Take a Stitch Tuesday - Linked Double Chain Stitch - Week 34

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday, the featured stitch is the Linked Double Chain Stitch. This stitch, by far, was one of the most confusing stitches I have attempted to do as part of this weekly challenge.

When I first saw it, I couldn't follow the written or pictorial instructions. Normally, I can do the stitch by following one or the other instructions (most often the pictures are easier to follow for me).

With the Linked Double Chain Stitch, it was a lost cause. Even removing wrong stitches and trying again didn't work. So, for that reason, there are only three incorrectly stitched stitches in my sampler. That's all I had the time or patience for with this stitch.

Since I don't plan to ever use the Linked Double Chain Stitch in the future, I didn't want to waste any more time with it. I wrote my journal entry and gratitude list, put some images on the pages, and called it a week. I was ready to move on to the next week.

As a side note, the layered circular pieces as well as the floral image on the lavender paper were ones I found when I was cleaning and organizing my office this week. In the process, I put together all the items I could use for the journal and other collage projects.

It came at a good time because I am running out of images from which to choose. The TAST project has been a good one on many levels including that I am using up what I have on hand. This has been a great way to put to use what has been sitting around in my home office for a long time now.

Interview - Martine of Whey Beyond the Naked Truth

I am happy to introduce Martine (or "Marti" as her best friends call her) Shoemaker of Whey Beyond the Naked Truth. You can also find Martine through Facebook and Twitter, and Pinterest.

Martine of Whey Beyond the Naked Truth

I read that you eat natural foods. How difficult is that to do with a young child?

My son is the very reason why my family eats natural food! We were breastfeeding but had to supplement it with formula and I could not bare the thought of giving him all of the chemicals.

This lead to researching homemade formula, which led to reading about traditional foods, which led to the realization that we would all be better off living a naked foods lifestyle. Besides, not only will it be better to get my son to eat his broccoli if we are eating it too, it will certainly make things easier to only have to cook one meal for everyone.

Any recommendations for incorporating more natural foods in one's diet?

I say be sneaky and creative. There is no reason why you can't hide kale in a smoothie or use eggplant instead of lasagna noodles. Yum.

Do you have a favorite natural foods recipe that you'd like to share?

Oh boy! There are so many! One of my favorites is Sausage, Kale, & White Bean Soup. Yes, I try to sneak kale in whenever I can.

What has been your favorite handiwork project that you've completed?

If by handiwork you mean fixing things around the house, I'm am not much of a handyman. I am more of an organizer of such tasks.

If you mean the craft projects that surround me, then I would say it would be the wedding quilt I made for myself and my husband. I had guests sign a piece of white fabric and I later went home and assembled them into a quilt. It wasn't my finest work, but it is certainly the most sentimental.

You mentioned in your blog profile that you write as a way toward healing. Could you explain that a bit more?

After having my son I was desperately trying to find my voice. I didn't want to just be known as "Corban's Mom." Simply succumbing to such a title and all that it implied was too much for me. I needed something that was for me and that I enjoy doing. Writing is just that thing.

How has blogging brought you joy?

It has provided an outlet for me. I have the opportunity to combine all things I love--my family, food, and writing. For what more could I ask?

I was always so jealous of my husband for having so many "things;" things he's could at, things he can't wait to do, things that define him, things that just make him feel better. I was in search of my "thing" when I found blogging. Maybe I can stop the search now.

You started your blog profile by joking that you went to Julliard to study drama and dance; that you were an orphanage nurse in Cambodia, and served in the Peace Corps planting trees and building houses for single mothers and widows. 

Imagine for a moment, that time, money, and resources were all readily available to you. What one thing would you absolutely love to do that would make an impact on others?

I would absolutely love to write a novel - fiction. My dream is to write something so epic that it moves to people to write about it, makes movies and coumentaries about it, and, ultimately, make the world a much better and interesting place. It may sound silly, or maybe even selfish. Nevertheless, I want to inspire. I look at people like J.K. Rowling and think, "Wow. Why can't I do that?" I want to move a generation.

