What to write about today, so bear with me as I muddle my way through this. Back in the days when I went to a writing group, the moderator always told us to write something every day, no matter what it was, and not to worry about how good it is. So...this looks like it might be one of those efforts.
I woke to rain, and by the time my coffee had dripped down through the system and made it's way to the pot, it had stopped. There was a wet, drippy fog outside....not thick, but definitely there. I'm one of those people who likes fog. Some people don't, I guess, but it's just kind of eerie and interesting to me. I'm not crazy about standing in rain, especially downpours, I'd much rather be inside, listening to it pound on the roof and window panes. But a wet fog doesn't bother me.
When I went to turn off the coffee pot, I stood at the kitchen window and watched the foggy air dissipate. At the risk of sounding like Andy Rooney, I might ask, "Where does fog go, anyway?" It's a pretty easy question to answer....it evaporates. Once the air was light and fog free, I poured my coffee and went to watch the morning local news.
There wasn't much of anything to interest me there, as usual. Traffic reports, weather map showing rain in our area but making it's way eastward, news that had been reported last weekend about three criminals that had been caught in Virginia. It must have been a slow news day or something. The reporters were joking and teasing each other, and I just waited it out until the Early Show came on.
I guess it is a slow news day all around.... this blog entry is boring...even to me. I hope your day is more exciting than my early morning was, and my blog is! On the other hand, sometimes boring beats excitement hands down, depending up the type of hooplah going on. Let me rephrase my wish for you... I hope your day is full of FUN excitement!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Day Trip
There's never a time when we spend that day together away from home, that I don't enjoy. Today was a lovely Fall day, we were comfortable wearing t-shirts, and we decided to take a ride so that we could take a look at a Victorian home that is for sale. Our plan was to look at it from the street, and decide whether or not to make an appointment with the owner to see the interior at a later date.
We looked on the internet for directions...then we looked at our atlas. The area is only 29 miles from us, but we haven't been over that way in the five years we've lived here. So, confident that we could find the place with little trouble, we headed to the southeast on a country road. We were right. The house was easily found. We checked it out from the street, looking for flaws. It appears to need a new roofing in the near future. The chimney brick is looking a little crumbly at the top, which makes us wonder if the chimneys are workable and in good condition. There are outhouses on the 4plus acres, and big trees, oaks and pines and in the rear there are apple trees, apple-pear trees, pomegranites and pecan trees. There is a double arched front door, old windows with beautiful trim, a front porch and gingerbread trim.
I know from the listing photos that the interior is intriguing. The walls are horizontal boards, some painted, some still natural wood,darkened with age. The floors are all wood...except the large kitchen, which is tiled. There are old light fixtures, a center hall, 8 fireplaces. Oh...what a dream it would be to live in such a place...!
However, even with the updated electrical wiring, plumbing, town water, newer gas heat/air, blown in insulation, what other work might be needed? I've always loved old houses....but in the back of my mind, I keep hearing my Dad's words..."Old houses, old problems. New houses, new problems." Now the question is, will I heed Daddy's words as a warning, or will we take the plunge and go for it?
I guess there's no way of knowing what lies ahead in any realm. I'm not sure that we two characters are wanting to bite off a 'project' at this point in our lives. But, I think we'll go and see the inside of the place anyway. How else will we know if we even think we'd want to live in such an old house? It certainly won't be the first house we've walked through, loved, and turned away from for one or another reasons. The owner is aware that we weren't even looking for a place when I stumbled across the listing on-line, so she won't be surprised if we don't go ahead with a deal.
Excuse me while I go email her. Stay tuned.
We looked on the internet for directions...then we looked at our atlas. The area is only 29 miles from us, but we haven't been over that way in the five years we've lived here. So, confident that we could find the place with little trouble, we headed to the southeast on a country road. We were right. The house was easily found. We checked it out from the street, looking for flaws. It appears to need a new roofing in the near future. The chimney brick is looking a little crumbly at the top, which makes us wonder if the chimneys are workable and in good condition. There are outhouses on the 4plus acres, and big trees, oaks and pines and in the rear there are apple trees, apple-pear trees, pomegranites and pecan trees. There is a double arched front door, old windows with beautiful trim, a front porch and gingerbread trim.
