LIBERTY HOMESTEAD

Monday, September 12, 2022

My family is healing from the loss of our mother and we've finally listed her house for sale. One would think it would be smooth sailing from here on in, but there are always things needing my attention. Some of the most recent things were a mama cat and 3 kittens. I previously shared the story of Misty, a fostered mama cat, being lost in Columbus and when I was traveling there to work on Mom's house, I stopped in the neighborhood where she was accidently let go and searched for her. I talked to people and left my name and phone number with many of them, but never heard anything from anyone. As much as I hate giving up on any animal that needs help, I've had to move on and tell myself Misty was probably taken in by some kind person.

I didn't have to wait long for the opportunity to help another group of kitties though. On July 4th, my neighbor found 2 yellow and white kittens that had been abandoned in the corn field between our homes. He brought them to me of course, and I admit they're cute as can be. I've named them Amy and Andy. They've been vet checked and pronounced healthy. They were spayed and neutered on August 5th - I needed to wait until they weighed at least three pounds - and they're ready for adoption. I've learned a big lesson about letting cats or kittens leave here without being spayed/neutered. Misty's new owner had assured me she would immediately have the mama cat spayed, but instead she allowed Misty to get away from her and for whatever reason, didn't find her - I suspect she didn't try looking too hard. Misty was probably frightened and hiding. I wouldn't have given up the search had I been the one who let her go, but then, that's just me.

The two new kittens are thriving but apparently, that wasn't enough to care for, and I received a call from another neighbor a few weeks ago. She asked if one of my cats had gotten loose, and I assured her mine were all safe in the barn. She told me of a cat that had taken up residence on the deck of an elderly neighbor's house and the lady was afraid the cat would trip her, so she called her son to come and shoot it. Yes, shoot it. Though I'd not met her, I was prepared to dislike this woman, but when I went to see about the cat, I found a kind women with health issues who seemed to be at her wits end about what to do with the cat. With tears in her eyes, she said she knew shooting him wasn't a good thing, but she didn't know what else to do or to whom she could turn for help. I brought the cat home, of course, and Glenn named him Charlie. He's now been vet checked and neutered. He's a bit on the thin side but very friendly and just needs some TLC.

One night last week as I left the barn after tending cats, I heard a cat frantically crying and looked up to see a small orange and brown tabby coming out of the corn field and staggering across my driveway. He was falling over after every few steps he took. Cautiously, I scooped him up and placed him in a cage in the barn, but outside the cat rooms. The vet was able to see him the next morning and we learned he had a raging inner ear infection (thus the balance issues) and 3 kinds of parasites. He was a bit of a mess, but as often happens, he had instinctively known where to come for help. My former vet used to tell me cats had a network and told each other where to go for food and TLC. I now believe that's true.

Buddy (the brown and orange tabby) has joined the fold. He was neutered last week and has completed his rounds of antibiotics and medicine to remove all parasites. He's super friendly and is doing fine with the kittens and with Charlie. To my great relief, the new cats and kittens are healthy, well-socialized, and consistently use the litter boxes. Now to begin finding homes for these furry ones.....who am I kidding? These new fur babies will be staying here too. The neighboring farms have all the cats they can handle and these guys are happy and safe with me. It's always something around here.

CHANGING SEASONS

For me, life is a lot like the changing seasons here in Southwest, Ohio. Some days are good for staying inside, tucked under a warm coverlet in front of a roaring fire. Other days are good for getting out and about in the fresh air. Some days are good for reflecting, browsing through idea books, and planning new projects. Other days are good for actually doing those projects. Any way we look at it, our lives, as the seasons, are always changing. Some changes are profound, some are subtle.

One of the changes in my life was the recent loss of a kitty I'd loved for nearly 15 years. He came to me in an odd way, I suppose. I had a friend, Dale Huffman, who was a columnist for the Dayton Daily News. He was one of the kindest people I've every known. In April of 2000, I reached out to Dale because I was about to turn the big 5-0 and wanted desperately to pet big cats, in other words, tigers, for my 50th birthday. It had been a life-long dream. I asked Dale if he had any leads as to how I could do that, or where I could gain more information. He insisted on writing a column about my desire to be "up close and personal" with tigers, and from responses to that column, I learned about a tiger sanctuary in Northern Ohio where I could have my wish fulfilled, and I was invited by the Shriners to be their honorary ringmaster at the Barnum and Bailey Circus in April. The honor included an up close and personal visit with the big cats that were in the circus. That is a whole other story, which I will share another time, but Dale and I became even closer friends through all of that, though we'd known each other for many years.

Shortly after my tiger-petting adventure, I happened to run into Dale in a Walgreen's store where he was buying cat supplies. I knew he didn't have a cat, so I asked him what he was doing. In a nutshell, he had been taking care of a friend's 9-month-old kitten while the friend was in the hospital. He asked for my help, saying he didn't know how to be a cat daddy. I was giving him some pointers when he told me he'd like to have the kitty, then called Blue, neutered by the time his friend was released from the hospital and asked which vet I'd recommend. I shared my vet's name and number, then Dale asked if I could please make an appointment for the kitten, which I did. Later he said he did not have a cat carrier and I offered to lend him one of mine.....you can see where this is going. Dale then hesitantly asked if I would come and get Blue, take him to the vet, and then go get him after surgery. Since Dale was a very good friend, of course I willingly did that. During one of my visits to Dale's home, I noticed that Blue was dragging one of his back legs and in a nutshell, the vet learned Blue had a shattered hip joint. We didn't know how that happened, but the vet assured us it was not due to abuse, but most likely a miscalculated landing from atop a book shelf or something. Blue needed an expensive surgery, which Dale was completely willing to pay for, but I suggested he let me first see if I could raise funds for the surgery, which I was able to do with the help of a friend and together we made and sold catnip toys. The vet's office even allowed me to sell the toys in their office and all proceeds were put into Blue's Fund. When I told Blue's story online, many of my Facebook friends not only bought catnip toys, they also donated to Blue's surgery fund - we didn't know anything about "Go Fund Me" back then so I did what I knew how to do and I wrote about Blue, his owner who was very ill, and the friend who was attempting to keep the kitten safe until his owner was well. Blue's surgery was a success and totally covered by the generous help of many friends. Dale asked me to keep Blue while he recovered and as you've already guessed, Blue never went back to live with Dale. Unfortunately, Blue's owner died and I'd grown to love the little solid black kitten so giving him up was not an option. He healed swiftly and completely and lived with my other cats until his last day on this earth. I still miss him and always will.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Searching For Inspiration