P52 Photo Challenge - Heat - Week 34

The theme this week for the P52 Photo Challenge is "Heat." For the past week, it has been hot again with humidity that's rather uncomfortable. When it gets hot, there seems to be more birds who visit the bird feeders and the bird bath.

This week, there have been butterflies and hummingbirds sharing the hummingbird feeder; and a wonderful variety of birds.

On the 23rd of August, I happened to look out the kitchen window and noticed a trio of birds perched in the pine tree: a young cardinal, young oriole, and bluebird. I never see that variety of beautiful, colorful birds all at one time.

By the time I got my camera, only the oriole and cardinal remained.

Although the clarity has something to be desired, I am happy that I got a picture of these two beautiful birds close together.

3 Writers Who Inspire Me

As I think about writers who inspire me, three come to mind:

=> Henry David Thoreau - was an American author, philosopher, poet, naturalist, abolitionist, development critic, historian, surveyor, and leading transcendentalist. He is best known for his book Walden in which he reflects upon simple living in natural surroundings.

An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.

~ Henry David Thoreau ~

Sophia, Olivia, and Gretel on a walk

at William O'Brien State Park.

(Taken on June 1, 2008.)

According to Wikipedia, "Among his lasting contributions were his writings on natural history and philosophy, where he anticipated the methods and findings of ecology and environmental history, two sources of modern day environmentalism."

As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, 

so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. 

To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. 

To make a deep mental path, 

we must think over and over 

the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.

~ Henry David Thoreau ~

Purple log pathway at 

Franconia Sculpture Park.

(Taken on May 20, 2010.)

I read Walden more than once, and continue to learn and reflect upon something new in it each time I read the book.

=> Elie Wiesel - is a Romanian-born Jewish-American professor, writer, Nobel Laureate, political activist, and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald concentration camps.

I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever 

human beings endure suffering and humiliation. 

We must always take sides. 

Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. 

Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.

~ Elie Wiesel ~

According to Wikipedia, "When Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, the Norwegian Nobel Committee called him a 'messenger to mankind,' stating that through his struggle to come to terms with 'his own personal experience of total humiliation and of the utter contempt for humanity shown in Hitler's death camps,' as well as his 'practical work in the cause of peace,' Wiesel had delivered a powerful message 'of peace, atonement and human dignity' to humanity."

Peace is our gift to each other.

~ Elie Wiesel ~

Peace cranes decorating branches.

(Taken on June 12, 2011.)

Night is a memorable book that I read many years ago. It truly gives a very human perspective about the effect that the concentration camps had on the people who were there...especially those who survived that experience. The book is a powerful one about grieving and healing.

=> Julia Cameron - is an American teacher, author, artist, poet, playwright, novelist, filmmaker, composer, and journalist. She is perhaps most famous for her book The Artist's Way. She also has written many other non-fiction works, short stories, and essays, as well as novels, plays, musicals, and screenplays.

The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.

~ Julia Cameron ~

Sophia doing wet-on-wet watercolor.

She was 6 years old in this picture.

(Taken on November 4, 2007.)

I read The Artist's Way in 2003 and did the morning pages as the author suggested. It was a meaningful and life-changing experience to do that; and it is something that I would like to do again.

What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. 

When we do what we are meant to do, 

money comes to us, 

doors open for us, 

we feel useful, and 

the work we do feels like play to us.

~ Julia Cameron ~

Olivia standing next to the pillow she designed and

hand-embroidered. She won a grand champion award

at the county fair.

(Taken on July 29, 2009 when she was 6 years old.)

These writers are only three of the ones who have inspired me; helped me think about broad issues that impact the environment and people; and changed the way that I live.

3 in 30 August Update - #4

I am pleased that I was able to reach all the goals I set for August for the 3 in 30 challenge.  

1. Clean the closet in Olivia's room. By cleaning the closet, Olivia will have significantly more space to put away items that are currently in her room. This will give her more floor space in her room as well as give her more space in her closet which will help her better organize her toys and clothes.

