Color Me

 I embraced the Pantone Color idea from the beginning and actually used that very vibrant tango in a few places. I liked it because it was orange and orange is the stepchild in decorating. It got a lot of talk on design and creative blogs. The next year was green and although I like to use green their choice was a bit insipid for me. Then came purple and it was widely embraced without my encouragement.  I lost interest at Marsala.

Now it seems we are doing a retrospective. Green and purple have taken another run and here we are back at orange. Living Coral, the new Color of the Year,  is only a few shades or innuendoes away from Tangerine Tango.  I'm wondering if we should introduce the Pantone folks to Crayola who are currently touting boxes with 152 colors.

 ADAC in full swing and I see a lot of brown. The other orphan. 

The most popular color in use for a good long while now is gray.  I came across this great bedroom while googling for gray rooms.  Isn't it a joy?  I am almost certain that I have this same room in my photo archives in orange.  I will have to see.

Pumpkin Time Again!

Happy Halloween!

We have offered some good pumpkin décor ideas in the past but when we came across this one we had to share.  I should note that since these are gas and oil cans, it might not be a good idea to put a candle inside.  Perhaps something battery operated from QVC. 

 

 

                                                            Aren't they fabulous?

                                My best wishes to you for a fun and boo-tiful fall season. 

                                                     ~Sami

Signs & Dragons Fly

 

 

The dragonfly.  Irridescent, illusive, not overly familiar, darting here and there and fairly short lived.  There are 5,000 species and they have been flitting about for thousands of years.  I think their iridescent wings are fascinating.

I have a small collection and once shared the affinity with a dear woman who is now deceased. When I think of her I am newly amused by thoughts of a sign on her property on St. Simon's Island. 

Having trouble recalling the wordage, I decided to see what I could find on Google and there it was.  Her sign and it is properly attributed to a "home on St. Simon's". 
 

Beverly left us a few years ago after telling me that she gave up on the sign since it was constantly being stolen in recent years.  That speaks to what we all know is a tide in the affairs of men.  It makes me sad. 

 

According to a friend who also has a home there, the sign was replaced

last year.  I appreciate the property heirs who did that to honor her.

 

Since Spring came and went in a couple of weeks, I am now on the lookout for one of my favorite summertime creatures. 

Today I saw the dragon-fly
Come from the wells where he did lie.
An inner impulse rent the veil
Of his old husk: from head to tail
Came out clear plates of sapphire mail.
He dried his wings: like gauze they grew;
Thro' crofts and pastures wet with dew
A living flash of light he flew.

by Alfred Lord Tennyson

 

 

 

 

 

Joy, Peace & Love

Ugly Christmas Sweaters...Again!

We had a talk about this a while ago and agreed that they aren't all ugly.  It seems to be an annual rite for me to shop the Vintage Ugly Christmas Sweaters on Etsy.  


                We begin with this preppy cardigan from DJVBoutique. 

                                       

The colors are rich.  The candy cane block catches my eye 'cause I'm a ribbon fan.  I'm having trouble figuring out what the figure on the lower left represents.  Can  you tell?  It is a good looking sweater. 

 

Moving on...

      Ribbons again.  They get me every time.  If the ribbons don't get you, the kittens       will.  LivingAVntgLife is the name of the shop. 

    I think I'll keep looking.

I'm a sucker for a Scottie although I suppose this is a Westie.  One of my favorite little neighbors is a Scottie.  The shop is OldGenuineThings and they have other Christmas sweaters.

                                                                Still on the search.

 

As you know, I am a fool for ribbons but a red truck is close to my heart.  This one is a kid's sweater, hand knit.  I wish I had someone to wear it.  From WillowsWear who has other knitted things.  

 

 

                                                      Ready to quit?  Let's push on.

 

 

Paydirt!  Almost.  If it were my size it would be gone.  The shop is VintageByBeth.  She also has a Pendleton plaid skirt.  Traditionalists arise and shop!

                                                   Just one more.  I'm getting sleepy.

 

 

This one slowed me down.  I even imagined the outfit.   Black cords.  The new thin welt ones from the catalogs.  A crisp white shirt and black smoking slippers.  The shop is WolfgangVintageWares.  The more I look at it, the more I think I would wear it.  Not my size.  Pffft. 

