Barn Cats

I have mentioned before that awhile back we discovered some kitties living in our barn. Laura was the one who made the discovery and spent quite a bit of time sitting out there observing them and trying to befriend them. I think it worked, because they eventually started visiting our back patio and peering in the windows -

It might also be because she started feeding them cat food, hot dogs and bologna. So now, most every morning and evening, we see this sight at one of the back doors -

We throw some food out to them, which they gobble up . . .

. . . with ever a watchful eye out for danger – they are still quite afraid of us and run off when we come outside -

We used to think that these two were mother and baby, but now I am more inclined to think that they are siblings. They are the only ones who visit us so close, but we have spotted others around the barn also, although we’re not sure if they are living there or just visiting. Laura has spotted a gray cat a few times and we’ve seen this one a number of times as well – possibly the mother? She was quite attracted to the birdfeeder and I was glad that all the birds flew away when she entered the area -

Our two indoor cats are not too thrilled about the presence of the barn cats – Missy growls at them through the window – when she’s awake, that is – most of the time she looks like this -

She can’t help it – she’s an old lady and likes to spend her time dozing. Macey, who is young and much more active, keeps a sharp eye on them when they’re around. She has taken to sitting on this shelf while peering out at them – maybe she thinks she’s hiding there and can secretly spy?! -

We think they are really cute and, though we’re not quite sure what we are going to do with them yet, we’re enjoying watching their antics and their sweet faces -

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,
Nancy

Look Who’s Here!

Can you tell who they are? Do you see that tell-tale red breast? Yes, they’re robins! I could hardly believe it when I looked out my kitchen window and saw them. And then I ran outside to take a picture to share with you.

Now I know it is only January, but these guys (gals?) still put the thrill of Spring in my heart when I see them.

Maybe their arrival means that Spring will come early this year?

“A new note of joy from the orchard,
A glimpse of a vest reddish-brown
A little gray head cocked sideways -
Sir Robin has come back to town.

He seems to be glad that I notice,
As I watch for his lady’s down,
And call out to others in gladness,
‘Sir Robin has come back to town.’

Though Winter is ruddy and jolly,
Miss Spring is the maid of renown -
And our hearts sing a glad song of welcome
When the Robins have come back to town.”
– M. Lucille Ford

Blessings,
Nancy

Snickerdoodles

I finally did it! I finally baked a batch of Snickerdoodles. I have never made them before, and have been wanting to for a few months, and yesterday turned out to be the day.

They were so simple to make, and it was a fun family activity, as I had 5 children helping me roll and sugar them.

I know there are many Snickerdoodle recipes out there, but mine came from this cookbook -

This particular recipe is credited in the cookbook to Michelle Goodard.

Here is the recipe -

Snickerdoodles

1 Cup shortening
1 1/2 Cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 Cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional sugar and cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cream the shortening, sugar, and eggs until light and fluffy. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract. Shape into balls the size of walnuts. Roll each ball in cinnamon/sugar. Bake on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes, watch carefully so they don’t burn. Makes 5 dozen cookies.

Note: kids love them!

Quick, easy, and scrumptious!

Blessings,
Nancy

What we woke up to ~

An icy wonderland ~

“. . .Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake;
Are frosted like a wedding-cake.”
-Robert Louis Stevenson

School has been cancelled ~
The hot cocoa is ready in waiting ~
Let the sliding begin!

Blessings,
Nancy

From the Learning Room – “Stopping By Woods…”

Last week our study was on the poem/book “Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost with illustrations by Susan Jeffers.

This is a lovely poem to study in January, especially in Texas where we don’t get to experience snow very often. I thought that this would be a wonderful poem for us to memorize. When I mentioned this to the children, they insisted that they could never do that! However, by the end of the week, without even trying, they had it down, just from reading it, studying it, and living with it all week. They had such fun reciting it over and over, and were pleased that they were able to do it after all. One of our activities for the week included cutting out snowflakes to tape on the dining room windows.

We discussed Robert Frost, which led us into a discussion of John F. Kennedy, as Frost recited poetry at JFK’s inauguration, and then died two years later, along with the President. We discussed taking a field trip to downtown Dallas to visit the museum there sometime.

We also discussed rhyme and rhyme scheme and were easily able to decipher the rhyme scheme of Frost’s poem (A-A-B-A, B-B-C-B . . .)

As Mom read about how snowflakes are formed and why snow is important to us (besides the fun!), the children created these snow pictures using pencil erasers dipped in paint and a snowflake punch.

We looked for the artist’s hidden animals throughout the book and discussed her use of black and white with only small touches of color. We also discussed hibernation of animals – why, when, how, where, and who.

The man in the poem left a gift of seeds and grasses for the wild animals to enjoy in the forest, which led to our final activity of the week – the making and hanging of birdseed pinecones.

The supplies – pinecones, peanut butter, birdseed, and ribbon -

I tied a length of ribbon on each pinecone and then the children spread peanut butter all over the pinecones -

Next, they rolled their pinecone in the bird seed, coating it well -

We hung these in the trees by the bird feeders, so that they birds would see them when they came to the feeders, and so that we could watch them through the kitchen window!

