and washed the drawers and the shelves.  It wasn't bad, but it needed just a little sprucing up.  

While we were 'at it,' I reorganized some of the drawers.  Now all of the cheese, shredded and slices plus sticks, are in one drawer. Tubes of cinnamon rolls and boxes of cream cheese are in the same drawer.  Meats, such as hot dogs and deli ham and deli turkey, are in a drawer.  Those little shelf units on the inside of the drawers were re-organized.  And yes, we do need three bottles of mustard - plain, spicy, and dijon.  

Now granted....the fridge was not as bad as the ones I cleaned out in the old house.  That was always such a challenge, usually a solo job, and one that resulted in my using several trash bags for the pitched items.  

The reason why today's task was much easier?  Because like so many other tasks, I keep up better here than I did there.  The reason?  One is that much clutter was eliminated.  Another reason is more time to do it (translating into no grading to do or lessons to plan).  The big reason - I love this refrigerator and how it looks and the items it can store for us.

The fridge is ready for Thanksgiving.  That was the main reason for the clean out/sprucing up.  I can cross that item off the Pre-Thanksgiving To Do List.

Why today, you might ask?  Why not wait until later in the week or a few weeks from now? 

Answers?  Nail appointment tomorrow so if I am going to chip a nail, now is the time to do it.  Plus tomorrow is trash day!  No trash bags sitting around for several days!

Ta Da!  Done! 

The Birthday Cake That Wasn't to Be

 For several weeks Landon and I had planned to bake a cake for the Shrimp Boil on Saturday because it was also Aunt Karen's birthday.

And...cakes are the project in Family Favorite Food Recipes for next year, so this would be a great start.

He poured over the cookbook that was Aunt Megan's Christmas gift last year.  He finally found the perfect recipe for a Funfetti type of cake, layers, vanilla, buttercream frosting, and topped with sprinkles.

This morning after breakfast at Cracker Barrel, Papaw, Landon, and I stopped at Meijer to pick up a few items on the list that we didn't have on hand...more butter, more powdered sugar, whipping cream, whole milk, spray Pam type of oil with flour added.

When we returned home, the eggs and butter were on the counter, coming to room temperature, and we pulled out all of the other items needed.   He set the oven to 350 degrees to pre-heat.  Last night we found the pans, the tools needed, and the measuring cups and bowls to use.

Even though it had been THREE months since his last baking experience (which was in July for his 4-H judging), Landon was still on top of things.  He remembered measuring, using the straight edge to level the flour and sugar, pouring the salt over the sink, using the custard cups for the small ingredients like baking powder and vanilla, and checking the recipe frequently to be sure he was following all of the directions.

Finally the batter was ready to pour into the prepared pans.  The oven had been heated. He opened the door and slid in the two round 9" pans.

Since I told him I would be in charge of the clean-up, he retired to the living room to talk to Papaw.  At one point he returned to the kitchen, clicked on the oven light, and was dismayed because it didn't look like the cake batter was rising.

The toothpick test when the timer went off yielded some gumminess so 10 minutes were added to the clock.  However, the second amount of time did nothing to improve the texture of the layers.

After cooling on the wire racks, and while Landon was mixing up frosting, I flipped the cakes over, one at a time, to inspect the sides and bottoms....and was shocked.

Both cakes had caved in middles.  They looked like they had solidified instead of baking into a flaky cake with a moist crumb. I grabbed a knife to check and cut a small wedge from one of them.  I am not sure how to describe the end result, but it was not anything at all like a cake---unless it was to be a cake of soap.

A quick check of the recipe confirmed that no ingredients were omitted, and no additional items were added.  We followed the directions, and the oven temp was set correctly.  

But the cake looked and tasted like no other we had ever baked before. Honestly, nothing we had ever tasted before was similar to the end product sitting on the cooling racks on the kitchen counter.

What to do now?

The cake was pitched.  The container of finished frosting was placed in the fridge.

And Landon and I were on a mission to find a back. Meijer to the rescue!  A nice yellow cake with white icing, decorate with yellow roses and green curliques. The nice lady at the bakery added Happy Birthday Aunt Karen in green.   Landon also found a package of sugar cookies that we can frost also.

All is not lost.  We have a cake.  We have cookies to frost.  We even bought a '6' and a '2' for the top of the cake.

And if you look at Landon's cookbook, one recipe has a notation:  10/16/20  HORRIBLE!

We won't be making that one again!

