homemade rolls made with love

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Shanda

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Rich’s Aunt Phyllis visited this weekend with her cousin Marie. Rich’s Dad came, too. They wanted to watch Grace in a play at her school. It was such fun to attend together but my favorite part of all was when we were home again and the ladies were snuggling up on the couch reading an old old copy of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. Aunt Phyllis gave the book to Grace and it is special because her mom (Grace’s Great Great Grandma) used to read it to her children at bedtime. And from this very copy Aunt Phyllis and Marie each read a chapter aloud to the girls. On Sarah Joy’s lap is a quilt that was given to her Great Grandma which she kept on her lap during her last years. It was made by another relative. Aren’t relatives the best, the most inspiring of all? I love all the women in my family, both in my own family and the family I married in to. I feel very blessed by all the stories, sewing, quilting, crafting, working, mothering, beauty, books, baking, and so on……that I learned from my sisters, cousins, aunts, Mom, and grandmas. All so uniquely special and dear.

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I look into their faces and see my self, and own children, in them.

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Rich is hosting an off site meeting today for work and as always, I am making homemade rolls for our sandwiches. (they are rising as I type) I don’t divide my Grandma’s recipe anymore because I can use all the dough I can get! Last night I mixed up the dough and put half in the refrigerator for today’s rolls, and formed the rest into a big pan of cinnamon rolls. After all, it was a holiday, it was Halloween! I baked in the kitchen while Davy made clam chowder and Rich took the three youngest children out trick or treating. We had Harry Potter going on TV and there were a roomful of teen-sized kids in the basement having their own party.

I posted the photo of the completed rolls on FB and Instagram and several of my dear friends requested the recipe.

My Grandma (her name was Mary) used to bake these rolls by the hundreds…she was well known for them in our church and in her home for the holidays. She in turn passed the bread baking art down to her daughters–my mom Cindy makes amazing bread on a weekly basis and I’ve shared several of her recipes here on my blog already. She is a most amazing baker and I’m thankful she is just a phone call or text away to answer my questions and eventually answer questions for my girls, as well. The Mama/Grandma hotline! So blessed.

Isn’t family wonderful? I know yours is, too!

ROLLS

3-4 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 T. salt
1/2 cup butter
3 cups water-divided
2 T yeast or 2 packages
2 eggs
close to 5 lb bag of flour

Mix 1 cup of warm water with the yeast and set aside. Heat milk, sugar, salt, and butter until dissolved–let cool. Add 2 cups cold water to mixture. Add the 2 cold eggs to the milk mixture. Combine the yeast mixture with the milk mixture. Add enough flour till the right consistency. (Approximately 5 lbs).
Knead dough till smooth on a flour surface. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise for about 2 hours (until doubled in size). Punch down dough-knead-then shape rolls or roll out for sweet rolls.
Place rolls in a greased pan and cover and let rise till doubled– about half an hour.
Bake at 350 for 24-25 minutes, till golden brown and rolls sound hollow when tapped.
Makes about 3-4 dozen dinner rolls and a 9 by 13 plan of sweet rolls.

(note: children LOVE to watch the process!! Sarah Joy eats a bit of the dough raw–she loves it!)

SWEET ROLL ADDITIONS

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture: 2 cups sugar 3 T cinnamon 1 stick melted butter

Roll dough to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface. Pour on melted butter and spread to edges. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up and slice about inch thick with a sharp knife. Place in well greased pan or into pan with caramel nut topping mixture spread in the bottom. Let rise for 1/2 to 1 hour and bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes

(note: raw cinnamon roll dough is even better! you can rub it around in the butter left behind on the counter! My dad loves to do this.)

CARAMEL Nut TOPPING 1/2 cup melted butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Thank you to my Aunt Colleen for sharing this recipe and making sure it is in the recipe files of all our families! You are wonderful.

NOTE-I use my kitchen aid mixture to knead the dough and then finish it off on the counter because I do like to get my hands on it during part of the process. It’s so soft and warm….good to work with.

