recalling last week and entering the new year

A good fire roared and hissed in the grate. I read this line from a light  Christmas mystery I was reading recently before bedtime. And this just happens to be the setting for this post. As a blustering wind is blowing in this afternoon with an expected cold front arriving for the weekend.  Snow? Maybe. I hope so!

I had sauntered the ridge earlier while the sun was shining bright and my woolrich coat, ear band and mitts had to be discarded to the front porch while I continued on with my turtleneck and wool sweater sufficing well. I like that feeling of warmth when I take wintry walks.

Now I am resting by the fire and drinking some holiday blend decaf coffee. In order to detox this beginning of 2025 I am foregoing sugary treats for a spell. It is not as hard as I imagined it to be after the holiday splurge and especially my ongoing delight in an afternoon tea/coffee break. My Christmas cookies are having to be eaten now that the crowds are gone solely by my husband. I threaten to throw what is left to the chickens and my husband tries his hardest to finish them up, but he is loosing ground fast. These cookies were baked last week, no preservatives added and face it the taste and texture is lost greatly after a few days. We do not like waste, but to me feeding the chickens the leftovers is not a total waste.

I am adding a few photos here just to finish off the season. Remember I do blog to keep the memories so I want to try to be true to that intentional purpose too.

My sterling silver was taken out of the drawer for its annual shine. It was my son, Alan, who volunteered to do this job. I do love the shine of polished silver.

The table setting chosen this year was gold and white.  We had eight people joining us for Christmas dinner. The Christmas tree was placed in the dining room and that was enjoyable and festive, but that  also meant some of my African violets having to be removed and put at a window upstairs.

Through the days before Christmas and even on Christmas Day we hiked through the woods and fields with family and friends.

I prefer to decorate as much as possible with fresh greens gathered from the yard and woods.

We have several magnificent magnolia trees I am able to cut and use as well as a large hedge of huge old holly trees across the front border of our yard facing the road. But to find this wild holly tree with berries in the woods was a treasure.

                            And as always Louie was pretending to be the best present of all! This year Charlotte's old bedroom was designated the gift wrapping room. When my children grow up and marry, leaving and cleaving, their bedroom will be called their old bedroom for a time, but I  personally have no problem making the room into something else in the future if needed. 

simple things...of this past week

Car knitting today as I rode along with my husband over the river and though the hills to the hometown of Andy Griffith where Mayberry is personified as much as possible, even to offering sheriff car rides siren included, all for a price. 

These TV Slippers are a revisited knitting project originally popular in the 1960's.  Back in the 1990's I knitted several pairs for some of my friends and family for Christmas gifts.  Jane posted about these slippers and a little lightbulb went off in my brain with happy memories. I went upstairs and easily found the pattern. A bin of my stashed yarn revealed a ball of Brown Sheep wool yarn perfect for knitting a pair. These will be gifted to my granddaughter.

Over at the cottage baking molasses ginger cookies this evening.

The kerosene lamp was found in a little local vintage shop. The "Home Sweet Home" was etched into the glass globe, a good find even to the blue colored vase.

A $20.00 artificial tree purchased at Big Lots. It is really quite festive decorated at the cottage.

"Christmas we must keep. We must have a tree, and sing carols, and light the candle for the  Christ child".

                                      The Book of Stillmeadow   Gladys Taber

second birth

Hail the heav'n born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings,

Ris'n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by,

Born that man no more may die;

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", 3rd stanza

Charles Wesley, 1739

Born to give them second birth, just as Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

I am hoping to post several posts of the last few days. 

Rejoice!

dumplings and cookies

"We'll all have chicken 'n dumplings when she comes...."

( 4th stanza, She'll be Coming 'Round the Mountains, folk song)

Here in the south where I have always lived, I've noticed that most people have deep opinions, far and wide, about chicken and dumplings. Sometimes it has to do with the region one grew up in or how a grandma always made them. And it has been my experience that you either love chicken and dumplings or you can just leave them for others to enjoy.

Yet it is equally true that if I want to please my husband with a delicious comfort food all I have to do is put on a pot of chicken and dumplings and he is grinning from ear to ear. How can I resist that?

 My husband and I have had very distinct differences in how we've viewed dumplings in the past. He grew up with chicken pastry, a rolled-out flour dough cut into wide strips and placed into the cooking chicken stew. While I grew up with dumplings, little balls of sticky flour dropped down into the lightly boiling pot of chicken stew.  Through the years though I have successfully made a true dumpling lover out of him. 