This was completed during Week #3. If you click on the link, there are many before and after pictures; and a total count of the number of bags removed for donation, trash, and recycling.

2. Clean the other closet in my office. This closet has books for homeschooling, office supplies, and has become a place to store a variety of items.

This project took almost a full day to complete.  I knew it was going to be time-consuming because I have simply put items in and not bothered to organize anything during the past few years while my dad's health continued to decline and then he died in January 2012.

Consistently throughout 2012, I have been organizing, cleaning, de-cluttering, and trying to simplify the home so it runs more smoothly and is less stressful given what life has been like during the past few years.

Left - Before cleaning. I just kept putting stuff on the floor

since there was no more room on the shelves.

Right - After cleaning. Nothing is on floor in the front or left side. 

The majority of shelves contain homeschooling resources.

Left - The right of the closet had things falling off the shelves 

and piled high from the floor level up.

Right - All the shelves are organized. There are bags still on the floor.

However, these will be gone by December because they hold items 

from my dad. They will be divided and distributed among family members.

Left - This is the left side of the closet. 

It was the most overwhelming part to go through.

Right - Everything is now on the shelves and organized by like-type 

(e.g., paper, office supplies, cards, homeschool books, recipes).

3. Clean the built-in cupboards in the family room. The upper shelves have canned goods and homeschooling supplies; and the lower shelves have space for homeschooling work that the girls have completed. The open cubbies in the middle have games and activities.


This was done during the first week. If you click on the link, there are before and after pictures; and well as a tally of how many bags of items we donated and threw away.

Being Part of the Underground Railroad in Concord

Today's question is: "If you could have personally witnessed one event in history, what would you want to have seen?"

For the past couple of years for Sophia's homeschooling, we have focused on American history. Although there were many memorable events that took place, there is one that happened over a series of years that we read quite a bit about: the Underground Railroad.

The Underground Railroad was a network of safe houses and secret routes used by 19th-century slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause.

As we read through this part of American history, we knew that if we lived back at that time, we would be among the abolitionists who would be trying to help the slaves escape to freedom. We would not be content just sitting and witnessing an event...we would have to be involved with what was happening.

Handcuffs that Anthony Burns (a slave) had to wear. 

They were on display at the Old State House in Boston.

(Taken on September 9, 2011.)

In September 2011, Sophia, Olivia, and I visited one of the locations where the Underground Railroad was active: Concord, Massachusetts. According to the Drinking Gourd Project, there are many houses in Concord that were stops on the Underground Railroad.

This is Orchard House, where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women.

The Alcotts were dedicated abolitionists.

September 9, 2011

On the map produced by the Drinking Gourd Project, it is noted that the Orchard House was a possible place that the Alcotts hid escaped enslaved people. The Alcotts lived there from 1857-77, and held antislavery meetings there.

The home next door to the Orchard House is called the Wayside House. If you're facing  the Orchard House    (as I am when I took the picture above), it is directly to the right.

The map states that the home belonged to "Samuel Whitney, muster master of the Concord Minutemen in 1775, and his enslaved man Casey Feen." In the woods to the left of the Wayside, Casey’s plaque states,

In 1775, Casey was Samuel Whitney’s enslaved person.When the Revolutionary war came, he ran away to war, fighting for the colonies, and returned to Concord a free man.

When the Alcotts lived here from 1845-48, according to the plaque to the right of the house,

The Wayside sheltered two self-emancipated slaves during the winter of 1846-47 as they fled north to freedom in Canada. A young Louisa May Alcott learned first hand lessons about slavery here that would influence her life and writing.

Many people put their own lives and their own freedoms at risk by helping slaves escape, and their only reward was the happiness of seeing a person free. This, to me, is something that would have been rewarding to see and be a part of: helping others attain their freedom.

Villains in Snow White & The Wizard of Oz

When I read the prompt for today "Who is your favorite villain?" I drew a complete blank. I had to go to The 50 Best Movie Villains of All Time and familiarize myself with some villains.

