christmas present

Posted on December 26, 2016 by Shanda

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“Come in, — come in! and know me better, man! I am the Ghost of Christmas Present. Look upon me! You have never seen the like of me before!”

I’m going to be completely honest with you, by yesterday evening I was filled with glee because I was glad Christmas was over….and by “Christmas” I mean all the buying of gifts, wrapping, baking, cleaning, and so on. I really wish Santa WAS real, it would save me a lot of work. It’s fun and all, but only to a certain extent, and then the stress kicks in and you start to wonder if the gifts are okay and if they will be received with gladness and if the children will be healthy and then it becomes your time of the month on top of it all, which explains why you were grumpy that one night when the kids had friends over and it was all you could do not to go in your room and shut the door because your head felt as if it would explode…….

But then your husband helps you find the presents in all the secret hiding spots and tells you numerous times that you did a great job and gives you little kisses and it’s Christmas Eve and the boys keep trying to get up without ever even going to sleep and you say over and over to yourself in that still small voice, “remember these moments”…….because you know even if you do at this moment wish things were a little quieter– someday you just might wish things were back to chaotic for an hour or two. Maybe.

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On Christmas Eve we crave cinnamon rolls and thanks to my friend April we also made orange rolls for the first time and boy were they heavenly.

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I totally fell in love with The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I’ve seen the movie through the years and have read the book a few times but this year I became a true and devoted fan of the story. It’s so rich and beautiful. It has everything; loss, darkness, greed, selfishness, ghosts, hauntings, music, bitter cold, snow, old city life, memorable characters, lessons learned, truth, love, nostalgia, joy, smiles, laughter, and a HAPPY ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I read the book again, which of course is the very best way to experience the story, and then watched two of the movies and I watched them with as much full attention as I could (without my phone next to me).

And lest you think my opening confession was rather Scrooge-like, let me clarify that I wholeheartedly love Christmas for what it truly is supposed to be; giving and receiving, yes, but also heart and soul, togetherness, beauty, family and friends. Those are the qualities of Christmas that I love the most, & I know you do, too.

“For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.”

“He was consious of a thousand odours floating in the air, each one connected with a thousand thoughts, and hopes, and joys, and cares, long, long, forgotten.”

“I have always thought of Christmastime, when it has come round…as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”

(Caleb was feeling under the weather and buried himself in blankets and pillows as he watched TV) soooo cute

Ethan is home from college and my heart is content to have all the children with us again.

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Abundance.

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waking up the sleepy heads

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We unwrapped all the presents and then got ready for Church.

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Seth had a candy cane in his mouth and Ethan had crest white strips on his teeth. I didn’t know this until on the way to church when I had time to study the photos and ask questions.

I thought Sarah’s Christmas hair was adorable. I put it in two pigtails, pulled the hair through half way, and then pinned on gold bows. She of course, hated it, but I told her too bad. And with a compromise, she didn’t have to wear a fancy dress.

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My ~~camera~~ heart gravitates toward the child who doesn’t get to attend church with us during the school year anymore….it was so nice to see him in the pew as I looked over at my sons in a row.

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Rich and Grace both had small parts in the service so they sat in front. To be honest, I made Rich come back to sit with me as his part wasn’t until almost the end of the service and I didn’t want to sit there alone without my husband the whole time.

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Caleb got a hug…….

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Sarah found a listening ear…………

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Grace read from Luke chapter 2……….

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Best friends and brothers in Christ.

(Michael took a photo of the family for me but I’m not going to post it until next month (year) because I never sent out Christmas cards, therefore I am sending out New Years cards with a family photo and I don’t want to show anyone the picture yet or it will be boring to send out in the mail).

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After church I made a ham dinner and then was filled with the feeling that all was accomplished and I could rest. It was a most blessed evening of being so very relaxed with all the children around us.

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I’m in the midst of the the book on top, which is something I bought a few years ago but just got around to reading. It is very very good (high quality writing). Sigrid Undset also wrote Kirsten Lavransdatter which is an amazing book. The rest of the titles are from my husband based on my explicit instructions.

