Holiday Traditions 1

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We had 10 adults, 6 teenagers and 5 children aged 2 to 10 around various tables and seated on sofas for dinner.  It was a very good day!

The holidays of November and December are my favorites of the holidays.  I think it is partly due to the fact that we have more traditions built on Thanksgiving and Christmas than any other time of year.  They are also fun to decorate for and I LOVE to do that!

One tradition we have for these holidays is pecan pie.  When I was growing up there seemed to be pecan pie on the menu.  For family reunion , either Aunt Amy or Aunt Opal would bring a pecan pie and while many kids don't like nuts, I always have -- especially pecans!

My mother also made pecan pie for the holidays and they were always good.  Unfortunately, Mom was one of those "little of this and a bit of that" cooks so many recipes were never written down.  I never had her pecan pie recipe so had to find one of my own.  My friend, Betty who is from Kentucky provided the recipe I've used "forever".  She contributed the recipe to a church cookbook when we lived in the Milwaukee area where she still lives.  That was so long ago that the cook book was printed using a mimeograph - remember those?

Here is Betty's recipe for Kentucky Pecan Pie.

 

KENTUCKY PECAN PIE

 

 

                        1 Cup White corn syrup                                   1/4 cup melted butter

                        1 Cup brown sugar                                           3 eggs, slightly beaten

                        1 teaspoon vanilla                                            1 heaping cup shelled pecan halves

                        1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Combine syrup, sugar, salt, butter, vanilla and mix well.  Add eggs.  Pour into 9:" unbaked pie shell.  Sprinkle pecans over all.  (You will notice I carefully place mine in radiating circles.  Some people just mix chopped pecans into the syrup mixture - your preference.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  When cool, top with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

 

Though the original recipe says you can use margarine, I never, ever do.  Butter and the brown sugar make a wonderful almost caramel taste which many people have commented on when I've served this pie. 

 

 

This is what the pre-baked pie looks like.

 

And here it is again, all baked.

 

 

 

We have other traditions and I will be writing about those from time to time, as well.

 

What traditions do you have?  Food related or otherwise?  Which is your favorite tradition?  Ooh, as I wrote that, I realized I couldn't pick a favorite!  Maybe you will have trouble as well.

 

Do your traditions come from your own family traditions or did you create your own?  We have some of both.

 

Hope you try this pecan pie.  If you like pecan pie, I think you will LOVE this one.

 

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

 

Lois

 



Chasing Rainbows

Do you love surprises?  I do if they are good surprises.  Today I had one of those moments.

My studio is on the second floor so I have a birds eye view of the neighborhood.  The sky had suddenly turned dark and ominous looking which isn't all that common in our part of Arizona.  We are used to blue skies and sunshine.  I grabbed my camera and went outside to take some cloudy sky photos and this is what I saw --

 

 

 

I almost missed it.  I had the wrong lens on so only took a couple of shots before returning to change the lens.

 

 

 

When I came back out, I only caught glimpses of the ends.

 

 

From one part of the street I got this end.

 

 

The other end almost gone!

 

 

Just a bit remained as I looked across the street.

 

 

Sometimes behind these are wonderful surprises.

 

 

I'm glad I didn't miss the rainbow completely even if the clouds are amazingly beautiful!

 

Yesterday I took these photos of another kind of rainbow.

 

 

My sweet little two's and three's classes made this rainbow as part of our lessons on Noah and the Big Boat.

 

 

God's promises are the best!

 

 

*** On another note, life had been so busy lately that I totally missed my blogiversary! In November of 2010 I started this amazing journey blogging.  During that time I have met so many wonderful readers and bloggers that I feel very blessed.  You have stuck with me during my quirky schedule when I'm so busy I can't blog or create anything to blog about.  I love you all!  Thank you for all the sweet comments, questions and encouragement! 

 

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

 

Lois

 

 

 

 

 

 





 

Vintage Milk Cans

Whew!  The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity!  Eventually, I will post a few photos from the wedding.  I only took a few with my phone, so they are not the quality I'd like nor are they posed -- they are truly just snapshots trying to freeze the moment.

For years I have had a couple of milk cans that my dad gave me.  Many years ago I had painted one green and an artist friend had painted daisies on the front.  Unfortunately, I do not know what happened to that milk can.  .  But, there are two that I had been contemplating painting an antiqued white and putting French graphics on them.  Then I read a blog where the blogger bemoaned the fact that she wanted a vintage milk can with the original rusty silver patina still in tact.  Hmmmm, since I had two, I looked at them with new eyes.

