tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87747045919963963352024-03-13T11:57:45.500-05:00Looking Beyond the BlondeChristian simple-living (homeschool retiree) mama. Living for faith, family, and creative downtime.Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-8430851773304438022024-02-15T19:15:00.001-06:002024-02-15T19:15:40.492-06:00National Treasure Themed Dinner<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslteOruzaIBrMuxZuOll71WUtNxCDq3wbsXEemIDEzpcDzyCr9LYz5GP4bJ1l9E-BoAH80K_KQqCrbIqO6UD-emGilgVZFalDuOw8gqRKxDzx8gxpVgzVTGGBzCyWI72C7kblAGbDfa1O6pgjctKHA5pBWBGYHBi5ENMDZ0xYPcqB8Zjp60FI9F68JUw/s4080/Vday%20Treasure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslteOruzaIBrMuxZuOll71WUtNxCDq3wbsXEemIDEzpcDzyCr9LYz5GP4bJ1l9E-BoAH80K_KQqCrbIqO6UD-emGilgVZFalDuOw8gqRKxDzx8gxpVgzVTGGBzCyWI72C7kblAGbDfa1O6pgjctKHA5pBWBGYHBi5ENMDZ0xYPcqB8Zjp60FI9F68JUw/s320/Vday%20Treasure.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Happy Valentine's Day!<p></p><p>We had so much fun with last year's <a href="https://mamahousemouse-rambles.blogspot.com/2023/02/jurassic-park-themed-dinner.html">Jurassic Park Themed Dinner</a> that we decided to make it an annual Valentine's Day celebration! This year my daughter chose the movie, and decided on National Treasure. </p><p>Unlike last year when there were dozens of ideas on Pinterest, it seems as if nobody has had a National Treasure dinner before, so we were on our own for ideas. Because precious little food is shown in the movie, we began by breaking it into scenes, then contemplating options appropriate for each place. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnBZeL76fbZB4Eqq5HmAjyEr1wSol_nF5dIdBQBWzzHpWChhZnMNuyY4pYRQzS7hmj0hJEvxfkPJ06iB-KDE_l9-CjVGL0D3iRcWDGTj1ho3e5t2PHlWQvFULhEoTwL86QdF9wgkj-8bTpnutrI3uE7D0zIsofcFnB4Ivan7SbJjIQTHqxE6IaSp3OYU/s3024/Vday%20Lunch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnBZeL76fbZB4Eqq5HmAjyEr1wSol_nF5dIdBQBWzzHpWChhZnMNuyY4pYRQzS7hmj0hJEvxfkPJ06iB-KDE_l9-CjVGL0D3iRcWDGTj1ho3e5t2PHlWQvFULhEoTwL86QdF9wgkj-8bTpnutrI3uE7D0zIsofcFnB4Ivan7SbJjIQTHqxE6IaSp3OYU/s320/Vday%20Lunch1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p>Boston - Boston baked beans? Chowder? A bowl of tea with toy boats floating in it? <br /></p><p>Agent Sadusky's office - donuts and coffee?<br /></p><p>Philadelphia - cheesesteak sandwiches? </p><p>Once we had a list, we were able to choose three specific scenes to base our food on. We also realized that it would be best for our tummies, if we separated this into both lunch AND dinner. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTCWo325p51BnJeHNTNoKTUS9d6YZPjZsNR-dw9TstcwbX-EAgGRt9wlyf5NrPQ2BniWvW54PsuWh7GyZBS5P-TXqjMqDpyQSvrOlD8-aquCp6yI6wjkqlpJcF0vCkAEOqjclJhfMC2R3-_YN6QeD4ceHrkD3W6l_YSSY4k5tRrXB8ukY3RZtfPKTek4/s4080/Vday%20Lunch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTCWo325p51BnJeHNTNoKTUS9d6YZPjZsNR-dw9TstcwbX-EAgGRt9wlyf5NrPQ2BniWvW54PsuWh7GyZBS5P-TXqjMqDpyQSvrOlD8-aquCp6yI6wjkqlpJcF0vCkAEOqjclJhfMC2R3-_YN6QeD4ceHrkD3W6l_YSSY4k5tRrXB8ukY3RZtfPKTek4/s320/Vday%20Lunch2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>For lunch, we chose the Gala scene. While not shown within the movie, we imagined <span class="JCzEY ZwRhJd"><span class="CSkcDe">canapés would have been present, and champagne was an obvious choice. We enjoyed mozzarella skewers, broccoli-cheese stuffed peppers, and sausage bites with peach alcohol-free bellinis in flutes decorated