Last night I visited some old crafting friends. I found them online at Facebook and had wondered what they were doing these days. I'd known them back in the late 1980's and early 1990's when we were all members of a wonderful shop called the Berry Patch in Beavercreek, Ohio. It was a consignment shop of sorts, but we each bought a membership into it so we could sell our handmade goods. Since holidays are just around the corner, I'd begun thinking about how festive the Berry Patch had been during the Christmas shopping seasons. Fran Painter was the owner/manager and always had the best primitive ideas for display. Fran has retired to Tennessee and is now happy and content with her family and grandchildren. She was painting pictures the last time I caught up with her, but was no longer making any primitive items. I visited the Facebook pages of a few of my old friends who were well known for their quilting and other fabric arts and I was happy to see that some of them are still doing what they love. One in particular, Jo Lee Tarbell, an award winning quilter, pattern maker, and teacher, is now 85 years old and still participating in quilt shows and exhibits. Jo Lee had a wonderful shop in the 1980's - The Patchwork Quilt - full of handcrafted goods. Hers was one of the first shops where I sold my own handcrafted items. I still recall how much fun it was to go there to re-stock my own items that had sold and then walk around the old farmhouse-turned-shop. One of the most unique things about the shop was an upstairs bathroom with a vintage claw-footed bath tub filled with round hand-milled soap balls that smelled wonderful. A small bedroom held a child's iron bed on which were arranged dozens of hand-quilted pillows. Other rooms contained handcrafted treasures, patterns, and country fabrics. I almost always found something to buy and carry home. I remember summer mornings driving home from The Patchwork Quilt and how inspired I would feel, just having been in the midst of all those ideas, books, fabrics, and patterns. I think I'm still searching for inspiration today. I'm not ready to give away all of my sewing and crafting supplies but neither am I very interested in making things right now. Most people I know are in the down-sizing stages of their lives and don't need or want "stuff" to sit around and take up space, while I want to still be in a creative stage where getting up in the morning offers a new opportunity and a feeling of anticipation about what I might make that day. That's how I used to feel every day. I'd see my spouse off to work, make sure my daughter was off to a good day at school, then I'd feed my cats, straighten the kitchen, start a load of laundry, and then retreat to my sewing room to create. Sometimes I'd sew all day, stopping only for a phone call, pausing to finish the laundry, or taking a break to tend to the needs of the animals. Some days I'd bake cookies to have ready when my daughter arrived home from school. I'd take a long break to hear about her day, then get her started with homework and begin plans for supper. After supper, I'd have some items ready to finish so I could join the family as we watched TV. I was happy and felt inspired in those days. I can't figure out what's happened to that enthusiasm. I'd like to have it return, but is that even possible? Time has a way of changing things for all of us. As much as I was happy to know some of my old friends were still sewing and crafting, I was sad to think that some had decided to not continue their arts. It's absolutely a personal decision, but I am realizing that those "old days", those days of having deadlines, making special orders, and creating things to sell at holiday time, were some of the best days of my life. They were busy days, for sure, as I was volunteering with an animal adoption organization, fostering cats, helping out at school, working for my church, and singing in the choir, all at the same time - and I still was able to get a lot of things done. Where did all of that go and why do I now think more about making projects than actually doing them? Maybe I'll have a revival of that inspiration while browsing creative websites or Pinterest. I want to still be creating when I'm 85.

Friday, May 26, 2017

THE END OF THE ROAD

I've known this day was coming. It's been evident with my infrequent posts. Though I loved blogging and sharing stories, pictures, and recipes, I have to admit that my heart is no longer in doing that. I've appreciated all of you who stopped by to read, copy a recipe, or share a remembrance through the last few years, but I fear I've lost most of my followers. That happens when one doesn't keep up with posting, so it's not a surprise. It's life. It happens when we have many other things calling to us and we let our blog posting fall by the wayside, as I have been guilty of doing. I also stopped visiting other peoples' blogs, though it was something I had loved to do. I know my life changed when my mother entered an assisted living facility, then it further changed when she died and I found myself lacking initiative to tell stories and share recipes. Actually, I lacked enthusiasm for life in general. In looking back, I can see I was dealing with a bit of depression - not so much at Mom's passing, as with all the things that fell to me to oversee during that time. Mom had reached a point where she was not able to recover from the challenges of having broken some bones in a fall at the assisted living facility, so her passing gave her peace and my family and I had been prepared for that. Moving her earthly possessions out of our childhood home was very difficult though. It not only took much longer than I'd anticipated, it was more of an emotional trip than I'd expected it would be. I blogged about some of those challenges but felt my posts had become rather negative and I didn't want that to continue.