As I looked at the list of 50 movies, I realized that I have seen very few of the ones listed. They aren't movies that I typically would watch or enjoy.

And then came my level of villain: the Queen from Snow White from 1937. That's a villain I wouldn't have nightmares about if I saw her on a big screen.

I remember my dad telling me about seeing Snow White in the movie theater when he was a boy. He would have been 5 years old when the movie came out. It remained one of his favorite movies throughout his life.

     Olivia meeting Snow White at Disneyland. This was one of the highlights for her after she tried to

escape from the ride on Snow White's Scary Adventures. 

    Olivia and I were sitting in the front seat, and were rounding the corner. Who should be there, but an animated version of the Queen.

     She let out a deafening scream, and then quickly turned around and tried to crawl over the moving car so the Queen wouldn't get her (she didn't realize that the Queen wasn't real). It literally took all my strength to hold onto her legs so she wouldn't fall off the ride. 

     We chose less scary rides after that experience.

My personal favorite from the list is definitely the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. This movie was filmed in 1939. As a side note, apparently the level of wickedness that I can handle is from the 1930s. Anything beyond that must be a bit too disturbing for me. (I learn something new about myself each day.)

The Wizard of Oz is a movie that we would watch as a family when I was growing up. It came on the t.v. about once a year. The Wicked Witch was certainly a character in the movie that frightened me as a child. Her flying monkeys...well, that was another thing...I was petrified of them. The part of the movie where they fly out the castle window was enough to send me under a blanket to hide or leave the room.

Olivia wearing a witch hat.

(Taken on January 31, 2008.)

As an adult and someone who studied theater in college, I have an even greater appreciation for the actress who played the Wicked Witch (Margaret Hamilton). Her acting, make-up, costumes, and sacrifices she made to bring this story to life are inspiring.

The distinctive green color on her face was copper. Copper happens to be an excellent conductive metal, and that's scary for someone to have on their face when there are many scenes with fire.

According to Wikipedia,"Hamilton suffered a second-degree burn on her face and a third-degree burn on her hand during a second take of her fiery exit from Munchkinland, in which the trap door's drop was delayed to eliminate the brief glimpse of it seen in the final edit.

"Hamilton had to recuperate in a hospital and at home for six weeks after the accident before returning to the set to complete her work on the now-classic film, and she refused to have anything to do with fire for the rest of the filming."

Had it not been for quick-thinking people on the set who removed the copper make-up with alcohol (an extremely painful process in itself), her burns could have been much worse. Even after the injury, Margaret Hamilton's makeup was so heavy that, for 16 hours a day, she could eat only through a straw.

Sophia and Olivia by the singing and moving Christmas trees.

They had just watched the "Wizard of Oz" a couple weeks before

going through this holiday exhibit. Even though it was festive,

Olivia had the death-grip on my hand as we walked through the trees.

I think it reminded both the girls of the scene 

with the talking trees in the "Wizard of Oz."

Between the Queen in Snow White and the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz, these characters certainly are my favorite villains...and ones that have a variety of memories associated with them.

The Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island

Two of my favorite shows growing up were The Brady Bunch  and Gilligan's Island. Both shows aired in the afternoon when I got home from school. They were shows that required absolutely no brain power whatsoever, and were good shows to transition from school to home to evening activities and homework.

The Brady Bunch involved two adults who each had three children. The father, Mike Brady (Robert Reed), was a widowed architect with sons, Greg (Barry Williams), Peter (Christopher Knight), and Bobby (Mike Lookinland). The mother, Carol Ann Martin (Florence Henderson), had three daughters: Marcia (Maureen McCormick), Jan (Eve Plumb), and Cindy (Susan Olsen).

The blended family, Mike's live-in housekeeper Alice Nelson (Ann B. Davis), and the boys' dog Tiger all end up living in a large, suburban, two-story house that was designed by Mike.