Jesus Calling - Yesterday and Today

 Since I was awake at 3 in the morning yesterday, I started the journal entry and reading for October 12.  The plan was to finish it upon re-awaking at a more normal time.  Well, like usually happens, the best laid plans and all.....it never happened.

This morning I saw on the blue couch in the family room, listening to Cooper and Lynnlee playing, and discovered that I had never returned to it.  Shame on me.

The message, though, is one that I really needed to hear, not only yesterday but everyday.

Worrying about what others think.

Upon reading the narrative and thinking about the verse, I know the origin of my insecurity.

Like always....the roots are in Mom.

According to her, no one would like me.

Not in Mt. Vernon---because we were the outsiders.

Not in Francesville ---because after all, the only reason anyone would like me was so that their child would get a better grade in my classes, right?  Of course my integrity as a teacher was being questioned also because why would I base grades on anything other than the student's work in my class?  

But that escaped Mom.  Or if I even mentioned that particular scenario, then the blank look would be on her face (because she didn't understand that concept) and then she would snap back to being snippy with me and asserting that her opinion was the right one.

In fact every time there was a problem with a student and I shared that, the reason behind it would be something I had done, or hadn't done, which resulted in the reason being my fault.  Why would anyone think I was a good teacher?  Or like me?  Or think anything nice about me?  

After all..I had been a horrible child, full of problems. 

Even when I was an older adult, there were always reasons why something didn't happen correctly (and it was my fault) or there were hidden reasons why certain things happened (like I was fired instead of my decision to retire) because after all, no one liked me and I made people upset with me.

So...this particular narrative hit home today.  I have talents.  I am a good person.  People do like me.  But most of all, I am a child of God, no matter what, and He loves me.  (even though I can still hear my mother saying with scorn in her voice "And you call yourself a Christian...")

Today's main verse was Psalm 46:10  "Be still and know that I am God."

Too often there are so many distractions during a day.  There are people and events and occurrences vying for one's attention.  Today was one of those.  Megan and Matt went to French Lick for a couple of days, a much needed getaway for them.  Matt had arranged for Cooper and Lynnlee to stay with us while they were gone.  Having a 7 year old boy and a 3 year old girl in the house changes everything.  There is noise.  There are demands.  There is a mess created.  Meals are different.  Lynnlee still needs diaper changes.  Sleep schedules are earlier than ours.  There are bubble baths.  There is more care about jumping on trampolines and checking to see where everyone is at any given time, not that there are places to wander off to, as long as they stay in the yard and on this side of the creek.

But it seems like adult tempers are stronger and patience is shorter.  Sometimes the versions of cleaning up vary.  The roles that one plays in the house seem to be lopsided at times.  For instance Lynnlee prefers me to Papaw.  Everything she does or needs requires my attention.  Some things that Cooper wants or needs requires me as well, like playing games.  Cleaning up the kitchen is not just putting the food away; it also is wiping off the counters and cleaning off the island plus sweeping the floor, especially if kids have been eating at the island.  Drying hair after baths is a Mamaw thing as is running the bath and adding bubbles. Supervising clean up of the family is my job also.  I know....I am looking at it from just my perspective, but I do know that patience is short and I seem to be in trouble more because I haven't done something or taken care of things.

Be still.  Know that I am God.  Know that these two kiddos are such wonderful blessings to us.  Be thankful that we found this house and yard and outbuildings so that we could be closer and available for times like this.  We have a family room where all of the toys are located, contained into one area, with a closet even!  We didn't have that before!  

These two kiddos are so special to me and I am SO thankful that Matt and Megan trust us so that they can stay with us while their folks go on a little getaway for a few days.  

I just need the reminder to "Be still and know that I am God."

Beautiful Days...Beautiful Weekend

 My heart is full!

What a great weekend!

This was the weekend for Hilary's Fall Mini-Sessions.

It was also Lynnlee's birthday party weekend.

And the weather was beautiful!  Picture perfect (get the pun there?)!!

Even though both days were fun, my focus for this will be Sunday.

Somehow the trees decided to drop more leaves through Saturday night so the yard north of the house was a blanket of yellow and orange.  Glorious for another backdrop for family shots.

Starting at 10:30 and ending around 6 there was a steady stream of cars, trucks, mini-vans in our drive.

Families with children.  Some teenagers, some with elementary children.   