with fingerprint</span></span><span class="JCzEY ZwRhJd"><span class="CSkcDe"> stickers. Target sold heart-shaped cherry decorations this year for Valentine's Day, and because much of the movie takes place in Washington DC - known for its cherry trees - I picked up a garland, the snack plates, and the napkins. The garland was hung over our "treasure" and we used the paperware for both lunch & dinner. <br /></span></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUGjXRemVPkXqgmc8PWEzdPmgwl4JSd_HBWGw_YrPw9K-n-bbv4YgyjW_8EyKHjCJo1j9sIlVy11nMZUwBa7J2ktvIjk8031_eYcMWogl7fzPqzmYjScTbzKlZLzQM0B1j94fe7p0nz-9b18zisu854_eT4TEzfJomTnddjrjcd74oQ6_3JQrLUXhmOY/s3078/Vday%20Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3078" data-original-width="3078" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUGjXRemVPkXqgmc8PWEzdPmgwl4JSd_HBWGw_YrPw9K-n-bbv4YgyjW_8EyKHjCJo1j9sIlVy11nMZUwBa7J2ktvIjk8031_eYcMWogl7fzPqzmYjScTbzKlZLzQM0B1j94fe7p0nz-9b18zisu854_eT4TEzfJomTnddjrjcd74oQ6_3JQrLUXhmOY/s320/Vday%20Dinner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="JCzEY ZwRhJd"><span class="CSkcDe">I considered a treasure hunt with ottendorf cyphers and invisible ink, but in the end decided it might be too juvenile. Instead, w</span></span><span class="JCzEY ZwRhJd"><span class="CSkcDe">e found a new game, called Conspiracy Theory. Conspiracies and treasure hunting CAN go hand-in-hand, and we thought it would be a <br />fun addition to our weekly game day collection. It's a Trivial Pursuit style game, with questions on: aliens, mythos, (cryptids) schemes, tech, and "random". It was silly, we were terrible at knowing the correct answers, and we loved it. Then we watched Destination Truth, and opened our treasure boxes; tiny gold brick boxes left over from my daughter's birthday party last year. They were decorated with images of the Templar seal, and filled with a few Lindor chocolates, and chocolate-coated freeze-dried fruit. </span></span><p></p><p><span class="JCzEY ZwRhJd"><span class="CSkcDe">For dinner, we chose Patrick's house. Dinner was homemade cheese pizza, and Coke with plenty of lemon. We turned our electric fireplace on and the lights off while watching the movie. </span></span></p><p><span class="JCzEY ZwRhJd"><span class="CSkcDe">Then, just for fun, my daughter and I made chocolate "Parkington Lane" chocolate caskets complete with white chocolate skeletons and cheesecake mousse, for the scene where they find the treasure. </span></span></p><p><span class="JCzEY ZwRhJd"><span class="CSkcDe">This was a lot of fun to plan, and everything was so delicious! I can't wait to see what we do for next year! <br /></span></span></p><p><span class="JCzEY ZwRhJd"><span class="CSkcDe"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwP1jS3tgWKOishSEuM6RUfWuAMd1pYJhCsUp7-G1eJ2GJ72cJr4bhPjkO9cCIq-GeDh5zdLUYzrGXtFc4_84gErpKzYpcxl-m4YpqzRnKVwoVBTUvAz8aAm6pkK43bZw-mXJeGcsAhJc40xBGxmMq1V22I4RVRQ8GJS7Hr2t3B0KVsZctOpFbvYKXOQ/s4080/ParkingtonLane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwP1jS3tgWKOishSEuM6RUfWuAMd1pYJhCsUp7-G1eJ2GJ72cJr4bhPjkO9cCIq-GeDh5zdLUYzrGXtFc4_84gErpKzYpcxl-m4YpqzRnKVwoVBTUvAz8aAm6pkK43bZw-mXJeGcsAhJc40xBGxmMq1V22I4RVRQ8GJS7Hr2t3B0KVsZctOpFbvYKXOQ/w400-h300/ParkingtonLane.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-79912900342657391172024-01-11T17:34:00.000-06:002024-01-11T17:34:36.711-06:00Our Narnian New Year <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpjv4SkxHCyrMxtP8INJWdq-1xLK03V1H50hnq_APlWyfzoVjo4guwcW0-6LDwEN98kyztVdNAVy1q8Wk4VJpkX8jlYpSs8BEIcDtVMkTt0ItY_atfpihhp9tcfa7UYNc1nriGMELdtryL-3p1DQiy9pWSnLeQToCttVGpQF1v8CIkS8W46mSKtG9V-I/s4160/Quotes.