Anglophile Friday - Sheep of England!

We're heading out tomorrow morning for a wedding a few states away, so this will be a quick blog post. What could give us a cheerier start to our day than to look at these cute sheep faces!

So, if you're sick of seeing these sheep, you can just keep it to yourself. LOL. They were probably my favorite thing to photograph. After all, we always ended up going to England in March - just in time for lambing season.

And of course every flock of sheep needs a shepherd, right?

Enter.....(drum roll).....BRIDGER!!!

I know. As my sweet blog readers, you do put up with a lot from me, don't you!

Shepherd Boy

***

 

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Don't forget the stocking stuffers!!

  'Olde Thyme Christmas'

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***
This post is linked to: 

Mosaic Monday 
and
Photo Friday

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Balloon Race

Pomegranates, before they are picked to make

Pomegranate Orange Scones

You may or may not have seen my recipe for pomegranate orange (chocolate) scones a while ago. They were delicious, by the way, even if it is a little odd to find a bit of pomegranate aril meal in your mouth after you've chewed up most of a bite. 

Julie, from The Crafty Quilter blog, commented on that post and informed me that she had a couple pomegranate trees in her backyard, (NO KIDDING!!) but had never eaten the pomegranate arils. She was determined to make my recipe - and DID. She loved the scones - and later wrote a post about the scones, adding a photo of her pomegranate trees.

So, although you thought they were mini hot-air balloons, those things in the photo above are actually pomegranates in their natural habitat. Cool, huh!

Thank you to Julie for giving me permission to lift the photo from her blog and use it on this follow-up post. 

In case you missed my recipe, click HERE to get it and to read about the Great Pomegranate Experience!  You won't be sorry.

By the way, looking at the color of the pomegranate arils in Julie's photo,I'm wondering if the pomegranates at the supermarkets in Wisconsin were picked before they were completely ripe. So if what we get at our stores tastes good to us, imagine what it would be like to eat a tree-ripened pomegranate!

How many of you have eaten a tree-ripened pomegranate?

How many of you have never eaten a pomegranate?

How many of you don't know what a pomegranate is???   LOL  For those who fall into that category, don't feel bad. I hadn't tasted a pomegranate until a few weeks ago!!!

 

***

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Don't forget the stocking stuffers!!

 'Mandarin Orange Spice'

An absolutely delicious scent

Natural, Vegan, Handcrafted Luxury Soaps

Mandarin Orange Spice does have a fan club!

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Cold Wood and Fish

It was just 10 degrees and very windy here in NW Wisconsin. Our house is insulated and we heat with wood, which I usually love. But today, I just couldn't get warm for anything. If I stood in front of the stove, my backside would get too hot while the fronts of my legs were freezing.


 

I blame it on 'cold wood.' This happens, occasionally, when we're burning wood that hasn't had the proper cure time. It just doesn't throw enough heat. You'd think, by looking at the coals in the stove (above) that it's pretty hot, but there's something about cold wood that just doesn't heat up the house like really dry wood would. (wood would, get it?)

***

So earlier, I was making a batch of soap and asked Kevin to smell the fragrance.

'Does it smell kinda musky to you?'

He inhaled deeply, then thought a minute, and said,



'No. It smells more...walleye.'   (He really ought to take his show on the road! I wanted to insert Vaudeville end-of-skit music here, you know, where at the very end they squawk the old auto horn - but couldn't find it.)

ANYWAY, This is what I put up with...on a daily basis.

And of course I laughed. I always laugh. I sometimes think I shouldn't encourage him. ;-)

***

Hope you're staying warm - but not too warm. :-)

And yes, we laugh a lot around here! It helps us stay warm in the winter.

So do you escape the winter or dig out the polar fleece and brave the elements?

***

Christmas Sale

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now through December 19

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Vintage Advent Wreath

 Vintage Advent Wreath

I found this vintage angel food cake pan at a thrift store and decided it would be perfect for this year's Advent wreath.

***

Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent. So what is Advent?

It is not likely to be found at Walmart or Macy's, nor is it confined to Cyber Monday. The word 'advent' means the arrival of a special person or event. Advent, as it refers to the Christian calendar, means the four weeks before Christmas when we set aside a time to focus on the promise, given so long ago, of a Redeemer (a special person!) who would come to rescue His people (a special event!)

December 2 - The First Candle: The Candle of Promise

December 9 - The Second Candle: God's Unspeakable Love

December 16 - The Third Candle: Awe and Wonder at God Incarnate

December 23 - The Fourth Candle: The JOY that is ours in Jesus Christ

December 24 - The Middle Candle: The candle we light on Christmas Eve - The Candle of Faith

From DesiringGod.org. John Piper:

"Isaiah 11:10: “And again Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.’” Jesse was King David’s father. And David was the greatest king of Israel, so that the Messiah that Israel hoped for was often called “the son of David”—he would be one like David, only greater than David.

You recall how Jesus used this mystery to point toward his own divinity. In Matthew 22:42-45 he asked the Pharisees, “‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘The son of David’ [in other words, the root of Jesse].  He said to them, ‘How is it then that David, in the Spirit [that is, inspired by the Spirit in writing Psalm 110:1], calls him Lord, saying, “The Lord [God the Father] said to my Lord [the Messiah], Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’?  If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?’” And no one answered him a word.
 
The point was: Jesus is the Messiah, the son of David, the root of Jesse, but oh, so much more than the mere Son of David! Do you recall how the book of Romans begins? “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,  which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,  concerning his Son [that is, the Son of God], who was descended from David according to the flesh.”

So there it is again. Jesus is God’s Son and he is also David’s son. And that’s what Paul means when he refers to Jesus as the “root of Jesse.”

“In him”—in this Son of God and Son of David, verse 12 says—“will the Gentiles hope.” So our first answer to the question, “Hope in what?” is hope in Jesus Christ. The emphasis falls on Christ as the ground of all our hope.

Bank your hope on him. Not yourself, not your intelligence, not your health, not your money, not your job, not your reputation. None of these can sustain your hope. They can collapse in a moment. God means for our hope to be firm and unshakable and so he put underneath it his own Son. In him will the Gentiles hope..." READ MORE...

Isaiah 9:6,7:

For to 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. 

 Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

***

Luke 1:26-35:

"In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,  to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! 

The Lord is with you.'

 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,  and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.'

'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?'

 The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.'

***

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! 

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!



***

  Mop it Up Monday   and Mix it up Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and  The Chicken Chick and The Marketplace and  What's in the Gunny Sack and   and Make the Scene Monday and Made By You Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous  and  Get Your Craft On   and All My Blogging Friends and   Inspiration Board and You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday and  Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays   and   Cast Party Wednesday and   We Did it Wednesday  and Adorned from Above and  It's a Party at Creative Princess and Mom on TimeOut and  Link it Up Thursday  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  Crafty Friday (Thursday) and Mandatory Mooch  and I'm Lovin' it Friday   and  Serenity Saturday and Overflowing With Creativity and  Home and Family Friday and Inspiration Friday and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Photo Friday and    A Favorite Thing Saturday and Sunny Simple Sunday and  Saturday Nite Special

 

Figgy Pudding - And CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!!

'Figgy Pudding'

...with everything you'd expect in your Christmas figgy pudding, well, except for the flour and eggs.

Brown sugar, figs, oranges, spices - they all add up to an amazing fragrance you'll love. And the soap? Made with all natural base oils, essential oils, and quality fragrance oils. Altogether, it makes a beautiful and fragrant bar of soap for your shower or bath.

Why use heavy chemical soaps when you can treat your skin to a kinder, gentler, natural bar of soap that will leave it feeling soft, refreshed, clean, and moisturized - and smells great.

Each beautiful bar of 'Figgy Pudding' comes wrapped in its own distinctive label with a list of ingredients on the back, and is enclosed in a clear cello bag, ready to give as a gift. Of course, the cello bag is resealable - so if you're careful, you can take a whiff of that amazing fragrance before you give it away! No one will ever know.

All of our soaps are natural, handcrafted, and vegan. Only natural colorants are used - no oxides.

Great for stocking stuffers or 'Thinking of You.' This is a gift they will remember, for these natural, handcrafted bars last a long time.

Stock up now. You-know-what is just around the corner! 

***

 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL:

Now through December 19

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...and more! Check out all our handcrafted soaps

This offer currently not available at our ETSY store. 


  Mop it Up Monday   and Mix it up Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and Gluten Free Monday and  The Chicken Chick and The Marketplace and    What's in the Gunny Sack and  Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and Made By You Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous  and  Get Your Craft On and Tip Me Tuesday  and  Inspiration Board and You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday and  Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays  and Two Maids a Baking and   Cast Party Wednesday and   We Did it Wednesday  and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Mom on TimeOut and  Link it Up Thursday and It's Fall Y'all and Crafty Friday (Thursday) and Mandatory Mooch and  Petals to Picots and  Threading Your Way and Lisa's Gluten-Free Blog  and I'm Lovin' it Friday and Maiden d'Shade and It's a Hodgepodge Friday  and Foodie Friends Friday and Creative Bloggers and  Serenity Saturday and Overflowing With Creativity and  Home and Family Friday and A Favorite Thing Saturday and Sunny Simple Sunday and  Saturday Nite Special

 

 

GIVEAWAY WINNER ANNOUNCED!

Congratulations to Melanie from Bear Rabbit Bear, winner of the HomemadeSoapnSuch Christmas GIVEAWAY!!  Rafflecopter winner chosen by Random.org.

Thanks so much to all who entered!

***

HomemadeSoapnSuch

Christmas Collection

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...and more! Check out all our handcrafted soaps at

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Have a great weekend, everyone!

Anglophile Friday - Doors of England

Some of my favorite doors of England
and...'Which of These Doors Just Doesn't Belong Here?' 

Top Row: Helmsley Castle, Lower Slaughter, Stanton, Malton, Bath Abbey, Kilpeck Church, St. Mary's Jackfield

Next Row: Helsmley Castle (again??), York Minster, Richmond, Wisconsin, Helmsley Castle, Richmond, Church at Cirencester

Next Row: Oops (Helmsley Castle again), Much Wenlock, Bath Abbey, Askrigg, Thirsk, Kettlewell

Bottom Row: Bath Abbey Interior Door, Skipton Castle, Richmond, Richmond, Bath Abbey, North Door of St. Paul's Cathedral London

***

I'm pretty sure that it was Heide who suggested I do an Anglophile Friday post on Doors of England. So, for Heide and anyone else who might like doors as much as I do, I hope you'll enjoy this collage. I actually decided to have it made into a poster, although the first one I did was sort of a 'draft' attempt, just to see what the resolution would be, so I didn't bother to go back to the original photos. That's why you'll see 'Cranberry Morning' on so many of them.

Nevertheless, these are some of my favorite doors. I'm really hoping that my TripAdvisor Airfare Watch Alert shows me airfare to London at half price, like soon! Doesn't hurt to dream, right? There are so many more doors I need to photograph! Oh, to take a train from London to York and spend a week there...sigh...

And I don't know how I managed to put the red and orange doors next to each other! Must have been when I hit 're-arrange' and liked what I saw, but, for some reason, didn't notice that. Oh well. Those are two of my very favorite: The door to the James Herriot museum in Thirsk and a door in Kettlewell. So pretty!

***

Did you manage to spot the door that 'doesn't belong here' ??  :-)

***

Oooo, Yummy Christmas Fragrances!!

Vegan, Natural, Handcrafted Soaps

Get them before they're sold out.

...and more! Check out all our handcrafted soaps at

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***

This post is linked to
Mosaic Monday 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

 

Around the Yard - Turkey - Giveaway

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends! I'm assuming that by now, some of you are at the computer checking out blogs, and some are asleep on the couch, due to that unbelievable dinner you ate a couple hours ago.

From About.com:

"Unless a microwave dinner is your idea of a Thanksgiving feast, you probably have had firsthand experience with the after-dinner fatigue that sets in after the meal. Why do you want a nap? To escape the dishes? Perhaps, but the meal itself plays a big part in the way you feel...

The turkey is often cited as the culprit in after dinner lethargy, but the truth is that you could omit the bird altogether and still feel the effects of the feast. Turkey does contain L-tryptophan, an essential amino acid with a documented sleep inducing effect.

L-tryptophan is used in the body to produce the B-vitamin, niacin. Tryptophan also can be metabolized into serotonin and melatonin, neurotransmitters that exert a calming effect and regulate sleep. 

However, L-tryptophan needs to be taken on an empty stomach and without any other amino acids or protein in order to make you drowsy. There's lots of protein in a serving of turkey and it's probably not the only food on the table. 

 

It's worth noting that other foods contain as much or more tryptophan than turkey (0.333 g of tryptophan per 100 gram edible portion), including chicken (0.292 g of tryptophan per 100 gram edible portion), pork, and cheese. As with turkey, other amino acids are present in these foods besides tryptophan, so they don't make you sleepy. 

L-tryptophan may be found in turkey and other dietary proteins, but it's actually a carbohydrate-rich (as opposed to protein-rich) meal that increases the level of this amino acid in the brain and leads to serotonin synthesis. Carbohydrates stimulate the pancreas to secrete insulin. When this occurs, some amino acids that compete with tryptophan leave the bloodstream and enter muscle cells. This causes an increase in the relative concentration of tryptophan in the bloodstream. Serotonin is synthesized and you feel that familiar sleepy feeling."

***

For some of you, it may be obvious what is pictured in the photo above. For others, maybe not. It's fun for me when the beauty of ordinary, everyday objects jumps out at me. That's what happened on the day I took this photo.

So, do you know what it is? Please leave me a comment and let me know!

***

And one more thing for which I'm thankful: That my husband, who does not love our dogs and cat quite as much as I do, does not call a divorce lawyer when the cat throws up on his side of the bed - as Tuppence did this morning. :-((((...................I did not say he was happy about it, however.

***

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Christmas 2012
Handcrafted, Vegan, Luxury Soaps

Thanksgiving

Corn Stalk Bales

on a Wisconsin farm

It is hard to know where to begin when writing a post about thanksgiving. On second thought, that's really not the problem. The problem is knowing where to end. So just remember as you read on, this is only a partial list of things for which I'm thankful.

Our alfalfa field: It's a beautiful green with lovely purple flowers, from May through October. I love to walk the dogs in the field and sometimes sit at the top of the hill and read. In the winter, the alfalfa field is covered in snow, but still beautiful - just not quite as welcoming. 

I stand in awe at a Creator who loved us enough to give us beauty and language and music and animals and sunshine and mountains and hills and rivers and wooded land and... family - family by physical birth and family by faith - those who belong to the family of God by faith in Jesus our Lord - a family that isn't defined by race or locality but by a common faith in a risen Savior.

There is rarely an hour of the day that I'm not thankful for the grace and mercy of a loving God, who knows the hearts of sinful, rebellious, hopeless humanity and did the only thing that could possibly remedy the situation - send His one and only Son to rescue us from sin and death and hell, for we were totally unable to save ourselves.

I am thankful that I can live before God, clothed in the righteousness of Christ. That knowledge dispels all fear - fear of God, fear of man, or fear of the future -  and brings me peace and JOY.

***

'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' - Jeremiah 29:11

'Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed.' - I Peter 2:24

'When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.'- Colossians 2:13-15

'...as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.' - Psalm 103:12

'Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' - Romans 5:1

'Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.' - John 3:18

***

I am thankful that I don't have to be defeated by sin. Daily, I can live with JOY because of what my Savior did for me. Daily I will cling to Him and His righteousness.

And daily, I will  remember that the only reason for my existence is to bring glory to a holy and almighty and loving God, the maker and ruler of the Universe. And I will thank Him for His mercy.

***

I am thankful that...

Our God Reigns!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Gluten Free Sage Stuffing Recipe

Gluten-free Stuffing

I realize that this is pretty late, but since I just made my stuffing and have it waiting in the refrig, I decided to pass the GF recipe along to those who may be in a panic at the last minute, hunting for a good gluten-free stuffing recipe:

2 types of GF bread. In my case, I used

Gluten Free Sage Stuffing Recipe:

Kinnickinick white sandwich bread, several slices, torn into small pieces.
Udi's whole grain bread, several slices, torn into small pieces.
I let the bread sit out for a while to dry out, and even put it in the oven at 120 degrees for a bit, for that purpose.