Some families we knew---Megan and Matt, of course; Padgetts; Caleb, Shelby, and Elijah; Amanda and Mark Douglas and their girls.  The others we didn't, but usually Blaine and Hilary had a connection to them through sports, work, or the kids or a combo of those.

Since the day was gorgeous, Blaine and Gary had set up the camp chairs around the firering, plus Landon had started another fire, resurrecting the one from the night before.

Because M and M had scheduled their shoot for the first one Sunday, we also scheduled one for a Mamaw and Papaw and the kiddos.  That meant that our house was bursting with noises from preparation of hair and clothing, then changing into play clothes.  Lunch happened, and it was fun to watch everyone digging into the deli salads, make sandwiches from the deli meat from the 218 Market, and enjoy some pudding cups and leftover Coconut Cream pie.  Helping themselves to drinks from the fridge is common procedure now.  And I could tell that everyone was thirsty judging from the number of glasses and cups in the dishwasher!

But the rest of the day?  So full of fun and memories.

Watching Hilary interact with her clients and seeing their expressions as they were posed into looking natural.  Seeing how good her 'eye' is and how she wants everyone to be happy and satisfied with her work.

Sitting around the fire ring with friends and family.  Amanda Padgett's husband was sitting in one of the chairs and she on the swing while their kids were checking out the goats and rabbits or jumping on the trampoline. Our niece Amanda arriving and making herself at home with the rest of us.  Jan stopping by to take Owen and Tessa to the park and then sitting around the fire, catching up.  Mark visiting with Blaine and Gary while I gave Amanda a quick tour of the property and shared news from Francesville.

It was fun to watch people stepping into the gazebo and select a bag of cookies or caramel corn to much on after their shoots.  Many grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler. 

Very special for me were the many comments over the two days about how pretty our place is, how it is set back from the road, and one person even mentioned the effect when coming out of the lane, just before going over the bridge, which is one of my favorite spots on the drive. 

So as I sat by the fire ring, soaking in the warm summer breezes, I marveled at the blessings we have received in the last three years.  Thanks to Rebecca and Hilary, we found the perfect place and in Rebecca's words, we 'didn't settle.'  Thanks to Rebecca and the other agent, we were able to buy this at an acceptable price, pay cash, and have no debt. We are close to the girls so that they can be here within several minutes, they can stop by often, and they feel comfortable with our watching the kids when needed.  I am SO thankful when I watch Cooper running out the door, across the yard, and to the camper so that he can play with Tessa and Owen.  I am SO thankful when I hear the sound of the tractor starting up, then see it backing out of the Party Barn with Cooper driving it. I am SO thankful when I see Tessa on her way to the swing, where she seems to be thinking and dreaming while she drifts back and forth.  It is fun to watch Owen exploring the base of the barn, looking for Finn.  And it is a blessing to see Lynnlee running after the big kids so that she can be included--especially on the trampoline (TOO HIGH!!! TOO HIGH!!!)

My heart was full.  Thank you, God, for giving me family and fun times full of memories in such a special place.

Cleaning Day

 Since we moved, my whole cleaning schedule has changed.

You might be thinking---what is a cleaning schedule?  Do people actually do that?  

I clean in the kitchen daily.  Why?  Because it is where we eat...  (Insert rolling eyes here) and especially with the virus lingering around, we need to be healthy.  Plus it is the first room that anyone coming into the house will see.  That means trying to keep the dining room table cleaned off, moving the clutter off the island where we eat, and keeping the kitchen counter wiped off and clean. All three of those require several times a day tidying, just because.  Keeping the sink cleaned out is another chore and rinsing dishes to load them into the dishwasher happens after every meal.  Dry mop frequently, then mop occasionally.  Done.

Bathrooms?  Same way.  The downstairs bathroom is used often since it is handy for the kids to run in and out.  But when Owen is here in the afternoons his favorite has become the master bathroom.  He usually announces his intentions, then scrambles up the stairs to use the toilet, closes the door to the master bedroom, then leaves the toilet seat up and the light on when he is finished.  But he does flush!  

But the rest of the house is sporadic.  The cleaning schedule is determined by several things:

--how many kids have been in the house recently.  If they have been playing downstairs, then more cleaning is needed in the family room.

--if people are coming who haven't been here before.  Usually those people like to see the new house and I like for it to look good.  Who wouldn't?  

--a weekend....where friends and relatives may just 'stop by' to visit.  