When I first ventured into the "blogosphere", as I've heard it called, it was exciting and I had so much I wanted to share. I've rarely been at a loss for words and I liked sharing cat photos and stories as well as the ups and downs of life, such as having my mother in decline with Alzheimer's. In retrospect, I think Mom's diagnosis and entrance into an assisted living facility was the beginning of the end of my blogging journey. When Mom was in residence and I was visiting her almost daily, it was very tiring and sometimes frustrating. I'd take her some of her favorite things on most days, but end up spending way too much time trying to make her room and clothes closet tidy again after she'd dismantled them. I took her to weekly sessions with a vascular specialist for over five months, always making sure she had a McDonald's ice cream cone at the end of each session. She loved that. Then there were the dental appointments, doctors visits, and time spent at the heart specialist's office. There were numerous calls I'd receive in the middle of the night, letting me know Mom had been taken to the ER for dangerously low potassium levels. One of those calls came while I was with a close friend who was in the hospital ER himself. That was the only time I wasn't able to be there for her since my friend was in the hospital in another town. I took Mom for car rides through the country and brought her here to my old country home a few times. She wasn't particularly fond of animals in general, but she seemed to like being with the cats. I know I'd do it all again if she was here and needed me. I posted blog entries about some of the more humorous aspects of her situation as well as some of the things that brought emotional pain, but I decided to stop posting about those experiences.

When my mother was first moved into the assisted living facility after suffering numerous strokes, I envisioned she and I would eventually be able to spend a lot of time together here in my home - sewing lap robes, enjoying Sunday afternoon meals, and celebrating the holidays. It was soon evident that having her here wasn't the best idea. Not only was she no longer interested in making lap robes, nor did she remember how to do it, she would balk and sometimes flatly refuse to be taken to her room when returned to the facility. She even became belligerent on occasion. The staff gently told us we might do better to just visit with her there in her room or in the family visiting areas, so that's what we did for the rest of her time there. How strangely sad it was to celebrate Christmas Day - which was also her birthday - there at the facility instead of in a warm cozy home, but it was how things were and we had to adapt.

So....having expressed all of that - and I still grow teary-eyed thinking about it - I realize I am no longer enjoying the blogging experience. I could become adventurous and pick back up at some time in the future, but for now, I'm done.

Please know I valued your comments and your friendship. I appreciated that you stopped by to read posts and I hope you've been entertained and at times amused. I wish all of you the very best life has to offer. We need to do our best to enjoy every single day we're given.

Love and best wishes......

Kady

Saturday, April 15, 2017

EASTER BLESSINGS

Monday, March 6, 2017

I LOVE VINTAGE

We've lived here in the country, in this old house, for five years. It was built in 1919 and in addition to a parlor, a family room with a brick fireplace, a sunroom, and many updates, this house also has two quaint upstairs rooms that are perfect for sewing and displaying some of the toys I had as a child. The one thing that was missing from my vintage toy room was an old iron bed. The space is small, so I wanted a single or daybed, something that would fit the scale of the room.

On a visit to one of my favorite shops - Talmadge Rd. Mercantile, in Clayton, OH
https://www.facebook.com/TalmadgeRoadMercantileLlc/ - I saw a little bed I wanted. The price was reasonable, the look was vintage, and the size was perfect. I didn't want to buy it that day, as I didn't really want to invite questions from my spouse. He was about to embark on a trip and I thought I'd go get the bed while he was gone. So he left on his trip and the next day I drove his truck to the shop and bought that little bed, but wondered all the way home if I would be able to get all the parts of it to my upstairs room without help. The stairway here is original to the house, so it's a bit narrow and the stairs are a fairly steep. It was a challenge, but I did it. After putting the bed together, I knew I needed to search for mattresses. I'd already secured sheets, a mattress pad, protectors for pillows and mattresses, and a bed skirt. I couldn't wait to put everything together. I had a quilt in mind that I thought would be perfect, so I was all set.

I took the truck to pick up the mattress set and again wondered if I could get the mattresses out of the truck, into the house, and up the steep stairs by myself. Some days, I think it just takes an attitude of determination to accomplish something I ordinarily wouldn't tackle by myself. This is something I wanted to do on my own, but I knew if I needed help, my spouse would lend a hand when he arrived home. I just didn't want to have to ask for the help. I'm stubborn sometimes.

So I now have a sweet vintage bed in my quaint little toy room and I'm very happy with how it looks up there. I will continue to do some tweaking and re-arranging I'm sure, but I'm glad to have the bed and linens in place. In fact, I took a short nap on my new/old bed after I had it all put together. It felt cozy and somehow reassuring to look around the room and see so many things that reminded me of a simpler time in my life. There's an addition to this story that added to my adventure. My spouse, who had been out of town, arrived home from his trip and for practical reasons, I did not tell him about the bed. He would most likely have asked why I felt I needed it, and I didn't really want to be questioned about my purchase. Some time went by and I needed him to help with a curtain rod for an upstairs window and thought, he'll see the bed and start asking questions. He went upstairs with me and I showed him what I needed him to do. He actually put his tools and the curtain rod ON the bed, but didn't say one word. He seemed to not notice the bed at all. So I didn't say anything about it either. We got the curtain rod up, I added the curtains I wanted, and we went back downstairs. Still, not a word was said about the bed. This went on for weeks - I said nothing about it and he didn't act as if he had noticed it. One day he was taking a vintage sewing machine upstairs for me - it was something I found at a second-hand shop and thought would look great in that room - and when he came back downstairs, he very casually asked, "How long has that bed been up there?".... I was tempted to ask, "What bed?", but instead, I responded that it had been up there for quite awhile, which was absolutely true. His reply was, "Huh". That's it. He didn't ask when or where I'd gotten it or how I'd managed to get it upstairs by myself. To this day he hasn't said another word about the bed. I actually wonder if he decided we must have brought it here when we moved in and he'd just forgotten about it. That's fine with me. I have my little bed and didn't have to play 20 questions with my spouse. Now...if he'd just go on another trip, maybe I could buy some new bookshelves!