*****

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THIS IS MY HUSBAND’S GRANDMOTHER! Her name was Sarah Lillian but everyone called her Lillian. Aunt Phyllis shared this 1980’s newspaper clipping with us. It is from when Grandma was working in a school cafeteria (the very same school Rich and I and all our relatives attended) These were the days when children actually ate some HOMEMADE foods, like these big homemade peanut butter cookies (800 of them baked at once). I love the details in this picture and I know these ladies loved working together. They made biscuits, apple crisp, and so many other delicious foods for the children.

*****

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My kitchen, where I think of all the women in my family as I work.

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Dedicated to mamas, grandmas, and aunts everywhere.

You make a difference wherever you are, even long after you’re gone.

You are loved.

She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
and keeps them all busy and productive.
Her children respect and bless her;
her husband joins in with words of praise:
“Many women have done wonderful things,
but you’ve outclassed them all!”
Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
The woman to be admired and praised
is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.
Give her everything she deserves!
Festoon her life with praises!

day with the college boy

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Shanda

Good afternoon! I took David to the orthodontist this morning which was nice because (does this happen in your family?) as is typical, the car is the best place for my children to open up and talk. We have nice conversations about anything and everything. So I got to hear everything that David wanted to talk about. After his appointment (“What did they do to you Dave?” “They put in a new, thicker wire.”) we scooted into the Goodwill store quickly to look at 1) dishes 2) DVDs and 3) books. Then….Dunkin’ donuts for a snack. He got a mint hot chocolate and a breakfast sandwich on waffles. I got a snack sized breakfast wrap thing and a hot tea.

I dropped Dave off at the middle school (right before he got out he said, “Wouldn’t you rather just take me back home?” and I said, “No, get out.”) and then parked so I could walk and as I walked I talked to my friend Kathy on the phone, and sipped hot tea.

*****

This weekend’s great event was getting up super early in the morning (4), and leaving to drive three hours for a visit to our college boy. Rich and I took the younger children with us, but Jacob had work so he wasn’t able to come along.

We were in terrible moods for half the trip. It was dark and raining and we had to stop at every red light on our way to the highway, which was driving Rich crazy because we were literally the only ones on the road. We also couldn’t figure out how to get the new DVD player in our vehicle to work but eventually David figured it out and the sound of Looney Tunes filled the air. About an hour down the road we all started perking up. We left so early because we wanted to surprise Ethan by getting to him in time to take him to breakfast. He wasn’t even awake yet when we pulled up to his dorm. The dorms are kept locked so I called him on his cell phone to tell him we had arrived. We saw his light turn on behind the blinds in his window as he quickly pulled on his clothes and came out in the chilly rainy weather and into the family car, where we all smiled at him.

We ate breakfast at a very nice, casual place, filled up with nice ordinary people. We felt comfortable and happy and our waitress was capable and pleasant as well. I ordered steak and eggs. We all ate so much food that we were able to completely bypass lunch.

After breakfast we went for a little drive and then stopped at a Norman Rockwell museum. Next up was bowling. We also visited a bookstore in town which was great (used bookstores are my favorite).

We headed back to the college. Grace and I sat and read our books for well over an hour. The college kids had an event going on where you could get an empty Pokemon character and stuff it yourself to make a stuffed animal, it closed with a zipper in the back. It was so cute to see all these big college kids sitting around boxes of stuffing, not unlike sitting around a campfire, talking away as they made toys, of all things. Seth, Sarah, and Caleb managed to each get in on the action, too. The college kids were so nice to them. Grace and I would look over at them and then look at each other and smile little smiles of joy. Rich and Ethan played pool downstairs together, and David joined Grace and I and put his head down on the table to take a nap.

We began to get hungry so we left for an early dinner. (It was so rainy and chilly–39 degrees!) Ethan was craving pizza so we found a well-reviewed pizza place 20 minutes away which ended up being amazing. The place was a very low key, “hole in the wall” sort of place with an awesome view of the town and the train tracks. Very busy. You had to order at the counter and then sit down to wait for your pizza to be done. When it is done they call your name and you go up to get it (no waitresses). There was a lady at the table next to us who talked to me about our large family. We rarely get the comment “are they all yours” any longer. We used to get it all the time when the kids were small, but now that three of them are taller than me we don’t get that question as often. But she loved the kids and it was a friendly little conversation.