                                      Simple Dumplings

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup milk

Mix all dry ingredients. Cut in the butter with pastry blender or fingers.

Add the milk. This dough is a bit sticky, you may want to have extra flour for you fingers as you drop the dough into the hot stew. I try to make them no bigger than a teaspoon because the baking powder causes them to expand to nice-sized dumplings.

I was at the cottage the other day to bake these cookies.

Instrumental Christmas music was playing on my iPhone, a Christmas pine-tree scented candle was burning and the cottage's oven baked these cookies to perfection. It was cozy and bright with the twinkly lights I'd placed across the kitchen shelves.

He became flesh and dwelt among us...

From Heav'n above to earth I come to bear good news to every home;

    Glad tidings of great joy I bring, Whereof I now will say and sing.

To you, this night is born a Child of Mary, chosen mother mild;

   This tender Child of lowly birth, Shall be the joy of all the earth.

'Tis Christ our God, who far on high Had heard your sad and bitter cry;

   Himself will your salvation be, Himself from sin will make you free.

These are the tokens ye shall mark, The swaddling clothes and manger dark;

   There shall ye find the young Child laid, By Whom the heav'ns and earth were made.

                                                                   ~ From Heaven Above to Earth I Come 

                                                                                    Martin Luther, 1531

Written for his five year old son, Hans, this Christmas carol was simply called by Luther, "a Christmas child's song concerning the child Jesus" and was sung in the Luther's home at their Christmas Eve festivities. 

I wrote the words as they were written on the sheet music. The tune sounds very familiar to Martin Luther's great hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God".

I sit here on this bleak, though not quite winter day, and I listen to the excellent performance of Handel's Messiah performed by the Queens College of Oxford while addressing my Christmas cards. Chicken and dumplings were made in the mid morning hours and are keeping warm in the crockpot for tonight's supper. A candle of balsam pine glows and makes my house smell just like the evergreens of the forest.

advent beginnings

 God's infallible, inerrant Word will not allow us to trade the glory of the incomparable God for the glory of created things. Indeed, regarding Christmas, the Scriptures summon the world to come and behold a wondrous, glorious display of God's immeasurable love for the world. God revealed in His Word the Advent of his beloved Son-the incarnation of God in Christ who had come to dwell among us. This Immanuel, "God with us"(Matthew 1:23, ESV), broke into a sinful world-lost in dark depravity-that he might cast the saving light of redemption. This is the glory of Christmas

Recapturing the Glory of Christmas

                                           R. Albert Mohler,Jr.

This year I have already been gifted an Advent book that was on my list of things I would like for Christmas. 

In years past Advent was celebrated with my children in various ways with various resources, many times using the same ones year after year.  It was one of the highlights and favorite things to do as a family leading up to Christmas Day.

Last year was the first year I realized we were no longer doing anything special for Advent daily or even weekly. Something was missing and I was the one missing it the most.

Therefore, this book is recapturing a place of an Advent devotional in my daily schedule. I can now do this on my own or with my husband. Either way I want the worship and adoration of celebrating my Savior's birth to be lighted from within and from without.

Two years ago I did a few Christmas posts including some of the stanzas of Christmas carols that might not be as familiar. I truly enjoy reading and even singing the words of the carols so much I thought you might like it too. Once again I am recapturing some of these Christmas hymns. Let me know if you know these stanzas.

King of kings, yet born of Mary, as of old on earth he stood,

Lord of lords, in human vesture, in the body and the blood,

He will give to all the faithful his own self for heav'nly food.

                                  ~Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, 2nd stanza

                                           Liturgy of St. James Fifth Century

first through the fifth day of Christmas

1) Hurry. Because Christmas was on Sunday that meant we went to church that morning.  Some of my older children are making their own traditions and invited us which was wonderful. Therefore, the day seemed to be more hurried than usual. But we worshipped Jesus and we celebrated His birth and we feasted merrily.

2) Puzzle. This in- between holiday span gives ample time to spend  putting together a puzzle. I was thrilled to find this particular puzzle of hand stitching.

3) Crash. Charlotte was on her way to Pennsylvania to visit her boyfriend and she crashed into the back of another car. Everyone was okay and we are so very thankful!  But sadly her car is not okay and her plans had to change with great disappointment.

4) Abruptly. Our plans changed this day because Charlotte's boyfriend worked it out so she could still go and visit with his family for a few days. This guy is a keeper, always going the extra mile for the girl he cares for and is wooing.We drove through the Shenandoah mountains for several hours to meet up with him in New Market, Virginia. It was our entire day, but we were so happy to do it for them.

