in my pockets

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Shanda

To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter… to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring — these are some of the rewards of the simple life. ~John Burroughs

Look at my pretty eggs. It’s been months since the hens have laid. Indeed, I give thanks for the one persevering Hen who kept on despite the dark cold days of winter. A sign of spring is that the rest of them have finally started laying again, too.

I carried them home in the pockets of my jacket yesterday. Dave brought home four more today. SO thankful for this simple, delicious pleasure.

{this moment}

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Shanda

{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

handmade (day 4)

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Shanda

With fingers shaking with exhaustion, I bring to you day four of our admiration for all things handmade. Yes, I am tired, but it is only the common tiredness of motherhood, so I am thankful. For instance, it’s taking a long time for Seth’s amazon.com order to come. He asks so much for his little dog Duke which he ordered days ago. Seems like forever. And another boy is having a little trouble, and another one (a girl) doesn’t get home until way after dinner is over, and a couple others stay up too late playing video games, and another one forgot to do his homework, and another one was so grumpy…..and several are still coughing. But, it’s not a big deal, the sun is shining and soon the snow will be gone along with all the problems. LOL

I read Seth and Sarah Curious George and the Pizza this midmorning which gave Seth a powerful hunger for pizza of our own. Did you know that when a child is recovering from being sick you’re supposed to do whatever they ask? Me neither, but in this case it seemed good and proper so we got in the kitchen, argued about who was going to stand where, and made HANDMADE pizza and they were so cute that I had to document the process with the camera.

Seth was telling her that his was going to be better but she didn’t care.

She was busy spreading around sauce and she was entirely capable…. sauce sauce sauce, rub, pour, slap, sauce.

And then when it came to the cheese…..she put a tiny bit right in the middle. Very amusing.

What she really wanted to do was eat all the dough raw but we talked her out of it.

Seth’s was stuffed crust.

We each made our own pizza and we all exchanged slices with each other.

Seth, can I have a piece of yours? Sure!
Do you want a piece of mine? Uh…. Okay!
Try mine!

She had to blow on her pizza a little bit and we made up a song about it.

I was pretty proud of mine, too! We were all proud of our pizza.

Talking to her brother….

quick and easy pizza dough recipe here. (SO SO GOOD!!!)

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

MORE HANDMADE:::

On Saturday, my Mom and Dad gave me a handmade wooden box , and they also gave me this handmade trinket hook board.

I hung it up today, it was obviously made for the wall above my sewing table. It should have only taken two holes in the wall, but of course it took me four since it was a struggle for me to get it straight…….(don’t tell Rich)…..

They decorated it with buttons from my childhood clothes. I loved these heart buttons then, and I still love them now. (first day of Kindergarten dress)

They used other little odds and ends, too. I hung some of my necklaces from the hook on the left.

And a beaded necklace, with a paper heart made by Dawn, was hung on the hook on the right.

The two metal pieces are an “S” for my initial, and a “38” for my age. Everything was meaningful……

Even the board was from my Grandfather’s chopper (farming machinery).

zzzzzzzzzzzzz

I’ll be back tomorrow with no words, for a “this moment” friday post.

handmade (day 3)

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Shanda

Good morning! The sun is shining, my house is relatively clean (miracle), I have two delightful children by my side (one is getting over the flu) and there are strong, talented construction men in the bathroom making much needed updates and repairs. All is well. God is so good to us, filling our lives, which can be so very very dreary, with many blessings and encouragements. I am so thankful to belong to Him, thank you Jesus for your care and guidance and love.

TODAY, on “handmade”, day NUMBER THREE, I share with you a photo of a very little something I made for my dear mama recently. It is a small wall hanging made of scrappy pieces, and embellished with lots of sewing, some beads and buttons (NOT plastic, just because mom and I love heavy glass beads and old buttons)….snips of ribbon, and my very first humble attempts at crazy quilt embroidery.

