• A windy Sunday afternoon…

    April 13, 2013 / 6 Comments

    I enjoy having my daughter and her family over for lunch after church on Sundays every other Sunday or so (although tomorrow I’m going over there!).  It’s a bit of an endeavor in that my sweet son-in-love and my oldest grandson must trek down to my basement storeroom and bring up two extra dining chairs, but they don’t seem to mind.  My daughter and her youngest two children were with me when I chose the dining furniture and my young granddaughter informed me that “it had to be able to seat all of us”!  This round table has a hidden leaf which comes out to convert the table into an oval.  There is plenty of room for all of us!

    The last Sunday they were over was Easter and it was such fun.  My daughter brought their Easter baskets and we hid the colorful filled baskets for them to find before lunch inside the apartment.  The apartment is only 1200 sq. feet but we still managed to hide them successfully.  The three youngest grandchildren stay behind with me for several hours after their Mom and Dad return home.  Their older brother usually has to study so he returns home as well.

    That afternoon, we worked on art projects with my granddaughter’s new fairy design set.  They love exploring the apartment and found my old costume jewelry and other “treasures”.  My 9 year old granddaughter fell in love with my Mother’s locket…her maternal great-grandmother.  She wanted my photo in it and we found one that fit.  I know that she will take good care of it.  Now, she wears my photo around her neck!  My 13 year old granddaughter found some treasures that she wanted to take home with her as well.  It amazes me that, at this young age, they realize that sentimental treasures aren’t always about monetary value.

    Later, we decided to go for a walk but realized that their coats were in their car which was now at their home!  We improvised and they all wore one of mine – including my 4 year old grandson…which was a funny sight!  We headed out for our walk and, too late, realized that it was so cold and WINDY!  No one, including me, had a hat on and how I wished for one.  We walked down to the park next to the the nearby elementary school.  They played for a while on the jungle gym, then we headed back to my apartment for warm apple cider and a snack before I drove them home.

    I love that, the very next morning, my daughter said that my nine year old granddaughter asked when she “could see Grandmom again”!

    Chilly and WINDY Sunday afternoon and we were walking to a nearby park. They’re all wearing one of my jackets…including my 4 year old grandson! 😉

     

  • Memories of Bill…

    April 10, 2013 / 9 Comments

    December 1, 1943 –  April 10, 2006

    We are souls living in bodies.  Our bodies grow old, but our souls never die.  Seven years ago, you went to Heaven.  While you are no longer on this earth, your spirit lingers on in the lives of our three amazing children.  You would be so proud of them.  They are strong, loving, successful.  They are giving and devoted spouses.   They are loving, remarkable, wonderful parents.

    They are happy.

    Our grandchildren are treasures.  I tell them about you often.  I tell them “Granddad stories”.   I wish you could have lived long enough to have met the youngest ones.  They will hear Granddad stories too.  I see so much of you in our children and, now, in the grandchildren.  No doubt, they will have your drive and your competitive streak.  They are all athletic like you.  They’re artistic like both of us.  You would love hearing them play the piano and the violin.

    Our grandchildren are incredible blessings and bring me such joy.

    From time to time, I do see a mischievous grin on their faces and I know just where that came from…

    Love always,

    Dianne

    Matching shirts in the early seventies…
    Our two older children…fifteen & a half months apart.  Joyful, busy days for a young Mom and Dad.  Here they are coloring before bedtime in our son’s “cowboy & Indian” room…
     
    late eighties at Vanderbilt University…our little cowboy grew up
    Glacier National Park and a week of backpacking…

     

    Daddy and Daddy’s girl

     

    Graduation day…Mississippi College
    Wearing her Dad’s Heroes shirt…

     

    Our youngest little bundle of forever joy…

     

    Taking a break from playing frisbee by the street lights…

    Graduation day at Indiana University…

    Our firstborn grandchild helping Granddad paint…

    Granddad talking to our daughter’s oldest two children…
    Granddad and our firstborn grandchild. At Scott and Amy’s wedding in Memphis…

     

    Granddad holding our daughter’s daughter…

     

    2004…Granddad holding our daughter’s baby girl.

     

    Granddad holding our firstborn’s firstborn…

    Playing doll clothes with our older son’s firstborn on a visit to Memphis.

     

    Granddad and our older son’s baby girl…they had been playing doll clothes and dolls in the floor with Granddad. We celebrated her second birthday that week.