I know from the listing photos that the interior is intriguing. The walls are horizontal boards, some painted, some still natural wood,darkened with age. The floors are all wood...except the large kitchen, which is tiled. There are old light fixtures, a center hall, 8 fireplaces. Oh...what a dream it would be to live in such a place...!
However, even with the updated electrical wiring, plumbing, town water, newer gas heat/air, blown in insulation, what other work might be needed? I've always loved old houses....but in the back of my mind, I keep hearing my Dad's words..."Old houses, old problems. New houses, new problems." Now the question is, will I heed Daddy's words as a warning, or will we take the plunge and go for it?
I guess there's no way of knowing what lies ahead in any realm. I'm not sure that we two characters are wanting to bite off a 'project' at this point in our lives. But, I think we'll go and see the inside of the place anyway. How else will we know if we even think we'd want to live in such an old house? It certainly won't be the first house we've walked through, loved, and turned away from for one or another reasons. The owner is aware that we weren't even looking for a place when I stumbled across the listing on-line, so she won't be surprised if we don't go ahead with a deal.
Excuse me while I go email her. Stay tuned.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
SC Fall Days
We are enjoying the sunny, clear, dry weather of Autumn. The days are still reaching into the high 60's and the nights are nearly twenty degrees lower. We wake to frost on the grass, and sometimes even icy windshields on our cars. But it is beautiful weather to live in! It's comfortable outside with just a sweatshirt or a light jacket. Since I despise heavy jackets and constricting clothing, I'm grateful for this time before those days come.
I've been reminiscing about the weather back home in NY. It won't be long before the town pond will be wearing a thin layer of ice in the early mornings. People will have to turn the cars on to let them warm up for a few minutes to be comfortable inside, and the defroster will have to be set to thaw the windshields.
The children will be standing at their bus stops and their breath will be seen in the air. It is a different type of Fall in that northern area than what we experience here.
Oh, our turn will come, too....but it is slower in arriving, and shorter in its staying. Winter comes fast once the weather turns cold here, but like Fall, the Wintertime is shorter, too, than it is in the north where I used to live. Here we have 2 months of cool, 2 months of cold, 4 months of warm and 4 months of HOT! My favorite months are those temperate ones, where short or long sleeved shirts are just enough. Too hot is not my favorite, and I spend a good deal of time inside where it's cooler. The cold has a way of driving me inside, as well, to huddle with a warm cup of something, a down throw and a pair of thick socks.
It is said that' we're never satisfied' as humans. Maybe that's true of some, but right now, I'm quite satisfied with these November days. I hope you all are enjoying yours as much as I am delighting myself in ours!
I've been reminiscing about the weather back home in NY. It won't be long before the town pond will be wearing a thin layer of ice in the early mornings. People will have to turn the cars on to let them warm up for a few minutes to be comfortable inside, and the defroster will have to be set to thaw the windshields.
The children will be standing at their bus stops and their breath will be seen in the air. It is a different type of Fall in that northern area than what we experience here.
Oh, our turn will come, too....but it is slower in arriving, and shorter in its staying. Winter comes fast once the weather turns cold here, but like Fall, the Wintertime is shorter, too, than it is in the north where I used to live. Here we have 2 months of cool, 2 months of cold, 4 months of warm and 4 months of HOT! My favorite months are those temperate ones, where short or long sleeved shirts are just enough. Too hot is not my favorite, and I spend a good deal of time inside where it's cooler. The cold has a way of driving me inside, as well, to huddle with a warm cup of something, a down throw and a pair of thick socks.
