Monday Muggings--Microscopic alien beings

Sometimes known as germs...are gone!

We did not eat as much as our eyes desired on Thanksgiving day, but on 'leftover day' [which was Saturday] we had to finish all the stuff, and also add some Bratts that #5 barbecued--they were a nice welcome.

The attacking microscopic alien beings had me in a furious battle, so, the very kind Mrs. #5 took it upon herself to fetch many pies of different flavours from our local 'excellent pie baker' So dear of her! Thank you.

I'm altering some skirts for a friend.  It will be nice to do these.  They need a new casing for elastic.  In the tropical village where they live, it is cooler to have elastic than a regular waist band.  She will be going back next week after her sister's wedding.

This week I have no burr under my saddle, and nothing caught in my craw... except...this latest pestilence. 

Some of our children have had the same thing...but one of them lives many states away and have not been together (in person) with them for months.   Then a friend at one of the shores had it also, and at the same time, with the same, same, same, exact symptoms...?  We are thousands of miles apart. How can that be?  Did any of you have this?

 It began with a tickle in the throat, and a slight fever.  And soon a sinus pain all over my face, and on my jaw and the glands under my jaw. (I had only one other sinus thing in my life) Then a big fever for a couple of days, all the while having a 'clear' runny nose.  The last thing was a huge cough, I would say convulsive at times. [that would only stop when I 'rinsed' my nose on the inside].  Boy-o-boy, I am glad it's gone.

 It was not a regular cold, and it was not 'the flu'--the baffling thing still remains, how can we three have the same thing at the same time when we had no contact with each other.  Only electronically.  Well, that will remain 'puzzlement' until they say that some foreign evil conspiracy from the bad guys did this to us.  Sure...that's it.

Well, I'm not eating the Thanksgiving 'table' until next year, and I shall fare well.

I'll leave you with this:

 "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves". Philippians 2:3

In His hands,  ^__^

'head cold'...for the birds!, and on Thanksgiving week...sigh..,

What a pain! Yesterday I was 'out of it' with a fever, today...much better, and no fever.  Lots and lots of garlic cloves [which I could not taste, rather smell--it makes me think that my sinuses were badly attacked] and lots of vitamin C.

Mr. PeasantHouse made dinner and did the dishes...what a huge thing that was for me.  So, this post may not be very long.  Still have to bake the six or more pies, and prepare the turkey to take to my Mom's to bake.  She offers her oven every year to free-up everyone else's oven for the day in question.  This is also a giant help.  I prepare the turkey with my 'secret, ancient' recipe--Reynolds oven bags...love them!--and there is not looking or basting or any interfering with the baking process.  Wednesday in the pm I prepare the bird and bring it to my Mom's refrigerator and Thursday about 10am someone places it in the oven [it is too heavy for her to lift and carry]  The bird is ready shortly after noon, and does not get out of the bag until ready for carving, later.

I've watched many turkey recipes and styles of baking all the traditional dishes, but I'm pleased with what we've been making for a few years. 

I wish you all to have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING day with your families. Do not forget to thank the Lord for all the bakers, cooks, assemblers, carriers of tables and chairs, and for the table fellows, who will be eating with you; but, especially for those who were not able to join you.

I'll leave you with this:

 "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
  They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright."   Psalms 20:7-8

In His hands,   ^__^

Pondering...on the word Self

All this baking has caused me to ponder on a phrase I read.  Someone wrote of 'self' in the Christian woman's context, that writing was doctrinally inferior by its Biblical deficiency...but that phrase made me wonder why it was so inane.

The piece (which was pathetic)had the phrase "left of self" (that is, what remains of self) So then, I thought, when all is said and done: what is left of self is actually "Left of self" I will explain:  I mean directionally-wise.  Meaning actually that the only vestige that is left IS on the left, not on the right.  I know, I know...bare with me.

When self is used in the Bible it is not alone [as we use it today as a stand-alone-entity] it is always accompanied with the word 'own'. So "own self"appears 6 times in scripture.  But as part of a word, it appears 977 times, i.e., thineself, himself, selfsame, myself, etc.