How thankful I am through it all, for the blessings of our life, the warmth, the joy, the endless little surprises from living with children, and for most of all, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the eternal life He has given. God is so good and we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses that prove all of what He truly means to us. I’m so glad He loves us just the way we are.

Merry Christmas!

“I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!”

“His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.”

PS, Penny, I wrote this post for you. (because you encouraged me). xoxoxo loves.

noticing

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Shanda

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We were watching A Christmas Carol last night and Scrooge was saying once again, “I hadn’t noticed….” to which the spirit said, “You hadn’t noticed. One would think you had gone through life with your eyes closed.” and I thought to myself, oh let my eyes be open…….

…open to see messy beauty all around

….open to love my community, my family, my people, not only to give it, but to see it happening

….open to see the hand of God and His works in the land of the living

…open to see what is true

…open to see what is lovely

Let me not miss a thing.

But see, I WILL miss seeing some things! And even that fact is a wondrous revelation! God is doing so much good, more “behind the scenes” good than we will ever count or notice! Things so hidden that they will not be revealed until life truly begins (in Heaven).

So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you……

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Seth read a little book in school about how places around the world celebrate the holidays. The page about Italy was the only one that mentioned baby Jesus and he noticed. He had the eyes to see and the mind to understand that Italy was the place for him to visit. Because he is a Christian.

***

Because Sarah is so little, I have to walk her to the bus every morning, right up to the bus door on the other side of the road. It’s so very cold, I often have a secret dislike in going outside with her to do this mothering job. But when I hold her hand and get ready to let go of her for the morning, I say, “Have a nice day, Sarah, I love you!” and she says, “You too, I love you, too!” to me and my heart melts into a big puddle and I feel that love that she has for me and I remember to be thankful.

***

Last night I was tired and Ethan was hungry. He had just arrived home from visiting his girlfriend and he was wandering around opening cupboards looking for food. Even though I didn’t want to, I took pity on him, got off the couch and made him a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel. Yes, he could have done it himself, but he has been away at college for weeks and weeks and was hungering for not only food, but an act of love from his Mom. I ended up serving him his food on a small fiesta plate, happy to cook for my boy, my heart changed from one of grumpiness because I wanted to just lay on the couch, into one of gratitude that I could serve my family in this small way. It only took 5 minutes, for goodness sakes.

***

Grace had committed herself to making 25 corn bags for music kids at school. Oh how I was inwardly groaning because I had packed all my sewing stuff away about a year ago, I could not even recall where I had put the sewing machine. To make a long story short, she did find it, it did still work, it was still threaded, we did not run out of bobbin thread, and I did all the sewing of the bags because she did run out of free time. Once again, what began in groaning ended in yet another lesson on selflessness and doing what I am meant to do right now–be a mom.

***

I wasn’t thinking. I wasn’t thoughtful. I made a big pot of baked beans because Sarah was craving them, but the boys ate them, too. The next day I made chili for dinner. Then the boys had wrestling practice. You see where this is going. David said to me on the way home last night, “Mom, you gave me chili and I far*ed 13 times at practice tonight and I just did again while I was saying this to you.” I had to roll the window all the way down as I drove….laughing….later I told my mom the story and she said, “That is a tactical move” and Rich said, “Offensive, too.” There is no point to this story.

***

Ethan and I just spent a most comfortable day together doing nothing. I wasn’t feeling well and no one else is here for Ethan to hang out with so we just lounged around. I made him pancakes for breakfast and toasted cheese for lunch. He put wood pellets in the stove and carried in boxes for me. We took naps and I read a book. We hardly spoke but we enjoyed each others company. He said a quiet day like today would be awful if he was alone at college, but to be home makes all the difference.

***

Seth snuggling with me on the couch

washing Sarah’s hair for her, blowing it dry and braiding it for bedtime

loving texts from my husband

having Jacob wake up David because he overslept and almost missed the bus

cats and a dog that cannot talk yet we sense and know their love and loyalty

christmas cookies

***

The other night David took a bowl of burning hot soup to bed with him and dumped it down his pants. That same night Caleb went to bed with an ice pack for a groin injury. He fell asleep with it, only to wake up hours later with wet shorts and a perplexing problem…until his mind woke up enough to realize what he had done.