--before we leave for a few days or for a longer trip.  I don't know why, but coming home to a clean house is important to me.  The last thing I want to do after being away from home for several days is come back to a house that is dirty along with all of the dirty laundry! What a way to spoil the relaxation by being faced with a house to clean!  Clean sheets on the bed is a plus too!

--sorting through clutter is essential.  

Yesterday was cleaning day for me.  I am not sure how many trips I made to the family room, but I found so much that belonged there and NOT in the kitchen or the dining room or the living room.  Pieces of games.  Toys.  Colored pencils.  All things dragged up by Owen, Tessa, and Lynnlee and not returned.  But that is ok.  All are back in their places now.

Sweeping and dusting.  Throwing away old newspapers, boxholders, and empty envelopes.  

Cleaning off the tv screen downstairs and the laptop screens.  Polishing handles on the fridge, the microwave, the stove.  Washing off the windows in the bathrooms and the backdoor.  Sweeping out the thresholds on the exterior doors. Changing the bulbs on the Bath and Body Works things (the name of those escapes me) and the wax in the Scentsy warmers.  Putting away the last of the red/white/blue decor until next May.  

And I am sitting here in the recliner, typing this, and smiling.  Because I like this house.  I like that it always (just about) looks nice and seems clean. And I think it is because we did move and sorted through so much that had accumulated in our old house and eliminated all of that unnecessary clutter and memorabilia that the house now looks cleaner and fresher than it used to. 

Does that make any sense?

Today..the master bedroom though.  I always put that one off until the end.  Why?  Clothes.  I dislike putting away clothes but I am irritated when they are NOT put away. I know..that makes no sense at all.   

Clothes are hard for me to part with.  But I know that I have too many. I know that there are some items I am just not going to wear anymore.  I don't teach now. I am not a professional working woman now.  I have no need for suits or dress pants.  I live in denim or stretch. Jeans or leggings.  If I need to go somewhere a little more dressed up than what I wear around the house, I have denim leggings that I wear with long sweaters and my boots and they look good.  Now if I need to go to a wedding or a funeral, then I might need to go shopping because let's face it, some of the clothing hanging in the closet is outdated and/or just doesn't fit anymore. Which is another reason to stick those things in the Goodwill bag.

So this morning's task is to work on summer clothes and stuff some bags for Goodwill with those things I didn't wear this summer.

Then sweep and dust the bedrooms.

Another cleaning session (since it became more than one day) done!

Think it will happen?  We shall see!

With a Song in My.....Head?

 Isn't there a song titled, "With a Song in My Heart"?  Yes..I just searched  and now am I listening to Frank Sinatra sing it.  Not what I remember it sounding like, but......he sang it in 1944 and I wasn't even thought about yet, let alone born!

Anyway.. lately I have been awaking with a song in my....head.  It seems like it is playing on a loop...over and over and over again. This week the songs have been ones that we usually listen to on Sunday mornings after the online service from Francesville Christian Church.  

The usual selections?

Anything from the Ball Brothers

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing Psalm 34 (listening to it as I type)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfW2mkkMTAg

Legacy Five "I Found Grace"

My favorite - "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" by Legacy Five

What a great way to start the day!

Same Recipe, Different Results

 Why is that?

It happens to me frequently.  I have a recipe I really like and have made so often, then the next time it is a flop.  Well, not exactly a total flop, but the end result is not what it had been previously. 

And I am disappointed.

What is even worse is when the recipe has been prepared for guests or as a gift for someone.

Oatmeal cookies.

They are relatively easy to make. 

Gary likes them.  Blaine likes them with raisins.  Hilary likes them with chocolate chips.

When Landon and I were baking this summer, we tried a variety of recipes, trying to find the perfect cookie for his Family Favorites Foods project in 4-H.  Even though we knew the oatmeal cookie was NOT going to be 'the one' to submit, we still tried a few recipes just because Papaw, Daddy, and Mommy liked them and they were working hard on the goats and pigs during the spring and summer months.  

Each recipe we tried I marked with comments and the date.  One has a notation "Gary likes this one."  Blaine just liked them all, as long as there were raisins.

In fact after we baked one batch, he stood at the counter and ate several straight off the cooling cookie sheets.  That's always the best way to eat fresh-from-the-oven cookies anyway, right?

So...for his birthday tomorrow I thought I would bake him a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies.  I pulled out the two recipes I had used most often, and I selected the one with the most recent date notation.  The end of August.