The pizza was incredible. Their most popular pizza was made with their garlic knot dough and was simply covered in garlic, I think it took a full 24 hours for my breath to get back to normal. I had two pieces of it, it was topped with tomatoes and cheese. We bought three large pizzas and simply stuffed ourselves until there was only one and a half pieces left and Rich said, “No more, the rest is for E to take to his room with him.”

Then it was time to drop Ethan back off at his dorm. There were tears shed but all in all it was a most pleasant day! Beautiful. You know, there is just nothing like the feeling of being safe and loved in your family.

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Rich had to take it twice. 🙂 family photo at the breakfast place! Isn’t the decor great? I love rooms that are filled with stuff everywhere you cast your eye. Inside the well-decorated bathroom there was a sign which said, “Girls, PLEASE do not steal the decor!” The word please was underlined three times.

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I admit I am a little sad that our oldest son is not in this photo, but aren’t they handsome? Seth is 7, David is 14, Caleb is 11, and Ethan is 18.

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*same breakfast, same facial expressions*

I’m laughing as I look at it. Their breakfast was called the “gut buster”

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beautiful mountain stream

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We went to a Norman Rockwell museum, which was a building full of every cover and/or illustration that he ever did, plus little signs giving more information about his life and pictures. There were NO original works, but we have been to the real museum in Stockbridge so we were okay with seeing the many many prints.

my favorite:

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Rich’s favorite:

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The pizza was so good. Rich even said it was better than Grandes. (the place we go to “back home” all the time, which we’ve been going to for our whole married life).

*************

So I wanted to tell you guys that I’m finally on instagram if you want to follow me here is my link: SHANDA’S INSTAGRAM .

Happy Monday!

thankful, so very very thankful

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Shanda

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These mashed potatoes are soooooooooo good!

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I’m still using my Grandma’s potato masher.

fiesta potholders
martha stewart pot

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The potatoes were a snack for these fine young men. (By the way, I took all these photos last week but didn’t post them yet). Ethan had a week home from college.

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Rich was away on a business trip for five days. I took this picture of the boys for him after their football practice….as you can see, Seth is full of energy STILL!

This morning he was showing me how his shorts didn’t stay up and I said, “Dressing you is like trying to dress a broom stick.” and he said, “That’s because I’m skinny.”

He also said, “When I grow up I’m not going to get married so I can still live with you.” “You don’t have to get married but you could still have your own place,” I replied. “I’ll be your neighvor.” he said. (exactly how he pronounced it)

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WHAT??? All I did was walk out the front door when I discovered this very very cool green insect on the dresser on the porch. Isn’t it amazing?

You can make discoveries at any time and any place. Keep your eyes open.

I want to draw this bug. Wouldn’t it be fun to draw this bug?

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I have a fascination with the Salem Witch Trials but this book was disappointingly difficult to read. It put me to sleep every evening. I finally put it down and read reviews on amazon — gratified to see the majority of them felt the same as I did. I bought this book at Costco and will be returning it.

The Trouble with Magic, by Ruth Chew (my latest read to Sarah book)
Little Women
The Little’s Surprise Party
Young Amelia Earhart
Tales of Peter Rabbit and his Friends
Heidi (full of illustrations)
Art book
Charlie Brown book

I love having books everywhere I turn here.

Sarah reading to Mama.

Seth reading to Mama (with Sarah next to us).

Little Bear books are the best. You know they make me tear up? Heartwarming stories. And then she wrote Hunger Games, can you believe that? (I did read Hunger Games and enjoyed it but got bored with the rest of the series, haven’t seen the movies.)

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Dress up

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Another homegrown pumpkin (we had four)

Kids are the best

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a bunny bee and soft flower petals

(isn’t it so cute?)

To be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied with your possessions, but not contented with yourself until you have made the best of the them; to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice; to be governed by your admirations rather than by your disgusts; to covet nothing that is your neighbor’s except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friends and every day of Christ; and to spend as much time as you can with body and with spirit, in God’s out-of-doors–these are the little guide-posts on the foot-path of peace.

Henry Van Dyke.