***

Truly, having children is a guarantee that there is always something to laugh about.

“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”

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**christmas dishes**

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**wrapping all the gifts**

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**christmas past**

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**I see boys having fun, little bits of them left behind everywhere**

I just know I’ll always stumble across nerf bullets and legos far after they’ve grown and gone.

I am determined to go through this Christmas season with my eyes and heart wide open. (I may have to take a break now and then. LOL)

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” … the Little Prince

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PS, the corn bags

candy cane cookies

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Shanda

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1 cup butter

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1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

cream in mixer

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add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla

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1 teaspoon peppermint extract

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cream all together

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then add 2 1/2 cups flour

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half a teaspoon salt and mix well.

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divide dough in half; mix red food coloring into half the dough

chill until firm enough to handle

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now comes the fun part: playing with the dough

make two ropes with each color dough, twist together into a cane.

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bake each tray at 375, 8-10 minutes

enjoy!

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PS, Dave, I was texting you the whole time I did this blog post.
xo

merry christmas and a happy snow day

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Shanda

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I love my home,
I love my nest,
In all the world,
My nest is best!

Good news! Sherlock the cat is back home recovering from his ordeal. We are all thankful to see him in the old familiar places…..and are fervently praying that he never again forms crystals to block his urinary track.

All the second guessing and questions were gone as soon as I witnessed the love and gentleness in the way the children cared for their pet all weekend long.

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He received much petting.

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Well, it’s our first snow day of the school year. There was speculation all weekend as the children wondered if it would happen and checked the weather frequently. As soon as I woke up this morning, I felt around in the dark for my phone on the table by the bed. Rich left for work as soon as he possibly could as I was announcing to him, “It’s a snow day! Stay home please stay home with us!” He was like, “bye.”

No matter, the children are currently still tucked in their warm beds, sound asleep, and I’m in my room typing away………….enjoying what will probably be the quietest hour of the day.

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On Saturday, Rich was away for a wrestling scrimmage with his team (he is the HS head coach) and I had a leftover roast chicken in the fridge so I set to work making homemade chicken and dumplings with a big pot of fluffy mashed potatoes. The only reason I got the camera out is because Seth was amusing me. He had helped roll out the dumplings and then ended up on the counter for a good half an hour playing in a cup of flour…….

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Messy….but harmless fun for a boy in the kitchen.

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And a warm comfort food was enjoyed by all for lunch that day.

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When Rich got home from wrestling, he took a quick nap on the couch and then took the boys for haircuts…..

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The reason why Rich completely spoils and worships me is because I gave him five sons and two daughters who look just like him. (okay, that is maybe just one of the many reasons).

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“Sarah get off my cat! Mom tell Sarah to get off my cat! No don’t take a picture of Sarah with my cat, that’s my cat!” ~David is very possessive.

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Rich and David moved this little couch (dog bed) into the other room to make a spot for the Christmas tree. It was about 28 degrees on Saturday afternoon so he could only get Caleb and Sarah to go with him to the fire department to choose the tree. I could tell he was starting to get tired and not in the mood but after a little love-spat we got the decorating done. It certainly wasn’t the same without Jacob and Ethan helping us and Grace saying things like “I probably won’t be here next year to help decorate the tree”. sigh. Not only that but the Heisman’s Trophy was going to be awarded at 8 and it was 7:55 so we were in sort of a time crunch. (Caleb is a passionate football fan).

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Little by little the nest is getting festive. Yes, those are legos.

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The painting from Aunt Colleen, vintage yellow fiestaware, a strand of lights, and my cookbook collection.

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While searching for the decorations they found their old board puzzles.

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A beautiful moment after the children were in bed…..a purring cat on my lap, candles, Sangria, and the lovely tree.

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(Caleb just came in here asking if it was a snow day. After he heard the news he climbed up, “I want to snuggle with you. Can I see your phone? I want to see who won the game last night, I went to bed after the third quarter just in case it wasn’t a snow day.”)

So Sunday morning was blessedly relaxing. Rich was watching a movie and after a while I noticed him doing sit ups on the floor. This man works out EVERY DAY so I got a little bossy and said, “If you have energy I have something you could do instead.”

