Brandy on the Old Homestead

This was Brandy, the horse I loved and wrote about a few days ago. I didn't have a good close-up photo handy at the time, so I asked my sister to send one.

Looking at this picture makes me remember with fondness so many good times in that pasture. See the tall pines in the "back forty" (on the left of our fence)?  I remember helping Daddy plant 450 pine saplings. I was 12 years old; it was the summer of 1977, a year after we moved to our three-acre farmette in Dublin, Maryland.

Daddy marked straight rows with rope, I think, and tied a red bandana around a point on my 26" bicycle tire.  How far apart should one plant pine trees that will be some 40-50 feet high at maturity? Whatever that distance was, Daddy had researched or made a well-educated guess, and had calculated how many rotations of the tire it would take between holes.

We joked about how our tree-planting talk sounded like a  mixed up mantra of what to do if you're ever on fire.   Instead of "stop, drop, and roll," the bike-pushing/hole-digging/plant-placing routine became "roll, stop, and drop."

The memory of that day is sweet; Daddy was so patient, loved to work, enjoyed the math, relaxed in the great outdoors, got to be with his girls doing something productive. The quintessential conservationalist, engineer, and father.

When the saplings were three years old, they were tall enough to be Christmas trees. That was fun to pick our tree from our own property. Of course we never cut them down; we dug them up, and after Christmas, if the ground was warm enough, we'd help  Daddy replant it.  One year the ground was so frozen in early January  that Mama decided to keep the tree up until the American hostages were released in Iran.  

Funny how one photo can bring back a flood of memories.  And how the smell of a pine tree at Christmas makes me feel like I'm 12 again.

Call me a Comet, not a Vixen, in the Hodgepodge

 I only got 4.5 hours of sleep last night and have been busy on this second snow day of the school year.  Think I can answer some of today's headier questions?

Giddy-up!  Giddy-up! Let's go!

1. Are you doing anything special to mark this season of Advent? If so please share.

Sadly, no.  When the older kids were little, there were several years that we celebrated Advent.
I would give anything to have video of them reading passages from the Bible by candlelight.  I don't know why we abandoned the tradition, but I remember it being a tradition that took a lot of energy on my part to initiate and perpetuate, and I found myself feeling (and sounding) like a whiner instead of a worshiper about the whole thing.


2. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen...and of course you recall, the most famous reindeer of all...so, which reindeer name best describes you this week? 


What a creative question. The answer took some thinking.

I hope I haven't been a Vixen (according to definition #2 listed there).  I think I've been pretty easy-going.   

I'm going to say I've been Comet,  feeling like I have  had a universe of ideas in my head and going so fast you only see my tail as I pass through your atmosphere. .  Okay, that's quite a stretch. And  a hilarious image to me and anyone who knows me.

 

3. What's worse-too quiet or too loud? Which have you had more of lately?

The only time "too quiet" bothers me is:

1. when my children got that way when they were little, meaning they were up to no good, or had gone missing, or were choking

2.  when there is tension in the air and I feel like the one who's in trouble

3.  when I'm alone and feeling lonely

As a general rule, I can't stand things (or people) being loud.  But my house is not too loud.  What noise happens (Ravens games on TV, hubby playing guitar, son making a video, texts "binging" on my phone)  I tend to like it.

I have probably had too much quiet lately.

4. This question comes to you from Zoanna over at A Penchant for Pens-thanks Zo! 

When you are administratively gifted, how often do you find yourself not trusting less gifted people to do what they've committed to do?  If you are not so gifted that way, but are reliable, how do you feel when the stronger person (in that area) goes ahead and covers it before giving you a chance to come through? 

You're welcome! Thanks for using the question that had arisen from my real life.

Depending on the situation, I can be the administrative type (and I've had to be as a teacher) but I am definitely not what I'd call gifted that way.  A gifted administrator, to my way of thinking, not only knows how to "keep all the ducks in a row," but also how to delegate with wisdom and grace. Part of that is knowing how to graciously ask for help, how to make the instructions clear, when to give guidance, and how to let creative and independent workers do their part without steamrolling them.

I am definitely reliable. I don't say yes to commitments quickly; I make sure I can follow through, and once I give my word, I keep it as much as humanly possible.  However, I am neither fast  (remember NOT a comet!) nor particularly good at having my ideas vetoed or my work scrapped in mid-completion by administrators who didn't make their expectations clear or who had said "Do what you want" when want they really mean is, "Do it my way."   Most of the time they want to take the credit for everything and none of the blame.

If someone delegates something to me, but then goes ahead and does it after I've WANTED to do it and SAID I would, then I feel disrespected and wonder if that person doesn't trust me.  What an awful feeling.  Communicate, people! No matter whether you're a leader or follower, a good admin person or a helper needing her hand held, by all means stay in touch!





5. What is your most dreaded task relating to the holidays? Your most looked forward to holiday task?

I dread the deeper cleaning  required (i.e. using Comet three times in one day in three different bathrooms) since our home is the hub of the family events nowadays.

It starts before Thanksgiving. In fact, I was so fatigued from cleaning for Thanksgiving that I didn't enjoy our day as much as I would have if I had had a cleaning lady.  I don't mind cleaning, but not when the to-do includes shopping (more bags), wrapping (more mess), baking (more dishes), hosting (more administration), and so on.

Most looked forward to? Gift exchanges! I love to give and receive!