I actually forgot to take pictures of it before I gave it to her. This is a phone pic that I had sent to Joanna and Dawn asking for their opinions on it. Dawn suggested buttons and I did sew some on (after I took the photo). I placed vintage white ones down the flowery red ribbon.

I sewed a metal ring to the top, just below the edge so it was hidden, for her to use in which to hang it.

I’m anticipating making another! It was a perfect little project for my busy life, because it’s small, unfussy, there is no pattern…… it’s almost instant gratification.

Here are a few pictures of the photos which inspired me on pinterest:

THEY are handmade by MANDY PATULLO, and she calls them textile collage strippies

I LOVE them, they are so pretty and creative. I’m thankful for the inspiration on pinterest and the blogging world! In the spirit of such, how about (pretty please) sharing your favorite pinterest or blog links, featuring handmade crafty sorts of things, in the comments?

Happy Wednesday, friends!

handmade (day 2)

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Shanda

“she painted the world with her love”

An absolutely lovely handmade gift arrived in my mailbox on Saturday.

It was thoughtfully created by my friend Dawn, of the blog 4:53. Dawn has been an inspiration of mine for years and is constantly working on the most beautiful little crafts of all sorts. She sews, works with papers, paints, embroiders, and loves so many of the same things that I do, including our Savior and Friend Jesus, that I consider her a Kindred Spirit of the very best kind.

It was such a pleasure snapping pictures of the loveliness, but first I had to politely ask kitty Sherlock to step aside. He thought the pretty thing covered in flowing ribbons was a cat toy.

Don’t worry, dear Dawn, there was no harm done by the naughty cat.

The journal was held together by an elastic which had a fabric flower glued to it (the back of the flower was covered with felt to make it look neat). Once the flower was off, I eagerly opened the book, which was bursting with pages upon pages of pretty touches.

Most of the pages had a folded-over edge, with an embellishment such as a tag, quote, playing card, or doily sewn to it. The ends of the threads were left long, making for delightful dangling out the top and bottom of the book.

two favorites: books and Jane Austen

In truth

a family is
what you make it.

It is made strong,
not by the number of
heads counted
at the dinner table,
but by the rituals
you help
family members
create,
by the memories you share,
by the commitment
of time,
caring, and love
you show to one another,
and by the hopes
for the future
you have as
individuals and as a unit.
~Marge Kennedy

Thank you, Dawn, for this beautiful gift. I’ll cherish it always, and very much enjoy adding some of my own *jots and tittles* to it, too.

For more information on this journal and a peek at many of her other works, visit Dawn’s lovely site. She would be more than welcoming to see any visitors that might happen to drop in. You just might want to pour yourself a cuppa something’ hot before you do, so you can pleasantly linger. 🙂

handmade (day 1)

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Shanda

Since childhood, I’ve been surrounded by creativity, by “makers”. Grandparents, aunts, and mom especially. It seemed as though every visit with family involved an informal show and tell, and every Christmas or Birthday involved a handmade gift or two. As I think back on those days I realize how much those times influenced me, even when I was little and focusing more on play than on what the grown ups were doing.

Consequently, I have grown up into a profound respect and appreciation for a variety handmade items and find that the things made by individual people move me in ways no factory made item could. For example, if you take an item purchased from Target and place it by the side of the same type of item made by your friend or neighbor, the handmade wins every time. It oozes with an aura of thoughtfulness, love, personality, giving of time and energy, and warmth.

There is a spiritual element to the handmade, too. One of the names for God is Maker.

On Saturday, we had a nice day-long visit with my parents, beginning with the unwrapping of gifts.

The first thing I opened was a beautiful wooden box that Dad constructed and Mom beautified. It was so meaningful that they made it together.

They used a seashell for the top that matches the color and grain of the wood.

I wondered as I opened it why it was so heavy.

Gently lifting the lid, I discovered fiesta coasters to match my collection of dishes! There were nine of them, one for each member of the my family.

