Wednesday 01.28.2014

I know, I know.  I should not have let him do this, but he slipped up there while I was making pictures and then I realized he was watching me to see what I would do.  So what did I do?  The overindulgent grandmother simply made his picture and told him to be careful that I did not want to have to pull him out of the lake and then have to explain what happened to his mother!

Creating Yourself, part 2

Life is about creating yourself. I have many thoughts to share about that statement, many of which are still swirling around in the salad spinner brain.  And, dear readers, I think you also have thoughts about how the events of your life have led you to be the person you are today as well as the person  you want to be.  I think in the process of creating ourselves we incorporate a selective process where we attach ourselves to what we want to be and try to move away from that which we do not want to be.  In the process, we create the person we are happy to be. 

As I mentioned in the last post, I was creating myself when I started this blog.  Little did I realize that it would, in turn, lead me to other bloggers who are of like mind as well as some who have given me insight into different avenues of thought.

Through an internet search one afternoon I found the Preservation in Mississippi blog which has kept me in touch with preservation efforts in the other state that I love and call home in my heart. I have travelled virtually all over the state reading about the preservation of and sometimes the loss of historic treasures.  My love of old buildings was buried deep down inside, I knew it was there, but it needed to come bubbling up to the surface.  It needed to be released so I could incorporate it into my life - part of the creating process.

From that blog I found Suzassippi's blog after she became a regular contributor to Preservation in Mississippi.  She recently wrote a lovely post that shared our chance connection and how we connected through post office murals and cemeteries. She shares words about historic places (and pictures, too) and introduced me to the Living New Deal project.  She also writes about life in Mississippi as well as her trips home to Texas and a dear horse named Rio. She likes good food, pots of tea, and good wine!

Suzassippi in turn led me to other bloggers that have expanded my world.  She introduced me to Lana at Hickory Ridge Studio.  Lana shares good recipes on her blog, writes about her love of music and horses, she quilts and does needlework, and is a working mother with a precious little one.  Often she shares about her struggles with the lack of time and so many things she wants to do.  I relate to that struggle and it encourages me to know that I am not the only woman with not enough time to do the things I need to do, much less the things I want to do.  Lana also is a super photographer and catches the Mississippi landscapes to share with her readers.

She also introduced me to LindaRe's blog, Between the Gate Posts.  LindaRe is a genealogist who  describes herself as a community researcher who intertwines family stories with historical events.  She has some amazing stories that are heart wrenching to read, but need to be shared so they are not forgotten.  I'm thankful for her dedication to sharing these stories as she is also busy tending to her family.  LindaRe also includes photographs and illustrations of the people and events she writes about, bringing reality to the stories.

One last blog I want to mention before I close is Southern Lagniappe.  Janie is a photographer who shares fabulous pictures from around Mississippi along with beautiful devotional thoughts.  She has the artist's eye for capturing nature and I'm grateful that she shares it on her blog.  Flowers, trees, and nature always lift my spirits and her blog inspires me to keep on working on my photography skills. 

Thank you to all of you who blog and share your world with me.  You have inspired and encouraged me more than you will ever know. 

Creating yourself

 
I found this little plaque while Christmas shopping and the words struck me so that I knew I had to bring it home.  It quickly found its place in my kitchen window.  I wish someone had told me this when I was younger, but maybe it is something that you can't understand until you have experienced life.  I've thought about this saying a lot in the last few weeks and have several posts outlined on the subject.

I didn't realize it, but I was creating myself when I started this blog almost five years ago. If you've read that first post then you know that it was a small chrysanthemum that lifted my spirits and caused me to realize that it was the small simple things of life that give me joy.  Starting the blog was a way for me to write down and capture my thoughts; I was creating a part of myself that had been hidden deep inside and needed to come bubbling up and out of me.

Little did I know that in addition to satisfying that creative drive with writing and photography that I would encounter other bloggers with similar interests and values.  Reading their blogs and sharing comments has formed friendships for which I am very grateful.  I have found that reading about other women’s experiences has made me aware of the many commonalities that we share.  Reading posts written from different viewpoints has made me even more eager for more experiences of life that expose me to different thoughts and new approaches to thinking.  Yes, that is part of creating oneself, isn’t it? Expanding your thoughts, exploring your world, embracing new ideas, always seeking to know more, accepting life's experiences.

Wednesday 01.21.2015

Mitzie never hesitates to tell me what is on her mind!

The Simple Joys of Blue Willow

Blue Willow dishes have been a part of my life since I was a small child.  When I read the comments on my last post (thank you, dear ladies) I realized that Blue Willow dishes are one of the small, simple joys of my life. I eat off them everyday, enjoying their comforting pattern, and never connected with them being a small, simple joy!

 

 

My mother was born in 1933 and I know that my grandparents didn't have very much.  Times were hard.  I don't know if they bought this little set for her or if it was a premium that came in sacks of flour or sugar.  It is possible that one of the several childless aunts and uncles that doted on my mother gave it to her.  It is also possible that just like with paying for her piano lessons by driving the teacher around to other lessons that my grandmother paid for it by bartering.  I will never know, but I played with it as a child during those priceless visits to my grandparents home.