     

    GrandDad, Great-Grandmom, our older son and his daughters…

     

    My three sisters and Bill on a visit when we lived in Terre Haute, Indiana. Sad to think that three of them are now in Heaven. My sister (second from right) and I remain behind on this earth…

     

    (L to R) Penny (Bill’s sister), Bobbie (Bill’s late Mom) and Bill. This was taken on one of their fun visits to Terre Haute.
    A fun photo taken at Silver Dollar City in Missouri.
    This is actually my favorite pic of the two of us…

  • Fifty years ago and a convertible…

    April 9, 2013 / 11 Comments

    It was a beautiful day in Memphis…May 1963.  We had just graduated from high school, and from the smiles on our faces, we were happy about that.  We all piled into this Morris Minor convertible and someone snapped the photo…magically capturing a moment in time.

    There were applications for college or other plans for futures already set in place.  There were over 200 of us in that graduating class.  I made it to the 10th and 20th KHS reunions, but most of my classmates I would never see again.  I wasn’t aware of that sad fact on this happy day above.

    Fifty years ago there were no computers as we know today, no internet, no email and most of us didn’t have automobiles.  We used the telephone to call one another as soon as we walked home from school to talk about our day.  Nevermind, we had just seen one another an hour or so before.  We were all great students with good grades.  We were in the Honor Society, Student Council, Talon yearbook staff and different other extracurricular activities.  We did a lot of things as groups – like roller skating on Friday nights.  We all loved roller skating!  I can still remember the thrill of skating fast in the roller rink to the sounds of the 50’s and 60’s rock and roll!  I loved skating backwards.  I would love to try roller skating again with my grandchildren…but somehow, fifty years later, I’m afraid I’d break a hip!

    Most of our mothers sewed our clothes and we all had great wardrobes.  To school we wore saddle oxfords and penny loafers (usually with white socks) or flats.  On Sundays, we wore “high heels” with hosiery.  By the time we were in college, the heels were really high and were called “spikes”!  Not as high as the platform “stilletos” today but definitely high heels.  Oh funny things, memories…

    I saw this photo for the first time yesterday on Facebook (shared by a friend in my KHS class and used with her permission).  The memories came flooding in.  You may think you have forgotten something but you haven’t.  Those memories are still there…just layered over with years and years of other memories in time.

    In case you can’t tell which one I am in the photos.  In the automobile, I’m the one standing up.  Photo below:  second from right.  😉

     

  • Sewing days…

    March 30, 2013 / 10 Comments

    I’ve spent the past few days sewing a vintage-look apron for my daughter…who spends so much of her time in the kitchen.  I used Simplicity pattern #4987, view 5.  We both fell in love with this delightful fabric from Michael Miller fabrics entitled “lil’ cowgirl” at Hobby Lobby.  I also purchased the adorable “lil’ cowpokes” boy fabric and the accompanying red and blue bandana prints.  The fabric is a soft, high-quality cotton.   I used a cream colored high-quality cotton for the lining.  My two sweet daughters-in-love will be happy to know that I am making one for each of them too since they are also terrific gourmet cooks!  Eventually, I’ll make one for me as well even though my time is the kitchen is definitely limited.  😉

    I have also been busy knitting and sewing baby blankets.  I have not ventured past “knitting and purling” and am still a beginner (so, all of you fabulous knitters don’t look too closely!)   I don’t think my precious 18-month-old granddaughter will care though.  So far, I have knitted two blankets for her…this is one of them.

    I love this soft fleece blanket below which isn’t as orange as it looks in the photo. 

    I mitered the corners and did a blanket stitch around it with the sewing machine.

    The quilt below is one of my favorites!  It is a soft high-quality cotton which will only get better each time it is washed.    The quilt is filled with white Soft & Natural cotton batting which is warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  I have hand-quilted around all the designs of the Suzy’s Zoo pattern. 

    It is so cute and I think she will love it!

    I’m in the process of sewing several other quilts and blankets for her and her baby sister who is due mid-August.  With two babies, lots of blankets will be needed!  Can you tell this Grandmom is excited?!  I will be there for a visit on April 20th but I will mail these ahead of time since there will not be room in my suitcase!