Underneath the coasters was another thoughtful touch. The bottom was lined with an old map of my hometown, including the location of Rich’s and my first house.

This simple wooden box is a priceless gift and one that I am honored to have received from my parents. I will happily use it to beautiful my home, and hold coasters.

“Everyone who has any talent at all in sketching, painting, sculpturing or carving, should have the opportunity to use that talent. The expression is important for the person, and can tremendously enrich the lives of other people. What can you do?” Edith Schaeffer

the one and only E

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Shanda

Grace is recovering from the flu and we are on the couch together watching The Well-Diggars Daughter. If you have not watched this golden French film….it’s perfect and lovely…heart warming. David and Seth are also home recovering from the flu. For the last week, I have been Nurse Mother. There is a huge pot of chicken noodle soup on the simmer in the kitchen, along with various medicines, tissues, drinks, and tender loving care, ready and waiting to meet their every need.

One son in the family has remained healthy, the one and only Ethan. He is thankful that he didn’t spend his birthday, which was yesterday, sick like the rest of his siblings.

He requested a Boston Creme Pie and an Apple Pie for his birthday dessert. With the extra work I had as Nurse, I decided to order the pies from a bakery half an hour away. Grace was home from school so she graciously watched Sarah (and, Finding Neverland) while I was gone. I picked up Ethan and Jacob from school. With coffees from Dunkin Donuts, we went on our little road trip to the Bakery and then ate Ethan’s choice for lunch; chinese buffet.

The waitress asked them if they were twins. They are only a year and two months apart, so almost irish twins. They act like twins, though, since the day Ethan was born they’ve been the best of friends. For example, I had originally asked Ethan to go with me alone for lunch, but he asked if Jacob could go because “it would be more fun that way.” He wasn’t being cruel, he was only being honest. I love these brothers. They are good for each other. Ethan’s the only one in the family who doesn’t treat Jacob with respect for being the firstborn. LOL

Ethan had 20 dollars Grandma and Grandpa, and with an extra six dug from my purse,he and Jacob went into GameStop (a used game store).

We arrived back home with a game for Ethan, a calligraphy pen for Jacob, and birthday pies.

After so much Chinese food for lunch, he decided on pizza for dinner. Rich brought it home from Ethan’s favorite place, Frank Pepe.

He loves the clam pizza but their supplier is having bad luck, so we ate shrimp instead. With lots and lots of garlic yumminess. There was a meat pizza for the others. As I gaze at the photo, I am tempted to go get a cold leftover piece from the fridge.

At first, he seemed more interested in playing his games than opening his gift. But it wasn’t true.

One of my favorite parts of being a mom of many, one of the beautiful little things I didn’t expect, is the joy in seeing the siblings get in each other’s way to watch a brother or sister open the birthday gifts. All so very excited.

I had made Ethan wait until later on in the day to open his gift, because Rich was the one who took care of everything, although Sarah and I wrapped it. Look at those faces!

A smile for his Dad, a smile that says “thank you, I love them”.

The smell of leather.

For the rest of the night there was a sound of cowboy boots on all the wooden floors.

A much cherished gift.

I, for one, became over-stuffed with pie. Look at that cream in the middle! And it’s real! Not cool-whip or frosting, but real lightly sweetened whipped cream. The cake (Boston Creme Pie, rather) was entirely delicious.

Apple pie was good, too.

Seth missed out on the birthday song and pie because he fell asleep on the couch. David missed it because he was feeling sick with the flu. There are leftovers for them.

After a while, I left Emily, Ethan, Jacob, and Grace playing a video game together with their Dad watching over them. I got into bed with a grateful heart, all tired out from a day of happiness, celebrating my beloved son Ethan’s 17 birthday.

All those years ago I tucked him into my arms, a perfect fit, with so much love.

seth, breakfast, cats

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Shanda

GUESS who got his wrestling metals back after giving them away to a kid on the bus?

