A bit of nostalgia

While cleaning out my garage this morning I happened upon a bit of my high school nostalgia in the form of these Dr. Scholls. These shoes were hot when I was in high school and even now I can hear the clumping noise generated by all the wooden shoes going down the halls. Rose pulled them out fascinated by such shoes and hardly believing that her mother would wear such things. But she incorrectly thought of them as junk to be played with until they were relegated to the garbage can. Oh no! These definitely possessed loads of sentimentality, and what if I wanted to wear them again? And wear them again I did as I finished cleaning the garage. But these shoes have shrunk......or is it true that bearing children causes one's feet to grow?

one of my favorite things

Several years ago a friend introduced me to a company that makes the most beautiful feminine nightwear. Verena Designs is appropriately named after the designer of these exquisite elegant gowns and robes. All the lace work is created by her and she selects only the best materials to truly create these works of art that you sleep in and appreciate their loveliness and comfort. I feel so pretty when I wear them, which I do every night. You can find them at verenadesigns. Check out their sight and if you would like I can tell you about their annual sale which enables me to have several of her creations hanging in my closet from which to choose nightly.

A Bush of Many Colors

I would be terribly amiss if I did not mention the hydrangea bush viewed outside my kitchen's sitting area since it swells my soul every day with its prolific blooms and vivid colors. The first summer of our residence in this house, this bush gifted us with lavish pink flowers. Our ignorance in pruning methods caused it to produce absolutely no blooms the next summer. After that disappointment we decided to just leave it alone thinking someone would eventually tell us the correct manner to prune. Now, three years later, we have a copious bush that contains shades ranging from the brightest pink to the coolest purple. I know it is related to the soil content but I prefer its hue ambiguity immensely. These days I cut and place the fresh flowers in crystal vases to bring inside. Soon I will cut them to dry to remind me of hot summer days when the winter winds blow cold outside my kitchen's sitting area.

Enjoy your cake on a china plate

I candied the last of my pansies and johnny jump-ups to decorate this cake for a Mother/Daughter luncheon I hosted today. This cake is indescribably delicious and delectably moist; the secret ingredient being the buttermilk. This is the first of two
luncheons I am hosting this summer. Today's luncheon was the practice run and I received the go ahead from all on the entire menu for the Bridemaids' Luncheon next Saturday. I must admit I am not satisfied with the look of this cake; it is just not tidy enough (probably due to its moistness). But I have an idea to try and bake them in individual little bundt pans.......we will see.

Candied Flowers

2 teaspoons meringue powder (made by Wilton and purchased at Michaels)
2 tablespoons water
1-1/4 cups superfine sugar
Edible flowers such as pansies, nasturtiums or roses

In a small bowl, dissolve the meringue powder with the water. Lightly brush to completely coat the flower. Sprinkle with sugar and let dry on waxed paper for 1-2 days.

The Best Fort

"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust." Psalm 91:2

Horse Fun

I am an early riser. There are many reasons for getting up early and I drink in each one; along with my morning's barley green followed by a cup of coffee... no decaf please.... twenty minutes later. This morning, however, I also had to get my girls up and out of the house bright and early. We participated in a 4-H Fun Day sponsored by our Horse Club for county 4-Her's. After last night's storm it was so refreshing to be outside and just as the sun was heating up the late morning, it was time to head for home and a peanut butter sandwich. Rose takes hers with my homemade strawberry jam....it is so good!........ but oh my, Charlotte who states, "I am a picky eater you know", will turn her nose up to real food and will only take hers with store bought jelly.....yucky.My friend gave me some of her cleome plants. I am thrilled to get them because it has been way too long since I have had them in my garden. I love these old-fashioned plants and I look forward to seeing their raggedy beauty in my garden once again.

The Best Day of All

" I like best things to happen on Sunday, don't you?;
because that's the best day of all."
The Enchanted Barn
G.L. Hill

It never fails to delight when Grace Livingston Hill says exactly what I feel!

beach music

This is what I did while on the beach. Something about the blue organic cotton yarn and the blue of the ocean seemed to be pefect harmony. This yarn was purchased on another beach trip back in March. A new yarn shop, appropriately named The Salty Sheep, had just opened and my friend and I were thrilled to happen upon it that Saturday morning; the scrunching and squeezing we did that day! I left with this yarn and the thoughts of a mellifluous soft cardigan. So with the calls of the gulls and the crashing of the tides I added my own music, the clicking of the knitting needles.

Connections

Rose has found a passion. Last spring she was able to begin taking horseback riding lessons and it has taken off with me learning more about horses than I ever thought I would. She is anticipating the day we will buy her a horse, hopefully in the not too far away future.

One of the blessings of having children is all the friends I have made because the lives of my children have been tied up in some way in the lives of their children. That is the case of this particular friend that I met last summer at the barn where Rose takes her lessons. This beautiful person has two equally beautiful daughters and we have all connected and friendships have been formed. But alas, my dear friend had some surgery yesterday, so the girls and I made a pan of brownies (I am convinced chocolate makes everything feel better) and a chicken pie. Why not be creative with the extra pastry dough and form their faces. Mission accomplished ......smiles and full bellies!

We are off to the sea tomorrow morning. Today has been full of laundering and packing, but we did find the time to make a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. The same recipe my childhood friend and I baked almost every week when we would get together in our youth. I can not recall a time in all the years of baking these cookies that I have not thought of this friend. She is a "bosom friend" of the past. One day I might just look her up and send her a batch of chocolate chip cookies.... I bet they will make her smile!