        I haven't found my sweater but I got some Christmas socks from a new website I discovered. 
                                            

 

From the Sock Drawer.

 

 

PS.  I seldom do links anymore because they are all set up to link in automatically place an ad on the page.  All the sweaters are on Etsy and I've shared the shop names.  The Sock Drawer is easily found on Google. 

 

~SAMI

 

 

LET IT SNOW!!

We had a surprise 10 - 12 inches of snowfall here in the mountains over the last couple of days.  My friends shared some great photos on Facebook and I thought I would share a few here.

The scrollwork of a garden fence against the blanket of snow. 

 

 

 

 

High up on Eagle's Nest Mountain. 

                                 A private drive that may not be traveled for a few days. 

 

 

 

 

Nandina berries.  Great photo!

 

 

 

 

This snow clung nicely making good photo ops!

 

 

 

 

Loved this one.  The shrubs look like marching turkeys. 

 

 

 

  

I am certain there are pixies in the grotto planning Christmas surprises for the woodland creatures. 

 

 

 

And a little whimsy.

 

 

Happy Winter to you from me and my friends in The Great Smokies. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we turn our eyes inside again and think of warm interiors, company coming and the holidays, traditional decorating is very relevant so I am repeating this post from two years ago.  The only difference in the content is that I now have seven pairs of smoking slippers.  The newest ones are embroidered with peacock eyes and are for my daughter's wedding next week.  Here for a second look is the Tartan Scot. 

Rich it up!  That is a phrase that comes to mind as I think about warming up my home for the coming season.  At this point I can't bring myself to type the word that begins with W and means that other word that begins with S will be its companion.  Let's translate the W to Warmth.  It's about fireplaces and fluffy blankets, for sure, but there are some interiors that just make a cozy statement.

I have declared somewhere below that my number one designer is Bunny Williams but there are others on the list that I seek out for inspiration depending on the look I'm coveting.  A designer known for what is termed "baronial style" always comes to mind.  I think that means the to-the-manor-born look.  Whatever it means, his interiors are rich and have a particular warmth that appeals to me.

With the handy ottoman and throw and a favorite novel, one could spend hours in this corner avoiding the cold outside.

 

Cozy and conversation come to mind.  As one who has too many framed things to fit into her small home, I am a fan of stacked artwork.  It may be one reason I like his work.  He is not timid about incorporating abundant elements.  Crowded, you say?  I say rich! 

 

The simplest addition to a room to celebrate the coming season.  Greenery and pine cones accented with touches of red and, of course, at least one tartan fabric pillow.

 

To say Scot is a fan of tartan would be an understatement.  We have not focused on that aspect of his baronial style but here is where you can find him and his passion for the plaid. 

http://tartanscot.blogspot.com/

 

As a fan of what I call smoking slippers I was happy to know that Scot is as well but to him they are Albert slippers.

 

The slipper has its roots in the gentlemanly attitude of the Victorian era hearkening back to the very stylish Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. Yes, he of the tobacco tin.  Originally used as an evening slipper for around the house, we find them now at evening, black-tie and holiday gatherings being worn by both sexes.  I personally have two pairs.  Embellished black suede ones  similar to the ones above and a pair of subtle gray and blue...you guessed it...plaid.  

 

 

 

 

The Colors Are Vague

🍁  Hello out there!

This is the time of the year when we share a huge influx of visitors with the New England states.  Folks who come to see the changing of the leaves.  The color season - as it is known.  So far, it hasn't been a very good year.  We set out to find some natural beauty earlier this week. 

 

Our favorite place is a dirt road that winds to the top of a mountain.  We loved this little fellow showing his best traditional maple color. 

 

 

 

Along the way I caught a couple of good areas of color.  A country road lighted by filtered sunshine through the bright yellow of the trees. 

 

A view of a nearby mountaintop.  I like the contrast of the skeleton trees in the foreground.

Although we had not expected much show of color we were pleased that we found it.  This is a beautiful place to live year round and we do put on a bit of a show in the fall.  Sometimes one has to go find it. 

 

Thanks for looking in. 

~Sami

 

 

 

 

 

Shoes? You've got to be kidding me!!

Dammit!  I hate getting into the politics of it all on this page but I am sick of the liberal press and their lies.  As one who watches more than one network for news, I see the misrepresentations to the point where there is little of the truth being passed on. 