Seth and Caleb knew just where the boy lived so Rich went with them for a quick visit. They don’t live on our street exactly, but just a few minutes and simple turns away from us. The dad answered the door and once the situation became clear, he let his wife deal with it while he promptly disappeared for the rest of the visit. The mom was friendly and apologetic and confessed that they have also had some problems with their kids giving things away (pokemon cards are being stolen from them, too). The boy gave back the metals and all was well.

What’s the deal with Pokemon cards? Seth says everyone’s collecting them and trading them. He himself has ended up with a small stack and because I know for a fact he doesn’t have any to trade, I say, “DON’T take anymore pokemon cards from your friends!” At Caleb’s school they are collecting football and baseball cards.

Rich and I both do Caleb’s homework with him, common core math is a killer!

Davy drew this 3D optical illusion and took the picture. cool, right?

Breakfast #1 — plain greek yogurt topped with half frozen blueberries, unsweetened organic coconut, 1 sliced strawberry, cinnamon, and ginger.

Breakfast #2 — stir fried veggies, sliced ham, 2 fried eggs, piece of toast.

Breakfast #3 “Balboa Brunch” from the cookbook The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook Volume 2

BALBOA BRUNCH

3 Tablespoons Butter
3 cups sliced leeks, white part only

12 slices white bread
1 pound cooked small shrimp
1 pound Swiss cheese, grated
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
5 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

Butter a 9 by 13 glass (or, fiestaware) casserole dish. In a medium skillet melt the butter and sauté the leeks until they are tender. Remove the crusts from the bread and arrange half in the prepared dish. Top with half of the sautéed leeks, half of the shrimp, half of the cheese, and half of the dill. Repeat the layers. In a medium bowl beat together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour the eggs over the casserole, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Bake in a 350 oven for 50-60 minutes, uncovered.
Serves 8

I’ve been making breakfasts because Rich has worked from home the last three days.

We had this for breakfast this morning and he said he will also have it for lunch. YUM!

Billy Cat and I watched the birds.

When I saw I was not alone, I opened the door and made him come in. I can’t abide bird-killers.

I came in and sat next to dozing Sherlock.

He has an ongoing problem with Billy and became tense as soon as he sensed Billy’s presense in the room.

SO sad.

welcoming the month of march…..with more snow….

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Shanda

And a happy Monday, March 2nd to you! Yesterday we welcomed a new month with yet more snow, enough to delay school this morning by 2 hours. That’s always fun. By fun I mean “fun”. Caleb had sore muscles so after seeing him walk around like an old man and almost crying, I spoon fed him some liquid Advil in the kitchen while making eggs. Sarah and Seth kept trying to play together, resulting in Sarah yelling at the top of her voice for Seth to “stop it!!” To deal with this situation, I put them each in their rooms to play alone. Grace felt as if she was getting a cold, so I had her mix up some Emergen-C, and then she needed a container to put it in so she could sip it all morning at school. She took it in a travel mug. Ethan put on his boots and went to the chicken coop for me, taking them a bowl of discarded people food and a pitcher of water. David was told to shovel the walkway and Rich had to “encourage” him in a loud Fatherly voice that “work is supposed to be enjoyable.” The end result was a wonderfully shoveled path. Jacob did nothing notable.

Once the children went to school Rich and I went downtown to the coffee shop. Rich dropped me off at the door and I said, “I’ll leave Sarah with you, you can manage her.” He told me that as they drove away to park she asked her Dad nervously, “What does manage mean?” I think she was afraid. As I waited for them I almost took a chair away from the table to make way for a high chair!!!!! Slowly it is dawning on me that I no longer HAVE babies, for the first time in 18 very busy years but apparently I still have some ingrained instincts.

The coffee shop always has artwork on the walls featuring a great variety of artists and their work. This week it is nature photography and as I studied them, I thought, “I take better pictures than this.” Some of them have sold, 200 dollars worth, in fact! I know that sounds so prideful, but I don’t mean it that way, I mean it in this way, “I never thought about selling my photos but seeing these pictures sell makes me believe I could do it, too!”

