Sunday, September 30, 2012

Sunday Morning Coming Down


On our road trip Friday, to visit Old Cookstove Restaurant, we stopped by Dutch Bakery, also
run by Mennonites. On the door was a sign advertising Sorghum Syrup. This was a staple in our house when I was growing up. In the winter time, we often had buttered biscuits and Sorghum Syrup for breakfast. My Mother would make Sorghum Syrup cake to take to the cotton patch for our lunch.

Here is what Wikipedia says about Sorghum:  Sweet sorghum has been widely cultivated in the U.S. since the 1850s for use in sweeteners, primarily in the form of sorghum syrup. By the early 1900s, the U.S. produced 20 million US gallons (76,000 m3) of sweet sorghum syrup annually. Making syrup from sorghum (as from sugar cane) is heavily labor intensive. Following World War II, with the declining availability of farm labor, sorghum syrup production fell drastically. Currently, less than 1 million US gallons (3,800 m3) are produced annually in the U.S. Most sorghum grown for syrup production is grown in Alabama,ArkansasGeorgiaIowaKentuckyMississippiNorth Carolina, and Tennessee.

I know it is hard to see in the following photo(You can find others on line) the cane was fed into a crusher which
was powered by mules. The mules went around in a circle turning the handles on this crusher. The juice of
the plant was extracted and then cooked to evaporate the liquid, a syrup was the result.


This is a photograph from my archives. An Aunt of my Mother's used the
photograph to paint a picture of the Johnson family working their
syrup maker. This was one way my great grandfather earned a living for his family.
He would use his machine and mules to grind the syrup cane produced by other farmers
in the community.
This photo shows even the young children in the family were involved in the process. The
cooking syrup and the fire were very dangerous. I have seen the results of burns caused
by getting too close. 

Sorghum Syrup is one of the simple country pleasures 
I remember from my childhood...

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Saturday Scribbles


Had a lovely time last afternoon with the folks in our Sunday School class....we drove to Faulkville/Danville, Alabama...to a country community where some Mennonite families live and run a restaurant called The Old Cookstove. The food was buffet style with every item imaginable including home made vanilla ice cream.
When we returned home, we'd had a rain shower and it has rained two more times since then.
Still, Honey Bear and I had a lovely walk between showers this morning.
Some of the trees in the neighborhood have already changed color, especially some of the Maples, but then others are still very green...It is a little early for the Fall color here, we are usually way into October before we see too much and our peak is sometimes the first week in November.
These photos are from other years and other places. I love to vacation in the Fall, so much to see and experience.
Another thing I like to do when the weather begins to cool, is cook one dish meals.....this morning, I've put the ingredients for Chicken & Dumplings into the Crockpot....all except the dumplings, that is....they'll be added after the broth and veggies have had time to simmer and combine their flavors.....
There is lots I'd like to be doing in the craft room, however I am just not in the sewing mood right now....
The photo on my desk top that I posted Wednesday, won first place in the County Cultural Arts contest and will go to state as did my Sampler quilt and one of my writing entries. I was quite pleased about that.
Here is another photo of our Hummingbird. I believe he has left on his journey already....we see others from time to time as they pass through but we don't have the activity of a few weeks ago.
I'm going to link up with Fiona's Green Day #15.......Hope your weekend is going well.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Funny Friday


Good Morning
everybeary
Wil here
Fall is in the air and Mama
Bear thought I should wear
this orange sweater with
the black cat
on it.
The cat looks a little
like our Smokey, don't you think.
We've not done too much
Fall decorating.
Mama saw this cat at Cracker Barrel
and she said it jumped in the car with 
her...
How is Fall shaping up at your house?
Hope your weekend is great.
Wil

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Hey World, Its Wednesday Hodge Podge


1. The Wednesday Hodgepodge this week falls on John Chapman's birth date.  He's more famously known as Johnny Appleseed...what's your favorite variety of apple? 
Gala.........Years ago it was Granny Smith(can't take the tartness now unless I'm eating it with cheese.......when I was a child it was Red Delicious because that was the only 'bought'apple I ever tasted and then only at Christmas....The rest of the year it was whatever apples grew on the local trees.....I first discovered Galas when I moved to Pennsylvania in 1993, now we keep them in the fridge all the time and they go on every road trip or picnic.