I remember learning in journalism classes about how important it was to tell the truth.  To do one's best to represent who, what, when and where without prejudice.  Sadly, that is no longer the case.

The point being THE FIRST LADY WAS WEARING SNEAKERS WHEN THEY GOT TO HOUSTON!! 

I don't expect to see any retractions. 

Antiques: Prices & Popularity

I'm not sure where the decline began but I blame part of it on the attrition of the use of "vintage" as a term to describe an item of some age.  I think we have totally confused our audience by incorporating the misuse of the word into our vernacular.  I've been chastised on an Etsy chat for using big words so perhaps one who doesn't respect the language should stop reading now.  I do and I use it as fluently and literally and inventively as I can.  I'm known as a grammar Nazi on Facebook.  I didn't cap that word.  Spell check did.  Spell check is not smarter than I am and I resent having to spell check spell check. 

Back to business.  Antique.  We all know the long held US import standard of an antique that is must be a hundred years old.  I try and respect that giving twenty years on the cheat side on occasion.  Somewhere I read the customs definition had changed but I just googled it and it is still 100.  So...sellers on Ebay who had something they knew was old but they weren't willing to chance using the strict term of "antique" came up with "vintage".  I saw the tide.  I fought but I lost.  To me, we compromised ourselves too much at that point and people began to mistrust.

This is vintage:

 

The term was previously used to describe wine of a certain year.  As you can see vintage does not necessarily mean old so the term is being misused to describe an item with the indication of age.  Nee antique. 

So...on a slow TV night recently I watched two episodes of Antiques Roadshow and guess what?  The trend has followed as in reduced values.  The two shows I saw were actually a shock to me in that AR would even admit to lower prices on anything.  I blame them for the astronomical prices people of an estate mind set were misled into believing the worth their stuff is worth.  And, while blame is in the wind, I blame American Pickers for the fact that NO ONE is willing to pay the price marked anymore.  I dislike the term "I digress" but maybe I did.

The point is, it is a phenomenon that I have been noticing reluctantly.  Our antiques just aren't worth what they used to be.  One excuse is that the younger generations wants nothing old.  They want new from Ikea.  Fancy any of that ever becoming a fine antique.  Another is the distrust built by fakes and forgeries unloaded on both those sites I mentioned earlier. 

Where it hurts me most is in our estate work and in appraisals.  It is very hard to tell an executor or a delighted heir that what their benefactor has left is not worth what they saw on AR in 2000.  It was proven to me by the decrease in values shown on those two episodes.  I still can't figure out why they did those shows and I wish everyone had been required to see them.

Please keep in mind that while there are nuggets of truth and veracity in what I write, I also have a tendency to attempt to add flavor with a bit of sarcasm or cynicism. 

I really would like your opinions on values and why we are seeing such a downslide.

                                            A beautifully mature mountain dogwood tree. 

Springtime in these mountains has been a bit of an adventure this year.  We had beautiful days in February and March.  April overdid herself with showers.  It rained biblical.  The good news is that everything is lush and green now with blooms and buds a'plenty. 

Springtime brings projects.  I have had a rapidly receding land issue with the creek for the last two years.  The roots are showing on some of the hedge plants that grow along it.  Today I had a wall installed to stop the erosion.  Railroad ties backed with sandbags full of concrete.  We were careful to follow the "meanders" and built up from where the bank stops now.  Then we filled in some topsoil behind the timbers to help out the hedge.  It will take time for it to fill in completely but it's a start.  Expensive work.

So now it's May and the March winds are blowing.  I vowed yesterday to come inside and stay until I could go out again without my hair blowing in my face.  That didn't last but it was not quite as bad today.

Etsy is in the news again.  A new CEO.  For myself, I'm about ready to give up.  I'm tired of ridiculous changes and surprises.  Things seem to have slowed down tremendously since the news broke last week.  That is compounded with the new rules about payments.  I have been with PayPal since they paid $10. to you if you joined and I've never had a problem that couldn't be worked out.  They have phone-able Customer Service which Etsy does not.  So...now Etsy has decided that they will process PayPal payments too.  I'm not quite sure how that is legal but everything has to go through what is now known as Etsy Payments.  That, we resist, since most of us are still deleting spam from our emails from the hack that took place at Etsy a year or so ago.  I'm thinking of giving it up. 