6. Facebook has released its list of the 'most talked about' topics of 2013. Pope Francis took the number one spot.  Does that surprise you? He was followed by election, royal baby, typhoon, and Harlem Shake. Your thoughts? What was your most talked about topic in 2013? (Facebook, around the kitchen table, or wherever it is you talk)

In my own little corner of the world, it was my son's wedding was talked about every day from January till June, and then quite often mention until August and several times since then.  On Facebook, around the kitchen table, at the hair salon, in the car, at church, in Bible study, at the grocery store with total strangers, at the bank, at my quilt shop, on my blog, you name it. A child's wedding is a pretty big stinkin' deal.

7. What's something you consider a necessity that others might view as a luxury?

A professional pedicure.  I know I could live without them (and I went a year between them until about 2 years ago)  but I tend to get painful starts to ingrown toenails if I don't.   It's not the nail trimming I enjoy, but I love the foot scrubs and massage part of it, plus the smooth feet and pretty toes that look good for the next 6-8 weeks.  I can't get close enough to my toenails to paint them well myself.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

It snowed here Sunday and Monday, perhaps like it did where you live.  I was admiring the beauty of God's handiwork in white , when suddenly something caught my little eye in our woods.   I SPY an x-ray of a leg.  Do you see it? 

Please Pass the Butter--and the Baby

This Thanksgiving we were all most thankful for the new addition to the family, this darling baby girl.   She is my niece, but in some ways, feels as close to what I imagine a grandbaby could feel like to a woman my age.

We hosted our gathering the Sunday after Thanksgiving in order to get everyone here who wasn't already "taken" on Thursday.

My sister thought I said dinner was at 1:00,  not 2:00.  Hence me in my cooking shirt and apron.  And hence me with hardly any makeup on.   "Get self ready" was on the list for 1:30, not 12:30 !

I was trying to make Joyce's corn pudding:

Let me tell you, once that baby showed up, I was highly distracted.

Highly.

What should have taken five minutes to prepare ended up taking 25.   Measure the sugar. Hold the baby.

Pass her to her cousin Joel,  who (despite the hair that he insists is "cool" and not too long) is a cute 11-year-old.

Especially when he talks baby talk.

----

Crack the eggs.  Wash hands. Hold the baby.  The baby who is getting hungry just smelling the food in the oven.  Hungry humans can get fussy, can't they?

 Pass her off to Uncle Paul.  We call him the Babe Magnet.

Something he does  seems to calm all the wee ones. Maybe it's the thinner air up in  his arms.  

The ittle socks that look like shoes with socks, are they not the cutest?

See her darling Ravens outfit?  The onesie was made by my DIL Dee. 

Here's how it looks in the back.  Dee sewed that purple ruffle on by hand. Adorable, huh? 

Not to mention her adorable little hand touching Uncle Paul's big hand. 

Add the creamed corn, sprinkle some nutmeg on top...

Pass the sleeping beauty to Dee.

  

My daughters-in-law are going to be such  good mothers.They love children and all that goes with taking 

care of them.  

When baby woke up, Jordan was happy happy with her cousin Ben. 

My son, my firstborn, where have 25 years gone? I remember when you were this little! 

Now look at you. Look how your hands fit all the way around your baby cousin. 

You know I'm thinking it looks a lot like practice....

 "My turn! My turn!" Pass the baby to Ambrey, please. 

Ambrey kept the spit-up cloth mighty close.  Baby girl is so slobbery. Must be close to teething time. 

Speaking of teeth and drooling, 

let's eat, shall we? 

Joel took the camera and--scrunching as far back into the corner as he could--snapped the panorama of people

for whom were are all grateful. 

 And my, oh my, aren't we attractive when we aren't quite prepared for the snap of the shutter. 

I'm thinking Joel just wanted to make sure his big brother's face got into the picture, no matter how far away.   Or that his mother regretted the only picture of herself at the table.

I wanted to say "take another one" (and maybe I did) but the family was all about eating, not posing. 

Oh well. 

After all, there was turkey, stuffing and corn pudding to chow down on. 

 
We also needed to celebrate a very special someone's 79th birthday.    Here he is with all his girls.
Well, not all of them. Two couldn't be here because of a little thing called airfare.

It's bittersweet to wonder, "Is this the last year Daddy will be here?"   I want to hold onto him forever.



Mama said, "I want a picture of my two granddaughters."   For 24 years years, Sarah has been the only granddaughter--and hasn't minded.  Nor does she mind at all sharing the spotlight with Jordan.

My girl and my sister's girl.   

 Three generations... A mama, her baby girl, and her baby girl's baby girl. 

And that was about the time baby wanted to be passed off her daddy. There was a nose to play with. 

And then Ima needed another turn holding her. Please pass the baby again. 

You are getting verrrryyyy sleepy. 

And I don't just mean the baby. 

Joyce's Corn Pudding

Before I forget, or lose the link, here is the delicious recipe from Joyce which I made for Thanksgiving for the very first time.  My only regret is that I didn't double the recipe. We had 12 people here.  There were no leftovers, and I really wanted some!

I copied and pasted this from a comment she left on someone else's Hodgepodge.

Joyce's Corn Pudding:

2 T sugar
1 1/2 T cornstarch
1 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
1 (1-lb) can of creamed corn 
2 T butter
1/2 tsp salt
dash nutmeg
Mix sugar and cornstarch. Gradually add milk stirring until smooth. Add eggs, corn, butter, salt. Turn into a 1 qt baking dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Set the dish uncovered in a larger pan of hot water. Bake at 300 for 1 3/4 hours. I have upped the temp and shortened the baking time without any trouble. I think an hour at 350. It sets like a pudding. It's yummy!


I  (Zo) baked it at 350 for 70 minutes and it was perfectamundo.