  • Easter is coming…

    March 29, 2013 / 3 Comments

     

    I couldn’t help but think about Mary, the mother of Jesus, this past week as I looked into the face of a beautiful, sleeping baby and held him in my arms.  Could you even imagine holding the Saviour in your arms?  Mary knew who He was.  The angel had appeared to her before conception and she knew this was, indeed, a virgin birth.  Did she think Jesus would grow up to be a carpenter…forever?  I truly wonder what she thought it meant for her baby son to be the Saviour of the world?  The long awaited Saviour.  The sacrificial Lamb of God.  Honestly, I don’t believe the mother of Jesus ever considered a cross for her baby…

    Easter is coming.  Whatever troubles us, confuses us, bewilders us or hurts us…Easter is coming.  There’s an answer…thank God.  What has always amazed me is that Almighty God came to us in the form of a helpless infant.  What incredible, perfect love.

    Remember, however, He didn’t remain a baby.  Mary watched Jesus grow up…perfect and wise beyond his years.  Remember when they found him as an older child teaching in the temple?  You know the story.  It’s one of my favorites.

    The destiny of Jesus was the cross…His choice.  Remember, He could have called twelve legions of angels…72,000 angels…to save Him, but He didn’t.  He died for you and me.  Jesus knew He would be resurrected.  He told his disciples just that.  Would you have believed that anyone would arise from the grave after three days?  Would I?  It’s because of this resurrection and the fact that Jesus is indeed alive that you and I have any hope at all, especially the hope of salvation.  Salvation which comes through repentance of our sins and belief in Him.  Read all about it in the incredible gospel of the book of John.  Go brew yourself a cup of coffee or tea, curl up in a chair by the window and read the wonderful book of John from the beginning to the very end.  You’ll be amazed all over again.

    Easter is coming and Jesus is alive…

     

    Originally published in My Southern Heart on March 30, 2010.

    Note:  the picture above came from this site.

  • Apple pie…

    March 27, 2013 / 4 Comments

    As I’ve mentioned before, cooking for one is no fun.  So, the only time I truly enjoy cooking these days is when I have my daughter and her family over for Sunday dinner after church.  Two weeks ago, I prepared a really nice dinner of baked ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, spinach & strawberry salad and homemade biscuits.  Dessert was the delicious apple pie pictured below.

    My granddaughters (ages 9 & 13) helped me prepare the salad and biscuits.  They love being in the kitchen and that’s a good thing.  I had made a 10″ homemade apple pie the night before and it turned out very well.  This is an excellent recipe.  In place of the spices in the recipe, I used 2 teaspoons of Tones Apple Pie spice.  It was delicious!  It was such a large pie, even after serving all of us, I sent half of it home with them!

    Now, I’m looking forward to cooking Easter dinner for them this Sunday…

    Perfect Apple Pie

    Recipe for double crust pastry: 

    2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut up

    1/4 cup vegetable shortening

    5-6 tablespoons+ cold water

    Sift together the flour and salt.  Using a pastry blender, cut the butter and shortening into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Slowly add the water stirring with a fork…until the dough holds together.  Handle the dough “gently” so the crust does not become “tough”.  Divide the dough in half.  Sprinkle flour on to a pastry board or cloth and roll out the bottom crust.  Add your fruit mixture and then your top crust.

    applepie

    Apple Pie filling:

    Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

    4 tart apples (like Granny Smith)

    4 sweet apples (like McIntosh)

    2 tablespoons lemon juice

    1/2 up firmly packed light brown sugar

    1/2 granulated sugar

    1/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour

    1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

    1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

    1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

    2 tablespoons butter

    1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon cold water mixed

    (If you have Tones Apple Pie Spice, you can substitute 2 teaspoons of that for the spices above)

    Peel, core and slice the apples into a bowl.  Toss the apples with the lemon juice.

    Combine the flour, sugars and spices.  Sprinkle over the apple slices and combine well.

    Spoon the apple mixture into the bottom crust.  Cut up the 2 tablespoons of butter and scatter around on the apple slices.

    Place the rolled-out top crust on the pie.  Fold the top edges of the pastry over and under the bottom crust.  Crimp the edges to seal.  Cut slits in the top crust.  Combine egg and water and use pastry blush to glaze over crust.

    Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425 degrees THEN

    *reduce* the temperature to 375 degrees.

    Bake until the filling is bubbly and the pie crust is golden – about 30 minutes more.  Ovens will vary.

    Enjoy!