 5) Refreshment. The is what it seems I needed after my walk, so I came inside and ate a Christmas cookie alongside a  glass of milk. I might regret it later, but  at the time I did enjoy it. We bake less cookies and sweets every year and sadly I do end up throwing some of the ones we do manage to bake into the trash can, but I also do my fair part in eating those I do eat without guilt.

I would have loved to have continue on with my twelve days of Christmas but the days activities and duties did not give any breaks to do so. But I do hope the entirety of your days of Christmas were full of Christ and His strength though the good and not so good times. 

 

12-22-22

 O come, O come, thou Lord of might, who to thy tribes, on Sinai's height,

In ancient times didst give the law in cloud and majesty and awe.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

~O Come, O Come Emmanuel, 2nd stanza

John Mason Neale and Henry S. Coffin

 To go outside early this morning and attend my flock of feathered hens was not the most pleasant thing I had to do today, but chores of this type even go beyond that quote about the postmen's rain or shine deliveries! It was so cold and rainy that the hens did not even come outside  to free-range. I was thinking how thankful I was astute enough late yesterday afternoon to throw another layer of bedding into the coop thinking the hens might choose to remain inside with the predicted weather forecast.  We use the deep layering bedding method in the chicken coop and it has been by far the best choice for our coop and our little flock!

I set a pot of natural things in a pot of water to simmer on my stove.

Now my house smells seasonally wonderful! Pine needles, orange pieces and peels, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and even tiny bits of pines twigs and cones, whatever you forage in wood and home can be used. Just keep adding water throughout the day.

I am fine tuning my menu lists for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner. This year it will be a bit different, Witt and his family, now that there are seven of them, have decided to stay home on Christmas Day and make their own traditions. I think this is a good thing, but I am glad they will be coming for Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning we will go to Rose's house where she will be serving breakfast, then we will attend church. Later that afternoon, around four o'clock, I will be serving Christmas dinner at my house. The beef tenderloin was just purchased and I am making a French Onion soup for an appetizer, using several kinds of onions.

daily bread

All creation, join in praising God the Father, Spirit, Son;

Evermore your voices raising to th' eternal Three in One:

Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ,

the newborn King.

Angels From the Realms of Glory, fifith stanza

James Montgomery 

Bread is made from three basic ingredients:  flour, salt and water. Four if you choose to use flour and water to make an ongoing live culture of sourdough starter.

My entire family has finally given me the five stars on this recipe of sourdough bread. And the key word here is entire family. I consider myself to have climbed a very steep mountain at last and it makes me happy. Because Charlotte is home from school until mid January and it is the holidays where more are gathered around my table at times, I usually  bake a loaf about every other day. We like toast, we like sandwiches, we like bread for soup soppings, and just general buttered bread for dinner. This bread recipe provides it all. Another thing that makes me happy. I persevered in my sourdough journey using several recipes from various sources, tweaking here and there to make it come together for me. 

I begin the process in the morning and it basically takes all day. Nothing fast or hurried, I like that about bread making. Yesterday we celebrated my husband's birthday so today I am baking another loaf. The process was began this morning and it takes basically all day. Since my kitchen is chillier than the other rooms in my house, the present loaf is rising by the fire on a trivet in the living room.

  I received this tea as a gift form my daughter -in -law and made myself a cup while I was beginning my bread,

and I was listening to a  Christmas CD of Twila Paris. 

At the beginning of each blog post until Christmas I will be sharing a stanza of a Christmas hymn. Many of these stanzas are not as familiar and they are rich.  

meet me there...and a cookie recipe

"God of God, Light of Light,

Lo, He abhors not the Virgin's womb;

Very God, begotten, not created,

O come, let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord."

~O Come All Ye Faithful, second stanza

John Francis Wade

Christmas carols were playing in the background...on a CD player which my girls think is obsolete, but works excellently for me, especially since I have a great collections of Christmas CDs😊.

The live mistletoe is hanging between the living room and the dining room. A fire is crackling warm. Louie has "snuck" inside and is contently warming himself by the fire on the ottoman. I am drinking a cup of Holy Basil tea while baking ginger molasses cookies, this time using my sourdough starter (recipe follows). 

 I am waiting for my dear husband to return later and meet me  under the mistletoe.

These cookies are the soft and chewy sort. So deliciously good! You may add the spices and spice amounts to your taste. If you prefer less gingery and more cinnamon cookies, just adjust.