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpjv4SkxHCyrMxtP8INJWdq-1xLK03V1H50hnq_APlWyfzoVjo4guwcW0-6LDwEN98kyztVdNAVy1q8Wk4VJpkX8jlYpSs8BEIcDtVMkTt0ItY_atfpihhp9tcfa7UYNc1nriGMELdtryL-3p1DQiy9pWSnLeQToCttVGpQF1v8CIkS8W46mSKtG9V-I/s320/Quotes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I have now finished my 40th annual reading of The Chronicles of Narnia. As I said in my previous post I've also read it multiple times to both my sisters and my children; so I've actually read it closer to 50 times, but this is my 40th wintertime reading. <p></p><p>Just as I read the Hobbit and Fellowship of the Rings trilogy each fall, I begin each winter with Narnia. Some years I start on the first day of winter, and other years I begin the year with them. But I read them every year... they are some of my oldest friends. And yes my childhood Narnia books evaporated, so I did need to replace them several years back. </p><p>These books are full of beginnings, renewal, discovery, and rediscovery... to me, they are a perfect way to begin the year. And in 2021, we decided to make it an official part of our family calendar. This is our fourth Narnian New Year!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3MUn_xj1MC_wtyORzdXlLZPs5VhhfIB4D6Wdt5QzfgK__IniVTxjrNbIGm6pBto_IUT6dSsuqUwJaNgz5zTX_6wYeTSJEmo4eaHBnukcpzcNnPVnyvk-9dUYdJA3axQnU6ahZ7PSosvXqJWcXxpoD6fT5vUtS2qSGoCofFlK0egdcPN5qi_NDXp7yBU/s4160/Aslan.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3MUn_xj1MC_wtyORzdXlLZPs5VhhfIB4D6Wdt5QzfgK__IniVTxjrNbIGm6pBto_IUT6dSsuqUwJaNgz5zTX_6wYeTSJEmo4eaHBnukcpzcNnPVnyvk-9dUYdJA3axQnU6ahZ7PSosvXqJWcXxpoD6fT5vUtS2qSGoCofFlK0egdcPN5qi_NDXp7yBU/w150-h200/Aslan.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Because Minnesota winters are SO VERY LONG; beginning as early as
October and stretching as long as May, we break up our seasonal
decorating to help keep things feeling fresh through the seemingly eternal cold. While December is full of pastel gingerbread, colorful
houses, and candies, January is all white. <p></p><p>We greet our guests with an Aslan wreath on
the front door. </p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLXZsy2F2nDdhNQ7xorHoPxVxE_geutaX4NyorzZN0m9yMQk3FLiECObu-1ITWFNcwvXwPdLg4d0oqBdfl8lKzRzejR_HFXnswJ5t0GrA-4tjSY7TKYfXvyWCX5edZjUlIiSM8w0BNux2a1tamjIzKoPG93SpDX8-ZMY5SWtjp0sfxAlNSCuyedD58Xg/s4160/Garland.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLXZsy2F2nDdhNQ7xorHoPxVxE_geutaX4NyorzZN0m9yMQk3FLiECObu-1ITWFNcwvXwPdLg4d0oqBdfl8lKzRzejR_HFXnswJ5t0GrA-4tjSY7TKYfXvyWCX5edZjUlIiSM8w0BNux2a1tamjIzKoPG93SpDX8-ZMY5SWtjp0sfxAlNSCuyedD58Xg/w200-h150/Garland.jpg" width="200" /></a>Across
the marriage wall is a white garland; similar to Decembers, but
more sparse. Rather than being heavily laden with bright colors, this one is decorated simply with white and clear
ornaments, enormous snowflakes, and silver lions & icicles. The
effect when light hits it, is dazzling. And in our niche sits a single
white bird, and a snowflake garland. (This part is still a work in