I've run a 20% off sale in my Etsy shop this week and nary a nibble.  It's a bit depressing. 

I have three online friends who have moved on to their own website and are doing really well.  I wish I had the fortitude to try it.  With all else I have to keep up with I don't know if I could do it.  Then again, I might like the challenge of something new. 

Any readers dealing with Etsy these days?  Do you have a website?  Does it do what you'd like it to do? 

 

Easter is almost here.  Are you into dying eggs or examining your spirituality?  Or both, certainly. 

I loved Easter baskets when I was a kid.  I also enjoyed the tradition of getting decked out in a new outfit for church on Easter Sunday.  That is what Easter meant to me for many years and it is probably what I passed on to my daughter. 

Although I, in my own way, observe Lent, I'm not even sure I will attend church on Easter.  Perhaps Maundy Thursday or Good Friday.  I have been seriously struggling with my church relationship and spirituality.  My little church has been involved in a sex abuse scandal for several years and there has been a sort of frantic attempt to close ranks that actually became a house divided.  There are those who refuse to accept reality and those who are appalled that it was allowed to happen when there was clear evidence that an unhealthy situation existed.  Local cases remain in the hands of authorities waiting for the local DA to determine if he wants a trial.  Meanwhile, the perpetrator has been banished from the church in the area where he now lives and is getting older every day.  I sometimes wonder if the local thinking is if we let it go long enough he will pass away and we don't have to bring the scandal home.  I seldom go to church anymore. 

So, no need to get new clothes for dressing up - not that I did that anyway as an adult.  However!  I think I will make myself an Easter basket.  I may even dye eggs.  I think there is a farm around here that sells the Martha Stewart colored eggs.  Perhaps a collection of those? 

Finding beauties such as these would preclude the Paas procedure.  Not having looked for a while I have no idea what packaged products are out there for dying.  I loved the little transfers but seldom was successful at applying one.  Is vinegar still a requirement?  I have huge bottle of apple cider vinegar left over from my failed attempt to use vinegar as a diet aid.

Having learned recently that a neighbor of mine is raising chickens and having read so much about how wonderful a truly fresh egg can be, I've wondered about raising chickens.  I wasn't looking for that information as I looked for a photo of the naturally colored eggs but I found this great blog that is all about chickens.

http://www.jimvysearks.co.uk/blog/tag/poultry/page/5/

The photo above is from poultry blog since Google didn't cough up a legitimate photo of Martha's eggs.  The kindness extended, though, to a full page of Martha Stewart links to decorating eggs like these:

Don't you like the edgy look of these?  I wanted to say non-traditional. 

Here's the link:

http://dalegann.com/gallery/martha-stewart-easter-eggs.html

 

I think I will sign off since Blogger keeps telling my attempt to save has failed.  I haven't tried until now.  Let's see how that goes.

 

I hope you and those you love find all the best eggs. 

 

HAVE A VERY HAPPY EASTER!

 

What to give up for Lent?

 

 

Are you a shaker or a muffineer?

A couple of years ago we were doing an auction that included a silver plate muffineer.  I mentioned that I liked it during set up and when the auction was over, it was mine.  One of our staff was the only bidder and he handed it to me.  It has set with two silver candlesticks and a cloisonné bowl on my kitchen island since.

Sugar shakers or muffineers were once an integral part of a table setting along with the salt cellar or vinegar bottle.  I've never known why powdered sugar was considered a staple.  Perhaps that is a study for another day. 

I have made my own determination that the difference in a sugar shaker and a muffineer is cost or value.  Once I had my first one I decided I might collect a few.  That was soon shot down when I discovered that most of the ones I liked were above what I would pay for a casual collection.  Here are some of the pretties I have seen.

This beautiful etched amber glass muffineer would add elegance to any table setting. 

 

 

Beautiful turquoise lattice glass.  This one might be either a muffineer or sugar shaker since it may have lived on a slightly more modest table.  Likely in the South. 

 

Definitely a sugar shaker in Martha Stewart glass.  We have laughingly referred to Jadeite that way since Martha promoted it so heavily on her show and in her magazine.  I am still considering the direction my collection will go and I have liked quite a few of the kitchen ones.  

 

  

This one is shown on Etsy as a sugar or flour shaker.  I think the design on the top is a good indication it was for sugar.  I am a fan of tin so I like this one.  Wonder how many tin ones I could find?