Source

What I liked about The Brady Bunch was that the girls were around the same age that I was when the show aired. My sister and I would pick who we "would be" for that show. We liked being Jan and Cindy. For some reason, we rarely picked Marcia. I think she was too old for us and had different issues. Jan had the long hair (which we both wanted) and Cindy had the cute curls (which we also wanted).

The other show that I liked was Gilligan's Island. It was created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz who also later created The Brady Bunch. Gilligan's Island was a comedy that featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It was originally filmed from 1964 to 1967. So, by the time I was watching it, it was in syndication.

Source

Basically, seven people went on a boat, there was a storm, and they became shipwrecked on an island. The castaways attempted to survive on the island on which they had been shipwrecked. Most episodes revolved around the how different the castaways were from one another, their conflicts, and their failed attempts to return home.

I remember watching the shows repeatedly throughout my childhood. My dad would come home from work and say as he headed down the stairs to his home office, "You've already watched that show."

And we would always answer, "Oh...but we don't remember all of it." In all honesty, I think we probably could have recited the lines word-for-word from some of those episodes.

Regardless of how many times we watched The Brady Bunch or Gilligan's Island, we would laugh and enjoy those shows...like we were seeing them for the first time each time we watched them.

Favorite Rainy Day Activities

Depending on what needs to get done, the time of day, and my energy level, there are a number of things that I enjoy doing when it is raining:

Go Outside and Take Pictures
- Even if it is raining or misting, take some pictures.

Flower after a rainstorm.

(Taken on May 21, 2007.)

If there's a thunderstorm, heavy rain, and/or high wind...or all three at the same time, then I'll opt to stay inside. In that case, there are many things I that I can do that I enjoy:

Catch Up on Projects I've Wanted to Do
- Do a craft project that I've been working on or want to start but haven't done so yet.
- Upload photographs to my computer and then onto Flickr so I have them in a safe location.
- Write a letter to someone who I haven't written to for a long time.

A needlebook that I hand-embroidered.

(Taken on March 14, 2009.)

Experiment in the Kitchen
- Try a new recipe for a meal that day.

Cookies and Cream Cake.

This turned out well, and I'll definitely make it again.
The recipe is at the bottom of this post.

(Taken on May 9, 2010)

Relax
- Remember that when I was a child and it would rain or there would be a thunderstorm, we used that time to play and relax. There was something rejuvenating about that time. So...
=> Read a book that I've started and want to finish.
=> Play a board- or card game with the girls.

The girls enjoyed playing the Turkey Racing Game

around one Thanksgiving holiday.

(Taken on November 23, 2010.)

Organize Something
- Clean out a drawer, cupboard, closet, or room.

Having space that is uncluttered is calming.

(Taken on January 27, 2012.)

Homeschool
- If it rains during the weekday hours, chances are we're homeschooling. Rain doesn't change indoor educational plans and lessons.

The girls were studying a picture that 

was painted by Norman Rockwell.

(Taken on September 15, 2011)

Now for the Cookies and Cream Cake recipe. It is from Taste of Home magazine which has easy and delicious recipes that use ingredients that are commonly found in the kitchen.

Ingredients

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix
1-1/4 cups water
1/3 cup canola oil
3 egg whites
1 cup coarsely crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (about 8)

FROSTING:

1/2 cup shortening
4 to 4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Oreo cookies and crushed Oreo cookies, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, oil and egg whites; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Gently fold in crushed cookies.

Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. (I used a 9" x 13" pan.) Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, beat the shortening, sugar, milk and vanilla in another large bowl until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Decorate the top with cookies and the sides with crushed cookies if desired. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutritional Facts
1 serving (1 piece) equals 533 calories, 21 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 354 mg sodium, 83 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Heartwarming Animal Stories Review - "Dewey's Nine Lives"

For the eighth book in the Heartwarming Animal Stories 2012 Reading Challenge, I chose Dewey's Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions by Vicki Myron.

Within the first chapter of this book, I realized that I should have read Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World first rather than this book.