progress) <br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7H2RZU0Raf4butvFkkVNSIAnBvrTM4letyFQ5pz2LAJ8A1YOrntlMMkG9hA5Tit9rhGuAugsMvBtNbh2bs0_iLNueYGBQUwrMOutf5mal_IoWe6dlafqWVCo7jhjCelJn5Hrq3ydYDTH5GdkHzjJTd9j2BJ_TT-n2FQsIwcm6gqLGtTYMcNYavGax80/s4160/angel.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7H2RZU0Raf4butvFkkVNSIAnBvrTM4letyFQ5pz2LAJ8A1YOrntlMMkG9hA5Tit9rhGuAugsMvBtNbh2bs0_iLNueYGBQUwrMOutf5mal_IoWe6dlafqWVCo7jhjCelJn5Hrq3ydYDTH5GdkHzjJTd9j2BJ_TT-n2FQsIwcm6gqLGtTYMcNYavGax80/w200-h150/angel.jpg" width="200" /></a>In the living room is a tiny vignette of white
houses with my Angel of Hope, and the dining room has a small collection
of wintry deer and houses atop our console. The sliding glass doors are
lit for both December AND January with white snowflake lights, and two
blow mold candles. It's my way of decorating "outside" without anyone
needing to climb ladders in subzero temperatures. The goal is to light
up ALL of our windows for the winter, one at a time.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhv7VY_EgQPD2lSX1fKHYjZ1Ss1sl6iGmwDZDt2lt7kwwWYfAYllUEQxJ-h_SE3vP17qSOM3RBQBQxmB6FmoPRVDS9QXuZJ_5S1jbliZn3vm4BG3Iw52OLgjiRvlXejQybywJsnHpFJFKEqiBzJ9V5IEQBxkTsDkL5VatJ5fMP98RkNkGnyvIG57P8o4/s4160/Deer.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhv7VY_EgQPD2lSX1fKHYjZ1Ss1sl6iGmwDZDt2lt7kwwWYfAYllUEQxJ-h_SE3vP17qSOM3RBQBQxmB6FmoPRVDS9QXuZJ_5S1jbliZn3vm4BG3Iw52OLgjiRvlXejQybywJsnHpFJFKEqiBzJ9V5IEQBxkTsDkL5VatJ5fMP98RkNkGnyvIG57P8o4/w150-h200/Deer.jpg" width="150" /></a></p>Now that the books are read, it's time to re-watch the movies. I have a Pinterest board full of all-white foods to choose from, but we're in the middle of an Arctic blast right now and soup sounds rather good. I'm thinking roasted cauliflower white cheddar soup with fresh homemade bread, and cheesecake mousse with hot vanilla milk ought to hit the spot juuust about right.<p></p><p></p><p></p>We have decided to make our Sunday Movie Nights into more of an "event" and have thematically appropriate foods, turn the lights down low and the electric fireplace on, and make things feel a tiny bit special once each week. <p></p><p>The details are still being worked out, but the idea is not to spend a lot of money, but to use what's already in the home... with the exception of groceries, of course. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitimiRXlJW_w-o8CJOD7wpbk5tDykb_wNTU4rjz_-oc0m45OKZj7_Mlpj6MvBTFgun0Y3NpD4xIONAeor22K9KAvlDimBQoPUYP7UgMD5hsuHrrqvaZ5PjqItiTKmxTnRRSDoTb42XD3ts_h3w3ha9ivzUaw0tvYMkoIJY70uxLJcbbKEHeC9CpzmVgL4/s4160/outdoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitimiRXlJW_w-o8CJOD7wpbk5tDykb_wNTU4rjz_-oc0m45OKZj7_Mlpj6MvBTFgun0Y3NpD4xIONAeor22K9KAvlDimBQoPUYP7UgMD5hsuHrrqvaZ5PjqItiTKmxTnRRSDoTb42XD3ts_h3w3ha9ivzUaw0tvYMkoIJY70uxLJcbbKEHeC9CpzmVgL4/w150-h200/outdoor.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p>Between global pandemics, divorce, our church dissolving, and needing
to restructure our entire lives, these past several years have been
ones of contracting; pulling in, staying home, and digging deep. This
will be a year of expanding. We have chosen a new church, the pandemic
FINALLY feels as if it's in recession, books and therapy have begun to
restructure a new and stronger mamahousemouse, and we are ready to begin