2.   When did you last say 'ick'? 
I didn't say it but I thought it when I first saw the Spider hanging down outside the window by my chair at dusk....she is there catching her meals almost every night....I probably said Yuck, though.

3.   Do you think there's a generation gap?  Explain. 
Not much of one between my daughter and me.....she grew up listening to my music and we still like the same kind....she borrows my clothes all the time.....next to her Dad, she's my next best friend...

4.  What's on your computer screen saver?  Do you leave it alone or change it often? 
A photo of a waterfall I made last Fall in Tennessee on vacation...

I usually change it with the seasons but might use more than one during that time.
5.  If you had the attention of the entire world for two minutes, what would you say? 
Give Peace a Chance
Like Joyce that is the phrase that popped in to my head.....It would take more than two minutes to say what I really wanted....We need to wake up and prepare for a different way of life because 'this' isn't going to last......

6.  Four fashion trends to try this fall are-brocade/jacquard (fancy printed fabrics), peplum, lace, and printed pants...which of these four would you be most likely to wear? 
lace but not for everyday.....I think lace and sequins, shiny, should be for fancy dress....guess that's my age showing

7.  What can make your bad day better?
My Honey Bear walking through the door.....I try to meet him there if I know when he pulls his car into the garage.....

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 
The cotton fields around home are ready to harvest....the farmers have defoliated them so all you see are the bushes with the white....it always reminds me of: John 4:35
"Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."
Jesus is referring to people in this passage.Souls who have been witnessed to, heard the gospel and are ready to accept salvation. He says one plants the seed, another waters it and still another will harvest....Jesus said there is joy for planter and harvester alike.

I hope you're having a good day and that you'll take time to visit Joyce and play along on this blog hop.



Tuesday, September 25, 2012

A Simple Woman's Daybook



From Mama Bear's Journal....

FOR TODAY.....Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Outside my window...Sunny, 64°F, 18°C, expected to reach 82, low humidity, wonderful weather....the Maple tree continues to change colors and loses a few leaves but not many as we've had good rainfall recently...the butterfly bush is still blooming, the grass is still growing....not many critters frolicking about this morning....

I am thinking...how wonderful it is that Fall has arrived and wishing I felt like going out and walking.....I've had a digestive upset for several days now and I'm ready for it to be gone

I am thankful...for all of God's provision, for his peace and presence in my life.......I'm thankful the house is mostly clean and uncluttered and there isn't too much laundry that needs doing so I can just recuperate without guilt

From the kitchen...we've been eating soups the last few days....last night it was tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.......I'm planning to make Chicken and Dumplings sometime this week....not sure what we'll have tonight, there's a cold rotisserie chicken in the fridge and some leftover Mac & cheese as well as slaw and salad...so it could be any of those are something completely different...I've cleaned up from Breakfast, Honey Bear had grits with cheese and I had Multi grained cheerios with a banana

I am wearing...a pink tank top and pink pajama bottoms ( I may wear them all day)

I am creating...
I finished this quilt top last week
and made this book bag

and this pin cushion

 and this card
the last three will be entered in our
annual Cultural Arts Contest

I am going...to stay home today and hopefully get over this virus

One year ago today...the weather was similar, the temperature was 57 degrees but the day would warm up to the 80s....I had just finished reading Wednesday Sisters and was beginning the last of the Cedar Cove books by Debbie Macomber......I was finishing up Tis The Season wall hanging and getting ready for our Cultural Arts Event....planning our first wiener roast and s'mores since it had gotten cool enough to use the fire pit outdoors....thinking about all the things I loved about Fall and getting my decorating done...

I am wondering...about arrangements for an Uncle who passed away last night.....

These days I'm reading...Gone by Mo Hayder, a police mystery, set in England,  which is going pretty fast so I'm wondering what I'll read next...there isn't much on my shelf and nothing new in my kindle

I am praying...for my Uncle's family....for my SIL as he has some tests done this week...praise for a benign result for my friend.....and that Honey Bear resolves the issues with the IRS....

I remember when...we used to go to Halloween Carnivals at school, they were fund raisers and booths were set up for a fish pond where you caught a prize from behind a screen decorated to look like a pond...a cake walk where you walked around in a circle of chairs to a tune and when the music stopped you had to find a chair, there would be one less chair than walkers so you were eliminated if you were left standing, this went on until the last person who found a chair got a homemade cake or other bakery item donated by the mothers and teachers....a country store where items such as homemade bread and preserves were sold.....a costume contest and lots of good food to eat......