(Seth has appeared)

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And then later on, we were getting ready for church and Rich captured this special moment. “When Moms do their Daughters Hair.” Sarah needed two tissues to get through it.

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And when I showed her the photo of the final result she said proudly, “Is my hair really that long?” so I knew she wasn’t scarred for life.

Merry Christmas and a Happy Snow Day! I’ll blog tomorrow about all the things we did with our surprise vacation day from school. (Meanwhile, Seth is asking if he can open one of his presents)………

preparations for Thanksgiving

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Shanda

Wow what a nice sunny day it is here in good ol’ *hometown* USA. As soon as I got the kids to school and took my shower I made my way to the grocery store for thanksgiving groceries trip #1. Trip #2 is tomorrow because my husband has the day off and he loves Costco. (We’re getting the turkey at Costco…….)

And lest you think I was going to bring all the groceries inside the house myself:

..and yes, he did get up and do it. 🙂

So, for preparations today, I am slowly getting organized to make sure I have all the things I need for the dishes I will be preparing on Thursday.

~Disposable turkey roaster because who wants to scrub out a turkey roaster?
~Bread for stuffing.
~Poultry seasoning, of which I have plenty because it’s one of those things that I never want to run out of so I end up getting more of it than I need.
~Turkey bags to roast the turkey in.

~wheat pilaf

~punch (sherbet in the freezer)….I will be putting the juice and soda on the porch to cool.

~pickles and olives (tray which used to belong to Rich’s grandmother)

~chips and dip

~I could make deviled eggs but haven’t committed yet.

~Orange jello salad (cool whip in freezer)

~crackers and cheese tray

~miscellaneous– more serving pieces

~corn casserole (sour cream and butter will be added, and eggs)

~more trays, plates, and dishes if needed

this along with the dishes that are in the kitchen (plates, bowls, and mugs)

These are the wonderful people attending our meal on Thursday, Lord willing:

Myself
Rich
Jacob-going to VT today to get Ethan, thank you J!
Ethan
David
Grace
Caleb
Seth
Sarah Joy
Michael
Mom-will be helping me in the kitchen
Dad
Dave
Maria-bringing pies, baklava, and wine
Amanda-bringing sweet potatoes, coleslaw, wine, and homemade cranberry sauce
Jason
Abigail
Naomi
Weston
Nate
Melissa-bringing a vegetable tray and a birthday cake
Makayla-birthday girl!
Gregory
Isaac
Cassandra-bringing salad
a guest invited by my sister

Now that I’m done with the groceries I am going to watch a movie, fold laundry and do some cleaning. Seth and Sarah will be home in an hour.

thanksgiving preparations

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Shanda

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We are hosting thanksgiving dinner for our family on Thursday and this morning I began preparations.

I made the rolls…….

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let in a kitty

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kept making rolls….

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including a round pan of cinnamon rolls to be baked on Thursday morning for breakfast.

(for you, E)

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At this point, everything went into the freezer. On thursday morning I will take the rolls out and put them in pans to rise and then bake them so they are nice and fresh for our feast day.

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next I will make a couple of

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pies, but first some

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coffee. With

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Jake.

baked beans recipe (yum)

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Shanda

The sun was almost down behind the house, and in front of us like a living piece of art was a dusky early evening. How many times have I stopped what I was doing in the house to run out on the porch just for a moment; to soak in the beauty, breath the fresh air, cool my busy mind? Called the children to come and see the pretty sky? So many times that now sometimes they do it, too.

“Mom, come look!”

s h a r e d J O Y i s a d o u b l e J O Y

The darkest of blues and a world washed clean.

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A year ago I put together a recipe file of all the baked bean recipes I could find in my cookbook collection. I tried out a few of the recipes and then lost interest in beans for another year. It is interesting to me how we become seasonally predictable. All of a sudden I’m getting the urge to bake beans again–exactly a year later.

I selected the next recipe to try and for this recipe, I needed dark rum. Rich and I drove downtown on Saturday to get some while the beans were soaking on the stovetop and the children played. I sat in the truck while he ran into the liquor store for a nice bottle of rum. Then we went downtown for coffee and a walk.