 

Perhaps leaving them with the patina is the best course after all.  As I had only put a couple of containers of pine cones in our entry way, the milk cans were added to see if the look worked. 

 

 

 

This basket has a few more pine cones now than are in the photo as my friend, Diane, gave me another bag.  For the first time in a very long time we don't have a tall pine tree or two shading our yard, so I don't have the easy access to the pine cones as we have enjoyed in the past.

 

The look is a bit stark, so I will be adding more mums or other Fall colored flowers and maybe a few more pumpkins as well to make the entry look more inviting.

 

When I was very young, I remember bits and pieces of us having milk cows. We no longer did by the time I would have been old enough to actually help with the milking.  I DO remember that I do not like the taste of raw milk, however!

 

 

Each of the milk cans has a "36" stencilled on it.

 

 

I'm assuming this is how the dairy my parents sold the milk to were able to return the cans to the right farmer. Unfortunately, many of the small dairies went out of business and many of the farmers no longer had a market for their milk unless they expanded greatly.

 

 

My mother in law gave us this milk can from the farm where my husband grew up.  She had it painted with a lovely Autumn theme on it.  From that time, it has always been displayed somewhere in our home.  She wanted us to have something of the "old homestead" after they moved from the farm.  It was a lovely gesture for one who loves vintage things!

 

 

 

Another treasure from the farm that my dad gave me was this cream separator.  It was originally green with red legs.  I painted it to match the patio furniture about 20 years ago, so it has quite a bit of aging to it again. Though there are heavy rocks in it,The monsoon windes regularly blow it over and  that has added a few dings here and there.

 

 

The cream pail that sits below is not vintage.  I don't remember when or where, but I purchased it several years ago to use by the creamer.  On occasion, it has held flowers as well.

 

So there you have it, my vintage milk cans and dairy paraphernalia that remind my of my country roots.  So what do you think -- leave them with the original patina or paint them with the French graphic?

 

I've missed you, my firneds!  Now that the dust is settling again, I hope to get back to a regular schedule of blogging.  Thank you for sticking around!

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

Lois





 

 

 

 

 





Autumn Chains Blocks

Because I love you and miss you when I don't get a chance to post, I wanted to share what I've been working on. I love hearing what you are working on, too!

 

These are part of the blocks that I started at the Mini Retreat in August.  The other blocks are exactly the opposite -- light where the dark is and dark where the light is.  Those blocks are partially finished. I have not decided what will go in the setting triangles yet.  Any suggestions?  Maybe I'll wait to decide until I see the darker blocks on the design wall, too.

 

 

Here is a little closer look.

 

 

This is a really simple block and, though unusual for me, no triangles in it!  My quilts almost always have half square triangles in them! Since the last quilt top was a log cabin, this is two in a row!

 

 

I love the chain that the darker squares form from block to block and the light ones in the dark blocks will add a lot to the complexity of the quilt. 

 

I used a similar chain block in my quilt Redwood Forest that I showed you here. The chains in that case almost seem part of the tree block as the background fabric disappears and only the chain stands out.  This is a wonderful block to use as an alternate block in a quilt.  Hope you will try it in one of your quilts someday.

 

Our granddaughter is being married this coming Sunday so this will be a very busy week for us.  Tomorrow and the next day I work and in the meantime, I have her dress here as it needs a small alteration made to it.

 

Hope you are having a fabulous, creative day!

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

 

Lois



 

Fall Hostess Gifts

Oh, good!  You are still here!  After my absence of a week, I was hoping you would be waiting for me! My sister even called to make sure everything was okay since I had not done a blog post for a week.

Life has changed a bit as I am now working again.  I am serving as the Interim Nursery Director at our church while one of the employees takes care of some health issues and is back up to caring for her ministry.  It's fun, I love it!  I have been a Children's Director, but this is more focused on the Birth to 3 year old children and they are precious!

In addition, this past weekend, our dear friends Deanna and Ron came for a visit -- a long overdue visit!  It had been at least 30 years since we had seen them.  And, do you know what?  We took up where we had left off when we all started moving and having kids that required a lot of attention, etc.

We met when our sons were around 2.  They both have the same name.  Deanna and I became instant friends and were inseparable most of the time.  We did everything together that we could until they moved to another state.  We crafted together.  We gave parties together.  We shopped together.  We increased our families at the same time. We went to a Neil Diamond concert together. We even vacationed together. And our husbands enjoyed spending time together, too -- what could be better than that?