I can already smell the ocean. So long until Saturday week.

finding turtles

This was a morning find two days ago. The girls were so excited to find this box turtle in the front yard. It seems June is the month for finding turtles so we keep our eyes open. What we did not realize initially is that "Mr. Blueberry", as Rose so called him because of his fondness for blueberries, was missing his right front leg. So he hissed, he ate and he proved that three feet got him anywhere he wanted to go. He was released into our herb garden this morning. We watched his delight as he managed quite nicely to weave his way through the flourishing monarda, commonly called bee balm.

What's in a name

Perhaps one might wonder about the title of this blog, Cherith Revisited. The year was 1989 and my eldest son was in the 1st grade. Homeschooling was still in its early stages in my state and my state required a school name to register as a school under the Department of Non-Public Education.The Hebrew meaning of cherith, as in the brook Cherith that Elijah sat beside (I Kings 17:3), means "cutting", as in a covenant. By accepting Jesus' perfect blood sacrifice for my sins I was in covenant with Him already, His new covenant. Homeschooling seemed to be His best at this particular time. I have even thought of its meaning along with the word promise. We opened our homeschool under the name Cherith School which continued to be in operation for thirteen years. Then I placed my two remaining children in private Christian school and Cherith School was officially closed. In the course of that year, I had another baby. In January of 2007, it became obvious that the Lord had homeschooling in His plans for me once again. We opened our school as...... you guessed it...... Cherith School. All the homeschooling joys and trials have been revisited. I am older now and revisiting many aspects of life. But God is so very good and so very covenant and promise keeping.

Cold or Chilled?

In preparation for a Bridesmaids' Luncheon I am hosting in July, I have been testing my menu possibilities on my family. Yesterday for Sunday lunch I served a cold (or chilled) zucchini soup. Everyone had their recommendations for the temperatue that this soup should be served. I drew the line on this soup being heated, after all it was a soup to be served on a hot day. So my final dilemma was not on the temperature of the soup, but how was I to list it on the menu card, cold or chilled?

Cold or Chilled Zucchini Soup

4 medium zucchini,quartered and sliced
5 cups of chicken broth
1 bunch of green onions
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
12 ounces of cream cheese, cut into pieces and softened
1 tablespoon of fresh dill,chopped
1 8 ounce container sour cream
Garnish: chopped fresh chives

Combine the first five ingredients in a saucepan;cook over med-high heat, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes. Add the cream cheese and dill.
Process in small batches in blender until smooth. Cover and chill overnight.
Stir in sour cream before serving and garnish with chopped chives if desired.

invitations lead to changes

Daily trips to my mailbox yield invitations: College graduations, high school graduations and weddings. These are the children of my friends, or nieces and nephews. It is such a joy and thrill to see pictures of the graduates whom have grown into these lovely young men and women. Memories never cease to flash through my mind,"I remember when she was a tow-headed little girl playing in the sandbox...." or "Look how much he looks like his father.....". Then there are the wedding invitations, as varied as the brides themselves. Now I, for one , just adore weddings. I even love traditional wedding cake! Going to weddings these days are like viewing the pages of one's scrapbooks, individual yet containing all the same elements. Yes, these are the bittersweet times of life; the closing of one chapter and the opening of another.



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I must close on a bighter note. Those very same invitations may bring both laughter and tears. I love how the Lord planned these changes in our lives and to those whom concern us. It makes the next stages so much more acquiescent. See the tow-headed little girl in the pink sunglasses? I am not allowing her to get any older. Not ready for those graduation and wedding invitations yet.

A Good Read

".....but she knew also that what the world sees of the life of any human creature is not the real life; that life is lived in secret, a reality that moves behind the facade of appearance, like wind behind a painted curtain; only an occasional ripple of the surface, a smile, a sudden light or shadow passing on a face, surprising by its unexpectedness, gives news of something quite other than what is seen. And Marguerite believed that her real life was of value, besides being an immense joy to herself. She assured herself that the practice of the presence of God, that she had learned with self-discipline of thought and will, was not a selfish thing, but something absolutely essential if one's soul was to be of the slightest use."
Elizabeth Goudge, Green Dolphin Street

I really have enjoyed reading Elizabeth Goudge's books when I can find them on the library shelves. She is an engaging storyteller. It is always a treat to find her books at library book sales or goodwill shops; so I have added her to my list of seekers.

Dainty and Sweet

Oak-leaf hydrangeas are blooming in my front yard. Several bushes to cut bouquets from in the months of May and June. I use them handsomely on my table settings, especially when eating outside, which we do quite often.

last of the strawberries

I am eating the last of the "picked" strawberries this morning. Going to the strawberry field and picking strawberries in season is one of the highlights of this time of year. Since both of my daughters have May birthdays, one of them always manages to get a strawberry birthday cake of some sorts every year. This morning I ate a breakfast, al fresco, consisting of organic key lime yogurt with fresh strawberries and flax grain. I am off to a healthy start.

Strands of firsts

While the lightening bugs light up my lawn, I blog for the very first time. My anniversary was yesterday and my husband presented me with a strand of sixteen inch pearls. I love pearls and I am wearing them right now....Yes, indeed I am! After all pearls can be worn anytime with anything.