Monday, February 20, 2017

MONDAY - MAKE-UP-YOUR-MIND DAY

I love Mondays. Some people hate them, but not me. I like the idea that it's a new week and I have a (relatively) clean slate. This morning I listed what I want to accomplish today - one load of laundry, try a new cookie recipe I found online, start Spring cleaning the cat rooms in the barn, re-arrange some things in the cabin, iron and hang new curtain valances in the upstairs rooms (which will first require cleaning the windows and sills), continue working on some crochet projects for a special order, and make a decision about whether to participate in a local Spring craft fair or not. I'm tempted to cross off some of the bigger tasks and just do what is most feasible for this afternoon, since I've already frittered away part of the day. Some might call that procrastination, but I'm going to call it prioritizing.

I've often had trouble making up my mind. It didn't matter whether the choices seemed fairly simple or more complicated. I tend to list so many things I need to do, that many times I've ended up accomplishing very little because I could not decide which task to tackle first. Indecision can be very debilitating. I did take a first step and extract new curtain valances from their packages. They had been sitting on my upstairs steps for a few months - yes, a few months. I'm not proud of that, but I'm the only one who goes upstairs and since I've spent little time up there through the winter months, it was another of those out-of-sight-out-of-mind things. But they are out of the plastic wrappings now and nearly ready to hang. I took them out of the dryer last night and realized I'd have to iron them before I could hang them. There was my "stopper". I didn't feel like getting out the iron and taking it upstairs. I will do that today though. I'm trying to envision how nice the valances will look when in place. That should be incentive to get it done. The reality is, even with wiping down windows and sills, the whole process will likely only take about 30 minutes or so. Sometimes the thought of doing a task is worse than the task itself.

Laundry is in the works and butter is on the counter to soften before cookie baking, so next I should decide whether or not to participate in a local Spring craft fair. I had long ago sworn off craft shows, after having participated in them for over 30 years. I'm not as young as I was once was - who of us is? - and I was tired of carrying tables, crates, and totes full of merchandise in and out of venues, then sitting or standing for hours talking to people who were only there to see what ideas they could glean from crafters' displays. I also had little tolerance for shoppers who thought crafters should attach garage-sale prices to their handmade wares. I told myself if I heard the phrase, "Oh I can make that", one more time, I'd boldly confront the person who said it and tell her exactly how much was involved in making quality things to sell, then invite her to try it herself. (I guess it's a good thing I didn't have the chance to follow through on that threat.) Thinking about that reminds me of how weary of it I had become before I "retired" from the craft show circuit. The idea of selling things I make still appeals to me, but I'm not as enthused about sewing as I once was. That's just a fact of my life right now. I still enjoy frequenting primitive and vintage shops and I support local artists when I see things I can use for my home - even when I think, "I can make that", I don't ever say it out loud and I do buy items for my own use these days, since I am very aware of how much time, effort, and funds go into making them, and I'm fairly sure I will not be making them for myself. Well, I think I've made my decision about the craft fair. I'm honestly not interested in getting back into that mode. While there would be many more customers than I could attract to my cabin in the country, the pressure of getting ready and the actual work of getting it set up are more than I want to deal with right now. There, that wasn't so difficult. Decision made.

What's next? I'll bake those cookies before going to the barn to clean up after cats, but I'll go upstairs and put up those valances before I bake the cookies. As for the special-order crochet projects - that kind of handwork lends itself well to the evenings when I can put up my feet and watch a little TV, so I will definitely work on those projects tonight. I'll go to the cabin and spend some time either before or after I've been to the barn, so I think I have my to-do list covered for now. The dryer is buzzing so my play time is over for this afternoon. Off to work I go, but my heart is lighter since I was able to actually make a decision. Some days I just need to make up my mind!

Monday, February 13, 2017

Happy Valentine's Day

Christmas is now a pleasant memory and the weather here in Southwest Ohio has been Spring-like the past two days. The temperature reached the mid 60's yesterday. I suppose we'll have some more cold days and maybe a bit of snow before winter finally subsides, but I'm one of those crazy people who will miss the winter weather. Everybody seems to love Spring, but it's not my favorite time of the year. That might be due, in part, to the fact that Spring seems to be when my allergies flare and I can start out the day in winter duds but then become so hot that I need to change mid-day. Apparently I don't adjust well to Ohio weather changes, especially when they are so erratic.

When I was a child and would express a wish for the school year to be done or for Christmas to come sooner, my mother often admonished me to not wish away my days. She told me that as I grew older, the days would seem to pass more quickly so I should not wish for them to go faster than they were meant to go. I can remember thinking that was silly, but now that I'm much older, I understand why she said those things. The days and weeks DO seem to go by faster now and instead of wishing my days away, I'm wishing time would slow down and allow me to at least catch up a bit. What's that adage - "So much to do, but so little time in which to do it"? That's how I feel these days. My January to-do list did not get done and here we are half-way through February already.