leaving our cocoons. </p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">This year, more than any other, feels as if spring is coming... Aslan IS on the move! </p><p style="text-align: center;">After our long winter, we are ALL ready for our spring! <br /></p><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /><br /></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-40378926832279240642024-01-02T09:56:00.001-06:002024-01-02T10:15:08.545-06:002023 Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuzO77OdLe3r-3nxZyfFWbwmtaFxOwaOA1ld-rOCfl-ZewyErfERTg8G-HwNI5LX6GyLHZLFKLr_oKS5STrdBktZ5UyAESwGZLEYNekiRXi-k6fH-m0G3VgBiZWNZOjQMPf2Nab8SWdhJBZf6-QfCw_1XXspZdAJf5aKYDhvnvo0192qQDI30P2J6Rk4/s1024/Bookwyrm%20MKS%2014Dec2023.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuzO77OdLe3r-3nxZyfFWbwmtaFxOwaOA1ld-rOCfl-ZewyErfERTg8G-HwNI5LX6GyLHZLFKLr_oKS5STrdBktZ5UyAESwGZLEYNekiRXi-k6fH-m0G3VgBiZWNZOjQMPf2Nab8SWdhJBZf6-QfCw_1XXspZdAJf5aKYDhvnvo0192qQDI30P2J6Rk4/s320/Bookwyrm%20MKS%2014Dec2023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>As an avid bookwyrm, I tend to devour books at a startling rate. Having been a hyperlexic toddler who never actually outgrew that trait, my book goals tend to be a bit higher than most. It's because I'm a freak, and I'm okay with this. NEVER compare your book goals with someone whose been reading novels since before their second birthday. If your goal is to read one book each month this year, I LOVE THAT! It's an amazing goal because it means you're reading! </p><p>Books are my oldest friends. As I type this, I am reading through the Chronicles of Narnia for at least the 40th time. I have read them, beginning on January 1st, every year since I was 8. (I know I read them to my sisters and children several times as well, so I've likely actually read them through closer to 50 times by now!) When things go wrong, I look for a book to help me find my way. When things are going well, I look for a book to celebrate with me. And when winter makes my bones hurt... I stack my books about me like the tiny hoarding dragon I am, curled up with my treasures, and read my way back to spring. </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2023/39275180" target="_blank">In 2023 I read 237 books.</a> It's a lot, I know. But reading is a priority to me, I'm a speed-reader, and one of the way my ADHD manifests itself is in my reading. I am constantly reading at least 7 books simultaneously; one audiobook, one ebook, one faith-based (as well as constantly rereading the Bible), one heritage, one for personal growth, and one fiction. I am usually also going through an audiobook with my daughter, and occasionally we are also reading through a second book as well. So... after reading an average of 4 1/2 books per week, what sticks out as GREAT books? </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaLDiMXiYJYOEy3593TmB3t6h25FE2VwLI-rTtyyz89JHyn_oa4I4EKjrjfkNHgqJQDZVTOXrq7IYKCxttk-26TAQx34nsiWhOTP1tI5zs_eBKuvSxkEXUUwe4NN6rRC9kxZxTeEcbSUnWZM6T2c5_SLC8d6Fl-s_mtH0RABeIohl-GjUVM-l5pd38Bg/s500/51oh9QYcEaL._SL500_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="499" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaLDiMXiYJYOEy3593TmB3t6h25FE2VwLI-rTtyyz89JHyn_oa4I4EKjrjfkNHgqJQDZVTOXrq7IYKCxttk-26TAQx34nsiWhOTP1tI5zs_eBKuvSxkEXUUwe4NN6rRC9kxZxTeEcbSUnWZM6T2c5_SLC8d6Fl-s_mtH0RABeIohl-GjUVM-l5pd38Bg/s320/51oh9QYcEaL._SL500_.jpg" width="319" /></a><a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Redwall-Audiobook/B002UZDS2K?ref_pageloadid=vGRRuHSPPxFGzmIQ&ref=a_series_Re_c5_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=284b47b1-a5db-4711-9667-612f2ac7458e&pf_rd_r=J545WAY71BZ3R1SE5GNV&pageLoadId=ndPxmXjTPUsoMKex&ref_plink=not_applicable&creativeId=b570234c-250a-43ff-be6b-ca1b4c5d7caa" target="_blank">I am currently rereading the Redwall series</a>.
