Reproduction Cast Iron Horse and Buggy Toy

 

I love this little toy.  It's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  It's not an original but a nice reproduction.  Actually, I think I can say now that, at my being almost 50 years old, that this can be called a vintage reproduction piece.  Grandmother gave me this when I was very young.  She gave one to Bill as well.  I got the carriage, and he got a fire engine.  They came from the Monroe Hardware Store.  I do not know what the occasion was that she gave them to us, if it was Christmas or not, I just do not know.  But I remember it being around all of my life.  For a while it spent time in a cabinet in the living room and it also had a home on the fireplace. It's pretty worn down now as far as the paint goes and it is missing the reins, but I still love it.  It is a reminder of a special lady in my life and a simpler time that I wish I could capture again.  This year, I put it under the Christmas tree in the den with the other vintage toys I have been collecting.  It's packed away for the moment but no doubt I will see it again soon! 

Quote of the week

 Yesterday, I had several friends that posted about the sudden passing of a good friend or loved one.  So, naturally, I spent time thinking about what is important to me in life.  That always happens when I hear news like that.  Actually, I've been thinking about that a lot lately but for different reasons.  I wanted to find something uplifting about what I have been thinking about and came across this quote.  I think it is both uplifting and good advice.  That is all.

Finding some writing ideas

 Last year, I talked about doing more creative writing.  I used to love doing it.  Mostly just short story kind of writing.  And, of course, I have done absolutely nothing about it over the past year.  I will blame school for that.  Almost every week...not almost...every week I have class I have writing to do.  Normally it's only a page or two of material, but there is always some sort of writing assignment.  So I just have not been in the mood to sit down and write anything else.  It is the same feeling I have about reading.  I have so many books that I want to read just for pleasure, but after spending three hours a night reading material for class, more reading is not exactly on the top of my list!

But I have been thinking about it more and more lately and am trying to figure out what I would like to work on with my writing.  And basically, what I have come up with is that I want to write something good.  By good, I do not necessarily mean quality, even though that would be nice.  I mean something that is good as in kind, gentle.  Something that is not written at the expense of someone or something else.  There is just so much bad and hate in the world right now that I need a world that I can escape into, even just for a moment, that can bring a little goodness to my life.  

I want to create the kind of world I would want to live in.  Of course, it would not be for everyone since I am incredibly old fashioned.  But it would be someplace old fashioned that I would probably update.  Something like a Mayberry or a Lake Wobegon.  That kind of place with loving, yet quirky residents.  Kind of like Stars Hollow. I have also thought about writing about a retirement community since I know it like the back of my hand.  While I don't necessarily want to write about a place similar to where I work, I mean how much of an escape would that be.  But at least this time I would have control over it LOL! 

I have no idea what this world will be.  But I look forward to seeking it out.  That is all. 

1 Peter 3:8

 When I look up Bible verses, I suppose it's the Pollyanna influence on me, but I am drawn to verses that are good and kind.  It helps me get through the day.  I feel like these verses are often overlooked these days by people who claim the label of Christians, but oh well.  I still find them inspirational.

One Drawer at a Time

 Well, I have finally finished up the kitchen.  I went through every drawer and cabinet.  I culled and got rid of things and got things ready for donation.  It felt good to have some more space.  Now, mind you, there is no wasted space in the kitchen, and everything has something in it, but it's better organized and I really have a better sense of where everything is.  I hadn't really had that for years but I'm glad to have it now.  And once I get all the way through the house, I will start back over with the kitchen.  Hmmmmm I wonder if that will be this year?  We shall see!

I think that the next room I'm going to tackle is the laundry room.  I like to work in a circle and that makes either the laundry room or the dining room the next one on my list.  I'm going to go with the laundry room because I find it very cramped and claustrophobic.  And considering how much I do laundry and spend time in there, I want it to look better and I want it to be organized better.  I have things on shelves that I have no idea what they are or why I have them.  If I can't find a use for them....out they go!  I'm excited about this space and want to make it as useful as possible.  I may not start today, but I will get something in there accomplished this week!

This is not my laundry room, but it gives me hope!

That is all. 

Looking ahead at setting the holiday table

 We all know how much I love setting the table.  I like putting things out and actually using them not just have them for display.  I try to vary my table settings as much as possible.  I love to combine pieces of Mom's and Grandmother's with items that are mine.  For me, it brings a wonderful sense of history to the table.  I don't entertain a great deal these days because time and funds are limited.  Of course, I have learned and know that it's not about the meal as much as it is who is at the table!  Still, I like to share my table with others and that includes making it look good.  

