what to do...

When the Mother Nature decides to ignore the forecast and turn a gloriously late summer weekend day into an overcast, rain-sprinkling one? Pull out a book from the project shelf and get to work, of course. :-)

I realized recently I needed a new pin cushion, so I decided to make this pin cushion/sewing caddy from Anna Maria Horner's Seams to Me. I followed the instructions pretty much to the letter, except I used old (but clean!) shredded tee shirts for the stuffing rather than polyfill. Great way to use up some fabric scraps too!

"a flower is an educated weed"

So says Luther Burbank. My husband and I often have "discussions" regarding what exactly is a flower versus a weed. To me, the distinction is almost always irrelevant---a purty flower is a purty flower. :-)

If the wind eventually dies down here---it's been whipping all day---this weekend is for green thumb activities. Tomatoes, chilies, basil, and dill need to be potted out, along with some eggplant and cilantro. I *do* so love this time of year!

"A garden is the best alternative therapy." ---Germaine Greer

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."---Margaret Atwood

"To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves."---Mohandas K. Gandhi

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!!

sacred days

When one works from home, taking a day off can be challenging. But over the years, I have come to insist on one day a week that we deem a sacred day, or our family rest day. That means no office work, no "chores", and no extended social commitments. One may chose to spend the day creating in the kitchen or "working" in the garden, and that's ok as long as the decision is voluntary. :-)

Today the rain clouds have gathered overhead and foiled any plans we might have had of spending a pleasant Spring day outdoors. But we are not letting April showers keep us from relaxing and recharging before another busy week. There is plenty of reading and baking and knitting and napping and brunching and planning and pondering and catching up with one another to keep everyone content and grateful for the day.

Hope you are having a GREAT and work-free day, too! :-)

shamrocks, guinness, and all things green

Almost ten years ago, we were invited to the wedding of a good friend in Ireland, so as we were making quite a journey to attend, we decided to make a proper vacation out of our visit. And wow, were we glad we did! Beautiful landscapes, friendly people, good music, rolling countryside, and despite its difficult history, a real sense of calm and tranquility most of the places we journeyed through. Would love to return to Ireland someday and spend even more time there, but alas that shall have to wait until after the Great Recession loosens its grip on our purse strings.

But if you too need to dose of arm chair travel, The Happy Recessionist has put together a little guide to help you pay homage to St. Patrick today. For a complete menu of Irish cooking (including a bunch of vegetarian options!), mosey by kitchn's shamrock menus. Personally I am a huge fan of potato leek soup, on many days besides March 17th! :-) Of course, there must be Guinness, and if drinking the thick brew doesn't suit you, this beer can be used in all sorts of delicious concoctions, from breads to puddings. Inspiration needed? Look here. Finally, on the music front, NPR is running a live stream of Irish music today---seven hours of tunes to keep your toes tapping and the jigs lively. Sláinte mhaith!

Photo is from Irish Views.

candlemas

Ok, so there is no reason to be sad that good old Phil saw his shadow today, thus granting us at least another six more weeks of winter. The more inspiring Candlemas, which marks the half-way point of our cold season, is celebrated today. And as our thoughts turn toward seedlings and the approaching season of growth, perhaps Candlemas is even more fitting a holiday than January 1 to contemplate our new beginnings and set goals we hope to achieve during our personal growing season.

We also celebrate Candlemas by lighting candles in every room of our house and having breakfast for dinner: tonight, pear-filled pancakes (with a drizzle of hot chocolate sauce, yum :-)! And this past Sunday, my husband spent the afternoon beginning to prep our garden. Because, yes, in just a few short weeks, we will start planting our summer harvests. So forget about the groundhog---light a candle and dream about the warm and sunny days ahead. :-D

break the cable habit

Six months ago, I first wrote about our family's decision to give up the cable tv habit, as well as being asked what exactly we do in the evenings if not watching the tv machine.

To be fair, the transition was not particularly difficult for us because we weren't huge television watchers to begin with. If you are thinking about at least giving cable-free life a trial run, here is a great article on "how to cut the cord." The author provides multiple suggestions on how to still catch many of your favorite programs, without the high prices of monthly subscription fees.

