begin.

 

*

{c.s.lewis}

"... now at last they were beginning chapter one of the great story no one else on earth has ever read, which goes on forever; in which every chapter is better than the one before."

though the road seems long, twists, turns, laden with fog, unexpected obstructions, know that the Lover of your soul will guide .. leading the way back to Him. always. and always. and still always for evermore. amen ... sweet amen.

*

.. picture taken on a recent drive in my neck of the woods ..

plain.

 

i'm not a lover of leftovers. for as long as i can remember it's been that way. however, last night i realized something :: isn't it interesting how the 2nd night of Christmas dinner is better than the 1st Christmas dinner? same food except the addition of making ham gravy from the ham juicies and slopping it over the ham and a portion of the sweet potato casserole. seriously good. yUm.

i portioned and froze the remaining ham. six quart size baggies easily as many dinners

in casseroles with eggs as sandwiches. am still sleuthing ham meals to try.

i had two humongous sweet potatoes that i baked then cooled then used one for the sweet potato casserole and the other filled two quart size baggies for a later use. 

with most of the Christmas decor put away i've decided to leave up our main trees for a while longer, perhaps into february. we'll see how long i can stick it out before bringing out the ironstone and creamware. love the look of the trees in simple staging, along with a silver goblet, antique picture frame, a silver trinket thingie, and an antique square nail. why? well. the goblet signifies communion and the antique square nail of our Lord on the cross. He was born to die. his birth and the intent for his human birth is the reason for the season. a plain setting is fine.

a vintage piece of sepia cloth on top of the jelly cupboard..

i know it needs pressed but it's okay as is.

real life. life is real.

it need not be perfect

to be beautiful.

the hubs and i will take off a bit early in the morning

so early to bed early to rise. hoping your day(s)

are filled to overflowing with goodness.

love,

sherry

a {little} post Christmas.

 

*

as i type, snow is falling. large active flakes. the day *after* snowfall was expected. we'll take it. the weatherman is consistently inconsistent which consistently perplexes me and puts me in a 'tude. even though no snow on Christmas it was not a day for a 'tude. it was a day of quiet and time for thought. of both missing those dear to us in these turbulent times, and missing the dearest of someone's.. our daughter. yet even in this, He meets us where we are and brings forth His strength. His peace. that peace that passes all understanding .. ruling in our hearts. thankful. so. very. thankful.

George Winston's album *Winter* is playing .. 

just the right tunes for this wintery day.

Christmas dinner was simple ..

baked ham, sweet potato casserole, green beans

with vinegar and smoked bacon, fresh bread.

to top it off, pecan pie with whipped cream.

we have enough ham to last us to kingdom come.

any favorite leftover ham recipes out there i should try?

as long as it doesn't include peas i'm willing to give it a shot.

while snow was not to be found yesterday it was still chilly willy

so the hubs set to lighting a roaring fire. that and Christmas

instrumental music made for a fine mood.

and there he is .. my hubs .. my beloved .. my everything

Christmas Eve ..

i made a salad with super greens (de-stemmed), honeycrisp apple,

pumpkin spiced seeds, dried cranberries, and fresh cracked pepper.

with a good drizzle of Stonewall Kitchen's bacon vinaigrette

it was the right side dish to pan seared salmon .. partially burned

due to a distraction. sigh. still a delish meal even with a few

charred bits and pieces. this is life. life is real.

this little precious is a young fawn 

that happened upon our front property

along with her 5 family members. 

a most darling face.

"whatcha doin?" she asked.

'round these parts they're unafraid 

of humans .. for the most part.

skittish - but not terribly so.

so. six dear deer in all on the front property

though this picture shows three of the six.

and seven dear deer on the back of our property

though this picture shows six. the matriarch

was to the right out of the lens.

the buck .. i think it's tommy.

.. the Bethlehem Star ..

a local gal took this picture and i wanted to be sure

to share it with you. we drove to the perfect spot for viewing..

others were there as well, probably a dozen cars in all.

quiet and in awe.

last year this time we took a little drive while snow fell.

also last year .. goals for this present storm!

the hubs.. he's a kidder. wink.

do you leave your Christmas decorations up through January?

or do you begin tucking them away the day after Christmas?

i'm leaving most up but am ready for clean spaces even though

i put precious little out for the season. post Christmas finds

me ready for a bit of minimalism. i'm a *less is more* gal.

hoping now through the new year ringing in, 

peace will be at the forefront

of your heart and mind, 

seeking that which has lasting 

value rather than the temporal. 