I love the way Sarah turns her markers and crayons into people and ~~tells stories~~ makes up games with them.

“I used to live here at the camp road, but now I live here at the camp-camp-camp!”

“I like to hear your stories, Sarah.”

“Mom it’s not a story, it’s a game! A coloring game!”

She’s also trying to figure out what we should do next. So far she has come up with “play ground” “thrifth store” “Barnes and Novel” “Somebody’s house” or the “movies.”

I already drank all my coffee, it was a caramel latte. Sarah requested a hot chocolate and Rich had a coconut caramel flavored coffee.

Sarah went outside to play the other day….she found the picnic table.

Sarah’s bike next to the mammoth snow pile.

In spite of the rock in the middle I very sadly later found this pot saucer broken in the snow.

Caleb and Seth found their helmets which reminded them of a favorite activity, so they brought their bikes up out of the garage. I love how Seth is holding the handle bars with his hands in his sleeves. When you get stir-crazy enough you ride your bike even in frigid temperatures.

This was such a precious moment. Jacob showed Emily his baby book for the first time. The thought of him showing his girlfriend the book was not in my mind when I worked in it all those years ago. I was 21 and smitten with my new baby, filling the pages with photos and milestones. Emily enjoyed it and went home with a page photocopied out it.

Mike messing around with one of the boys (Caleb).

Another winter activity! Who knew that playing with Daddy’s tools would keep the little ones busy for over an hour?

Mike and Jacob played Phase 10. That container on the bench is full of jelly beans, and the tissue box was never far from Jacob’s side as he dealt with his wretched cold.

We worked on a puzzle Saturday night while listening and singing along to iTunes. (Grace, Zak, and Seth)

Sarah on Sunday, in her church dress.

more snow! (that blue speck is our newspaper down the road buried in the snow pile.) lol

All I did was go outside to get the paper and take a couple of pictures but two of the children worried and greeted me back in the house with, “MOM where did you go? What are you doing?”

Sunday was awesome, I spent the morning with Jacob, Grace, David, and Sarah. We went to church, then Wendy’s drive thru, we got the giggles in the car, drove to an antique store where I left them in the car eating while I quickly walked around looking at things (I bought some little gifts for my MOM, and three small fiesta plates for my collection; all vintage– gray, light green, and yellow). We drove home and found Ethan and Seth back home from their wrestling event. Ethan coached Seth to a 2nd place victory but Seth hung his head and was sad that he didn’t get first. Then we were all together except Rich and Caleb, who were at States. Caleb placed 7th out of 11 kids in his weight class. (which is why he was so sore this morning).

Brother and Sister cats.

Doesn’t it look as though Sherlock is smiling?

Seth (not on purpose) made us so sad. When I decided to write his name on all his wrestling medals I couldn’t find them. He told me he took them to school and when his “friend” Bryce asked for them, Seth GAVE THEM to HIM (all but one!) He gave away his metals!! This situation is still being resolved.

completed puzzle

Not happy about this. Grace was doing her nails and put the nail polish remover-soaked paper towel directly on the coffee table!!!!!!!!!! The remaining paper towel is stuck and dried in the table terribly!

Last night the bunny watched “Death comes to Pemberly” with Grace, Ethan, and me.

It was kind of boring.

Bunny scratched me and Grace, scared the cats, and bit some holes in the blanket.

7:00 am sky

A few hours later.

Since we were all hanging around each other for an extra 2 hours and all……my grown up babies!

I took some pictures this morning on the way downtown

of the snow

and ice.

I said, “Rich slow down by that house so I can get a picture of the ice.”

HE SPED UP. and then LAUGHED.

Rich took this picture from across the table. He wanted me to see what he saw. Our adorable little girlie, thrilled by the chocolate syrup drizzled on the top of her whipped cream and hot chocolate.

{this moment} cat nap

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Shanda

{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.