The first book would have given me insight into who Dewey was and how his life impacted many people throughout the world, but particularly in his hometown of Spencer, Iowa. From what was written in Dewey's Nine Lives, Dewey was placed in a book return box at a library during the winter and suffered from frostbite. He became the library's resident cat for his entire life.

The author described the first book and the sense of community is provided:

I believe...in the power of community, whether it is a physical town, a shared religion, or a love of cats. I believe Dewey is a book about regular people that shows what's good and possible in ordinary lives .... The honesty and the values expressed in the book - "Find your place. Be happy with what you have. Treat everyone well. Live a good life. It isn't about material things; it's about love."

The book I read this month (Dewey's Nine Lives), is a collection of nine stories about cats told from the perspective of Dewey's mom, librarian Vicki Myron. The author chose nine stories from the thousands of letters and e-mails she received from readers the publication of Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World.

Myron chose inspirational stories about people who mostly came from small towns, who were down on their luck, and who were facing difficult challenges. To me, some of the stories focused too much on the people instead of the cats.

Yet, despite this off-balanced representation, what is clear is that each of the cats featured in the nine stories are a testament to the healing power of cats – they inspired change, transformed lives, and opened hearts.

Throughout the book, there are stories about Dewey. However, there aren't as many as I had hoped for (though that wasn't the focus of this book).

The chapters that were the most interesting for me were "Mr. Sir Bob Kittens (aka Ninja, aka Mr. Pumpkin Pants") about a woman who fostered cats after a string of major disappointments in her life. It was a very moving chapter about the effect the cats had not only on her life, but that of her children's lives.

"Spooky" included an interesting section about a boy who had pet raccoon. When the raccoon (named Pierre) became an adult, it ended up finding a partner. One day, the boy and his father were sitting on the back steps of their farmhouse.

"Bill looked off toward the fields and saw Pierre coming toward him, four little brown bundles waddling at his side. His mate stood at the edge of the cornfield, pacing nervously, while Pierre picked his children up with his mouth, put them on the porch, and introduced them to his lifelong friend. They stayed only long enough for Bill and his father to hold each child. Then they turned back to the cornfield and headed home."

When Bill was an adult, his kitten came to him via an owl that dropped it from the air onto his car windshield while he was driving. Throughout the cat's life, it had not only survived that owl attack, it had "outfoxed four coyotes, withstood a swipe from a bear...[and] been thrown out with the trash [by a woman who had offered him a place to stay] and found his way home" - literally a 20 mile walk from the dump to where Bill was living.

As the author said, "There's a bond that is formed when you save an animal's life .... It happens with cats when you take them in - not just give them food until they refuse to go away but bring them inside when they are sick or starving and make them a part of your life .... And unlike so many people who, no matter what you have done, find a way to turn their back on you, animals are forever grateful."

This book had parts that were interesting and moving. Would I re-read it? Probably not. However, it showed me the power that these animals had on transforming the lives of the people who cared for them. In that sense, it was well worth my time.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Pekinese Stitch - Week 33

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday, the featured stitch is the Pekinese Stitch. It also is known as the Peking Stitch.

I liked this stitch because it is one that can be stitched quickly and the visual feedback is immediate once the complementary stitching begins.

Source

There are some examples of the stitch that has been used in Chinese embroidery throughout the years on the Marla Mallett website. 

For the Pekinese stitch, since I'm just learning it, I did three rows of the stitch. I chose the rainbow colors - red paired with orange; yellow paired with green; and blue paired with violet. No indigo, though.

Trio of rows of Pekinese Stitch.

I also made a heart using purple and red embroidery floss.

Heart made by using the Pekinese stitch.

This stitch would be a great one to use with a  variety of textures of yarn, thread, and floss. I'd like to re-visit and expand upon this stitch at a different time. 

Both the samples went into my weekly journal.

My journal entry for the week.