So here comes another Valentine's Day. I've seen Valentine's hearts in the stores since just before Christmas. For me, that's too soon and seems to be rushing the season. Once again, I did not sew the fabric hearts I thought I'd make as decorations for my home. It's as if I finally put Christmas behind me but turned around and Valentine's Day was knocking at the door. I surely don't need more fabric hearts but I thought it would be fun to make some. I'm seeing Spring items in the shops now, but I haven't even gotten ready for Valentine's Day, and after attending a local shop-hop this past week, I now feel I'm behind in getting ready for Spring and Easter. The problem is, I don't know how to get myself in the mood to make things or even unearth my bunnies, eggs, and Spring florals so I can use those things for decorating. I think I have a mindset that it's sometimes too much trouble to get everything out, only to put it all back after a few weeks. I never thought I'd feel that way about seasonal decorating. But there it is. I admit it.

Oh well....as with all the other seasons and holidays, Spring and Easter will be here before we know it, but for right now, I'll just enjoy looking at some Valentine hearts and I might even decide to make some tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

READY OR NOT - HERE COMES THE NEW YEAR

Here we are, a few days into the New Year, and I'm still wondering how time passed so quickly between Thanksgiving and Christmas. As much as I love the holidays, I almost always feel a bit tired after the celebrations. We made some great memories over the holidays though.

Our daughter and her family gave us the most amazing gift of a weekend in a secluded log cabin in the Hocking Hills of Ohio. We were there from Christmas Eve day until the day after Christmas. Glenn and I arrived at the cabin around 3pm on the 24th. He started a fire in the fireplace while I fixed a simple supper. We unloaded the car and set about making the cabin our own for the weekend. I took along a small tree, candles, and white lights - for a bit of decoration - as well as sandwich-makings, cocoa, spiced cider, a CD player with Holiday CDs, Christmas movies, popcorn, games, and homemade goodies to share with family members when they joined us on Christmas Day.

LAZY DOG CABIN - HOCKING HILLS, OHIO - 2016

http://cabinsinhocking.com/hocking-hills-cabin-check-availability/hocking-hills-cabin-lazy-dog/

We were kept a bit in the dark about the cabin and directions until close to the day of our trip, since our daughter wished for it to be a great surprise, which it was. I didn't know what to expect or what accessories the cabin management might provide, so I packed everything I thought we might need for a weekend. That proved to be more than enough, perhaps too much, but I was happy to have more than we needed, instead of wishing I'd brought more with us. Even the family dogs, Mandy and Cooper, were allowed to come along for the weekend.

LAZY DOG CABIN FIREPLACE WITH TREE AND CANDLES

Glenn and I spent a quiet relaxing Christmas Eve watching Polar Express, taking in the beauty of the cabin, and sipping hot cocoa by the fire while munching on Christmas cookies. It felt as if we'd stepped inside the cover of a Norman Rockwell Christmas card - you know the kind that when it's first opened, you're gazing at a glittery window that allows a peek inside a cozy room with a roaring fire in the fireplace, a tree glowing with lights, and where mugs of steaming hot cocoa are being consumed by mom and dad. The little ones are sneaking down the stairs to see if Santa has come and there is a plate of Christmas cookies prepared for the jolly old elf. Have you not always exclaimed (as I have), "Oh, I could just live there"? That was the exact feeling and it was wonderful.

Christmas Day, our daughter and family arrived at 9am, ready to make a delicious breakfast for all of us. That was another part of our gift - Christmas breakfast cooked to perfection. After breakfast, the grandkids opened their gifts and then we played games and listened to Christmas music the rest of the morning and afternoon. Our daughter prepared a wonderful supper for us and then we all relaxed by the fire and watched movies and shared stories for the rest of the evening.

The morning after Christmas, even though we were sad to be leaving the cabin, we knew we'd be taking the memories with us. Packing for the trip home might have been chaotic if not for everybody pitching in to help - and the fact my daughter is more organized than I am. Leftovers were given to our grandson who was heading back to college and happy to have them. Our granddaughter had to hurry back to a new job, but most of us stopped at a restaurant in Lancaster, Ohio to enjoy a great breakfast and one last visit before being swept back into reality. It was a wonderful weekend, and for possibly the very first time, I didn't feel the least bit depressed when it ended. I was simply grateful we'd had the experience and thrilled that our daughter and her family had given us such a fantastic gift.

I hope all of you had memory-making times with family and friends this holiday season, and that you will have a New Year filled with Peace, Love, and Joy.

Saturday, December 24, 2016

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Thursday, December 22, 2016

IS EVERYBODY READY FOR CHRISTMAS?

Every year, this season seems to sneak up on me, no matter how much I try to plan ahead for it. I make lists, check items off one-by-one, but still never seem to accomplish all the things on my lists, done exactly as I want them to be done. The key phrase is, "as I want them to be done". This year I've taken some shortcuts and made a few compromises. Although I'd love to accomplish all of the things on my lists, I understand that isn't always reasonable nor is it necessary in order to experience a joyous Christmas season. In my last post I shared about simplifying Christmas decorating around the house. My desire was to have a little bit of Christmas displayed in every room, but I also wanted a simpler holiday season and inner peace. The compromise was to put up one tree (instead of 5), display a few favorite snowmen, Santas, and holiday items, bake some traditional holiday cookies, and make two batches of fudge - Chocolate Rocky Road and Peanut Butter. During the Christmas season, I always intend to try some new recipes, some of which I've found on Pinterest (http://pinterest.com) but the reality is, when time is in short supply, as it often is, I resort to making the old favorites. While it's not as much of a baking adventure to use the tried-and-true recipes, it does seem to be a bit easier and I learned that some family members count on those favorites. I really should try out some of the newer ones before the next holiday season arrives. My traditional favorites are: Spritz, Russian Teacakes, and Cut-Out Sugar Cookies. This year I added Reese's Cup Peanut Butter Cookies, Chocolate Crinkles, and Saltine Toffee. Those recipes can be found on Pinterest, in my "Christmas Kitchen" board.