"But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Joshua 24:15 (nkjv)

*

a {merry} little Christmas.

with the Christmas season upon us and Christmas day merely days from now, our time will be spent snuggling in, hoping for more snow, anticipating the Bethlehem Star come the 21st, thawing the spiral sliced ham for the 25ths dinner, and enjoying simplicity 

in hopefully every mode of our day to day life now through the 31st. 

*

while on a recent off-road expedition we encountered a snow berm where in other circumstances the hubs would have taken the berm and went on his way. at only 3 feet the snow mound still gave the hubs pause in attempting it even in 4wd as it could have had a decided unpleasant result for my back not to mention the possibility of high-centering the jeep and needing to dig out. but in the initial pursuit i filmed this little ditty of us briefly discussing the probability. or lack thereof. wink. the video cracked us up .. had a good chuckle.

*

living in the forest means finding a tiny tree to snip

and place in a pretty jar, setting it on the dining table

then adding a vintage deep pink ornament.

*

there's much concern in this great land at present ..

as well as enough *opinions* to fill the lacerations between

truth and deception and somewhere in between. 

just this morning we watched Pastor Jack Hibbs

and were both so blessed by his message entitled

The Weary World Rejoices.

perhaps you'd like to listen too...?

{click here for the sermon}

*

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Henry W. Longfellow - 1864 

alt. and v. 5-7 by Harlan D. Sorrell

2. 
   
3. I heard the bells on Christmas day
   Their old familiar carols play;
   In music sweet the tones repeat,
   “There’s peace on earth, good will to men.”
4. I thought how, as the day had come,
   The belfries of all Christendom
   Had rolled along th’ unbroken song
   Of peace on earth, good will to men.
5. And in despair I bowed my head:
   “There is no peace on earth,” I said,
   “For hate is strong, and mocks the song
   Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
6. Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
   “God is not dead, nor does He sleep,
   For Christ is here; His Spirit near
   Brings peace on earth, good will to men.”
7. When men repent and turn from sin
   The Prince of Peace then enters in,
   And grace imparts within their hearts
   His peace on earth, good will to men.
8. O souls amid earth’s busy strife,
   The Word of God is light and life;
   Oh, hear His voice, make Him your choice,
   Hail peace on earth, good will to men.
9. Then happy, singing on your way,
   Your world will change from night to day;
   Your heart will feel the message real,
   Of peace on earth, good will to men.
10. *
11. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." ~John 14:27 nkjv
12. blessings,
13.  sherry 
14. ... comments closed ...

a bit of snow.

the first *real* snow of the season is always

a delight. seems the dear deer enjoy it as well..

tommy and a number of deer w/o names 

sauntered through our property leaving behind

footprints - probably a dozen today this morning.

there's one youngster with the sweetest of faces.

it was a good morning for a simple omelette,

served with fresh baked bacon

(do you bake your bacon?)

and the last of a little bread loaf,

toasted and buttered.

:: baked bacon ::

with foil covering a lipped cookie sheet,

lay the bacon side by side and pop it into

a 425 oven for 20-25 minutes depending

on your preference of "done-ness".

remove from pan onto a rack with paper

towels to soak up any grease. i save the

bacon grease in a jar marked *oink* then

into the fridge it goes.

i prepped bread dough and once ready

in my great grandmother's bread bowl,

 slipped it in the oven on the *proof* option .. 

an hour and a half later i poured it onto floured

surface of the hUge bread board the hubs made

for me, separated it into portions, and set to

make slider buns, a couple more pizza rounds,

and a large loaf of bread. the aroma....!

a bit of rain after the snow. sigh.

tonight we've planned to head to an area

for Christmas lights .. with the rain and freezing

temps it may not be a great idea. why? ice.

while waiting for the bread items to bake

i put together a simple meat sauce for lasagna

which is planned for tomorrow's main meal.

it'll be so yUmmy with the flavors coming together

overnight. but tonight is burgers... er... sliders

using smallish fresh baked buns. 

the cole slaw was made

earlier and it's in the fridge along with a 

selection of local romaine, tomato, 

and english cheddar.

thick slices of onion will be saute'd

just before plating. yUm.

last night we watched a wonderful movie

made in 1945 .. Christmas in Connecticut

starring barbara stanwyck, dennis morgan,

and a personal favorite old time actor,

s.z. sakall who plays the role of felix.