The journal included a weekly reflection about what happened during the week, a list of five things for which I'm grateful, the embroidery samples, the name of the stitch, and a few images:

=> Image of an angel. My mom told me this week about when her Stephen Minister visited her and they were talking in the sun room. She told him that because he questioned why she hadn't called a friend even though she wanted to, it motivated her to call her friend and set up a lunch date at the end of July. 

Her friend came over for lunch and they spent the entire afternoon having a wonderful time together. It would be the last time they saw one another. My mom's friend died unexpectedly two weeks ago from a stroke. My mom is so thankful to have had this opportunity to spend so much time with her friend whom she knew since she was 14 years old (she is now 82 years old).

As she was telling this story, a red cardinal came up outside on the deck and sat behind my mom and looked straight into the eyes of my mom's Stephen Minister. Normally he doesn't interrupt her, but he stood up abruptly and said, "Dorothy, there's a cardinal and it is looking right at me!" 

My dad loved cardinals. They were one of his favorite birds. Cardinals have never come onto the deck - they always visit the feeders in the yard...but never come that close to the house. Nor do birds sit at the window behind my mom and stare at someone inside. They truly felt this was a sign from my dad.

=>  The word "peace." I have seen hummingbirds and monarchs - quite a few this week - and they bring me a lot of peace. They make me stop what I'm doing and enjoy watching them.

=> The image of lightening and a horse remind me of the lightening storm that happened on Saturday night. The lightening was directly overhead. I remembered that both the horses were still wearing their halters (which have metal parts on them) from when the girls were grooming them earlier that afternoon. 

Ran out to the barn, and thankfully both horses were inside. Bailey was relaxed, with her back right hoof on its edge (a sign that she's content), and was watching the storm from the south door leading to the pasture. Took off their halters and gave hem some treats before running back to the house. 

Blogging Tips & Links to Challenges I've Done

Today's prompt for the Summer Blog Challenge is to give a tip for new bloggers. The first one that comes to mind is: Define why you want to blog.

For me, I originally started the blog as a way to give some insight into what inspired the creation of Harvest Moon by Hand's products.

Some of the window stars that I make.

(Taken on June 7, 2009.)

When I began homeschooling Sophia and Olivia, I began adding more posts about what we did. This was, in part, as a way to share ideas with other homeschooling families much in the same manner as I was inspired and learned from other homeschooling blogs.

Sophia and Olivia dissecting a cattail.

This was part of their nature study for the week.

(Taken on April 19, 2011.)

Concurrent with adding posts about homeschooling, I was adding posts about developing and expanding my hobbies. Some activities were simply enjoyable ways to spend my time while others were intended as ways to process my grief and loss. My father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease (in May 2009), the disease became more profound, and it eventually resulted in his death (in January 2012); writing and crafting became (and are still) essential ways to deal with grief.

This as a journal quilt I made.

Each month during 2010 I made a 9" x 12" quilt

that reflected things that happened during the month.

I also wrote a journal entry (3-5 pages) about what happened,

and the symbolism of the quilt components.

The full description about what each component means is here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/picturesbyann/4757664061/

(Taken on June 29, 2010)

Throughout the few years that I have had this blog, what has remained consistent is that it is one that I keep as a reflection of my life journey. In the process of writing and posting, I hope that others find bits and pieces of it that are interesting and helpful.

The second tip for bloggers is to participate in challenges and blog hops. Both are wonderful ways to connect with other people who have blogs with whom you may not normally connect.

I have done some fun, meaningful, and life-changing challenges and blog hops throughout the years. Below are some of the ones I've done with links to posts I've written about them:

- 3 in 30
- 30 Day Vegan Workshop
- 30 Days of Giving Thanks
- 30 Days to a Simpler Life
- 52 Books in 52 Weeks
- 52 Weeks of Baking
- ABCs of Homeschooling
- Art Every Day Month
- Embroidery Journal Project
- Flashback Friday
- Handbook of Nature Study/Outdoor Hour Challenge
- Heartwarming Animal Stories Reading Challenge
- Journal Quilt
- Kids Clothes Week Challenge
- Muffin Tin Monday
- No Impact Experiment
- P52 - Photo Challenge
- Preparedness Challenge
- Project Simplify
- Simple Woman's Daybook
- Summer Blog Challenge
- Summer of Color
- Take a Stitch Tuesday

One of the recipes I tried as part of the 52 Weeks of Baking.