{A note in an old person's Bible said "Self is fles(h)" well, I partially agree...it would be so in today's usage.}

Now...consider this approach.  The use of our words 'right' and 'left' come from the latin dexter and sinister. 
Dexter is the root of the word dexterity which means industrious or productive, by means of using one's right hand primarily.
And Sinister standing all by itself needs no definition.  It is all done (implied) with the left hand, or all that is 'backwards' 'untoward' '\badly' 'evil' etc.  I did not originate the usage.  It's been around for centuries...albeit the use of 'dexter' has lost its bravado, and some people call their dogs Dexter.  My favourite use is Ambidextrous:  which means 'right handed on both sides' [you know, ambi=both, dexter=right hand...]

Well, look here for etymologies, for your own self improvement (mwahaha)

Gotta go and continue baking, next...peach pies with crumble topping...one might call them 'Dutch' peach pies.

I'll leave you with this:

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

In His hands,  ^__^

Baking Season

This is the season for baking.  One thing for sure, nothing can be put off, or all the baking will be piled on one day.  We cannot have that!

Mr. PeasantHouse has his office's Thanksgiving feast--several things for that.
Sadly, a funeral at our church--elderly elder passed on--several things for that.
People coming over for a visit--some things for that.
Regular daily eating--several things for that.

So, dear girls, I'll be living by the oven...good thing that the weather is cold--loving that!

More than likely, there will be no pictures.  But in lieu of my pictures, look at someone else's blog--and there are tons of them--who will show you food pictures (I'm so mean!)

I endeavour to keep you updated.

I'll leave you with this:

"O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
  For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD." Psalms 117:1-2
 
In His hands,  ^__^

Knitted Dishrags--Crocheted Hot Pads

Wanted to show you that I'm almost finished making these hot pads.  This red one may not be the last one.  I could make a cream one also.  It depends how long I have.

These are a gift for friend...bridal shower tomorrow...



I cannot find the link for this crocheted one--you know it's like a pouch and then it is joined askew.  I'll link it on another post.

These two are a sort of replica from my little circles from which I'm making a sweater for me.  Their  purpose is to be hot pads for the table.

These two knitted dishcloths are from Homespunliving's blog.  She has both tutorials here and here.  Thank you Deb.

 I used Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Cotton" it is very, very soft and does not split in knitting nor crocheting. Wonderful, and in my opinion, better than "Peaches and Cream"

 Made this "drop peach cake" from Gardenfork He uses a square 9 inch cake pan, but I don't have one of those so I used two 9 inch pie pans--because a 9 inch circle contains less volume than a 9 inch square, but you knew that. 

 I took a little taste from the stainless steel pan...while it was still hot...it is awesome...!

I'll leave you with this:

"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." Hebrews 3:12

In His hands,  ^__^

Monday Muggings: Thanksgiving...where did it go?

I read an interesting essay by Dr. Gipp, on the fate of Thanksgiving.

The author lamented that ALL the stores have the Oct 31st's horrible decorations, everywhere, and right on the heels of those decorations come the December 25th decorations. 

I thought that his observation was interesting, and left it at that. 

Well, I went to Hobby Lobby again, I really like that store.  They do not 'do' October 31st--for which I am very glad--so I shop only there during those days.  All of our other fabric and craft shops have 10-31 plastered all over the place in every shape, size and design.  I make it a point NOT to go to any of those shops during their promotions of such an event--it took me a while to decide NOT take advantage of their HUGE sale on some fabrics and notions.

Back to my disappearing Thanksgiving...Two weeks ago I received the fabric shop's sales catalog which started on the following Sunday (10-31) and on the cover was 12-25 ALL OVER that catalogue.  They had SKIPPED Thanksgiving! just as the astute aforementioned author had stated...

They have taken my Thanksgiving away...only the grocery stores have some sort of allusion to it by the stuffing--canned corn--baking bags--canned pumpkin et.al.  Some grocery stores may have displays of assorted sizes and colors of gourds, but that's it. 

Our Thanksgiving Holiday has gone from the remembrance of thanking God for His provision of the Plymouth Rock folks, to the Pilgrims thanking the Indians/Native Americans for introducing them to "corn",  to Turkey Day, to making stuffing with some vegan turkey! Whaaaaaa.....??!!!!