((David caught a snake.)) Yesterday Michael and Logan walked to our house to visit and said they rescued a snake from the road, it’s tail was run over so they put the hurt snake in the woods. I was so happy with them.

Our cats love sleeping in laundry baskets.

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DAVID!!!! getting so tall and changing daily…..drinking that yummy raw milk does wonders. He’s been on the Rip Stick (see it behind him) a lot lately. He loves to go to football practice with his brothers and while they are on the fields, he is on the parking lot with the rip stick (for 2 hours!). Last night he was hungry and made himself a little pot of rice for a bedtime snack. He’s the best at making rice and has a scientific precise way of making it. He’s also been eating tortilla chips and salsa on a constant basis. It always amuses me to see the kids to through “their favorite snack” stages. I remember when Grace would eat a can of corn every day.

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In a weak moment, I let Parker take a nap next to me.

GLOWING GLOWING GLOWING…….the outdoors is simply dazzling.

“Early in the morning, my song shall rise to Thee.”

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Ethan and Tessa making pasta for dinner.

Is there anything more cozy than being outside and looking at the bright windows of YOUR house, with YOUR family inside???

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Last night Seth looked back at me as he was going downstairs to bed and said, “Mom in the morning I want eggs for breakfast,” and he pointed his finger at me like Gary George, and continued, “Fried. Two.” Then, a thumbs up. I was smiling, “Okay Seth!” So this morning I put a healthy amount of butter in a cast iron pan and fried him up two eggs, served with whole wheat toast.

He said to me, he said to me with his mouth full, “This is a good breakfast, mom.”

my new garbage disposal

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Shanda

“There is often more wisdom to be found at the edges of life than in its middle. Life-threatening illness may shuffle our values like a deck of cards. Sometimes a card that has been on the bottom of the deck for most of our lives turns out to be the top card, the thing that really matters. Having watched people sort their cards and play their hands in the presence of death for many years, I would say that rarely is the top card perfection, or possessions, or even pride.

“Most often the top card is love.”

My Grandfather’s Blessings, by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.

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Good morning, friends.

When I first woke up this morning, I sat in my bed with a cup of hot coffee and listened to the wind. It was a lovely autumn wind, yellow leaves were flying past the windows. Wind chimes were loud enough to hear and their music was saying, “It’s a windy morning!”

It has died down some, and the rain of yesterday is past, leaving clean fresh air and a brilliant blue sky. It’s hardly 50 degrees and feels invigorating but chilly.

I’m eating lunch as I type; vegetable soup.

The children are home from school for Columbus Day. Sarah Joy had a dentist appointment at 9, which I was not looking forward to after her year of kidney stone adventures. She was so sweet and brave until the last when the tears came…..she was worried that the dentist would pull her loose tooth out right then and there. The dental hygienist was sweet and understanding with Sarah. As a mom, that meant the world to me.

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On Saturday we spent the entire day at the football field. Rich, myself, Sarah, Seth, and Caleb.

Rich officiated Seth’s game. Seth made several good plays as a quarter back (at his level, the boys take turns trying different positions). I was able to get this series of photos showing an impressive pass to his teammate, who did a great job at catching the ball.

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Seth with the ball……

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…..ball in the air……

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…..with a catch and first down! Not bad for 6 and 7 year olds!

We had time to leave and eat dinner before Caleb’s game, which they won brilliantly.

It was raining on and off the whole day and we were soooooo ready to be home afterwards.

I love this little girl with all my heart.

And this one, too. Rich took Grace with him to go get a new garbage disposal.