Today I've been checking my lists and realizing I actually do have most things done. During this season, besides setting aside time to put up the tree and lights, we needed to make time for two veterinary visits for a cat with an ear infection, an appointment for the dog who needed vaccinations updated, and for my weekly trips to the doctor for allergy shots. All of those things took up precious time. Then there was gift shopping and wrapping, grocery shopping, meal planning, card sending, and numerous other things that always need to be done, like laundry, house cleaning, and cat care. Most everyone has to juggle time and errands during the holidays, and we are not exceptions. While I may never be able to claim I've done everything well, I'm content that what I've accomplished will be just fine. I think we often spend time worrying about finding just the right gifts, wishing our homes looked like something from a magazine, and striving for that perfect Norman Rockwell Christmas. But those are not the things that matter most. Love, peace, and serenity are what we truly value. If we can achieve those, we will have succeeded.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Sunday, December 18, 2016

SIMPLY CHRISTMAS

Every year I seem to struggle over how much (or how little) to decorate for Christmas. For the first few years living here in this old house, I wanted Christmas in every room. Glenn would put up two larger trees that we decorated together, and I'd put up three smaller ones which I decorated with vintage kitchen items like crocheted potholder dresses, doll-sized utensils, and handmade ornaments. I'd also unpack Hallmark Keepsake ornaments and other adornments I'd collected through the years and place them on the trees and around the house. It looked so festive when I hosted the family gatherings, but it was a lot of work. It wasn't that I didn't like doing it, but it was very time consuming and I'd never enjoyed the process of "un-decorating" and putting everything away after the holidays. How is it that all those things came out of a few totes but they didn't all seem to fit into the same totes later?

This year, I didn't want to tackle the "Christmas closet", as I'd already done that once, while I was searching for something I wanted to have in the cabin during the home show. I put back everything because I didn't want boxes and totes full of decorations left all over the place, in case some of my visitors might want to come inside the house. After the show, I suggested to Glenn that we put up the tree that was the easiest to reach, add lights and vintage Shiny Brite ornaments, which I store in easily accessed vintage suitcases, and then we could enjoy the tree decorating instead of dreading it. One should never dread putting up a Christmas tree. So that's what we did. I did not dig into the closet to look for all those old boxed Hallmark ornaments we have, nor did I pull out the figurines or the quilted table runners, the fabric tree skirt, or even the old stockings I'd made years ago. I found a few cherished pieces and displayed them in the family room, along with fragrant candles that have cinnamon and pine aromas. I added strings of tiny white lights to the ceramic houses which are in alignment on the mantle and placed some pinecones, greenery, and a handmade primitive bear in the dough bowl on the dining room table. I filled a round wooden bowl with a scented candle and the vintage ornaments that didn't make it to the tree, and took an old red and white quilt from the sunroom and used it for a tree skirt.

There are times I love to have every room in the house filled with holiday decorations but this year I'm perfectly content with a scaled-down version of Christmas. It wasn't stressful this year to put up a tree and add lights and ornaments to it. We even added lights to the outside of the house, but just along the fence, on the side porch, and around the deck railing - nothing elaborate, but still festive-looking. In fact, I can see the deck lights from my bedroom and it's fun to look at them as I drift off to sleep.

My niece, her 4-year-old daughter, and I had a cookie baking session last Sunday and what fun that was. We listened to Christmas music while we baked and enjoyed the lights from the mantle, the tree, and the candles. We stored the cookies in festive tins and my niece shared them with all of us who attended her daughter's birthday party tonight at her home.

I'm happy for a less stressful holiday season and my house still looks like Christmas even without every one of the traditional decorations I always thought I needed to display. I've been finding Christmas in simple things like baking sessions with family members, gazing at colorful lights and ornaments from times past, and listening to Christmas music that lifts my spirit. I've been more focused on what the spirit of Christmas actually means, instead of worrying about which decorations to display.

I wish everyone a Joyous and stress-free Holiday Season.

BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!

Some of my cats would be happy to stay in the outdoor cat enclosure all year long. Since it's getting colder, I want them to be in the barn in their heated, carpeted cat rooms. Most of the cats went in on their own accord, but I had a holdout last night. My beautiful, sweet (most of the time), but stubborn calico, Annie, was snuggled cozily in her blanket-lined box and had no intention of leaving it and going inside to the cat room last night. I don't shy away from a cat challenge, so when Glenn asked if he needed to go out with me to help usher her indoors, I declined the offer. I felt sure I could accomplish the job by myself - which I actually did - the first time. I made sure the other cats in the room did not present challenges to Annie and I lifted her from her box and gently placed her through the cat door and into the smaller cat room. I blocked the cat door until I could get back inside the barn and place the sliding door over the opening. By the time I was back in the barn, Annie had pushed her way to freedom and was again outside in the enclosure. So....I recruited Glenn and together we entered the enclosure and found TWO cats had escaped from the cat room. I left him in the enclosure to round up the escapees, while I went into the cat rooms to keep the others from escaping as he worked to get Annie and Riley back inside. It wasn't the easiest of jobs, and though Annie did finally give up, I kept asking Glenn to find Riley. He overturned boxes and an Igloo "cat house" but didn't see Riley. She hadn't come in while I'd been standing there at the cat door, but must have sneaked back inside before I'd gotten there. I was glad both cats were then safe and warm. I had brought the box Annie loves inside as well. I cuddled Annie and placed her back in her box and that is where I left her - cozy, warm, and safe. I hope she was contented as well, but that remains to be seen.