Sourdough Ginger Molasses Cookies 

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup molasses

1/2 cup sourdough starter

Sift flour, baking soda, salt and spices together in small bowl.

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and then add the molasses and vanilla. Add the sourdough starter. Mix thoroughly. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet mixture,  be sure not to overmix. (I use a spoon, not the mixer, to stir and combine both the starter and then the dry ingredients).

Roll into 1" balls...you may have to slightly flour your fingers... then roll into a bowl of 2 tablespoons of sugar, coating the entire ball.

Place 3" apart on an uncreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes any 350 degrees.

The dough may be frozen up to three months.

 Isn't that wonderful?

You can pull out the dough and have a batch of freshly baked cookies when company stops by or if you are just hankering for a taste of these wonderful treats, seasonal comfort food at its best. And the added bonus of how it makes your home smell just like walking into a bakery! 

 

birthdays in December

 What's considered "normal" when your birthday is five days before Christmas? More than lately you will attend some other holiday event or a fancy occasion of the season. This year my dear husband's birthday was willingly shared with a piano recital held at our house. Charlotte's three students, two piano and one violin, arrived dressed in fancy party attire with the nervous anticipation of playing their two pieces in from of the parents and siblings.

He requested a pie for his birthday, chocolate or lemon. I did not have enough fresh lemons but there was plenty of cocoa powder on the pantry shelf, so a chocolate chess pie it would be. I fixed a special dinner of steak, baked potato and salad for him and it was nice to celebrate two outstanding events on this last Saturday before Christmas. 

sugar plum fairy

"There was something in her movements that made you think she never walked but always danced".

Rilla of Ingleside

L.M. Montgomery

Another season of the Nutcracker has come and gone. And while I find myself humming the music from the Sugar Plum Fairy as I go about my day, still it feels like a dream that another year's production is finally over, and that this year I had the unsurpassed joy of watching Charlotte beautifully dance the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

She was sewn into the dress before every performance . This is done on a precautionary note with any dance that involves a cavalier lifting a dancer, there must not be any opportunity for his hand to get caught in  the back of her dress with any of the lifts.

Since I am privileged to be a part of the costume execution and coordination team, which basically means I rip apart, sew, and help with the fittings of the many costumes for all the dancers, I am back stage for some of the performances. The following pics were some I snapped prior to Saturday evening's performance. Not good photo quality at all, but I do appreciate the concentration in her face as she is gets alone to warm up before going on stage.

And after a full week of tiring late nights and then the culmination of four stage performances, all can truthfully say that is was worth every bit of hard work that putting on such a show like this entails.

CHRISTmas eve's eve

The day is dark due to the bouts of pouring rain and  heavily clouded skies, but two electric candle lights burn in my sewing room casting a sweet glow. I am here to share two musings on this day referred to by Charlotte as" Christmas Eve's eve. "

Musing of a serious note: As I was rummaging through stacks of old magazines in the attic with high hopes of finding a particular recipe, I found a letter dated 3 May 1985. As I picked up the lavender- shaded envelope my heart began to be pricked with a cylinder sharp prick when I saw the return address, Mrs.______ ____ _____. This a dear friend from college, we were sorority sisters and  bridesmaids in each other's weddings. I opened it with such a deep longing to call her. Instead I heard her voice across the pages of this ruffled letter. During the time she penned this letter we were both young mothers raising our firstborn children, sons. She was giving me details of Matthew's toddler life and heralding me with the news of the births of sons and daughters of other sorority sisters.
   "I think of you often and wish we saw more of each other. Love, Am-" 
 I slipped the letter into the envelope's pocket with thoughts this Christmas of her husband and three now grown sons. My dear friend, Amy, died three years ago. I do wish I could speak to her today.  But instead I see her handwriting, my memory hears her voice, and I remember her beautiful face. How thankful I am for the gift of inadvertently discovering that letter hidden under some old magazines this Christmas.

Musings of a funny note: The weather is the talk of all the Christmas gatherings this year. It has been...well...weird. These past days have been very warm, unseasonably so in the high 60's and 70's F.
Thunder and rain creating yards that even in the grass display deep puddles. I scooped up the vegetable scraps from meal preparations, slipped off my shoes and ran down to the raised garden beds to throw on for compost. The mud squished between my toes making me squeal and giggle with fun! Just think  bare feet and tepid mud to run through at Christmas!

Celebrating Jesus Christ at CHRISTmas with the joys as well as the sorrows life brings until HE returns.