It is said that' we're never satisfied' as humans. Maybe that's true of some, but right now, I'm quite satisfied with these November days. I hope you all are enjoying yours as much as I am delighting myself in ours!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Autumn, Not Forgotten
The corn fields stood green, not so long ago, in tall, even rows. Now, the stalks are dry and have turned to beige and brown. They lean against each other, helter skelter, as their silk waves in the cool air. Soon they will be mowed down, chopped and tilled into the soil as organic matter, as has been done in adjoining fields.
Those mowed fields appear barren, but there is food enough there for the Canadian geese who come. Their huge conventions take place in the early morning, and again at dusk, beneath steel-gray skies. They eat their fill before taking off for ponds or nests.
They fly amid the clouds, forming deep V formations, honking as they go. They follow their leader, across the same paths, to and fro, every day until it's time for them to move on. Beyond the brilliant leaves they go, across the miles, toward the south.
Perhaps they will come to winter in South Carolina. I hear that they do that, but we've seen them only on our friend's pond in their back yard farmland. The geese are something hearing in our skies. We used to watch them from our rear deck when we lived in New York, but they've not made an appearance in our area. We miss those geese!
Those mowed fields appear barren, but there is food enough there for the Canadian geese who come. Their huge conventions take place in the early morning, and again at dusk, beneath steel-gray skies. They eat their fill before taking off for ponds or nests.
They fly amid the clouds, forming deep V formations, honking as they go. They follow their leader, across the same paths, to and fro, every day until it's time for them to move on. Beyond the brilliant leaves they go, across the miles, toward the south.
Perhaps they will come to winter in South Carolina. I hear that they do that, but we've seen them only on our friend's pond in their back yard farmland. The geese are something hearing in our skies. We used to watch them from our rear deck when we lived in New York, but they've not made an appearance in our area. We miss those geese!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Stew Under Cover
Tonight's menu is 'stew under cover'...my new name for homemade beef pot pie. Veddy,veddy easy, my friends. I used left-over pot roast and accompanying vegetables (potatoes, carrots and onions.) Add some chopped celery if you like, sweet green peas, any other vegetables that you care to have in there. Make gravy, using the pot roast broth...place in a crust pie shell and cover with a top crust. Bake according to your crust recipe until crust is golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting...and eat!
Add a mixed green salad...and ta dah! Dinner is served! Dessert of Apple Brown Betty would be great, if there's room in your tummy by then. I tend to doubt it, myself!
Add a mixed green salad...and ta dah! Dinner is served! Dessert of Apple Brown Betty would be great, if there's room in your tummy by then. I tend to doubt it, myself!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Yesterday...
Finally I feel that I've accomplished something in a day! I got my husband up early and while he readied himself to join the living, I puttered around doing little chores. I searched, too, high and low, for two envelopes. One had two receipts in it and one was full of information for Medicare Complete. Both were Mom's, and I was beside myself that I couldn't locate them....and still haven't. I probably picked them up with my paid bills and put them in the pile to be filed. I was about to check that when Mom rang the doorbell with a couple of checks to be written before the mail lady arrived.
By the time Mike was ready to leave, at noon, to finish some yard work at the Preacher's house, I was ready to sit and create.Before I could do that, though, I prepared the vegetables and the pot roast for the slow-cooker, and then made myself some lunch. Ahhhh...with a full stomach, I was good to go. I gathered my sewing 'stuff' and plunked myself down in 'my' corner of the couch. I turned on Pandora radio on my computer, and began working on some ornaments.....snowmen.
I cut out a couple of bodies and embroidered their faces on them. Since I'm attempting to find something that will suit the ornament exchange with some primitive decorating friends, I took the snowmen to the kitchen and soaked them for a minute in the coffee that was left in the pot from the morning. I guess that will all work fine, except those snowmen are just a tad smaller than I hoped they'd be. Then I decided that I needed to change gears. I began cutting out and embroidering just the faces of snowmen instead. That seemed to work better. I dyed them with the coffee as well, and am much happier with those. They're each placed on a wooden spoon handle, standing in a couple of glasses, on my kitchen window sill.
