whole wheat cinnamon rolls

Feeling rather "hobbity" today and wanted to parley loads of comfort in my home, so Charlotte and I decided to bake a pan of cinnamon rolls. I purposely made them smaller than usual so I could eat more, just not all at the same time, of course!

I love grinding my own soft wheat berries for rolls and cookies. Thus, the small flecks of flour everywhere! 

I use a Nutrimill. If you have never ground your own wheat, you are missing exceptional taste and nutritional benefits in your home baked goods. When I bake loaf bread, I use the Prairie Gold wheat berries instead of the soft. The soft is paler in color and a bit softer, making your flour quite lovely for baking.

crocheted edgings

 It is time to step aside of my usual posts "of the days before the wedding"; I'll add more of those posts  later.

Today I wanted to share some of the dainty edgings which I promised (sorta) I would share on a post recently. Both of these soft  flannel receiving blankets were gifts for a special mother-to-be at a baby shower I was delighted to attend this past weekend.

Gray Scalloped Edging:

 Aunt Lydia's Classic 10 crochet thread

#5 crochet hook

Mark every 1/2 inch all around the hem of the blanket; poke holes with your needle, then sew a blanket stitch around the entire edge. It will look like this when it is finished.

Single Crochet(SC) around the blanket.

 Chain(CH) 3, 2 Double Crochet(DC) in next sc. That will make a total of three stitches in the one sc stitch.

Ch 1 *SC in next ch, 3 DC in next chain, Ch 1*

Continue with this Pattern * until you get to the corners. 6 DC in each of the four corners.

Pink Scalloped Edging

SC around entire blanket stitch (after sewing your blanket stitch as in gray edging)

*3 DC in first ch, SC in next chain* Repeat.

At the corners, 5 DC

 In the corner of the pink polka-dotted blanket, you will notice I embroidered a simple chubby bird with a few lazy daisy flowers. I planned to use a sea foam green thread for the lace and bird, but when I found out this baby's colors were pink and gray, I decided to use light gray for the edging and a darker gray for the outline stitch of the bird.

 I hope she likes them...this little girl.

 I found one of Rose's receiving blankets, worn and tattered, tucked under her mattress when I went to move her bed several weeks ago. This blanket was hand sewn by a very special, older woman over eighteen years ago. Isn't that a happy thought, to think someone might find one of these blankets tucked in a comforting place years down the road? What a lovely story to be told!

a wedding shower tradition

Wedding showers are a tradition in the place I live. Showers are a wonderful means of getting together to celebrate an upcoming nuptial and to "shower" the bride-to-be with gifts that will be needed as she starts up her new home.

Claire, being the perfect host and having taken on the honor of being Rose's Matron-of-Honor, gave Rose her first shower one Saturday afternoon in November. She included many extra touches in her decorations and food choices.

Then the box of engraved thank you notes were opened, and Rose began the process of penning a handwritten note to everyone who had given kindly and generously to show their love and support of her.

the invitations

How do I go back and tell a significant story?

 Five months later a story shouts to be told which included huge planning culminating in a big day of worship and celebration on January tenth.

We ordered the invitations and a friend traveled on the busy highways in tough traffic to spend a few days with us. She sat and helped pen the invitations, stuff the envelopes, and stamp them for posting.

Then we waited for the responses to come in, which made the simple act of walking to the mailbox daily a grand treat.

December remembrance

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The spirit of Christmas which is love.
~Ada V. Hendricks

Moravian Candle Tea On December 5

On th sixth day of December, I was able to make a journey out of town and take Rose along too. My childhood friend's eldest son was getting married and I was bound and determined to attend the wedding. I do not plan to forget his anniversary since it is on my birthday. But when I returned on Sunday, Claire and Witt invited me over for birthday wishes; coffee served with one of my favorite cake choices, German Chocolate. They are sweet to me like that.

A program of strings played for the elderly residents of a local home.

The Widow's Luncheon was hosted in our home on December 19, which happened to be my husband's birthday .These gals are such fun!

Christmas morning

A new acquisition of my husband's demanded a family group picture.

A game of Apples to Apples after dinner rounded off our day of cheer and celebration.

Jesus is hope;

Jesus is peace;

Jesus is love.

Simple Woman's Daybook Resolution

Resolved- firm in purpose or intent; determined.

I should be more resolved to blog this year on a more regular basis. But honestly, I do not want blogging to become just another thing I must do. However, I did think it would be a wonderful resolution to begin this January week by joining in with the Simple Woman's Daybook. 

Outside my window...an upstairs view, "naked" takes on beauty as I gaze upon the tree's bareness; the oak trees still manage to hold onto some of their rusty brown leaves

I am thinking...about tonight's supper.  Frozen meatballs made and stored in the freezer are thawing with the intent to add them to a red tomato sauce and brown rice noodles

I am thankful... for the day's sunshine, making my afternoon walk a delight

I am wearing...black skirt, black tights, cream turtleneck and teal cardigan.

I am creating...flannel receiving blankets with crocheted edges for a special baby girl. I will share some pictures later.

I am venturing...nowhere else for the remainder of the day; an earlier trip out to drop Charlotte at piano while I stopped by the store for some needed items (like laundry detergent)

I am wondering...how Rose is doing today.

I am hoping...to get organized in space and mind this month

I am learning...to hope; to hold on and to let go...I know... an oxymoron of sorts

Around the house...my new sewing and crafting room is taking shape! I spent time in the closet today, placing bins of yarns on the shelf. I purchased a new rug for the middle of the floor on Saturday...love it!

In the kitchen...wheat berries were milled into flour this morning, waiting for me to make some bread.

I am pondering...next year's school choices for Charlotte

                                                    
I pray because the need flows out of me

all the time, waking and sleeping. 
 It doesn't change God, it changes me.

                                                 C.S Lewis

                                                   

           

a cup a tea while basking in the sunlight's beams

seven days

 A bouquet of white roses with blue delphiniums still grace my bedside table, one week later.

 My mind is having a hard time grasping it has been an entire week.

all things new

On a cold January night, she was wed.

                              She was a beautiful bride.

filling spaces

The cats know something is substantially different.

I moved furniture today and began the process of creating a sewing and craft room in an empty space in my house.

 There is a substantially empty space in my heart too.

December 2

A morning of baking bread and making soup allayed the greyness outside my window. Colder temperatures had seeped in swallowing the world with an encompassing grey.  But the shaping of the loaves and the simmering of a soup on the stove created immeasurable soothingness for any soul.

 The "violin" school" that meets at my house every Tuesday afternoon commenced with a group lesson to practice for an upcoming Christmas program to be held at the nursing home. Beautiful music chased away any remaining specks of grey that thought they might still have a place to hide.

                                                                   (photo credit...tumbler)

December 1

An unseasonably warm day that rendered some cutting back of my mums and daisies.

Nutcracker costumes dot my home since I have in the past month:
                               sewn a Chinese costume,
                                made Russian hats,
                                 created skirts for angel costumes,
                                 affixed a pocket for the inside of Drosselmeyer's jacket,
                            and worked on the fittings of two tutus, Spanish and Flowers.

They will be delivered to the dance studio this evening, back where they belong.