 

We have run the gamut here from extreme elegance to simple tin.  I like them all and find the materials other than silver more interesting.  

 

There are lots of sugar dispensers listed on the 'net as sugar shakers. 

 

 

I think it is a misnomer.  The sugar dispensers were for granulated sugar, not powdered.  I found one of those at the flea market yesterday that is a bit unusual.  It is a beautiful deep turquoise in color.  It will go in my booth at Sutton's and I hope someone appreciates it. 

 

 

I leave you with this beauty that sold for over $3,000. at a convention of folks who appreciate shakers.  It is definitely a Muffineer.  Note the capital M.  Here is a link to the site.

 

http://www.antiquetrader.com/antiques/collectibles/beet-form-sugar-shaker-knocks-3335-special-saled

 

Maybe you want to pay more attention to shakers!! 

 

 

 

 

 

SNOW, MOLLY & BASKETBALL

As I sit composing, the window over my shoulder reflects brightly the sunshine on last night's snowfall.  About six inches.  We've known for a week to expect it and I had gotten in the grocery items we needed and steeled myself for several days of gray, based on the forecast.  As it happens, while it is no more than 15 degrees outside, the sun is shining brightly and that makes a difference to me.

Sometimes I let the worry get ahead of me and I spent some time concerned about how Molly and I would navigate the daily reading of the newspaper trips for her.  She reads only with her nose these days having developed glaucoma which was not caught by the vet early enough for prevention.  Not that there really is much they can do.  She navigates with her nose and commands from me.  We've developed our own.  "Up one", "down one", "big up", "big down", "straight on", "by mama" or "this way".  She managed part of the morning ritual but how could one expect her to finish when her little butt was already under the snow. 

We are fortunate to have a great yard man friend who, just this year, acquired snow moving equipment so Steve came and cleared the driveway and made a path for Molly and me through the side yard.  She was grateful.

My TV watching chair is also just off to my left as I sit at the computer so I have a tendency to pile it up with whatever is going on at the computer.  In addition to two online shops I have a few community projects and one of them is really piling up file folders.  All must be moved for basketball season 'cause that is the appropriate chair.  So...file folders, unlisted merchandise and a worn teddy bear, who is slated to go a woman down east who will repair him, all get bumped.  Keeping cozy while watching the Tarheels is vital.

Last year's faux fur throw got moved to the living room and became a favorite of Miss Molly.  It now rests in Uncle Daddy's chair where she spends most of her day.  Her favorite spot used to be the back of the sofa in front of the window and it should have been a clue when she no longer cared to create havoc with the back pillows there. 

Uncle Daddy is an ex-husband who is my and Molly's best friend.  It has been jokingly said that I married him for his Tupperware and Pendleton throws.  'Taint true but it makes a good story.  I do love plaid.  Perhaps it is my Highlands heritage.  For a while, I collected Pendleton throws.  They all went to new homes via the shows I did years ago.  The older ones were a little too woolly for my nose.  I'm not sure if these are 100% wool or not.  The photo is from the Pendleton webpage. 

I discovered while on their site that they have Star Wars blankets.  I went quickly to see what I could do to make my 45 year old still-rabid-Star-Wars-fan daughter happy.  I may tell her about them but this mama's budget can't swing $250. right now with the HVAC running twenty-four hours a day.  Well, maybe I could, but I won't. 

 

Point.  Point.  Get to the point.  So, I was looking around at blankets and throws.  I need to be careful when shopping because not all of them are much more than a lap robe.  I want something that covers nose to toes. 

 

I have teased you a bit because I already have what I will be cuddling under for this season.  Here it is.

 

 

There are several entertaining versions of this available at Barnes Noble.  I have two.  This one, a gift from that same fellow we have previously referenced, and another with music from my girls.  They are knitted so they live in places where no little doggie resident will find them.  They are substantial and good looking as a decorative element. 

 

Wishing you sunny days, warm evenings and for your team to win unless they are playing the UNC Tarheels.  I am a true blue blood.

 

~Molly & Me



 

 

I Resolve...No, I probably don't.