The other day I was tired and grumpy but trying very hard to not say anything. Zak was here and he played a prank on Jacob in the kitchen. Jacob had left his cup of coffee on the counter while he went to the bathroom, and while he was gone, Zak put coins and butter in his coffee. I was in the kitchen, working, saw everything, and became annoyed. Jacob came out and dumped his coffee down the drain, and into the garbage disposal went the coins. I continued to be annoyed and I said to Jacob, “YOU put your hand down there and get the money out.” I assumed he did and the next day when I used the disposal it of course made (along with me) a terrible noise of distress and woe. I instantly knew what had happened and was mad this time. I put my hand down there and retrieved two almost unrecognizable pennies. I got the broom and used the end of the handle to try to get the disposal moving again, but no. I sent Jacob a text saying *no friends this week* (it was last week now) and he was still saying things like “It wasn’t me, it was Zak”…. like I cared WHO it was, which I did not—as long as I was not the one to have to deal with the messes of teenagers. “It was only one penny” they insisted. Rich was alway on a business trip and now my garbage disposal wasn’t working at all. As a homemaker, this was very unsettling. I called the plumber and he fixed several things (like a drippy faucet in the bathroom) but said he would have to get to the disposal in a few weeks. When Rich had time to look at it on Sunday, he discovered a QUARTER stuck so tightly in the disposal that there was nothing to be done but buy a new one. Thankfully, the disposal was old anyway and honestly needed to be replaced or I would still be annoyed at this moment. (I am over it and Can Now Laugh).

Rich and Grace came home with a garbage disposal so quiet I don’t believe it’s even working because I’m used to my old one that was as loud as a chainsaw and dripped gray water into a bowl under the sink each time I used it.

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While they were out shopping for the disposal, I had asked Ethan *which would he rather take back to college with him, brownies or cookies* and he picked cookies and said, “Thanks Mom” which completely melted my heart. He kept coming in the kitchen to eat the dough. My kitchen was a mess because the disposal wasn’t working. True! Really! 🙂

I made the best chocolate chip cookies ever and even snuck in some wheat flour. I pressed pumpkin seeds on top of a dozen (kids won’t eat them, of course). Ethan took about a dozen with him to school.

This is an easy snack for the kids….buy a loaf of garlic bread at the store and bake it according to the package directions. Then, open up the loaf and put some sauce, cheese, and dried basil and bake it again until it’s done. Glorified french bread pizza.

I watched David play the piano.

And noticed Gentleman Gray sleeping in an odd place with his leg sticking out. 🙂

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We ended up sitting on the floor in the corner together, petting the cat.

Jacob made the trip to Vermont yesterday with his brother. They took Grace and Tessa along, and Zak, too. Although it was sad to have to say goodbye to Ethan again, I heard this morning that they had a very nice time together on their little road trip, listening to music and stopping for coffee and a buffet for dinner.

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The view from the porch yesterday evening was stunning.

Love.

“Blessing the life in someone usually requires a deep respect for their uniqueness, an openness to allowing them to uncover who they are rather than shaping them into who we want or need them to be. Innately, blessing life confers a greater freedom on those we bless.” ~Rachel N. Ramen, M.D.

onward and upward

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Shanda

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I took a little road trip on Friday to get our son Ethan from college. He has this whole week off from school and it’s been such a thrill for the whole family to have him back home again. I texted him when I arrived at the dorm and he had a big smile as he walked out to where I was parked. We both did.

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I stopped at the Vermont Country store and it was the best store to browse around in. I bought some cleaning supplies and learned from the lady there that my clothespins are coming apart because I have always just left them pinned on the clothesline after taking down the laundry. She said I have to keep them in a tin or a clothespin bag. I’ve been hanging out the clothes for 20 years and never knew this. I thought they just weren’t making the clothespins like they used to. I am still a bit skeptical but I am certainly going to try it and see if they keep breaking. (I use the ones with the spring in the middle). And would you look at this kitchen goods display and all the King Arthur Flour things? I’m going to have to do my Mom’s Christmas shopping here.

Ethan and I also stopped at a little independent bookshop which was fun, too.

It goes without saying that we will be making this trip several times this year so it will be fun to get to know other towns….Vermont is beautiful! I would be happy to take along any friends who might want to join me in retrieving Ethan throughout the year so we can stop at neat little shops. 🙂

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Ethan surprised his girlfriend Tessa that night by showing up at her house for pizza with no warning. They were one happy couple all weekend long. He is leaving in a little while to pick her up from school. (they have been dating for a year now) Sarah adores Tessa (the feeling is mutual). When I saw them hugging I said, “let me take a picture!”

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Out and about for football games. Seth and Caleb both won their games this weekend.

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Ethan and his best friend Zachary….both with a good month or more of college under their belts. And of course Parker the Dog is happy to see his boys again.