I'm sharing Annie's kitten photo and her most recent one. I took the kitten photo the day I rescued her at Der Dutchman restaurant in Waynesville, Ohio. A friend had called and told me about a calico kitten hiding under bushes at the restaurant. For some unknown reason, my friend had not tried to help the kitten, even though she and her family had eaten there the night before she called me. Of course, she knew I'd drop everything and travel the 45 minutes to Waynesville and somehow get the kitten. After I'd followed the kitten around the outside of the restaurant for about 30 minutes, some well-meaning "helpers" decided to assist in the rescue. Despite my warnings that they should not try to grab the frightened kitten, they did so anyway and were bitten, scratched, and required some basic first aid. That set my rescue mission back a few paces, but I accompanied them to the restroom inside the restaurant and applied first aid. I thanked the helpers and sent them on their way so I could catch the kitten in my own way with a quiet and gentle approach. I placed canned cat food inside a carrier and stood back from it. The kitten walked into the carrier and I closed the door behind her. In the end, it was as simple as that. Another friend found a family for Annie and she had a happy home for six years. Then something happened, though I've no clue what it was, and the people who had loved Annie decided they didn't want her anymore. They put her outside in the middle of a cold winter and I was asked to come and "rescue" her again. So now she's mine and she'll have a home here for the rest of her life. I honestly wish I'd kept her in the first place, but I was attempting to keep my cat population at a manageable level. Who was I kidding?

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

CHRISTMAS EXPRESS

Thanksgiving has passed and I followed through with my Christmas-in-the-Cabin Home Show - held last Saturday. I'm feeling a bit relieved right now, and not yet stressed about Christmas being so close at hand. My hope is to not feel stressed at all this holiday season.

Thanksgiving was celebrated here on the Saturday after the "real" day, which was just fine and very enjoyable. We had some overnight guests and that was enjoyable as well. Sunday was a leisurely day spent with my niece and her daughter. When Monday came, I was ready to dig in and make final preparations for Christmas-in-the-Cabin. I wasn't expecting to take out almost everything with which I decorate, in order to only display those things I was willing to sell, but I did what was needed. It has happened during previous home shows that visitors wanted to buy the things I used for display. It never ceases to amaze me that they will ask to buy the crates on which I display my items, or they want to purchase the baskets and boxes which hold ornaments for sale. When I go to a show, I assume those kinds of things are display pieces and not available for sale, unless there are price tags on them. Oh well.

At any rate, with my spouse's help, I was able to remove the items I was not willing to sell, and replace them with all the sell-able items. While there was no crowd standing in line at the door waiting to come inside on the day of the show, there was a steady stream of visitors and neighbors who came, chatted, and made purchases. They seemed to enjoy the homemade cookies and peanut butter fudge, the Christmas music, and the warmth of the cabin. I was generally pleased with how it went but will once again need to decide whether or not I will do this again. It's a lot of work and I never know if the fliers and posters I distribute, or the ads on social media, will be enough to let folks know I'm hosting a Christmas show in my cabin. The best thing of all, is that I now have a cozy cabin decorated for the holidays. I'll have it open it every Friday and weekend from now until Christmas. My spouse made a sign to place out by the road and if I receive visitors, that will be great. If I don't, that's ok too. What I know is this: If I saw a little cabin decorated with white lights and a sign that declared, "Christmas in the Cabin - Open Today", I'd surely want to stop, go inside, and investigate. Maybe others will too.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

WE'VE BEGUN THE SKID INTO HOLIDAY SEASON

The skid into Holiday Season seems all downhill, and it gains momentum as time passes. Why is it that the hot summer months seem so long but come Fall, it's two or three weeks, and then we're starting to think about winter? Then Thanksgiving and Christmas hit us head-on.

I did find some pumpkins and decorative gourds early this Fall and though I apparently waited too long before searching for some colorful mums for my porch, I was able to find some large pumpkins for either side of the front door. I'm happy with those. If not for expecting Thanksgiving company, I wouldn't have bothered with the extra pumpkins, but I want the porch to look Fall-ish and the nursery manager offered a deal I couldn't refuse. She said, "2 for $5" and the pumpkins came home with me.

Fall is my favorite season, with winter a close second. As is often my dilemma, I've been pondering whether to host a home show or not. I missed my self-imposed deadline for a Fall show, but it wasn't all due to procrastination. October was a busy month. I was invited to Michigan for my niece's baby shower which was held in the early part of the month. Since it's a 5-hour drive one-way, my daughter, granddaughter, and I traveled there, visited with extended family, and spent one night. It was well worth the travel time and good to see relatives and share in the excitement of the expected little one. Once home, I used the next few days catching up with laundry and sleep. I had little energy or incentive to work on a home show, especially since two days after the baby shower, I became sick and whatever "bug" I had, lasted for over two weeks. So....

The opportunity for a Fall show passed right by me, but I recently decided I could certainly host a holiday home show the first weekend in December. Though I'd rather have scheduled it earlier, Thanksgiving is upon us and I will have a houseful of company and some overnighters. That's all well and good, but it does limit the time I can spend getting ready for a show when I have a house to spruce up, clean linens to prepare, and a menu to plan and execute.