*****

We ate dinner together around the table at the end of the day. A big pot of homemade baked beans and fresh bread from Price Chopper. The children all ate a plate of beans, so piping hot that they had to spread them all around their plates to cool faster. They all liked them and several of us had seconds. It is a contented feeling to make such simple foods and have them enjoyed.

Rich and Jacob go to the gym three times a week and Rich told me that Jacob should probably not eat beans the night before, ever again. Jacob replied, “It doesn’t matter what I eat, it’s going to happen.”

I thank my Aunt Mary for this recipe, because it came from a wonderful cookbook that she gave to me years ago as a bridal shower gift. I’ve studied and used it so much that it’s falling apart now. Every recipe I’ve made out of this cookbook has been extra delicious.

Molasses and Rum Baked Beans

1 pound dry navy beans or dry great northern beans
1/4 pound bacon (six slices) or salt pork, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup molasses or maple syrup (we used maple syrup)
1/2 cup catsup
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. pepper

Rince beans. In a 4 1/2 quart dutch oven combine beans and 8 cups cold water. (I also added a bay leaf). Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans.

In the same pan mix beans and 8 cups fresh cold water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 1 hour and 15 minutes or till tender. Drain beans, reserving hot liquid. Transfer beans to a 2 1/2 quart casserole or bean pot.

In a medium saucepan or large skillet, cook bacon or salt pork till fat begins to accumulate. Add onion and garlic. cook and stir over medium heat till onion is tender but not brown. Stir onion mixture into beans along with 1/2 cup of the reserved bean liquid, molasses or maple syrup, catsup, dark rum, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, ground ginger, and pepper.

Bake, covered, in a 300 degree oven about 2 and a half hours or to desired consistency, stirring occasionally. If necessary, add additional reserved bean liquid. Makes 10-12 servings.

NOTES: I doubled this recipe. I used a teaspoon of sandwich mustard rather than dry. It took my beans much longer to bake. Plan on this recipe taking an entire day from morning to night. There is nothing worse than under cooked baked beans. When done, the beans should be super soft and everything else in the pot should be melted together. Add liquid as they bake so there is sauce. Very delicious with bread and butter and cold glasses of cider.

recipe source: Stay for Supper (Country Home) Cookbook

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photos from walk yesterday, which was a warm fall day

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the leaves I brought home with me

*******

“….we must never pretend that things are better than they are-but I do want us to look beneath all that is difficult and see the miracle God has wrought in our hearts. I want us to see that he has placed powerful urges to do good in the deepest recesses of our regenerated hearts. That’s what the New Covenant is all about. Something wonderful and beautiful and resilient is within us that no abuse, rejection, or failure can ever destroy. I want us to relate to one another, not as moralist to sinner or therapist to patient, but as saint to saint, father to child, friend to friend, as true lovers, with the confidence that we can help each other believe that, by the grace of God, there is something good beneath the mess.”
Larry Crabb

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.

in the garden

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Shanda

(listen while you visit?)

In my mom and dad’s garden,

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it’s currently pickle-making time, so they are harvesting cucumbers and garlic.

My nephew and niece,

my sister in law, and the new puppy, everybody loves the garden.

Inside the house there are sparkling clean jars, the freshest garlic,

and three generations in the kitchen making pickles!

There was a beautiful sunset at my parents house at the end of a satisfying day.

*****

My brother and mother sent me these photos. I haven’t been “back home” yet this summer, but with the constant texting it’s almost as good as being there.

Here is a lovely video that Mom sent to me one morning in the springtime, which instantly made me happy and homesick at the same time. I grew up here.

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10 large cucumbers
4 sprigs of dill
6 cloves of garlic
6 cups of water
1 1/4 cup vinegar
1/3 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar

Wash and sterilize 4 (1 quart) jars. Boil water, vinegar, salt, and sugar and let cool. Cut cucumbers into quarters. Add 1 sprig of dill, and 1 1/2 cloves of garlic per jar. Pack jars with cucumbers, pour liquid over cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate at least 48 hours.

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