Ethan has a bad cold so I’ve been torturing him with cough syrup.

The two of us went on a walk together this morning and I brought along my camera to photograph some of the beautiful fall colors.

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The sun is shining for the first time in days. It brightens everything, including our moods.

(just like Jesus–The Son)

I loved this scareCROW on one of our neighbor’s lawns.

looking up into the trees

We saw a hawk and a crow flying after each other (in an argument over something)

We saw a dead toad, a dead squirrel and a dead goldfinch during various times in our walk. Which was sad and rather odd.

Aren’t you glad I don’t take pictures of EVERYTHING????

looking up again

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.

We saw a flock of bluebirds. I wasn’t able to get any good photos because I didn’t have a good zoom lens with me. There were about 10 of them flying about. The farmhouse at the end of our street has bluebird houses which were obviously greatly appreciated this summer.

He walked barefoot because he’s ours country boy. He has a straw in his mouth, too, but you can’t see it.

I rescued this fuzzy caterpillar from the road (lots of things are getting hit lately, as I mentioned earlier)…….

And would you look at this spider? It’s exquisite! I’m so glad we stopped and took a closer look at it.

Just a couple more random photos:

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My brother Dave sent me this photo of Dad’s truck full of pumpkins and their puppy! (I like how his white socks are all different sizes)

and……..

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Sarah and I finished another book! We read The Adventures of Benjamin Pink and it was delightful.

I read to her whenever we have some free time together and the other children are always welcome to listen with us, too, but she is the only one committed enough to stay snuggled up next to me. The others do their own thing as they listen. We started our third book this morning, it was one that I bought at the bookstore in Vermont with Ethan.

Well, it’s been a busy morning of digging pennies out of the garbage disposal, finding water leaking in the bathroom and calling the plumber, doing laundry and dishes, grocery shopping, taking Grace her purse at the school, cleaning up the house after a busy weekend, texting Jacob after he had a check up (perfect!so thankful), walking 3 miles with Ethan, and getting dinner started in the crock pot. It’s been necessary and nice to sit and blog for a little while here with my friends (and Ethan sound asleep on the other couch). Thank you all for reading along. I pray that each of you who stop by here today has a very blessed and beautiful week. I thank God for my friends and for this outlet where we can share and get to know each other.

Remember….you are loved.

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

handsome football official

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Shanda

On Sunday I went to watch my son’s first football game of the season. I didn’t see much of it because I was distracted by this handsome football official. He’s not wearing stripes yet but he will in the next game. He’s new at officiating. It was a very fun day, but maybe last year I would have been annoyed because he wasn’t right next to me watching the game and holding my hand and stuff……….doesn’t he want to spend time with me, I whined to myself?

“It seems such a difficult task for so many to realize that happiness and love are not gotten by force of will, nor are they automatically granted simply because you show up. The greatest amount of getting is through giving. If you take care of the ones you love, even when you’re hurting or not in the mood or they’ve done something to annoy you, it not only shows love, it primes them to be more giving…..selfishness not only cuts out your partner, it cuts out God, and without God, there is only ‘me’. And ‘me’ is ultimately alone.” L. Schlessinger

Marriage is an ongoing work of learning and staying even when, once in a while, the relationship seems impossible to keep peaceable. The most recent and personal lesson I have learned lately is that my own well meaning opinions can really be “righteous indignation” in disguise. “I just know I’m right about these things so I’m going to dwell on the ways our marriage could be better if only I could get my points made.” I got myself so frustrated with this futile thinking that I finally decided to give up “caring” about things like “he’s never home at any particular time so we miss family dinners, everyone knows families that eat dinner together around the table like the Waltons are the best and highest standard we all should achieve”. At the time, I thought maybe if I gave up the fight of “wanting our marriage and family to be better” (using my personal and plenteous ideas that I worked very hard to think up, a whole long list of things which could be greatly improved) than it would allow me to move on to a greater and healthier independence as a female who didn’t need a man after all. The joke was on me because when I did that, stopped nagging, stopped expecting more in our marriage, I actually became free and happy. He was already free, but then I joined him. My expectations were out the window, therefore ANY LITTLE THING that happened between us was a real and honest blessing to me. Nothing changed, we love each other deeply, have always loved each other, he’s the man for me, nothing changed–but my attitude, which is no small wonder. It was really weird. I’m still rather perplexed by it. However, I am grateful that God has saved me once again from becoming the woman who is always studying (thinking) but never gaining knowledge. Amen! 1 Timothy 3:7

And you know what? Our family life is just fine even though we only eat around the table maybe once a week. So there, studies! (Don’t listen to the studies, just live your life! It’s a beautiful thing.)

in my heart there rings a melody

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Shanda

(grandpa’s old barn)

The north wind brings forth rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.