I think these went up just in time, as an ice storm is due today and now the birds will have an extra treat to ease the icy days.

Our Five In A Row meal for the week was one of comfort and warmth after coming in on a snowy evening – Tater Tot Casserole, with Peach Crisp for dessert -

It was a very nice week, and we did manage to fit in that trip to the ice rink for 3 of the children -

I’m hoping to write up a post about the skating and post more pictures soon.

I especially loved this book because of the emphasis on the enjoyment of nature and taking time out of our daily busyness to stop and marvel at the glorious creation of our Lord – a reminder that we all need from time to time.

Stay warm and enjoy a nice cup of hot cocoa – we’ll certainly be indulging a bit today!

Blessings,
Nancy

The Simple Woman’s Daybook ~ January 26

Outside my window. . .cold, cold, cold!! . . . overcast and a bit drizzly. The temperatures will be dropping and we will be getting sleet and freezing rain over the next few days.
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I am thinking. . .that I’m glad that I refilled the bird feeders yesterday, so the birds will be able to easily find food when the ice hits.
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From the learning room. . .We will be reading “Owl Moon” by Jane Yolen this week. Included in our studies will be – a study of owls, woodland habitats, the moon and it’s phases, metaphors and similes, hours of daylight and dark, as well as discussions on rules, maturity, self-control, bravery and realistic expectations. I am still working on an art idea – maybe something like owl faces made out of different seeds.
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I am thankful for. . .a God who is bigger than my circumstances.
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From the kitchen. . .Chicken Tetrazini, Tossed Salad, and Garlic Bread, with something chocolatey for dessert – not sure yet what.
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I am wearing. . .a cream colored long-sleeved shirt with beaded trim, blue jeans and socks.
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I am creating. . .a menu list for the next 3 weeks – until the next payday!
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I am going. . .to be staying inside a lot this week. I don’t go out when there’s a hint of ice on the streets!
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I am reading. . .I want to start a new read-aloud with the kids – something wintery and cozy – time to peruse the shelves.
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I am hoping. . .we will survive the next three days with Jack (the hyperactive Labrador) in the house.
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I am hearing. . .children talking in the living room, some type of construction machinery running south of our property, my nose sniffling (yes, I finally did catch the cold – but so far, it’s not too bad.)
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Around the house. . .much disarray, as I’m in the middle of cleaning out and reorganizing the playroom, which is requiring the moving around of toys, furniture and lots of books; some lovely new Longaberger baskets that have been arriving in the mail (recent Ebay purchases), and Jeff is working from home today! (and probably the next few days as well, once the streets ice over.)
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One of my favorite things. . .a warm, cheesy casserole on a cold, winter’s evening.
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A few plans for the rest of the week. . .staying inside keeping warm, finishing the playroom project, playing lots of board games, drinking lots of hot chocolate, watching some movies, and working on my quilts.
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Here is a picture thought I am sharing. . .

A yummy birdseed treat for our feathered friends (post forthcoming!).

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To read more Daybook entries please visit Peggy at The Simple Woman’s Daybook, and have a lovely day!

Blessings,
Nancy

Park Fun

We have been having some really beautiful weather off and on the last couple of weeks. Today was in the upper 70’s and tomorrow will be as well. Then we are supposed to dip into the 40’s for highs over the weekend. This has been the pattern for most of January – no complaints here! Last week we took advantage of one of those 70 degree days and spent the afternoon at the park. Here is some of our fun -

David climbing up a mountain -

Anna was proud of herself for mastering these ropes without falling through -

Tommy’s favorite part was the log roll -

Michael had fun sliding down the slide “Ralphie” style (from “A Christmas Story”) -

A silly smile -

Michael climbing up the chute -

A beautiful smile -

David climbing – he did great on the playground, being almost 3 now, he was able to handle all of it without me hovering around to catch him! -

The twirly slide was a definite hit -

Another beautiful smile -

Even Jack enjoyed the beautiful day -

Fresh air + fun = a very satisfied smile -

Have a nice evening!

Blessings,
Nancy

Raspberry Pretzel Salad

Here is the raspberry pretzel salad that I made for dinner this week. It turned out well and we all enjoyed eating it for several days. I have made this before, but couldn’t find my recipe, and then this new cookbook arrived in the mail from Gooseberry Patch and it just happened to have the recipe in it!

This salad is also delicious made with strawberries, but I am such a raspberry lover, that this is my favorite way to make it. Here is the recipe -

Pretzel Salad

2 Cups pretzels, coarsely crushed
3/4 Cup margarine or butter, melted
1 Cup plus 4 Tablespoons sugar, divided
8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
8-oz. carton whipped topping
6-oz. package raspberry or strawberry gelatin
2 Cups boiling water
2-10 oz. packages frozen raspberries or strawberries

Mix pretzels, margarine or butter, and 4 Tablespoons of sugar together. Spread into a greased 13 x 9 pan and bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes. Allow to cool.