Easter is the next big holiday coming up and that will probably be the next time I have people over for a meal.  Last year, there were four of us eating together.  I don't mind smaller groups like that but I always set my table for at least six.  This year, I've put the leaf back in my dining room table so I can comfortably seat eight.  That doesn't mean I'll have eight people, but you never know.  So, with that in mind, I have the wheels in my head already turning as to how I want to set my table.  It may seem silly to you, but it gives me a lot of pleasure to do that.  I found some pictures of last year's table.  It was simple but nice.  This year I will do something different; I just don't know what yet.  

Talking about combining family pieces, last year I used Mom's everyday china, Grandmother's sterling and my glasses.  The cutglass compote in the middle is a piece I treated myself to several years ago.  Grandmother painted the eggs.  The candlesticks were from my friend Frankie's estate.  And the salt and pepper shakers Mom and I bought at an auction at Lilly's Auction Gallery in Indian Trail, NC some 40 years ago.  I like talking about the pieces because it records where they came from.  Not that anyone necessarily wants or needs to know that, but I do think it's important to document these kinds of things.

Well, time for me to get some work done on other things.  In the meantime, I will be setting the table in my mind with all different combinations of pieces.  We'll see what I come up with come Easter. 

That is all. 

New Recipes

 As you all know, I love to read cookbooks.  I have accumulated a decent collection of vintage cookbooks.  It started with the cookbooks that I inherited from Mom and Grandmother.  Not to mention the recipe boxes I got as well.  So, whenever I am at the used bookstore or at an estate sale, chances are I am going to pick up a "new to me" cookbook.  I just love it!

So, this year I have been trying to find new recipes to make.  It's not like I don't have plenty to choose from!!  So far, I have made 3 or 4 new to me recipes and most of them I have really liked.  There's a tuna spread appetizer that I will be sharing on here soon that I got from one of Mom's cookbooks:  Salmagundi II.  It's been really fun to try new things and see what works and what doesn't.

This year, I'm doing some different things with my new recipe adventures.  One is that I am basing which new recipe I choose to make based on what I already have.  For example, the tuna recipe.  I had the tuna I needed in the cabinet and the cream cheese I needed in the fridge, along with a few other of the ingredients.  I only had to buy one thing to make that recipe, so I was able to try something new at a relatively low cost.

The other thing that I am doing is writing feedback in the cookbooks themselves.  When I read a cookbook, I will tag the recipes that interest me with those little Post-It tabs you can get.  That way, when I am looking for a new recipe, I can just go to the ones that I have tagged to see if it fits my current list of available ingredients.  Now, after I make the recipe and decide if I want to make it again or not, I will mark the recipe permanently in the book.  If the recipe is not exactly as good as I liked, I will make notes on the page as to why I think it didn't work.  The one thing I have found is that several of the new recipes I have made have been too salty.  I liked them ok, but definitely too salty.  So, I will make that note alongside the recipe in case I try it again at a later time.  Since most of my cookbooks are from decades ago, I wonder about the salt content of certain products then versus now.  Hmmmmm.

I haven't made anything new in a few weeks.  School and work have kept me busy but am hoping to find something new to do next week.  So, it's time to peruse the freezer and the cabinets and see what I've got.  This is also a good way to help myself clean out the freezer LOL  We'll see what I come up with.

That is all. 

Quote of the week

 As I look towards the future, both immediate and down the road, I have a lot of things to consider.  I found this quote to be very guiding and thought provoking. 

Priorities

 I sometimes feel like my head is spinning and I'm trying to go one hundred different directions at the same time.  I think it's because I have a lot on my plate these days, which is odd considering I don't have much of a life outside of work and school.  But it still feels like there is a lot going on.  

In trying to figure out what comes next in life, and this goes back to my blog about my degree, I really need to look at what I want to prioritize in my life.  And, honestly, I'm not sure what that is right now.  There are lots of things to choose from.  I'm not going to exclude anything from my list of priorities because you know I love lists LOL But I want to figure out where they all line up.  Do I put the personal over the professional?  This would help me be more of a confident person in general and fill the gaps in my social connections.  Do I put the professional first?  This would help to increase my earnings, hopefully and widen my network connections.  Do I put the education first?  Do I finish the degree just so I can have it wrapped up and done with?  I'm not sure yet.

I have a spring break coming up and I may take that week to really examine my list of priorities.  I think that if I try to do it now, my head will explode.  Maybe I can go ahead and begin putting pen to paper and listing the different areas I want to focus on.  That won't be too intrusive as I work and take class.  We shall see.  All I know is it's time to figure out what I want and in what order.  When my relationship ended, a friend of mine who had been through a divorce said to me that this is the time to be selfish and take care of you.  So I'm going to be selfish for my own gains and make some positive emotional changes.

That is all.  