the hubs had never seen this film

and he enjoyed it as much as me.

on our dvd the movie Star in the Night

is included, also filmed in 1945.

i encourage you to watch the

film - you'll appreciate the

biblical truths shared

especially for this

most precious

of 

seasons.

one can be viewed using amazon prime

for a $2.99 rental in case you don't own

the dvd or plan to purchase,

and one on youtube.

click hErE for Star in the Night

click hErE for Christmas in Connecticut

until next time,

sherry

sweets.space.sustenance

***sweets***

baking has commenced.

cranberry bread :: 17 loaves

pumpkin bread :: 14 loaves

russian tea cakes :: by the pallet full

i'm getting the teacake dough ready this afternoon,

beginning with measuring out all the ingredients

and setting the butter out to soften. i measured two-cups

of pecans and set to chopping them using my father's 

nut chopper thingymabob. i bring it out once a year: Christmas.

experiencing a touch of arthritis doesn't make for ease

when grinding through the two-cups of nuts.

adding a food processor to my kitchen is tempting.

but. using this jar grinder contraption has offered

opportunity to think about my dad.

he was quite a cook...featured in taste of home magazine

a few times even. he was famous. wink.

flittering through my recipe papers i found my mother's

meat loaf recipe! i've been searching and found it tucked

away in a safe spot known only to whoever put it there. me.

but i forgot where. thankful to have found it and will

most likely put it to good use this week.

***space***

i kept our Christmas decor simple simon this year, like every year

really but especially so this year. we both love the *bits* of decor.

streamlined almost to minimalism. but not quite.

the roofline is a favorite of the hubs,

being a giant and all. i especially love

the pines in the front and how they're silhouetted

beyond the upper windows.

tommy, my pet teenage deer came by overnight

and used one of our front aspens to remove the velvet

from his antlers. he broke a few branches and carved

the trunk a bit but i don't really mind much.

i saw him in the afternoon and after exchanging

pleasantries he trotted into the woods with his

head held high. gorgeous creature(s).

the squirrels though.

remember a year ago me being tickled by their escapades

and how i'd probably think later they'd be the bane of our existence?

well it's here. chewing through electrical cords for Christmas

lights on our front deck. the nerve! bah! so the hubs placed

a pepper powder along the cord line and into the vintage 

bucket holding the majority of the cord.

so far so good.

the stinkers.

***sustenance***

made pizza dough then parbaked with loads of dried herbs.

didn't have fresh on hand and our tiny market didn't either.

in a bit i'll dress the pizza and the hubs will grill the round

which will leave the sides charred and the bottom crispy.

i cooked up a little bit of italian sausage and onions.

that along with mozzarella will be yUm.

and with a big salad on the side it'll be a feast.

and before i go, i also baked a

loaf of bread and when it was done i brought a buttered

slice out to the shop where the hubs was working on

my cutie pie {golf} cart. i don't golf. but i like toodling

about town. it's an old cart and he's basically 

rebuilding it. i'm sure he's thrilled with this

new project. really. thrilled. wink.

some of my ralph lauren charlotte fabric will find

it's way to pillows or bunting in adorning this cute thing.

*

just a bit of sparkle.

 

.. such a time in which we live .. 

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..."

Isaiah 9.6

while the world swirls 

seemingly out of control,

he is still  

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

we can have absolute trust in he who formed

the world and all in it. 

he is our only firm reliability of truth.

he sits on the throne.....

the Alpha & Omega.

*

the hubs draped strings of lights on our front deck railing, and in the middle is our wreath we've had for probably two decades. it's such a pretty sight. the last two nights we've made our way to the road in darkness to view it from that angle. last night was chilly enough for our winter coats .. then we walked up the road to see lights on a few neighboring homes. didn't go too far even with a lit moon, because of wildlife - always need to be careful of those guys 'round these parts. 

speaking of wildlife, this morning as i was plating our breakfast i witnessed eight deer just beyond our fencing. what beauties they are - truly it never gets old. when my mom visited those couple weeks the babies (as we refer to them) ventured by often. they've been keeping themselves largely in wooded sections of the golf course.. but chose to bless us this morning. always a treat.