According to the article, the average American spends about $75 per month for digital cable. Which means in eight years, our family has had an extra $7200 (!!!) dollars to play with simply by turning off the tv. Now that is a sum that should make everyone look twice. Plus, think of all the hours you can free up to tackle projects and spend time with friends and family and maybe even just sit and listen to music or read a book or do absolutely nothing but daydream about that trip to Paris or Hawaii or Istanbul that you'll now have the money for. :-)

christmas bookpile

The beginning of every December, I add a pile of books to the basket I keep next to the bed. Their covers are worn and their pages well thumbed, but rereading these familiar stories is one of my favorite Christmas traditions.

There are the classics, of course, like A Christmas Carol and Gift of the Magi, but I also enjoy Agatha Christie's Christmas short story collections, especially The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding. I love her descriptions of the traditional English Christmas speciality foods, especially the all-important Christmas pudding. :-)

When in the mood for something more irreverent, I turn to David Sedaris' Holidays on Ice. His tales of being a Macy's Christmas elf are hilarious, and I also adore his version of the annual Christmas letter. So much fun, and just the ticket when the holiday could use a little comic relief.

I also enjoy revisiting a few of my favorite childhood Christmas stories, like Barbara Robinson's The Best Christmas Pagent Ever. Anybody else remember the Herdmans? Or put Vaseline on their eyelashes to make them shiny and longer looking? This book makes me still smile year after year. :-)

Finally, I managed to keep my Scholastic Book Club copy of The House Without a Christmas Tree by Gail Rock all these years, and was so thrilled when the original television movie with Jason Robards was made available on DVD. I so loved Addie and her spunk when I was a girl.

I always keep my eyes peeled for new additions to my Christmas bookpile when scouring the shelves of thrift and used book shops---anyone have suggestions of titles to look out for?

colors of fall

The Wild Swans at Coole
by W. B. Yeats

The trees are in their autumn beauty,
The woodlands paths are dry,
Under the October twilight the water
Mirrors a still sky;
Upon the brimming water among the stones
Are nine-and-fifty swans.

The nineteenth autumn has come upon me
Since I first made my count;
I saw, before I had well finished,
All suddenly mount
And scatter wheeling in great broken rings
Upon their clamorous wings.

I have looked upon those brilliant creatures,
And now my heart is sore.
All's changed since I, hearing at twilight,
The first time on this shore
The bell-beat of their wings above my head,
Trod with a lighter tread.

Unwearied still, lover by lover,
They paddle in the cold
Companionable streams or climb the air;
Their hearts have not grown old;
Passion or conquest, wander where they will,
Attend upon them still.

But now they drift on the still water,
Mysterious, beautiful;
Among what rushes will they build,
By what lake's edge or pool
Delight men's eyes when I awake some day
To find they have flown away?

Painting is Still Life with Oranges by Paul Gauguin.

happy friday!

Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language. ---Henry James

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone! Enjoy the last of these summer afternoons!!!

turn off the tv!

A year or so after our family canceled the cable subscription and began only using the television for watching DVDs, a friend of a friend who was hosting a dinner party turned and asked me, "Well, what do you do in the evenings then?"

Eight years later, we have no regrets about our decision, and I can't think of one evening when it wasn't easy to find other activities to fill the hours. Not to mention all the money we've saved without that monthly cable bill!

My grandmother had a sharp mind for all of her ninety-seven years, and I think one of the reasons for this was her many and varied interests. On a typical July evening, she would listen to her favorite baseball team (Philadelphia Phillies) play while working on a new crochet project. Grandmom was also a fan of all sorts of crafts, cooking, word puzzles, reading, classical and country music, figure skating, and had many, many friends. It was nearly impossible to reach her by telephone at home because she was always so busy!

I too am a fan of projects, and I always seem to have several on the go. Currently I am working on a pink cardigan for me to wear this fall. I am not the world's best knitter by far, but that's not the point really. I can't imagine any tv program giving me the same satisfaction as a completed scarf, baby blanket, or afghan.

Surveys have estimated that adults watch on average up to five hours of tv a day, and another of people in UK found that the majority listed watching television as their favorite pastime. Wouldn't it be wonderful if for one night everyone turned off the box and picked up a book or crochet hooks or went for a walk or played with the dog or sat outside chatting with the neighbors? Or boldly canceled that cable subscription just for one month to see whether it would be missed? Here's an idea---the money saved could be put into a family entertainment fund. And who knows, you may end up being an even more challenged knitter than I, but you'll never know until you try! :-D

Painting is Young Woman Sewing in the Garden by Mary Stevenson Cassatt