Cherry Yum Yum

 

The recipe card I have for this I found in one Mom's recipe boxes.  I don't ever remember her making it, though.  It came from our good friend and neighbor Bobbie Yandle.  I have made it several times and really do enjoy it.  It's pretty easy and quite delicious.  It's got cherry pie filling in it...how bad could it be?  LOL  It's a good dessert to make ahead and is a nice ending to your dinner!

Cherry Yum Yum

1.5 sticks of margarine, melted

3 cups of graham cracker crumbs

1 8oz package of cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

2 containers of cool whip

2 cans of cherry pie filling

Melt margarine and combine with graham cracker crumbs.  Set aside.  Mix together cream cheese and sugar until well blended.  Fold in cool whip.  In your serving dish (I used a 9x13 pyrex), put down a layer of the graham crackers, then half of the cream cheese mixture, then both cans of pie filling.  Top the pie filling with the remaining cream cheese mixture.  Sprinkle the remaining graham crackers on top.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

It Is Well With My Soul

 I'm going to start this rainy Sunday morning with one of my favorite hymns.  If you are unfamiliar with this hymn, go to Google and search for its history.  It is very fascinating.  One year on the Tabernacle Choir Christmas special, they did a reenactment of the hymn's story which is beautiful.  Anyway, it's one of my favorite hymns and I love David Baroni's version.  Would love to get this sheet music.  Of course, I'd need a piano first LOL  Enjoy and be blessed!

The Shadow of Your Smile - Andy Williams

 I was listening to one of my Andy Williams records today and this was the first and actually the title track of the album.  The version here is not exactly the same but it's still beautiful.  I couldn't find the one I listened to on Youtube, but that's ok.  I love Andy Williams voice and have quite a few of his albums.  I was never allowed to listen to him when Michael was at home because he can't stand him.  So, I'm really enjoying being able to play it nice and loud and just enjoy it.  Hope you like!

Also, I've never seen the film that it's from:  The Sandpiper starring Elilzabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.  It's on my list!

Traditional church music

 I know that handbells are not for everyone and that's fine.  But they have been a passion of mine since I was probably 2 years old.  Back in those days at church, this would have been around '76/77, the handbell choir was made up of housewives and stay at home moms so they met during the day on a weekday.  Mom would take me along and sit me in a chair while they rehearsed.  I was completely enthralled with them and they held my attention, that's for sure.  My parents would let me stay in "big church" whenever they played and after they were done, I would get taken to the children's room.  Those were good times and good memories.  

I have had several conversations over the past month with friends about church and music.  Music is extremely important to my worship experience.  And for me, that means traditional music.  I am not a big fan of contemporary Christian music.  If you like it, that's great.  It's simply just not for me.  I want traditional hymns and anthems, organ music, piano music, instrumental and yes....handbells.  One of the reasons I need that kind of worship environment is because music is very spiritual for me.  It is one of the few ways I feel like I can give back to God.  I have a talent for it...although not singing talent but oh well.  And participating in church music is a way for me to express my feelings about the whole thing.

I miss that and will hopefully find it again one day.  In the meantime, I will participate online by watching services and enjoying the music.  That is all. 

Artichoke Dip

 I love a good artichoke dip.  Mom made it several times but I don't know what happened to her recipe.  A resident of mine gave me this recipe earlier this year and I have probably made it 6 times so far.  It's fairly easy to prepare and just so delicious!  Hope you enjoy!

Artichoke Dip

2 cans of artichoke hearts (6-8 count each)*

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded cheddar

Sprinkle of garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350.  Drain and chop the artichoke hearts - can be a rough chop or fine, whatever your preference.  Mix all ingredients together.  Pour into your casserole dish (8x8 square works great or a small round as well).  Bake for 20 minutes.  Serve with crackers or toast rounds.  

Enjoy!

*You will probably have about half a can of artichoke hearts leftover.  They are great on a salad or by themselves as a snack.  

My next step in Gerontology

 I am at a crossroads with my education right now.  I am loving the classes and am very proud of how well I have done.  But admittedly, they go by very quickly and at times I feel like we have to skim over important topics that more time should be devoted to.  That is the nature of the beast however when you are taking online classes that only last 7 weeks.  Still, I do feel like I have learned a lot of the past year and a half.  Most of it has been absorbed and is sitting in the back of my brain ready to be used some day.

My problem is my upcoming capstone project.  In a perfect world, I would do my capstone this coming summer and be done with my courses by the summer's end.  But this is far from a perfect world.  I have to have my capstone in place by the end of April, I think.  Maybe it's March.  I need to go back and look at that.  I have three different kinds of projects I can do:  research, internship or service learning.  I do not want to do research.  It's just not my thing and it involves a lot of red tape with multiple university departments.  Internship would be fun but I would have to take a leave of absence from work for 7 weeks and not exactly sure what I would live on if I did that.  Service learning I could do at work, but it has to be something I'm not already involved in.  That's doable if I can figure it out.