*

beef stew is in the crock pot. i put the seared beef, saute'd garlic and onion, and rich beef broth which also consists of red wine, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, s&p, and dried parsley. separately i cooked up potatoes, carrots, and celery... will add those to the meat/stock mixture about an hour before we eat. doing it that way prevents the veggies turning to mush. as soon as i hit 'publish' for this blog post i'll put together bread dough, let rise, then a light knead and bake. 

i have a feeling dinner will be delish.

*

since early this morning we've had a fire in the fireplace, 

all thanks to my hubs keeping it going. 

such a nice atmosphere for the chillier of days. 

last night we ate dinner sitting on the couch,

with feet up and plates on our laps. with a fire

and twinkle lights casting a warm glow,

we watched "It's a Wonderful Life."

is there a better way to ring in the Christmas season?

*

before putting out some Christmas cheer decor, i sifted through what i kept before we made the move, and made more reductions in our decorations, keeping that which truly speaks to our hearts. and even now, having put bits and pieces out, i'll be reducing yet further. for us, less is more. i know it isn't that way for most other folks and that's hunky dory and i love the full sense of celebration in that way. in other people's homes. for ours though? we find peace in less. i'll take pictures soon and share. 

i opted to keep our daughter's handmade Christmas ornaments and crocheted tree strings in their little box. i just can't handle it this year. every year's different when it comes to grief. 

i keep our Christmas decor in vintage suitcases .. and now i have one extra suitcase empty to use for another purpose .. perhaps my sewing notions. the suitcases are nicely stacked in a closet though i do use them in other rooms if the spirit hits...or using them as decoration for events not in our home.

*

along with seasonal magazines saved over the years, 

my little stack of books is on the side table in the living room. 

the books include:

The Sad Shepherd by Henry Van Dyke

The Spirit of Christmas by Henry Van Dyke

The Dawning of Indestructible Joy by John Piper

The Gift of the Magi by O.Henry

Journey into Christmas by Bess Streeter Aldrich

{personal favorite author}

Watch for the Light by Plough Publishers

{readings for Advent & Christmas}

The Quiet Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott

O Come Let Us Adore Him by the Daily Grace Co.

{a Study for Advent}

these books i picked up over the years .. 

mostly in antique shops or thrift stores.

the Advent study was purchased a couple years ago

from the Daily Grace Co. ... and the Piper book

from amazon. i keep these books squirreled away in

my personal bookcase though might consider

squirreling them away with the Christmas decor.

seems only right and convenient to have them in one place.

*

Lo, in the silent night

A child to God is born

And all is brought again

That ere was lost or lorn.

Could but thy soul, O man,

Become a silent night!

God would be born in thee

And set all things aright.

{15th century}

*

until next time...for i have bread to bake.

blessings,

sherry

by lantern light.

pending the onslaught of snow, 

howling winds blew relentless causing pine needles 

to make a horizontal flight and tall pines to sway. 

then? 

electricity. or the lack. the powers that be were  

hopeful in the belief of a two or three hour wait. 

nearly four in reality.

we have a generator for the necessary times .. 

and antique oil lamps. and warm blankets 

to cover our already layered selves. 

and gloves if required. 

and a fire place. 

we use a kerosene heater. 

2 actually.

 to warm the house - with electric ignitions. hm. 

it was at that point of no consequence

as we were comfortable and fine

with soft focus.

& anyway, when you're 62 somehow

one looks better in soft focus.

.wink.

the hubs stoked the fire which as the only light 

in this shadowed dwelling casts a 

rather hauntingly beautiful atmosphere.

the hub reads 

and i write, by firelight. 

all in all a calm and content afternoon. 

electricity was still out by dinner time 

so we broke out the camp stove, 

and with three oil lamps had enough light 

to assemble ingredients and get to cooking. 

the hubs braved the out of doors 

to grill burgers while i prepped the rest. 

saute'd onions heavy on seasonings..

english cheddar sliced thick..

ruby red maters thick too..

romaine & condiments at the ready.

broccoli salad on the side.

and wouldn't you know it ..?

the lights blinked!

let there be light.

and He saw it was good.

focus.

".. kept right on going because he kept his eyes

on the one who is invisible."

hebrews 11.27

i forget which state we were driving 

through when i took this shot

but at that time and even more so 

now my focus is on the light/Light ..

figuratively and literally.

where's your focus

these days?

... comments turned off ...