A new year awaits.
What will we do?  Where will we go?  How will we change? 
For many years I thought about resolutions but I knew it was more of a process than a commitment.
These days I do the examination of my life and faults on the occasion of my birthday.  As some of you know my birthday is 9/11.  It became a time for reflection and contemplation on that date in 2001.  Certainly we were all enraged but I had personal rage.  It lasted for several years until once I got caught up in a commemorative documentary where they showed a gathering of families of those who had lost their lives.  There on the screen was a little boy crying hard tears into his mother's bosom for his father.  At that moment I did a turnaround and now I remember that little boy and the others whose loss was so much greater than mine.
So, as the New Year approaches here in the chilly mountains of NC, I am absolved of the need for resolutions since mine were made in September.  Did I keep them?  No.  The primary one involved weight loss as they have for most of the years of my adult life.  I did lose twenty pounds but then gained back a bit that won't seem to budge. 
So, will I promise to do better today?  I will.  Why miss the chance?   
I read a good blog (I'm sorry I didn't mark it) about resolutions that suggested making only one.  One that we are determined to keep.  How does that sound?  Once I get thinking, though, I'm sure it will be hard to give just one priority.  I will start with the weight and commit to a number and date.  That was the other suggestion in the bog - to be specific.  Pin yourself down, in other words.  A date is a good goal.
As you might guess, the Number One New Year's Resolution is, in fact, "lose weight".  I'm in good company, huh?  Two is "get organized" followed by money and physical fitness.  "Quit smoking" has fallen on the list to Number Seven.  If that one is on your list, I pray you will be successful. 
One of mine, if I commit, would be to maintain this blog in some way that pleases me.  I've learned that my opinions aren't always the popular ones.  I am still adamant about painting antiques just for the sake of applying some Annie's Milk Paint to something.  No offense to Annie, for sure.

It is late in the day so time is running out.  When I finish watching Carolina beat Georgia Tech I will get serious and let you know how it goes. I really seriously appreciate those of you who have been faithful with me and I hope to do better. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 

                                                  http://www.atlantaholidayhome.com/

                                                       MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Going Going...Wait...

I wrote this a  while ago on a blog I keep private.  At least I think I do.  I suppose not much is private anymore.  Feeling strongly about the subject matter, I decided to move it here.  It isn't about any of the topics listed above but I strayed from that list long ago.  The person who makes adjustments for me is willing to change that list but that requires my making decisions I'm not ready to make. 

About this, I am ready.  I am watching the beauty of our English language die a slow and painful death. 

Text speak is horrifying to a linguaphile. I didn’t know that word until I googled looking for a word to express my passion for the English language.  Linguaphile  means ‘a lover of words’. As it happens there seem to be two other words that mean pretty much the same. Lexophile and logophile. All three show up and are defined on Google.   New words are being hastily added to our lexicons at a speed which denies authenticity.  Usage seems to be the only requirement and we watch as good English is scrambled and mutilated with horrendous frequency at the mercy of an iPhone?

Lately, I’ve been thinking of words I miss.

Risqué. When have you heard that word used? I have a feeling it has fallen into oblivion because nothing is considered so these days. A bawdy revue, in another time, might have been described as risqué. These days, the same show can be found on any of the major TV channels.  My little mama would be appalled at the hip gyrating and the outrageous costumes on Dancing With The Stars. 

Finesse.  What a lovely word. It means to do something in a ‘subtle or delicate manner’. Maybe the term is still used in bridge.  There doesn't seem to be much of it going on in society. 

Eloquent.  When have you heard a speaker described as eloquent?  "Fluent or persuasive".  These days we get sound bites.  No fluency required.

Obsolescent.  What is happening to the beauty of our language. 

 

Please!

 

 

 

Those who forget history...

"Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it". The quote is often attributed to Winston Churchill but it was actually George Santayana.  "Today is a day that will live in infamy."  That was Roosevelt on the occasion of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Both are hugely relative to how I deal with today, September 11, 2016.

It is my birthday.  I posted this on my Facebook page:

It seems a landmark time for everyone to remember where they were on the morning of September 11, 2001. I have no trouble remembering. I was in my favorite chat room on Ebay and we were celebrating my birthday. The TV was on behind me. When the first tower was hit all hell broke loose on the chat. I left there and gave my full attention to the television. As broadcasters began to report and speculate I was terror struck when they suggested that it could be an all out attack and one of the next cities would be LA. Sarah (my daughter) was in LA. I began to try and locate her and it was some time before we could get through. By then the city was in lock down. She knew virtually no one in LA and was dependent on public transportation. Three days later her Dad met her in Memphis at the bus station and they finished the trip together. We remember that day from our own misery but we know there are others for whom the loss was much greater. I kept some resentment for a while over losing my birthday to a national tragedy. Then, one night, I was watching a show that played some tape of the families of survivors and there was a little boy, about four years old, crying his heart out because he had lost his father. That was when I realized what losses were worth grieving. Let us not forget.