Preparing for a holiday home show shouldn't be overwhelming. I will need to finish arranging my cabin displays, put up a few decorations and white lights, and make sure my handcrafted and vintage items are priced and displayed. Those things are fun to do. A few days prior to the show, I'll make a few cookies and some peanut butter fudge for visitors to sample, but other than that, it shouldn't take too much extra planning. I have enough to offer for sale and it's not as if I haven't hosted shows before. It's rather that I procrastinate and talk myself out of doing them. I'm really very tired of changing my mind, so I'm doing it! It will be held one day - Saturday, December 3rd - and after that, I'll concentrate on decorating the inside of my house.

CHRISTMAS IN THE CABIN at LIBERTY HOMESTEAD
8593 Hemple Rd. - Germantown, Ohio 45327
Saturday, December 3, 2016 - 10am-5pm

Handcrafted Holiday Decorations and Gifts - Goose Creek Jar Candles (Made in the USA),

Vintage Tin Items, Cookie Cutters, Old Rolling Pins, Baskets, Cookbooks, and other Kitchen Accessories

If I have time to make a few more items, I will do that, but if I don't make another thing, I'll still have more than enough to display. My hope is to sell what's already made - or a good portion of it - then to begin again in January to create handmade items using fabrics and patterns I have on hand. Every time I think of retiring from sewing and shows, I relent. I know I still want to do this.

I've posted my holiday day home show date to for intention's sake. Sometimes I really have to set a deadline so I will follow through. I'd rather impose a deadline than to whine later about not taking the opportunity available to me. So, here goes.....

Monday, September 19, 2016

FALL IS NEARLY HERE

Fall is my favorite time of year. There only thing I dislike about it is that it's entirely too brief. Here in southwest Ohio, Fall weather doesn't actually arrive until early October (though I think it should begin to be cooler as soon as we turn the calendars to September).

We've endured another long hot season and my wish would be for Fall to last as long as Summer does. More often than not, after Fall arrives, we are able to enjoy about two or three weeks of beautiful weather and colorful leaves. Then somewhere around the end of October, usually at Halloween time, we experience a cold rain which knocks most of the leaves off the trees and brings chilling temperatures. Perhaps my memory is faulty, but when I was a child, it seemed to me the seasons were better defined and each year we actually had a Fall season.

At this point, after all the heat and humidity, I'll take any cooler weather that comes my way. I realize it's not "officially" Fall yet, but this year, I'm going to be ready for it. Last weekend I traveled to Arcanum, Ohio and visited Suttons, a local grocery store. I love shopping there since they often have fresh fruits and vegetables set up in farmers-market-style outdoor bins. When I inquired, I was told the store managers purchase as much produce as they can from local farmers and I love that. I was able to chose from reasonably priced pumpkins, gourds, and Indian corn with which to decorate the cabin porch and the side porch of the house. Come on Fall......I'm ready.

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

WAITING

I suppose this is an old song I sing - the waiting game. It's not about waiting in traffic or being frustrated while standing in line at the grocery store. It is about waiting until the life's road I travel is steady, smooth, and without bumps, before I do the things my mind says I want or need to do. Now, in my saner moments, I absolutely do fully understand how unrealistic it is to think my life should be completely free of challenges. Everyone has challenges and I'm not exempt. What I don't understand is why I think I must have a clear road ahead before I work on sewing projects or take on household tasks that will require a lot of time. I have never fully mastered the art of making use of those snippets of time given to us throughout a day. If I have 20 minutes between finishing cat care and fixing supper, I will most assuredly choose to play on the computer rather than sew a small project, clear the kitchen counter, or fold laundry. Sometimes I'm sure I have a skewed sense of timing, since I often convince myself I cannot possible complete any single project in just a few minutes. That happens to not be factual, but it's still what I tell myself. I need to change that tape that plays in my head.

My deepest desire is to have a full day once in awhile where I'm not responsible for anything and do not experience unwelcomed interruptions. I want to be able to do whatever projects I choose, without the need to break away for meal preparation, trips to the hardware store with my spouse, or housekeeping chores. Is that asking too much? Apparently it is. I've yet to experience one of those days. I've come close, but those times I've had "free" days, something has always inserted itself into my personal time. Perhaps I'm the one who actually inserted it, but there it was. Whatever the reason, there always seems to be something that requires my attention when I attempt to "do my own thing". So, what might be the solution? How will I ever succeed in securing the time I crave? A better question might be, how will I learn to more efficiently use the time I have?

Life presents us with varied opportunities every single day. Today my spouse and a friend have gone to a county fair and I've had a bit of time to myself. I was asked to go along, but graciously declined the invitation. What did I do with the free time this morning? I chose to cook myself breakfast, pay some bills online, check email, visit Facebook, and work on my blog. Those were my choices, but now that I'm in the mood to work on crafting projects, it's nearly time for my spouse to return. To be clear, he does not attempt to prohibit me from sewing or crafting. I simply find it difficult to retreat to my sewing room when he is here. I was about to suggest that I don't know why, but the truth is, I do know. It's because I anticipate interruptions, and that feeling comes from experience. Perhaps I have to push through and do what I want to do, regardless of what's going on around me - all within reason, that is. I won't ignore legitimate needs of my family members, friends, or pets, and I accept that there will always be some interruptions and bumps in the road. But it occurs to me I need to better budget my time and adjust to the detours along the way. As with a detour, once I return to the familiar road, I need to keep going until I reach my destination. If I can stitch a small pillow or ornament in ten minutes, I need to do that, if it's what I truly want to do. I resolve to work on that and strive to keep my waiting to a minimum. I don't want to run out of time.