I am looking forward to...our cultural arts event on Thursday....a Sunday School outing on Friday.....State Conference and vacation in October

A verse for today...Philippians 2:3 "Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself."

Discovering that....I have more things I want to do than I have time to do them..........I had to purchase more space for my photos or no longer post them....anyone else had to do that..

I am hearing...a motor of some kind in the distance........silence

Around the house...Smokey is curled up in his igloo basket
this is an old picture, I have a blanket thrown over the top of it today so he is hidden inside....he doesn't much care for the cooler weather

Song that stays on my Mind..."We Will Remember, We Will Remember, We Will Remember the works of your hands, We will stop and give you praise, for great is your faithfulness." we sang this Sunday and it has been playing in my head off and one since then.

A favorite quote for today..."Never bend your head. Hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye." Helen Keller

One of my favorite things...Fall Festivals and Street Fairs

A few plans for the rest of the week: a viewing or a funeral(depends on the arrangements), Cultural Arts Event on Thursday morning, Sunday School outing to a Mennonite bakery and restaurant on Friday

From my photo file....

We're linking up with Peggy and the Simple Woman's Daybook

Monday, September 24, 2012

Monday and Quiz Time

Can you believe its me posting on a Monday?
Its been weeks since I've done one at the
start of the week.
Been busy with my entries for our
annual Cultural Arts Contest.

Visit Heather, just click the button.



1. What room in the house do you try your hardest to keep clean?
my studio....there are always projects and shopping.....and just 'stuff' stashed in there....If it gets bad enough, I'll have to clean before I can create...just have to do it or I can't stand it.
2. How do you describe your blog to someone you just met?
I don't! Most of my friends and relatives don't even know I have one...

3. What was your lie from last week?  (If you didn't play last week, What was your favorite cartoon you watched as a kid?)
Mighty Mouse....or was that from the children's cartoons.....honestly, I can't remember them from my childhood...I did watch Captain Kangaroo and Rumper Room

4. What is your favorite kind of salad? (post a recipe if you got one)
I love to make one up with ingredients from the fridge with a romaine base.....leftover greenbeans or corn, anything like that, top it with grilled chicken ( I keep the packs on hand in the fridge) or leftover meat of some kind. Then Blue Cheese or Creamy Caesar dressing and crackers makes a meal.

And don't forget to add a 5th Question on your own blog so we can answer as we hop around! Here's mine.
What is your favorite thing about Fall?

Friday, September 21, 2012

Funny Friday


Hello everybeary
Wil here
I know its been a while
since you've seen my furry face....
I've been laying low
what with the heat of summer
and all.....
just haven't had the energy
to do much of anything...
Now, there's a nip
in the air of a morning
and I am seeing
more and more
signs of Autumn
I hope all is beary well with you......
Wil

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

A Simple Woman's Daybook



From Mama Bear's Journal
FOR TODAY...Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Outside my window...70°F21°C,mostly cloudy with a forecast high of 85 and a low of 59......everything is still mostly green and the Crepe Myrtles are still blooming.....Mr Hummingbird (bee bird) is sitting on a branch of the Maple Tree guarding the feeder which needs filling again......Mosquitoes try to take me away each time I step outside the door and Sneaky Snake hasn't put in an appearance in almost a week...

I am thinking...its time I got back to blogging on a regular basis

I am thankful...that Honey Bear and I were of like minds Sunday when we joined the church, both of us must have been thinking the time was right

From the kitchen...Parmesan Crusted Porkchops, Cheddar Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans for dinner tonight

I am wearing...red capris, a red and navy striped-3/4 length sleeved T-shirt and sandals 

I am creating...the cross stitch but I really need to get my last block of the "My Favorite Things" quilt embroidered and appliqued so I can put the top together...I've cut out part of the pieces for a bag and I've got the material and idea for a card but haven't started on it....I think I've been in hiatus from creating anything...