Deanna brought wonderful hostess gifts! I was just thrilled to get to spend time with them, but she brought these.

 

She made almost everything!

 

 

They look perfect under the Thanksgiving quilt that was also a gift from another friend.

 

 

Who knew you could make a pumpkin from folded scrap booking paper?

 

 

Is that not adorable?

 

 

And another pumpkin with scroll cut edges, a bird from Prague, and lovely silk rose that is a pen and a cute harlequin jack o' lantern.

 

 

Did you notice the bank money bag?  It will be a pillow eventually.

 

 

It all came in this gorgeous basket that Deanna made! Oh my!  This will be used for all the seasons!

 

 

But the best gift?  The gift of getting to spend time with a dear friend who greeted me with, "I was afraid I'd never get to see you again!"  And her parting words brought tears to my eyes as she said, "You are the best friend I've ever had!. "  What a precious gift is friendship!

 

Do you have special friends that you have not seen for a while?  Give yourself a treat and contact them.  You will be glad you did. Friends are the sisters we get to choose for ourselves.

 

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

 

Lois

 

 

 

 

 

 

Romantic Roses

White roses are absolutely the most romantic flower to me.  I love all roses, but there is just something about the white ones that I adore.

Last Friday, I bought some on the way home from work and then realized that I would be gone most of Saturday and all of Sunday so I would not get to enjoy them in their peak.  I just put them in a half gallon Ball jar quickly after deciding these roses would be dried so I could enjoy them for much longer.

 

But they looked a little lonely.

 

 

Ah, that's more like it.  Croissants on a pedestal and a white pumpkin.

 

 

Some of my favorite things.

 

 

Even a single rose, ahhhh!

 

 

Can't you just smell them -- so sweet!

 

 

Just a few days later, they are all dried and still lovely!

 

 

A little moonlight, roses and music.

 

 

Romantic music. This is a music magazine from 1943 called The Prelude.

Can you read the title?  Romance From Les Preludes.

 

 

Relax.

 

 

Take time to smell the roses!

 

Have a wonderful day!

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

 

Lois

 

 

 

 

Joining these partied:

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage 

 

 

Arizona Quilters Hall of Fame

Someone once told me that I have the most interesting friends of anyone she knew.  I agree!  My friends are amazing women and men who have interesting lives and are very talented.

Yesterday I was privileged to see one of my friends, Diane, inducted into the Arizona Quilters Hall of Fame.  This is an honor not given lightly!  There is a somewhat involved process for a person to be nominated with specific contributions to the quilt world necessary for consideration.  Letters of recommendation are also required. The friends of the Arizona Quilters Hall of Fame and the Board of Directors make selections based upon the nominee's contributions as detailed in the nomination and the letters of recommendation.  The women and men who have been inducted have made a significant impact on the quilters and quilt organizations as well as charitable organizations in not only Arizona, but nationwide.

 You can see from the awards hanging on the quilt above that Diane is an extraordinary quilter.  She has many more ribbons she has won for other quilts as well.

 

This is just a few of the many wonderful quilts that Diane has made for family and friends. Diane has also been instrumental in several quilts made for charities.  One of the quilts she coordinated was in honor of the son of friends of mine.  She did not even know Jeremy or his family, but gave unselfishly of her time and talent to bring to completion a quilt that benefited the Hemophilia Association.  She also made many trips with the quilt as it was offered as an opportunity quilt to raise funds for the Association.



 

Though Diane does not really like having her photo taken, she allowed me to take a couple yesterday. She actually said, "Just one.", but I took advantage of our friendship and took a few more than that.

 

 

Another of Diane's accomplishments is to be certified by The National Quilting Association as a Certified Quilt Judge.  This requires much time and study as well as judging experience and passing both a written evaluation and an oral evaluation by a panel of judges.  Diane received her certification last year and thoroughly enjoys traveling to quilt shows to judge the quilts entered.

 

 

The lovely trophy above was presented to Diane during the ceremony.  In her acceptance speech, she gave credit to her family and friends.  She is especially thankful for her husband's support.  When she bought a long arm quilting machine, he immediately began building a room on to their house for her to use for her Long Arm Quilting business.

 

Diane is a talented quilter,quilt teacher, quilt judge, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother.  The title I like best for her is friend. 

 

Congratulations to my friend!

 

 

Hope you are all having a wonderful Fall day!

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

Lois