I remember that day.  It was one of those chaotic days when there were grandchildren everywhere, lots of activity going on in and outside the house.  I was baking cookies and forgot to put the raisins in.  Oops!  But everyone liked them and they vanished.

Today's cookie adventure turned out a little differently than I had hoped.  The baking time had to be extended because they cookies just didn't look completely baked after the time had elapsed.  When the cookies had cooled somewhat and I moved them to the cooling racks with the spatula, they seemed to be very flat and somewhat greasy---not like from oily French fries, but from the butter in the cookies. 

The cookies on the first three sheets that baked for 12 minutes all seemed to be like that.  The final half sheet I kept in the oven for an additional 2 minutes and they were TOO done.

Gary taste tested them and proclaimed them good, and he assured me that Blaine would like them no matter what.  But he asked, "Why do they turn out differently each time?"

I have no good answer to that one.  This time I did add the raisins and I plumped them in water before adding the to the cookie dough.  But I blotted the excess water out of them on paper towels.  Maybe that was the difference.

Who knows?

But when I bake oatmeal cookies on Thursday for the photo shoots, I will use a different recipe and probably omit raisins this time!

A Day Off!

 Yes, for us it was a day off!

I decided yesterday that we needed to just go somewhere.  Gary said that sounded good to him and to plan where we were going and he would drive.

How could I resist that!

After I listened/watched the service online from FCC this morning,  Gary was ready to go, and soon I was also.  Jeans, long sleeved t-shirt from Michigan, tennis shoes, jacket.  Ready.

We headed out on the Hoosier Heartland, then north on 31.  Destination?  Green Oak.

Green Oak is usually a place we visit maybe twice a year.  Once is during the Christmas Open House which is always around Veteran's Day.  The next time is usually the day after Thanksgiving when Greta is here and she, Hilary, and I have a "Girls Day" out to have fun shopping and lunch.

I was on a mission to find a new wreath for above the fireplace.  I had switched out the summer wreath for one with sunflowers, but a new fallish wreath was needed for that spot.  Fortunately I found one  plus another to hang by the front door.  As we were wandering around, we also noticed charcuterie boards and bought one of those.  Then I found another bowl to add to my collection on the hutch.  The fun thing about checking out at Green Oak is that the prices are always discounted by a few dollars.  When I looked at the sales slip later, there were anywhere from $3-5 off the tagged price.

 

Next stop was Wings Etc. for lunch.  Small crowd.  Socially distanced seating.  We sat in the bar at a pub table.  Pretzel  bites with pub cheese.  Wings and tots for Gary.  Fish tacos for me.  Everything was great.  Except the fish tacos.  Little bit of fish in the bottom of the shell topped with gobs of onion, lettuce, and a few specks of tomato. Very disappointing.  But the pretzels were fan-tas-tic!

Walmart was next for a few items which grew into a longer list by the time we reached the check out.  Isn't that always the way?  We needed ingredients to make caramel corn and cookies for Hilary's fall photo shoot.  Somehow a couple of gifts for the boys' Christmas totes found their way into the cart.  Then I remembered I was low on shampoo, we needed more paper plates, and Gary was out of razor blades.  Since Lynnlee's birthday party is next week and I had no gitt bags big enough for her quilt, I had to find one that was!  On and on as we roamed around the store. 

The drive home from Rochester would naturally include a stop in Royal Center, right?  We caught up with Karen and Clay for a couple of hours, hashing over recent conversations, news items in the family, and future plans.  They will be leaving for their trip to Michigan on Tuesday. 

Last stop was at Bob Evans in Logansport.  The option of eating leftovers at home didn't sound like fun, so we decided to enjoy breakfast at Bog Evans instead.  Cinnamon pancakes with bacon for me.  Gary ordered eggs, hash browns, sausage, and a side of pancakes.  Other than the very s l o w service, it was a good choice for 'breakfast for dinner.'  

A beautiful day should end by enjoying a beautiful sunset.  We rarely see any type of sunset at our house because of the woods to the west.  Sunrises, yes.  Sunsets, not very often, unless we are standing by the raspberry bushes or driving home from visiting one of the girls.  Tonight the sky was changing to a deep blue with streaks of pink and red, with varied clouds scattered through.  

 

All in all it was a good day.  Other than the card we found for Landon's adoption day disappearing, our shopping was a success.  And it felt good just to get away from the house and enjoy different scenery and feel like we were living a normal, non-pandemic life (except for the masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing).