Memorial Day

This post is in honor of my Sunday school teacher Ferne. She was a secretary in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II and past away when I was in graduate school.  She was a truly amazing woman with great faith and she definitely reached for the stars.  With Ferne nothing was impossible and she loved everyone she met.   She was a member of the local Legion and was extremely proud of her country and the freedom that so many died for.  Every year on Memorial Day Sunday she would make sure that “In Flanders Fields” was read during the church service of our small country church. 

So Ferne this is for you:

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.  Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

John McCrae, 1872-1918

So on Memorial Day we honor the dead, those whom have fought for freedom, those whom have worn the armor of God, and those whom we have loved so dear.  Remember your heritage, remember your roots, remember!

Princess & Pumpkin helping to decorate graves

Rhubarb . . . Oh, How I Love Thee!

Spring means fresh rhubarb and oh it is so delicious!  

I absolutely love my grandma's rhubarb crisp recipe.  

I obtained some fresh rhubarb last week from "my supplier," a very nice retired gentleman that we know.  I cleaned, cut and sugared it last night.  So when we got home this evening it was time to make this fabulous recipe!  

Rhubarb Crisp

If time permits, clean and cut rhubarb into 1" sections. Add 1 cup sugar. Refrigerate overnight.  Drain liquid into saucepan add 1/4 cup cornstarch and heat to boil (stirring all the time).  Add 3 to 4 cup rhubarb to hot sauce.  Put into 9 X 13 dish (greased).  Prepare topping -> 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup melted shortening (oleo).  Stir with fork and pour over rhubarb. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until rhubarb is done.

 

My hubby and I both had two helpings.  

Now to coax the children into trying this delicious treat!

Another spring recipe that we love is my grandma's strawberry pie recipe (click on this -> Spring Is In The Air to view the blog post that lists this recipe).

If You Give A Child Pudding . . .

If you give a child pudding, what will they do?

Pumpkin slowly & carefully eats his chocolate pudding.  

It really bothers him if it gets all over his hands and face.

He has always been this way with his food.

Princess on the other hand really enjoys getting her 

food everywhere!  Thankfully this evening I took her 

church dress off, as to spare it from the carnage of meal time.  By the time she was done, chocolate pudding was 

all across her face, arms, hands, chest and even in her 

hair.  She decorated the highchair tray with chocolate pudding, then decorate the toilet with her grubby 

chocolate laced hands before splashing into the 

toddler tub for a good cleaning.

Hmmmmm . . . . maybe she will eventually 

outgrow this, but maybe not time will tell.

Glorious Beads

Last weekend Pumpkin and Princess dove into our bead stash and had some fun.  Pumpkin delighted in dumping them out and looking for the animal beads.  Princess was remarkably neater (which usually she is the messy one) and picked out just the star beads.

 

Fun was had by all!

Nature Notebook

Here are some shots from our yard this evening.

Just a handful of the different irises we have. 

We still have quite a few yet to bloom!

My favorite ones!

Other fun nature in our yard!

Columbine

Robin's nest in the yew bush

Ant on the peony

Peony bloom

The Shack

Over the past week I have slowly pecked away at a book called The Shack by William P. Young.  It has been an interesting, thought provoking book.  Instead of speeding through the words, it warrants a slower pace to allow for absorption and understanding.  The book is about a man that is deeply hurt by the disappearance and death of his youngest child and the struggles he endures along the path to peace.  This book has a very interesting take on God the Three-In-One.  The author’s words have a magic that transports you into the story and you feel as if you are part of the conversations.  The book is about love, hope, peace, forgiveness, freedom, and looking inside ourselves.  It led to thought provoking questions that I asked myself, a few a-ha moments, and helped me to come to a better understanding with the loss of my mom and grandpa within the last year.  I believe anyone that has had trials, sadness, and tragedies enter their life should take a chance and read this book.  The copy I just read is from the local library, but it is a book that I plan to add to my own library, so I can read it again and again. 

The Princess & Her Clothes

Princess chowing down last week

A few days ago, I went through Princess’s dresser and closet and packed away the 24 month clothes.  It is always bitter sweet to pack up clothing, because it means my little one is getting bigger and older.  Those favorite outfits are the hardest to part with, but new ones eventually fill the void left behind.  I filled three diaper boxes to be sorted for rummage.  Then I pulled the 3T clothes from the top shelve of her closet and added them to the 2T clothes.  Some of the 3T clothes are a bit too big, but she will grow into them soon enough.  I still have a stash in the basement of Pumpkin’s 3T clothes that had been saved out, but I will get around to bringing them up within the week. 

Clothing has a tendency to draw out memories and I did save one outfit for her memory box.  It was the last new outfit that my mom had seen.  I bought it for Princess about two weeks before my mom past on.  The long sleeved top was pink with brown trim and brown outlines of butterflies.  The pants were dark brown with a butterfly and flowers embroidered in pink on one leg. 

Picking pumpkin last fall

Another outfit that was hard to pack away, was a blue fleece top and bottom that she wore when I took Christmas card pictures in December.  Getting both kids to sit, smile and look at the camera was quite the challenge.  It took a long time and scores of pictures to get one that was good enough for our card.  As they grow older and mature, I hope group pictures get easier.

Our Christmas card photo

I am looking forward to the new memories that will come with a new set of clothes.  I hope those memories will includes potty training, many hours of outside fun, family dinners, and many more.

Messenger Bag: The Beginning

Phase 1: Purchase the Pattern

My current messenger bag has seen better days, so I scoured the internet for ideas for a new bag and found a pattern that really inspired me.

Phase 2: Purchase the Goodies

I have hit an owl kick lately so I was in 

search of amazing owl material.

Then I found wonderful ladybug material.   

So viola, my contrast fabric!

Don’t forget the solid aspect of the bag.   

A chocolately brown suiting just 

brings it all together.

Here is the trio together!

Add a variety of supplies: striking green zipper, 

chocolate brown ribbon, beautiful brown thread, 

and playful yellow flower buttons. This is exciting!

Phase 3: Sewing Machine TLC

This sewing machine was my great-grandma’s

1) Replaced the missing spool pin

2) Removed dust and lint

3) Lubricated mechanical parts and engine

4) Fine tune needle and bobbin tension

Stay tuned for more phases! 

Tree Happy

I have wanted to have a sassafras tree in my yard for an incredibly long time.  Yesterday my wish came true!

A wonderful couple that I know gave us two beautiful sassafras saplings.  The larger sapling is three years old and the smaller sapling is two years old.  

Pumpkin, Princess, daddy and I worked together to plant our new trees.

 

First we had to select the perfect spot.  Then daddy dug a hole, with Pumpkin’s help of course. 

Then each sapling was placed in its new home and given a big drink of water.

My grandma let us borrow some of her tomato cages to help protect our new little trees.

This is what the leaves will look like when they get a tad bit bigger.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that they take to the transfer and grow healthy and strong sassafras trees.

Sassafras Facts

1)     Nickname: Mitten Tree

2)     Leaf shapes: elliptical, left mitten, right mitten, dinosaur foot

3)     Height: 30-60 feet

4)     Fall colors: oranges, reds, purples, and yellows

5)     Leaf aroma: fruit loops or lemon pledge smell

6)     Use for roots: original rootbeer, teas, coffee, and candies

7)     Sassafras oil (safrole) is carcinogenic and can cause liver damage thereby banned in food production by the FDA.

BLTs

Mmmm. . . . We had Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Sandwiches for supper this evening.  The tomatoes were hand-pick and fresh with toasted buttermilk bread and delicious Hellman’s mayo.  A sure sign that summer is around the corner.

What else can come from the acronym BLT? 

How about Blessings from Little Things?  Tonight’s sandwiches were definitely a welcomed blessing.  So is the continued delight of spring wildflowers.  Pumpkin had a great appointment at the ear specialist this week and the tubes are working fine.  Princess has been eating better at supper time.  We finally mowed our yard for the first time this past weekend.  All reasons to be joyful!

Oh, Better Love Tomorrow?  I like the sound of that!  Tomorrow is always full of possibilities.  Since tomorrow had not happened yet, it is full of hopes and dreams.  We need to have faith that tomorrow will be more joyful than the day before it. 

How about Boys Love Toads?  Hahahaha!  I’m sure if Pumpkin could catch one he would be extremely happy.  I have not seen any toads yet this spring, but have had heard choruses of frogs, seen aquatic turtles, seen one black rat snake, and caught one cricket frog.

Oh, Bats Look Tiny?  We have been seeing bats flying around the yard in the evenings.  My guess is that they are either little brown bats or big brown bats.  They are so cute when they are flying, diving, and swerving going after their prey.

Well that wraps it up for this evening.  Enjoy the spring!