 

chill.rain.wind.etc.

just before 4am i padded down the hall and into the kitchen to commence brewing liquid life. back issues woke me and once my electrodes (tens unit) were secured properly (sorry for needing to wake you honey) i decided to simply stay up. wind was evident as i neared a window to flip a light on closest to my spot on the couch. once settled and sipping with eyes closed i sought the One who loves me best. 

a {very} light snow began about 7:30 then dwindled to a soppy rainy mess. with the amount of fires and fire dangers in our parts the rain is actually a thrill! rain! rain! wonderful rain! the wind's blowing and the aroma of fresh baked baguettes temps our tummies to have our meal earlier rather than sooner.

with baguettes we'll have chicken soup. good choice for such a day.

our guest bath has dark wood walls..

love the look but wanted to have a bit of light in the room

as well. over winter and into spring i stitched a curtain

using a vintage sheet scrap. and in the room to hold

the towels we used upside down vintage hangers,

securing them with rusted head screws &

draping the towels over the 'hooks'. the same

was done with the toilet tissue.

here's a close up shot of the curtain.

i'm pleased with how it turned out

and though the intent was using it

for spring and summer then changing

out with a darker heavier curtain

for fall and winter, i'm considering

keeping it year round.

i love how light dapples in unexpected spaces.

there's much unexpected in life at present...

in the world at present...

i'm purposing to find the good

yet i admit to finding *no* good in some things.

even still .. be of a thoughtful nature

and see the good. purpose toward that end.

*

be assured you can put your trust 

in Him for all things. all. things.

"...kept right on going because he kept his

eyes on the one who is invisible..."

hebrews 11.27

simply a fresh outlook.

 

"sometimes the first step to a more simple, intentional life is seeing the world through a different lens, gaining a new perspective.." {no sidebar} ..... & sometimes it takes getting away in a tiny tin can to enable the fresh perspective place over time and distance and earth and wind and may i say it: even fire(s). gaining a new outlook requires reassessing all areas of one's life. i desire to live a simple life though simplicity or the reduction of life to simplicity might ought be considered a cluttered and messy path. press on.. for the strength in the process is from God alone. not of one's own strength.

contemplation & prayer has brought me to a good place ...

far too short is life to release one's energies in areas

which perhaps are seasons more than stationary pursuits .. 

some of these realizations

were completely unexpected

so i'm taking time to mull & pray.

regardless, i'm making my little world littler,

already finding peace in the process and result.

.growth can seem messy .. the result is anything but.

a warm, welcoming, cozy space awaited us each

night while on the road. over the course of a month

we learned to take turns in the "dance hall" of the tin can. 

*

waking at midnight we lay still to the 

crack of lightening and boom of thunder

and downpour of rain for hours on end..

while i *love* a good thunderstorm in the safety

of my solid built home, it's quite a different

experience in a tiny tin can in the middle of

a wisconsin apple farm alongside the Mississippi!

yet we were safe. no leaks. no harm,

save for my heart beating out of my chest.

morning coffee was (and is..duh!) always a treat.

using my vintage kettle to heat the water

makes for a better brew - of that i'm convinced.

plenty of mornings i woke too early (for most humans)

and once i realized further sleep was not to be had

yet the hubs slept deep and still,

i rolled out of bed and gingerly padded to the kitchen

to prep a cup of liquid life, then padded and 

ohhh so carefully got back in the coziness

of covers and warmth to drink in the elixir

and life enhancing qualities of such

a truly God-given beverage.

wink.

fires.

at home.

on the road.

upon our return home we learned

that at one point the fire could have

easily and quickly made its

way past the ridge and down the mountain

to our neighborhood .. a twenty minute alert.

a very real threat, to be sure.

immense gratitude to the fire fighters.

the blaze was great and outrageously destructive.

many lost their homes, livestock, pets ... and loved ones.

we count ourselves humbly fortunate.

thank you, Lord.

*

*

*

"aspire to live a quiet life,

to mind your own affairs

and to work with your hands."

I Thessalonians 4:11

*

*

*

"it is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life."

j.r.r. tolkien

*

*

*

"take time today to pause, to linger, to quiet the noise

and remember that your worth is not measured

by your productivity." {unknown}

*

*

*

".. and a person with a changed heart

seeks praise from God, not from people."

Romans 2:29

*

*

*

"He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me."

2 Samuel 22:20

*

*

*

.. and lastly ..

remember this in these perilous, contentious, & uncertain days:

"How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. "Look at the nations and watch - - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told."

Habakkuk 1:1-5