3 ribs celery, minced
1 large onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Alfresco GF chicken sausages, skinned and then ground in a food processor
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
olive oil and butter
1 apple, diced

Place torn bread into a very large bowl.
Heat olive oil and butter in large skillet.
Saute ground chicken sausages, celery, onion, and garlic
Stir in pecans. Pour over the torn bread.
Mix well.
At the last minute, dice the apple and stir it into the mix.
Sprinkle on poultry seasoning and stir in.
Taste. Is it good? Need more poultry seasoning?
Stir in more. Taste. Is it good? (etc.)

 Turkey in brine in a large bakery tub

and kept cold with ice

I'm brining my turkey, so I'm not going to add any salt to the stuffing. If I were not brining the turkey, then I would be adding salt to the stuffing.

Cool. Keep stuffing in 2 large ziploc bags in the refrigerator  (I use two so that I can lay them flat, so that the stuffing can cool down quicker.)

Stuff cold stuffing into the cold turkey before roasting. Do NOT put warm stuffing into the turkey. Not safe.

***

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

***

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Four of our favorite Natural, Vegan, Handcrafted Christmas Soaps

and another of your choice!

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Good luck. :-) 


***


  You'll find me at these linky parties:


Mop it Up Monday   and Mix it up Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and Gluten Free Monday and  The Chicken Chick and   What's in the Gunny Sack and  Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and  Make it Great Monday and Made By You Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous  and  Get Your Craft On and Tip Me Tuesday  and  Inspiration Board and You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday and  Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays  and Two Maids a Baking and   Cast Party Wednesday and   We Did it Wednesday  and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Mom on TimeOut and  Link it Up Thursday and It's Fall Y'all and Crafty Friday (Thursday) and Mandatory Mooch and  Petals to Picots and  Threading Your Way and Lisa's Gluten-Free Blog  and I'm Lovin' it Friday and Maiden d'Shade and It's a Hodgepodge Friday  and Foodie Friends Friday and Creative Bloggers and  Serenity Saturday and Overflowing With Creativity and  Home and Family Friday and A Favorite Thing Saturday and Sunny Simple Sunday and  Saturday Nite Special

Our Dependence Upon Technology

Amish Horse and Buggy, Westby

Although I'm thankful for technology and all our modern conveniences, I have been thinking lately about those on the east coast who have been suffering the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. So much destruction! So many still without power! With that in mind, I decided to do a re-post of my July 21, 2011 entry, which reminded us of how dependent upon technology most of us have become.

'Just last week I was watching an old episode of Connections with James Burke. He was talking about the technology trap that we humans have set for ourselves. The Northeast Blackout of 1965 is a good example of what happens when we, who have become dependent upon technology, suddenly experience a snag. Wikipedia article, 'Over 30 million people and 80,000 square miles were left without electricity for up to 12 hours.'

On Tuesday evening, we saw by the radar map on weatherbug.com, that we were under a tornado warning and that at least a severe thunderstorm was headed our way. We took the dogs to the basement, then waited out the storm there. A couple unwanted box elder trees, along with lots of little branches and leaves were strewn about the yard, there was a torrential downpour, and then about 7:30 the power suddenly went out.

All quiet.

No computer.
No printer.
No scanner.
No TV.
No radio.
No lights.
No fan.
No refrigerator.
No freezer.
No microwave.
No washer.
No dryer.
No AC.
No flushing toilets. (We have our own well and the water pump runs on electricity of course).

The storm eventually passed (the electricity was still out) and we went back upstairs, lit the oil lamps, opened the windows so the hot breeze could come in, and waited until it was time to go to bed. It was so deathly silent that I couldn't get to sleep. At 1:30 I moved to a different bedroom. I petted the cats. I waited for morning.

At 2:30 a light flashed across the wall of the upstairs bedroom where I was lying. I heard the low, soft  growl of a diesel engine. Someone was turning around in our driveway. I figured the linemen were out working on our transformer.

For the next hour, Glen Campbell was in my brain whining, 'I am a Lineman for the County.' I tried to figure out why he was a lineman for the county and not for the electric company. I guessed that 'electric company' had too many syllables.

At 3:30 AM, there was suddenly light and air conditioning! We got up, closed the windows. and waited for the house to cool off. It was wonderful!

That power outage was only 8 hours, and most of them were during the night.


As appealing as it is to wear long, black dresses and stockings (and bonnets) on a sweltering summer day, I've decided not to become Amish after all. Then again, the technology they have to worry about is a faulty hitch on their buggy.