These, by far, have been the best ginger cookies I've ever made.

There are three types of ginger in them.

The blog post and recipe is here:

http://harvestmoonbyhand.blogspot.com/2010/06/triple-ginger-cookies.html

Because of the challenges and blog hops, I have:
- set and reach goals in a variety of areas;
- tried new recipes;
- improved my homeschooling efforts and teaching skills;
- broadened the type of arts and crafts I've tried;
- expanded the number of embroidery stitches I can do;
- explored the farm and nature at a greater depth;
- enjoyed looking at past pictures and reflecting on childhood days;
- read many books;
- did a variety of types of journaling (e.g., written, embroidery, quilting);
- made children's clothes;
- reduced my impact on the environment;
- organized and simplified the home; and
- wrote more frequently than I would have if I didn't have a blog.

The most important tip I have for bloggers - whether they are new or have written for some time - is to enjoy the process. If it becomes laborious, take a break. Writing and blogging should be fun and bring you joy...not be a burden. Life is too short to do something that isn't worthwhile and/or pleasurable.

Free Fonts

For some reason in the past I always had a difficult time downloading free fonts. Consequently, I didn't spent much time perusing the new fonts that are being created and shared. One of the places I used to visit was  http://www.dafont.com that has thousands of free fonts for downloading.

The Summer Blog Challenge's prompt for the day is to share a favorite free font. Had it not been for this challenge, I would not have tried to find and download a font. After looking at some fonts, I found one that I liked - Little Days.

After using the "Help" section on http://www.dafont.com, I figured out how to download the font and add it to my font choices. I was so excited to have figured it out...and have it work.

So, I went back and found two more fonts - Stonehenge and Soft Ornaments - that I liked. The former can be used when typing text whereas the latter is more for a decorative element to something I am typing.

Here's what the fonts look like and where to find them:

The process for downloading a font is easy. For my computer, this is the process:

=> Download from dafont. (Just click the button that is on the website.)
=> Drag the ttf file to the desktop.
=> Drag the file from the desktop into the font folder.
=> Go to Microsoft Word and the new font will show up there in the list of fonts.

Crock Pot Mongolian Beef - Saw It/Made It

On the third Friday of each month Frugal Foodie Mama hosts Pin & Link Up Fridays. This week I made Crockpot Mongolian Beef. I saw the recipe pinned from Very Culinary, and it was linked back to Notes from the Heartland.

This is what my version of the recipe turned out like:

The other links showed the dish as having less sauce and more meat, and the top sprinkled with green onions. Although my presentation and photography pales in comparison...what can't be conveyed is how great this recipe tastes!

Within a couple of hours of it cooking on low, the different seasonings started to mingle and the house smelled wonderful. It was liked being in a restaurant.

I didn't have all the ingredients on hand, so I did make some modifications to the original recipe. Those changes are noted by the ingredient I changed.

Here's the recipe:

Crock Pot Mongolian Beef
Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours on low

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound flank steak or ball tip steak (I used beef cut for stew)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup white wine (I used water instead)
• 1/4 cup cooking sherry
• 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar (I used 1 tablespoon instead since I used water instead of white wine as noted above)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon dried onion
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (I didn't include this because Olivia doesn't like spicy food)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter (I used chunky peanut butter)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic in a jar)
• 4 scallions, chopped (I used a small onion instead)

Directions

Slice the meat thin and coat evenly with the cornstarch, shaking off any excess.

Put all the liquids and dry spices into the crock pot, add sunflower butter (or peanut butter) and mix well. Add garlic and scallions. Put meat on top, toss gingerly.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Serve over white rice.

If you like the recipe, here's the pin that inspired me to try the recipe, and my pin.

This also is linked to Nature's Nurture.