It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country.

Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.

It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Proverbs 25:23-28

Good morning, friends, how in the world are you?

Imagine! God’s many numerous good things are all around us, oh to have the eyes to see them, really see them! Even on the “down” days we are going UP UP UP, on our way to glory land. Eternal life is NOW, it starts now, never to end……..as believers we have so much hope, it’s hard sometimes to keep our minds focused on the wonderful promises of God, but nevertheless they are there in the Bible, they are real and never changing. Isn’t it incredible to have security in an unchanging Father? He always loves us, always cares for us, always holds us in his mighty hands.

My parents have a nice pumpkin patch, we all visited it and “blessed the pumpkins” by giving them a nice pat, you can’t help but want to touch them because they have very smooth looking skins. I especially love the photo of son David using one as a pillow.

cousins

From a distance, the pumpkin patch. My prediction is that it will be even bigger next year.

Back at home now, Gentleman Gray is wondering where his friend Snickers is. Snickers has been missing for a week and we are all beginning to worry. They keep coming to me and asking about him, but so far there is no news, no letter, no message, no sign.

*sigh* I hate losing cats. My guess is that the smell of skunk was too much for him.

Speaking of which, the house is smelling much better. What a relief. (Now if the dryer would stop screeching….) Parker the dog is still smelly so he spends most of his day outdoors in the fresh air.

The garden is still producing tomatoes and my favorite way to eat them…….

……is generously placed on toasted & buttered Pepperidge Farm white bread, with salt and pepper (more pepper than salt). Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

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I also made a banana bread. (Grace’s favorite, turns out Michael likes it, too).

“I can see you!” I remarked to the amusing Grasshopper. He shifted and twitched. Being upside down is not a safe place to be if your legs are your number one escape mechanism.

Ah much better.

I looked & looked without touching and he never did jump away. I think he liked me, too, but most likely he was scared out of his wits.

These are a most wondrous scented wild flower.

I looked it up in my wildflowers book: nothing.
I looked it up online by googling CT wildflowers, yellow: nothing
I looked it up again online, using the name of what I thought it was, “morning primrose”: found it!

Its common names are: Evening Primrose (I was close), Evening Star, or Sundrop.

Wikipedia has a very interesting article about it here.

delightful. You can smell them before you even get close to them.

And then I decided to pick a pink bouquet.

“It isn’t what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.” ~ Author Unknown

My heart.

Seth is holding the “tough guy ball” which looks JUST like a coffee bean, and is rewarded to a player after every practice. The player takes it home for the night and then returns it at the next practice.

Look how handsome he is. I tie his string and buckle his buckles and then bend down to double knot his cleats. He looks around as I fuss, ignoring me as I adoringly serve him. It is an honor for us both but only I am conscious of it.

We arrived at the field’s parking lot for practice and as he briskly took his helmet out of the back of the car, I closed the truck and turned to him to say goodbye, “Have a nice practice, Seth! Give me a kiss.” (the test–to see if he would kiss me in front of his friends, I wouldn’t mind if he didn’t. In fact, I was sure he would wouldn’t.)

Without hesitation, he came over close and gave me a quick, distracted kiss on the arm. (lip height). Like of course it was the most natural thing in the world to kiss mama before running off to football practice.

My heart.

**********

I have a song that Jesus gave me,
It was sent from heav’n above;
There never was a sweeter melody,
‘Tis a melody of love.

In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody with heaven’s harmony;
In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody of love.

~Elton Menno Roth~

family football pics

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Shanda

I sat on the soft soft grass with my camera and watched the fun that my dad, brothers, sons, niece, and nephew were having, all playing football together.