Combine cream cheese and remaining sugar; fold in whipped topping and spread over cooled pretzel mixture.

Dissolve gelatin in 2 Cups of boiling water in a separate bowl; stir in raspberries (or strawberries) until berries start to separate and gelatin starts to thicken. Pour over cheese mixture; refrigerate until set.

Serves 12.

Enjoy!

Blessings,
Nancy

Grandma’s Apron

The aprons in the picture above are from my collection – the fruit apron was actually my grandmother’s apron, while the other three are some that Jeff bought me – he likes to hunt for them on Ebay for me and usually buys those with hand stitchery or quilting, and, of course, gingham, because he knows how much I love it!

My Mom sent me this e-mail and I loved it so much I just had to share it here.

The History of Aprons

I don’t think our children know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma’s apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children’s tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the Fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ‘old-time apron’ that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER:

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. I don’t think I ever caught anything from an apron . . . but Love!!

I don’t know who wrote this, but it brightened up my day! I hope it did your’s too! And I’ll certainly be thinking about all of these things the next time I pull out one of my aprons to wear!

Have a lovely day!

Blessings,
Nancy

The Simple Woman’s Daybook ~ January 19

Hello! I’m a little late with my Daybook today, as I had to take Sarah to the Dr. this morning with an ear infection and then the Internet has been acting up. Most of our household has been battling an ugly cold/cough for the last week or so, but thankfully this is our first trip to the Dr. – maybe not the last – I’m still watching Anna, who may need to go soon if she doesn’t start turning the corner. Between Sarah being up several times in the night, Michael waking with a bad dream, David and Anna waking up alternately, and my own staying up until 1:00 watching Lord of the Rings with Jeff and Laura – it wasn’t a very restful night, and I’m feeling a bit tired today. Hopefully, Sarah will sleep better tonight (and everyone else!), and I can get more rest. Anyway, better late than never with my Daybook entry for today ~

Outside my window. . .Bright sunny skies with a temperature in the mid-50’s. Jack is basking in the sun in his dog run, and all of the Christmas lights have been removed from the house for another year.
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I am thinking. . .not much today – mostly mush.
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From the learning room. . .we are studying the Robert Frost poem “Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening”. We discussed Robert Frost today, as well as John F. Kennedy, and the effect of repetition in poetry. This afternoon the children will cut out snowflakes and we will tape them to the dining room windows. The rest of the week we will be discussing rhyme and rhyme scheme, reading poetry by various poets, discussing snow and its formation and usefulness, hibernation of animals, and medium and style in art. We will be painting snow pictures and making peanut butter/birdseed pinecones for the birds. In our Bible lesson, we are discussing the fruit of the Spirit: peace, which goes along nicely with our poetry study. Now, if I could only order snow for the week!
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I am thankful for. . .medicine to take when we are ill.
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From the kitchen. . .Chicken Stuffing Casserole with Swiss Cheese, Mixed Vegetables, and Raspberry Pretzel Salad – the one that I was suppossed to make last week, but didn’t when I realized we were out of pretzels. If you’re wondering how the Chicken and Dumplings went – I didn’t end up making that either, since we decided to enjoy the beautiful weather and spend the afternoon at the park, and so I have postponed it until another time.
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I am wearing. . .lavender polo shirt, blue jeans and white Keds.
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I am creating. . .I will be starting my new Block of the Month quilt as soon as possible – a Seasonal Row by Row Sampler quilt. The Beattitudes quilt I have been working on is actually last year’s BOM program (which I got woefully behind on). I will still be working on that one, but need to start the new one, because it uses Thangles to make lots of little squares and triangles and I have never used them before. If I can’t figure them out, the quilt store is offering a class at the end of the month for help if I need it.
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I am going. . .to be working on decluttering Anna’s room, so that we can paint it.
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I am reading. . .still “Stepping Heavenward” and “Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxiety”.
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I am hoping. . .for a good night’s sleep tonight.
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I am hearing. . .Tommy playing Jingle Bells on the piano for the tenth (twentieth?) time, some other children moaning every time he starts it yet again, the bell on the dryer going off – summoning me to fold.
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Around the house. . .all of the Christmas decorations finally headed back up into the attic yesterday, so things look much less cluttered, some thriving Poinsettias that I can’t stand to throw away after Christmas, and Anna has set up a tea party for her dolls on a blanket on the floor of my bedroom.
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One of my favorite things. . .little girls and tea parties.
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A few plans for the rest of the week. . .cleaning the house, eye dr. apptmt. rescheduled from last week (the dr. got sick!), ladies study at church, a midnite showing of “Inkheart” for Jeff, Laura, Matthew, and Ryan and some of their friends, basketball games (picture day), a game party at a friend’s house for Laura, and possibly (yes, the key word is possibly, kids) a trip to the ice rink at the mall to skate.
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Here is a picture thought I am sharing. . .

Some goodies that recently came in the mail from Gooseberry Patch.

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To read more Daybook entries, please visit Peggy at The Simple Woman’s Daybook, and have a nice evening!

Blessings,
Nancy