In the end, I'm not sure whether either group of dirty snow men will head to my 14 friends...but if they do, I'm more than a third of the way there. If not, they will go on my own 'prim' tree, or hang from a garland from the old mantle piece. In that case, I've got to keep thinking, keep experimenting, keep producing ideas. Last night my hands were so stiff from all the hand sewing. I do have a machine...two, in fact...but if you're going 'prim', then go all the way and do things the way they did it way back then. But, at least, at the end of the day, I feel as if I accomplished something in the making of 3 bodies and 6 heads.
Oh! By the way, did I ever tell you that I finished those shutters?! Yes...I did! Now I'm waiting to get them hung! Today's big project will take me to the hardware store for some hanging things, and some more paint...black and a quart of colonial red, if you please. There's a ladder awaiting my attention....
By the time Mike was ready to leave, at noon, to finish some yard work at the Preacher's house, I was ready to sit and create.Before I could do that, though, I prepared the vegetables and the pot roast for the slow-cooker, and then made myself some lunch. Ahhhh...with a full stomach, I was good to go. I gathered my sewing 'stuff' and plunked myself down in 'my' corner of the couch. I turned on Pandora radio on my computer, and began working on some ornaments.....snowmen.
I cut out a couple of bodies and embroidered their faces on them. Since I'm attempting to find something that will suit the ornament exchange with some primitive decorating friends, I took the snowmen to the kitchen and soaked them for a minute in the coffee that was left in the pot from the morning. I guess that will all work fine, except those snowmen are just a tad smaller than I hoped they'd be. Then I decided that I needed to change gears. I began cutting out and embroidering just the faces of snowmen instead. That seemed to work better. I dyed them with the coffee as well, and am much happier with those. They're each placed on a wooden spoon handle, standing in a couple of glasses, on my kitchen window sill.
In the end, I'm not sure whether either group of dirty snow men will head to my 14 friends...but if they do, I'm more than a third of the way there. If not, they will go on my own 'prim' tree, or hang from a garland from the old mantle piece. In that case, I've got to keep thinking, keep experimenting, keep producing ideas. Last night my hands were so stiff from all the hand sewing. I do have a machine...two, in fact...but if you're going 'prim', then go all the way and do things the way they did it way back then. But, at least, at the end of the day, I feel as if I accomplished something in the making of 3 bodies and 6 heads.
Oh! By the way, did I ever tell you that I finished those shutters?! Yes...I did! Now I'm waiting to get them hung! Today's big project will take me to the hardware store for some hanging things, and some more paint...black and a quart of colonial red, if you please. There's a ladder awaiting my attention....
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Don't Mess With A Good Thing...
There are some recipes that shouldn't be toyed with, in my humble opinion. Oh, I know. How will you ever know if it works if you don't add a little of this, or a little of that, to a mixture? Well, my thinking is, 'Why do you have to know something else works, when you're original batch is proven?"
My favorite homemade cookie is a good, old-fashioned chocolate chip one. It doesn't need to be marred by substituting peanut butter, for the butter, or butter for the Crisco, for that matter. I don't want you to add raisins to the batch. I don't need the nuts, but don't mind too much if they are thrown in. There are some people who seem, lately, to think that pumpkin is the perfect addition to chocolate chip cookie dough. Not me. Don't mess with a good thing!
While I understand that some recipes are enhanced by the addition of spices or removal of some ingredient or another, and I know,too, that everyone's taste buds are different, there are some things that can't be improved upon. Sometimes simpler is best.
My favorite homemade cookie is a good, old-fashioned chocolate chip one. It doesn't need to be marred by substituting peanut butter, for the butter, or butter for the Crisco, for that matter. I don't want you to add raisins to the batch. I don't need the nuts, but don't mind too much if they are thrown in. There are some people who seem, lately, to think that pumpkin is the perfect addition to chocolate chip cookie dough. Not me. Don't mess with a good thing!
While I understand that some recipes are enhanced by the addition of spices or removal of some ingredient or another, and I know,too, that everyone's taste buds are different, there are some things that can't be improved upon. Sometimes simpler is best.
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