My problem is coming from having the time to find the capstone.  I work full time and then come home and do homework every night.  So far this year, I have not even had time to look at my capstone handbook since I first read it.  There's just too much to do.  And then you add trying to run a household and have some kind of life on top of that work and there's just not been a chance to look.  And I don't want to settle for something less just so that I can have a capstone project in place.  It's too important.

The capstone will be the only time in this degree that I will get real-time, hands-on experience with gerontology.  I don't want to waste this opportunity.  When I was an undergraduate, I settled for my internship experience because I wanted one that worked with elderly people. I enjoyed it but did not learn anything practical.  I spent 2 semesters coaching a  wii bowling league.  That was it.  Fun but not beneficial to my career.  I do not want that to happen this time.  So, if I wait until summer of '25 to do my capstone, I will have a good long time to find exactly what I want.  I know that puts me back a year, but this is too important to me going forward.  I want to be able to apply for jobs with some kind of gerontological skill in place.  I don't get that a lot at work because I am basically a secretary.  That's fine and I love what I do, it's just the facts.  

I am not giving up the idea of doing my capstone this coming summer.  I have just come to the decision that what I want out of this experience is more important that rushing it.  We will see what I can come up with in the next few weeks.  I'll update you.

That is all.  

Christmas is finally put away

 

Well, it has taken me nearly 6 weeks, but Christmas is finally all packed away.  I had not planned on it taking so long, but after getting sick in January right about the same time that school got underway, I just got behind.  Like I have said before, I was not in any hurry.  I had no plans on entertaining or having company during this time, so what not get a little done at a time.

These past two weekends though were the big haul for me.  Once I finally got the toy tree down, everything else seemed to fall into place quite easily.  I will miss the glow of the Christmas tree in the den.  It was not only comforting but also provided really good like for a room that is otherwise fairly dark LOL  Oh well.  Not enough of a reason to keep it up all year.  Though I did consider that!

I did take this opportunity to do an inventory of my Christmas decorations.  It started out as more of an organizing project.  My goal was to put like things in the same container as I listed them all.  That worked until about halfway through the process and then I was like just get it into a box.  But I have made a good start on getting the decorations more organized and can build upon that next year.  However, I did continue my inventory process and now at least I know where everything is in what box.  I didn't list the ornaments because that would have taken me until May.  It's the little things here, people!

So, everything is out in the garage now....organizing that space is also on the list this year LOL  So, until the next holiday season, it will all stayed tucked away for now.  I'm glad it's done and now I can go through other boxes and put some new fun things out!  

That is all. 

One Drawer At A Time

 Last year, I started the process of going through the house one "drawer" at a time.  The purpose of this exercise is to pare down things that I don't use or need and make room for other things that I will use and do need.  While it's not something I do every day, I do try to get several sessions a week in. Of course, with work and school that doesn't happen and if I remember to do it once a week I'm doing pretty good.  But, I must say that I have enjoyed doing this and have actually consolidated things, gotten rid of things, thrown things out, etc.  It's been very beneficial.  And there is nothing like opening a drawer and seeing it organized, knowing exactly what is in there.  That's making things much easier to find.  

When I say drawer, it isn't always drawers which is why I put it in quotations in the first sentence.  Cabinets and surfaces are also included.  I am almost through with the kitchen.  The surfaces still need some work because I'm still dealing with Christmas decor being out, but that's a whole different blog.  This is a fun way for me to do things because I can put on some music and just relax, settle in and get it done.  And by doing one drawer at a time, I am not overwhelmed trying to overhaul an entire room.  I know myself and if I tried to do it that way, nothing would get accomplished.  It really has been fun to see what all is in each drawer and find a better home for it if needed.  I've come across things I'd forgotten I had that I use now.  Like going through the knife drawer, I rediscovered a bread knife and a serrated knife which I have used both a lot since finding them.  

It's a good process for me.  I look forward to seeing how many more "drawers" I get through this month.  I'll keep you posted!

Quote of the week

 

It took a long time but I am not afraid to ask for help when I need it.  And it's an amazing feeling! Life shouldn't be a journey alone and it's nice to have people to depend on when needed. 

Prayer for Guidance and Wisdom in Friendships and Relationships

 I am blessed with many wonderful friends in my life.  And I am lucky to have had some extremely beautiful relationships that I am grateful for.  But as I move forward in life, it's time to expand my circles and be open to new people.  A little guidance never hurts!