I am STILL grateful to our Great and Wonderful God for having brought a group of gutsy families to this coast for the purpose of giving God the glory for their accomplished enterprise in the name of their Sovereign King James the first (with all of his titles)...and...our family will be remembering that event, and once again thanking God, our Great and Wonderful God for His continual provision...at all times. 
Join us in remembering what this FOURTH THURSDAY IN NOVEMBER is for.

I'll leave you with this:

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:"   Psalms 103:2

In His hands,  ^__^


P.S.  If you don't want to fulfill the doom sayers sayings, and would like to avoid the 'unpleasant family' thing...be grateful for being part of YOUR family and not some other horrible family worse than yours...  "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" Ephesians 5:20

      

Monday Muggings--Huh? is it Monday again?!...coffee roast.

[I had some babies on Friday...they are a blessing!...and did not pick up the toys with which they played...did not go to the living room until this morning...so...I thought that these blocks would make a good picture...KU colors and all...]

The coffee was good this morning, ok, rabbit trail...got some coffee this weekend and was 'hit' again with the changes in the coffee cans.  I buy coffee in the two pound--so called--can, and you may not know this, but when I was a child the coffee can was 3lbs, and then it became a 2lbs can.  All the coffee companies did the same.  I have been a fan of HILLS BROTHERS for some time, ever since the guy on the can was a man in a "1001 Arabian Nights Tales" costume with a demitasse in his hand.  Later on, maybe in the 80s the guy was cut back to a picture of the upper torso, arms and head, albeit still wearing the turban and with demitasse in hand.  More recently, the guy became a "Juan Valdez" look-alike.  I wrote to the company asking why they had adopted those changes and I received no reply.  But, companies will do whatever is necessary to stay competitive and with "9-11" and all, I do not blame them for wanting to come away from their former glorious pictures which may have associated them with Islam.  Perhaps they changed their coffee provenance from Indonesian Sumatran or Java, to all Colombian.  

The last 2  Hills Brothers cans that I bought had a much darker coffee--I do not like the 'burned'/over-roasted/french type of coffee, I much prefer the dark golden color bean which make a full flavour coffee with no bitterness.

So...I decided to change brands and see if their labels displayed 'truth in advertising'...not so much...OK, so I bought a can of  MAXWELL HOUSE which was labeled MILD, and a can of FOLGERS which was, also, labeled MILD...I don't think so!  

I compared the three coffees and they all looked the same [you don't think that they all come from the same vat, do you?] and they tasted the same.  Whaaaaaaat????  They are--all three--equally bitter.  

This ploy will not deter me from finding a dark golden roasted bean, and I say "down with chocolate-chip-looking roasted bean"...

I'm just saying...

But not to leave it just there, and while I'm on the subject...the "NEW" can of Hills Brothers is only two thirds the size it used to be just a few weeks ago--but the same price as before. [at walmart] I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO BE HONEST AND RAISE THE PRICE AND LEAVE THE CAN SIZE AS ALWAYS. 

 Now, to needlepoint:  This is a pillow that I designed and stitched [(C) (R)] for our church's nursery [a couple of years ago, and had never taken a picture of it.  Got one now!  It is part of I Corinthians 15:51 and very appropriate for the nursery.  They have treated it well, considering the numbers of babies that have passed through there.

Still busy with the home improvements:  carpeting may be the next thing...or not! Prices, budget, quality, budget, neeeeeed new carpet, budget...

I have nixed the pink and the patterned large gold sample.  I am leaning towards the cream/gold and the light olive green.  Maybe bedrooms in the cream and the dining and family room in green.  Have not decided what color to do the living room. 

 The close up does not do justice to the colors.  The pink is not so 'agressive' and gold is not so light.  The green is yellower.  I tried flash and no flash, but I cannot reproduce the actual color. Oh..well...

 Last but not least...the sunset was glorious...It gave everything a golden glow...I should like to have those colors in a sweater, but with the glow of the sunset, which is not achievable in wool...

 Just a couple of minutes made all the difference, during this scene everything was orange-ish and reddish...
Mr. PeasantHouse took the pictures...so beautiful!

I'll leave you with this:

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"  Philippians 1:6

In His hands,  ^__^