So much laughter, running, yelling, and sweat.

They are going to love these pictures.

how quickly they grow

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Shanda

triphomepics2006-08-18_2

He arrived on a Thursday.

He gave me happy baby kisses on a Friday.

We went for walks in the woods on a Saturday.

And took him to church on a Sunday.

He started school on a Monday.

We baked brownies and pancakes and mashed potatoes on a Tuesday.

He brought home a sweetheart named Tessa on Wednesday.

And left for college on a Thursday.

~for my son Ethan, on the day before we leave for Vermont.

family reunion 2016

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Shanda

On the way to Colleen’s house on Saturday silly Seth said, “Mom, mom, look!” When I turned around I saw that he had put his sneakers on his bear. The next time I turned around, Bear had Seth’s shirt on!

This morning when I got up, I found Caleb on the couch with a cat, crying. “I wish we could move our house and all of our animals to New York!” he confessed. “You had fun this weekend, didn’t you?” I asked. He knew I understood and began to feel better again.

We were running early to the reunion so we parked and walked on Main Street in one of the old familiar towns to a small but wonderful bookstore, which was adjacent to a coffee shop. Once the young ones understood that there would be no “buying” only “looking”, we all had a lovely time browsing.

On the way to the bookstore David gasped when he saw these backpacks. He literally gasped.

Grace was pretty.

This bookshelf was full of wonderful classic books, and many of them had fresh up-to-date covers. It was like seeing an old friend in a beautiful new dress. I carefully pulled them from the shelves to admire them, placing each and every one back with a smile. I was thrilled to see a copy of Kirstin Lavransdatter on the second to the bottom shelf in the middle (big thick black book with orange things on it). It’s a book everyone should read (I’ve read it two times and plan to read it again soon). A++++ literature.

“If you would kindly please to let me keep upright, sir, perhaps I shouldn’t be sick, and perhaps I could attend more!” Great Expectations. Wonderful writing by Charles Dickens.

Grace in the bookstore chair.

I want to read the My Struggle books (memoirs written by a Norwegian).

((CHRISTIE!!! All of the Master and Commander books! I smiled and thought of you.)) so so good.

New covers for the Anne books. They had a nice feel to them and I wished I could read them all………..

Meanwhile the boys were playing Pokemon Go. So annoying. 😉

We arrived at Colleen and Roger’s house. Colleen is my Mom’s youngest sister. She did such an amazing job hosting our first official family reunion. We had a family meeting, ate lunch, played games, swam, had a bonfire, went for a walk, all the while visiting and bonding again as a big happy family. I saw my aunts and uncle, my parents, siblings, cousins, and their children. The younger set had fun discovering and playing with their cousins.

There were a lot of old photos to look through.

One of the “minute to win it” games was stacking three golfballs. Mom won. Later I played the same game against my cousin Erika.

This game was to see who could blow a bubble through a hula hoop.

Nate and Dave got a two hand touch football game going with the kids.

We walked around Colleen’s vegetable garden. She had potatoes growing in old tires.

And a fake snake in the corn to keep out the critters.

Just outside the garden entrance was a mailbox to hold garden tools and gloves.

The pool was a very popular place to be.

As was the chocolate fountain.

One more game to see who could eat a “fruit by the foot” with no hands!

(my parents and their puppy)

Uncle Roger made a sky high bonfire and we had a table of everything to make a s’more of your dreams.

We walked along the trails by the crick. The boys skipped rocks and the children waded.

Dad’s little puppy loved splashing around in the water.

So did my little Seth.

Somehow 7 hours flew by and it was time for Rich and I to head to our hotel for the night.

We saw a lovely sunset and had full and happy hearts from a wonderful day.

The good news is that the family now plans on having a reunion every year.

*****

Uncle Brian’s Green Salad

1 16 oz container of cottage cheese
1 small pkg. instant pistachio pudding
1 8 oz container cool whip
1/2 pkg mini-marshmallows
1 small can crushed pineapple

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Let set overnight–mix again just before placing in serving bowl. May add coconut of other fruits to create your own version of this dessert-type salad.