The power outage was a good time to reflect upon this 'technology trap' that James Burke was talking about. It's true. We are so dependent upon technology and never expect to have to do without it.

I don't know how long the people of Joplin, MO were without power, but imagine if the power went out next week and we didn't know when it would return. Do we know how to survive? What are some things we need to learn to do? What are some things we need to keep on hand for emergencies? I was glad I'd just filled a two-liter bottle with water, for the first thing that happens when we have a power outage is that I get thirsty.

If we're so smart, why have we set this trap for ourselves?

Technology is wonderful, but can we survive without it?

What do you think?

P.S. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that our youngest son can't survive without Facebook or texting, let alone electricity! Just sayin.' He might say that his mother can't survive without blogging. Then again, I suspect he's not even aware of the fact that I have a blog.

P.S. Please tell Glen Campbell to get out of my brain. ♫ 

***

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

*** 

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Christmas 2012
Handcrafted, Vegan, Luxury Soaps

This Ole House

This Ole House

 

Every time I drive to Rice Lake, I pass this old house just before the Highway O and Highway 8 intersection. So often when I gaze upon an old, abandoned house, I wonder about the family who lived there when the house was new - those who loved it and called it home. My mind's eye can easily see the hustle and bustle of that family getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving - a couple generations ago. I see kids running down the steps from their upstairs bedrooms, eager to get outdoors to play. (It would be nice to write that they were eager to help their mom get ready for Thanksgiving, but let's get real. We are talking about human nature, and most kids would rather play than run errands.) I see a mom rolling out pie crust while listening to the radio. I see a dad reading the Drudge Report cleaning his gun in anticipation of bringing home a deer or a turkey.

So that takes me back to my great grandmother's generation and reminds me of her bedroom, where a record player stood in the corner with a stack of 78s in the cabinet. Among them was This Ole House by Stuart Hamblen.

This Ole House

This ole house once knew my children
This ole house once knew my wife
This ole house was home and comfort
As we fought the storms of life
This ole house once rang with laughter
This ole house heard many shouts
Now she trembles in the darkness
When the lightnin' walks about

Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer
Ain't a-gonna need this house no more
Ain't got time to fix the shingles
Ain't got time to fix the floor
Ain't got time to oil the hinges
Nor to mend no window pane
Ain't gonna need this house no longer
I'm a-gettin' ready to meet the saints

This ole house is a-gettin' shaky
This ole house is a-gettin' old
This ole house lets in the rain
This ole house lets in the cold
On my knees I'm gettin' chilly
But I feel no fear or pain
'Cause I see an angel peekin'
Through a broken window pane

Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer...

Now this ole house is afraid of thunder
This ole house is afraid of storms
This ole house just groans and trembles
When the night wind flings its arms
This ole house is a-gettin' feeble
This ole house is a-needin' paint
Just like me it's tuckered out
But I'm a-gettin' ready to meet the saints

Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer...

And my old hound dog lies a sleepin'
He don't know I'm gonna leave
Else he'd wake up by the fire place
And he'd sit down, howl and grieve
But my huntin' days are over
Ain't gonna hunt the coon no more
Gabriel done brought in my chariot
When the wind blew down the door

Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer...

(Sorry about the ad)

***

Don't miss the HomemadeSoapnSuch GIVEAWAY
on now through Thursday!

Be sure to enter - HERE 

Christmas 2012
Handcrafted, Vegan, Luxury Soaps

HomemadeSoapnSuch - GIVEAWAY!

Top Row: Olde Thyme Christmas, Figgy Pudding

Bottom Row: Christmas Tea, Christmas Morning

We all know that Christmas is right around the corner, and what better way to usher in the season than a giveaway of our natural, vegan, handcrafted soaps!

Each soap is 4.5-5.0 oz., a good hunk of luscious soap, gentle and kind to your skin. You will LOVE these bars! Visit HomemadeSoapnSuch to see individual descriptions for all our handcrafted soaps.

So what's the giveaway?

Not only will you get the four soaps shown above, but you get to choose a FIFTH soap from all our soaps at HomemadeSoapnSuch.

The Rafflecopter below will show you how you can enter...