Friends have responded with their own stories of where they were and their feelings.  One was in a lighthouse on the coast of North Carolina when someone came screaming that America was under attack.  She felt terror.  Another was in a plane circling an airport in NYC.  She knows the feeling of terror and gratitude.  She turns off her TV for days during this period of time.  Another lived near an airport and the total quiet in her area was foreboding.  Her words are moving.  "it got so quiet with all aircraft grounded, never again will I kid my husband for having the weapons and supplies he has stored, they are not coming, they are here among us. The enemies of our religion, people and way of life, brought in by our present government and allowed to spread., be afraid, be very afraid." 
We began with the quote about forgetting history.  As it is, Winston Churchill is often credited with those words.  Churchill was a statesman who was highly respected by my father from whom I learned my allegiance to this country.  These are words spoken by Churchill on May 2, 1935.  “When the situation was manageable it was neglected, and now that it is thoroughly out of hand we apply too late the remedies which then might have effected a cure. There is nothing new in the story. It is as old as the sibylline books. It falls into that long, dismal catalogue of the fruitlessness of experience and the confirmed unteachability of mankind. Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong–these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history.”

"Never forget".  Have we?  I will celebrate my birthday with friends on a mountaintop this evening but I, personally, cannot forget.  Neither can the little boy who lost his father. 

God bless America. 

Wrapping Up The New Year

I forgot to throw the bucket of water out the door so that may be why I'm back to finish the discussion of New Year's traditions. 

We had a little crisis here in my neighborhood on New Year's Eve that had me off kilter for a couple of days but this week I did pull off a family tech night dinner* that went well.  I had kept the ham bone from Christmas in the freezer so I pulled it out and boiled it most of the morning.  Sometime after lunch, I took it out of the broth and pulled off all the meat.  There was quite a bit since I had tired of eating ham long before it was clean.  I let the pot cool until the fat gathered on top and I skimmed that off.  I had picked up a package of 15 bean soup mix which I planned to use without the flavor packet.  My broth was fantastic without help.  Having forgotten to soak the beans overnight, I followed the directions on the package for a Quick Soak Method.  Wash the beans and place them in 6 - 8 cups of water, bring to a rapid boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.  Drain and rinse. 

Then it was time for the marriage.  I brought the broth to a low boil and added the ham and beans and let it simmer for about two hours.  Sometime toward the end of the cooking time I added a few twists from the Himalayan pink salt grinder and some freshly ground pepper.  Both were placed on the table for those who wanted more.  I served the soup in pottery bowls.  There were chopped tomatoes and chopped purple onions on the table for a garnish. 

The 'piece de resistance' was that I made cornbread for the first time in probably twenty years.  It isn't that I haven't had cornbread.  A local restaurant made good homemade cornbread and if I needed it I picked it up there.  They closed recently after fifty plus years.  So I must master the skill again. 

I started reading a book before Christmas which I abandoned after a few chapters but a description of a female character hit home with me.  She was considered, by her friends, as the consummate hostess of takeout.  I haven't entertained much in recent years but when I do I know where the best cakes and pies are, where to get a fabulous quiche, great southern barbecue, pot roast for twelve...it's a good list.  Toss together a salad and open a bottle of wine.

*Family tech night is something we will do once a month.  My daughter is a degreed nerd.  She spends her working days in front of a computer maintaining the inventory of a manufacturing plant in Asheville.  Her father chooses not to try and master the skills necessary to manage his own electronic devices and is in constant need of her help.  To ease tension between them with his demands and her lack of free time, we will get together specifically once a month for tech night.  Regular readers will remember that this is my ex-husband for almost twenty years. 

So, was there anything worth reading here?  Maybe the shortcut on the bean soak. 

How is it going with the your resolutions?  I read over mine last night and four out of seven were good. 

                                                         HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

                                                                    ~Sami