My mother treasured this little set and had brought what remained of it home with her when they cleaned out her parents house.  Sadly, most of the remaining pieces have a chip or two and both surviving cups have no handles. I also treasure this little set and brought it home with me when we closed my parents house. Most pieces bear the mark, "Made in Japan" which indicates it was made between 1921 and 1940; there is no manufacturer mark, but it is of relatively good quality. I found a very similar set in my reference book where the shapes of the pieces are identical, but the pattern appears differently.

 

 



The plates tell a version of the Romeo and Juliet story.  There are many versions of the Blue Willow legend but it involves two young lovers who are denied permission to marry.  In one legend the father's are kings of adjoining kingdoms and bitter enemies. The fathers refuse to allow their children to marry and you know the end of the story.  The two birds are the young lovers, turned into turtle doves by the gods so they can fly away to happiness. There are many symbols in the designs and the band around the edge is a story in itself with many different patterns. While most people attribute the legend and the pattern to the Chinese, the pattern was developed by the British and the legends later assembled by the British and Americans!

 

I had purchased a few small plates, a Homer Laughlin platter, and a cup and saucer in local antique stores before I purchased my first dinner plate.  I brought it home and was about to proudly hang it on the wall in a grouping of plates when I flipped it over and, gasp, looked at the mark for the first time: it was a Johnson Bros. pattern, oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe.  It was not an antique, but a fairly recently made plate! I still laugh at myself about that one, but as it was the plate only cost $15 and later went into the cabinet for daily use.  Shortly afterward Albertson's had a promotion that offered Blue Willow dishes as the premium.  I saved my stamps and managed to assemble an 8 place setting of Churchill Blue Willow for a very reasonable sum.  As they were discontinuing the promotion I was short on stamps, but noticed that they still had a good quantity on hand, so I negotiated for the tea pot at the premium price! I wish I could have afforded more, but I could only buy so many groceries in a week. 

 

I don't know what it is about this pattern that enchants me.  I find it so soothing and so natural and it seems timeless.  Now with the growing family I really do need to expand my set.  I can't think of eating off of anything but Blue Willow!

 

Favorite Friday Fish

The fifth grader frequently asks for his favorite Friday meal - tilapia.  We decided tonight to name it "Our Favorite Friday Fish".  I found the recipe on the can of Old Bay seasoning and it is very easy!

Brush both sides of fish fillets with oil and place on a foil lined pan.  Mix together 1 teaspoon of the Old Bay reduced sodium seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon dill weed, and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder (I use McCormick's California Blend).  Sprinkle evenly over the fillets and bake at 400 degrees until done.

The original recipe was for salmon, but I always use tilapia. Tonight the requested sides were green beans, avocado and a sliced pear.  I would have liked some pasta or couscous, but was too lazy to just make it for me.  We ate in front of a nice little fire while watching Cartoon Network and then switching to the Disney channel.  A perfect Friday night for me!

Wednesday 01.14.2015

Doorbell on the
Hermann and Antoine Ingenhuett homestead
Comfort, Texas

 

Winter Silence

Have you ever noticed how silent it is on a cold day or night?  I first noticed that silence during the two winters I lived in Alaska.  Most nights I would venture out to the skating rink located close to where I lived, sometimes alone and sometimes with a friend or two.  Just to note, we lived on a base and it was perfectly acceptable for a 9 or 10 year old to go out at night.  Many nights I would be the only skater on the rink and the northern sky and stars watched over me; occasionally the Northern Lights would dance for me, too.  I remember the silence and the feeling of being so in touch with the universe.

I experienced that silence this afternoon and had to marvel again at the wonder of it. After church I hurried home to get started on the Cowboys game, let the dogs out, and flipped on the TV.  As is their habit when it is cold and wet the little darlings stood by the door, so I went out with them and mandated that go out into the yard.  As I stood there waiting on them I was aware of the silence in the winter air. The sky was a light gray and the temperature still cold.  There was no sound of traffic and no sound of planes taking off.  Smoke from a fire place drifted by and birds were flying against the backdrop of leafless trees. Just total quiet surrounding me in the cold air. 

Wednesday 01.07.2015

I've always loved working puzzles, the bigger the better.  This 1,000 piece puzzle was fun and easy.  I bought it at the King Ranch (where else would you find a puzzle like this?) and Jaydon convinced me to start on it that same night.  As we put the different places together to form the puzzle's border we discussed places we had been and places we want to go.  Road trip!

Challenge Yourself!

My grandkids have this little laptop-like toy that they play with from time to time.  The little monkey on the screen tells them to "Challenge Yourself" and then gives them a task to complete.  I've been hearing this little monkey in my head since right after Christmas.  

As I shared earlier, I usually don't make New Year's resolutions although at this time of year I think of certain things that I need to accomplish. Right after Christmas I realized that I needed to spend sometime clearing my mind and to start planning ahead. It was as I was rolling all this around in my salad-spinner like mind that I started hearing the monkey.  Challenge yourself, challenge yourself, I just have to challenge myself.

Rather than making resolutions, compiling to do lists, or setting goals I've come to the honest conclusion that I just need to challenge myself with each activity.  I'm just competitive enough that the idea of a challenge is motivating to me.  I've decided that 2015 will be the year of the challenge.  Bless that little monkey's heart; I find direction in the strangest places.