So let's get started! This is a four-day giveaway, Monday through Thursday. This giveaway ends at 12:01 AM November 23. The winner will be announced here, on Cranberry Morning,  Saturday morning the 24th .  And, be sure to leave your email address in your entry comment so I know how to reach you. I'll need to get your postal address to send out this fabulous package!

And please, spread the word! I'm sure your friends would want in on this too!

Oh, and don't feel like you have to wait to order your soaps until the giveaway is over. There are always reasons to have beautiful, handcrafted soaps on hand. Who's on your Christmas list? And do you need stocking stuffers? or just a gift to say 'Thinking of You.' Perfect!  Check out HomemadeSoapnSuch.

*Open to U.S. residents only.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

...and more! Check out all our handcrafted soaps at

HomemadeSoapNSuch

and at

our ETSY store 

Anglophile Friday - Highland Cattle

A face only a mother could love...

In my mind's eye, I see these Highland Cattle on a farm owned by Fred Flintstone - with pileated woodpeckers hammering away in the nearby trees.

Highland Cattle. Yes, I'm straying a bit from my typically England post, but there is something so fascinating about Highland Cattle!  This past summer when my cousin was visiting, we were on our way to Colfax (in a big hurry, I might add, to get her to a dental appointment on time) and on Hwy M, north of Colfax, we drove past a herd of Highland Cattle. I SO wanted to get a photo of them. Since I didn't have time to stop and take the photo at that time, and even if I had tried on the way back, the sun would have been on the wrong side...I went at a later time to get the photos.

Aren't they gorgeous creatures! (in a strange sort of way).

Here's lookin' at you, kid!

From Wikipedia.org:

'Highlands are known as a hardy breed due to the rugged nature of their native Scottish Highlands, with high rainfall and strong winds. Highland cattle have been successfully established in many temperate countries and indeed in countries where winters are substantially colder than Scotland's such as central Europe and Canada.

Their hair provides protection during the cold winters and their skill in browsing for food enables them to survive in steep mountain areas. They both graze and browse and eat plants which many other cattle avoid. The meat tends to be leaner than most beef because Highlands get most of their insulation from their thick shaggy hair rather than subcutaneous fat. The coat makes them a good breed for cold northern climates and they are able to thrive in outdoor conditions that would defeat most other breeds of domestic beef cattle. As such, Highland cattle are able to produce beef at a reasonable gross margin from inhospitable land that would otherwise normally be incapable of rendering a profit agriculturally.

Whilst the UK domestic and worldwide popularity of Highland cattle has made trade in pedigree beasts occasionally the most lucrative - mainly on account of their handsome appearance - they are at their best agriculturally when used to produce beef in a cold climate from poor pasture and forage.'  Read More...

Posing for his senior portrait

Doesn't he look just CUDDLY???

and even more info. because enquiring minds want to know, right?  :-)


Wouldn't you like to find one of those under the Christmas tree? But I want to get mine when it's a cute little calf.

***

Don't miss our 5 bar HomemadeSoapnSuch Giveaway

Starts Monday morning, bright and early. 

Nov. 19, 12:01 AM - Nov. 23, 12:01 AM

Hope to see you then!

'Highland Tweed'

Natural, Vegan, Handcrafted Soap

Having nothing at all to do with Highland Cattle

Just in case you were wondering...

...and more! Check out all our handcrafted soaps at

HomemadeSoapNSuch

and at

our ETSY store 


***

 You'll find me at these linky parties:

Mop it Up Monday   and Mix it up Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and Gluten Free Monday and  The Chicken Chick and   What's in the Gunny Sack and  Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and  Make it Great Monday and Made By You Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous  and  Get Your Craft On and Tip Me Tuesday  and  Inspiration Board and You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday and  Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays  and Two Maids a Baking and   Cast Party Wednesday and   We Did it Wednesday  and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Mom on TimeOut and  Link it Up Thursday and It's Fall Y'all and Crafty Friday (Thursday) and Mandatory Mooch and  Petals to Picots and  Threading Your Way and Lisa's Gluten-Free Blog  and I'm Lovin' it Friday and Maiden d'Shade and It's a Hodgepodge Friday  and Foodie Friends Friday and Creative Bloggers and  Serenity Saturday and Overflowing With Creativity and  Home and Family Friday and A Favorite Thing Saturday and Sunny Simple Sunday and  Saturday Nite Special