I am going...to the hairdresser this morning

One year ago today...It was 66 degrees but expected to reach 90...I was reading Wednesday Sisters.....finished with the Tis the Season quilt top and ready to quilt it...doing a Bible Study and participating in a swap.......we still had tomatoes and Okra in the garden....I hadn't put out FALL decorations yet.....the Princess was coming after school and we were going shopping

I am wondering...about Christmas shopping....I've always shopped early and usually am through with it by November but now the "grands" mostly want money (the boys anyway) and I don't have as long a list as I once did.........I do need to make a start, I have a few ideas in mind

These days I'm reading...Going in Circles

I am praying...for my friend who has a test later today

I remember when...school started right before Labor Day, we go a few weeks and then the Cotton would be ready for harvesting and school would only go half days.....my family picked Cotton, although we didn't have any fields of our own, we got paid for what we did so we had extra money for essentials...my sister and I were able to buy clothes that Mother couldn't make for us such as sweaters, shoes, coats and underwear....it was work but it was also fun and there was a sense of achievement and it was nice to be able to spend money we'd earned ourselves.......Saturdays were especially fun because we'd go to the field early in the morning when it was cool and then stop at lunch for a picnic in the field near the Cotton wagon.......when I was a little child, Mom made my picking sack because the ones furnished by the Farmers were too large for me, and at the end of the day, I got to ride to the house in the Cotton wagon.

I am looking forward to...Club meeting this week, State Conference and Vacation in October

A verse for today..." My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." Isaiah 55:8

Discovering that....Simple things bring more pleasure the older I get.

I am hearing...the dryer

Around the house...the carpet needs cleaning again and my vacuum needs a new belt as the old one keeps slipping off.

Song that stays on my Mind..."Now you're my whole life, now your my whole world. I just can't believe the way I feel about you girl. I thought I loved you then." Then by Brad Paisley

A favorite quote for today..."October is a symphony of permanence and change" Bonaro W. Overstreet

One of my favorite things...sleeping in a cool room

A few plans for the rest of the week:County Council meeting tomorrow, Club meeting tomorrow night, hair cut for Honey Bear on Saturday

From my photo file....
As always, credit goes to Peggy at The Simple Woman for the creation of daybooks.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

A Simple Woman's Daybook


From Mama Bear's JournalFOR TODAY...Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Outside my window...74°F, 23°C, with overcast skies, supposed to have a heat index of 97 today with a chance of thunderstorms...Issac has left behind some nasty weather, we had tornado warnings on Sunday afternoon...wind is calm....Hummingbirds are eating breakfast

I am thinking...I could go back to bed and get a nap before I start the day...I was up at 5:30

I am thankful...that we've had enough rain to make up for the drought of early summer....for my sister's visit this weekend....that Honey Bear and I are healthy...

From the kitchen...lots of leftovers in the fridge...I finally got some stuffed peppers made and frozen.....Kraut with wieners, fried potatoes, peas, slaw and cornbread for dinner tonight

I am wearing...pajamas

I am creating...no new projects at the moment

I am going...to read some when I finish here...maybe that is why I'm so sleepy

One year ago today...the high was 68 degrees...we'd had rain after a 4 week drought...I was reading To Kill a Mockingbird...I was losing weight....doing a bible study...

I am wondering...if I should take a nap

These days I'm reading... An Amish Winter Wonderland

I am praying...for cooler temperatures

I remember when...we had new clothes for school and looked forward to wearing them the first week.......girls wore dresses to school, guys wore casual slacks and button down shirts...

I am looking forward to...babysitting for a friend this week

A verse for today...For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning..Psalm 30:5

Discovering that....I'm getting hungry for some breakfast, I've been up an hour already...

I am hearing...Honey Bear talking to Smokey....getting some breakfast

Around the house...things are mostly tidy but the studio could use some attention

Song that stays on my Mind...You Raise Me Up

A favorite quote for today..."Be like the bluebird who never is blue for 
he knows from his upbringing what singing can do." Cole Porter

One of my favorite things...walking through fallen leaves 

A few plans for the rest of the week: Baby sitting Wednesday, a day with my Daughter on Thursday, Book Club Friday

From my photo file....

Monday Quiz About Me


1.  What was the toughest job you ever had?

Digging a ditch for a water line.


2.  What one characteristic makes a good boss?
integrity 
3.  How did you celebrate 'the end of summer'? 
We had a cook out on Saturday. Monday was just a normal weekday here. Honey Bear worked, I did housework and cooked.

4.  Do you follow the fashion rules about Labour Day being the end of wearing white etc?
White pants, skirts and shoes? Yes, some things are just too ingrained in my Psyche.

I'm linking up over at Heather's place.