These were my son's favorite books in his early teens, and we read
through them a few times as a family. We sold these several years ago,
but when I found them in audio format - read by the author alongside a
full cast, I thought they would make a wonderful bedtime routine. These
are done SO well, and I LOVE hearing them as I curl up and settle in for
the night. Such a treat! I will be completing the series this year, as I
only made it through Salamandastron by year's end. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5ej8ner1xAbuUWi4-ezV1ECpkjKEZT66xfuCN6M6pN8881gEyjIi8nQ2QZCF8YzHG2CBKrhBI0VuBrP-gILpuq5BAaPmPKBovYFKbPvJxU91vA9eP9Wka423I0Hy05i8WdElIwyoxUcJKmTRmcNE0q_InBZNd4HPUDT4LUsk9kAdhD6hYvwCwJghtmI/s193/296662.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="123" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5ej8ner1xAbuUWi4-ezV1ECpkjKEZT66xfuCN6M6pN8881gEyjIi8nQ2QZCF8YzHG2CBKrhBI0VuBrP-gILpuq5BAaPmPKBovYFKbPvJxU91vA9eP9Wka423I0Hy05i8WdElIwyoxUcJKmTRmcNE0q_InBZNd4HPUDT4LUsk9kAdhD6hYvwCwJghtmI/s1600/296662.jpg" width="123" /></a></div>Lies my Teacher Told Me was one of a few history books I read this year, to relearn a history that was whitewashed in my education. This was the first, and inspired my hunt for other places where I'd been told one - very hurtful and highly blindered - version of the truth. A true eye-opener. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdfRgTVi0Jhdz4-eqaCOkqGqUgAjjsk5ANexYi_RXTf8Emj-xiOCch_i87jwFCfL3KjQ4QQ2SqgnzpKIrhjLIp-kBolBshqVOZPUlcUgXepeNKRH9wTlct_aQ0h-i9NWDf3tBFx8Ghy07VZACETgKa5AKhKsA_DDNlmNfqIIkcUG1PN9zAEvDf9m2JG8/s2048/414122128_7922114037804238_2537439836786726459_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdfRgTVi0Jhdz4-eqaCOkqGqUgAjjsk5ANexYi_RXTf8Emj-xiOCch_i87jwFCfL3KjQ4QQ2SqgnzpKIrhjLIp-kBolBshqVOZPUlcUgXepeNKRH9wTlct_aQ0h-i9NWDf3tBFx8Ghy07VZACETgKa5AKhKsA_DDNlmNfqIIkcUG1PN9zAEvDf9m2JG8/s320/414122128_7922114037804238_2537439836786726459_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The sweetest little treasure of a bedtime book, this was a <span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">Jólabókaflóð </span>gift from my kids. Firefly Hollow is a sweet little adventure shared by a cricket, a firefly, and a sad little boy. It's a wonderful story of loss and friendship, and was beautifully illustrated. Absolutely a keeper, to be reread on sick days. <p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3Uj_c9KeeQf0pE1Npd5h9RVaR_r6yGIeUulKVPvyris3o-kVdriIOLmQJzBqRLpvJen0q1-r-g6Z0dqYfXgwr9jlEwAU2HXTf6VeCNjgJXsbJbBYHG8D38TPY0eIHezNnp0WWEJ-bqcxYVNIJBh3PhlPQnk_j8PTaRfoyloAKoaADwgSSym1GH1JWsg/s2164/54233271.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2164" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3Uj_c9KeeQf0pE1Npd5h9RVaR_r6yGIeUulKVPvyris3o-kVdriIOLmQJzBqRLpvJen0q1-r-g6Z0dqYfXgwr9jlEwAU2HXTf6VeCNjgJXsbJbBYHG8D38TPY0eIHezNnp0WWEJ-bqcxYVNIJBh3PhlPQnk_j8PTaRfoyloAKoaADwgSSym1GH1JWsg/s320/54233271.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSUAT5BxoLex2R_wXnxd2-_m8OY5zvvdINqg3Z-Z8uSNX7I3gT24BRAGq6wqQ3b9IBqAtHpPfu-x8paVNJctf0WFdM48kKmJzw4a0EFAPzE9vCynuaxNdT5OXd1GbpWwZU6ymxawAZ-W1bjXut60eSsqJdem2m_dzQaXq0Qy7YsfDfnBdM3zp-7VIFjg/s400/53056343.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSUAT5BxoLex2R_wXnxd2-_m8OY5zvvdINqg3Z-Z8uSNX7I3gT24BRAGq6wqQ3b9IBqAtHpPfu-x8paVNJctf0WFdM48kKmJzw4a0EFAPzE9vCynuaxNdT5OXd1GbpWwZU6ymxawAZ-W1bjXut60eSsqJdem2m_dzQaXq0Qy7YsfDfnBdM3zp-7VIFjg/s320/53056343.jpg" width="259" /></a></p><p></p><p>Another "unlearning" book from last year was The Making of Biblical
Womanhood. As an indoctrinated victim of purity culture, there are SO
MANY books I'm going through to unlearn, relearn, and detoxify my
thoughts on my body. This one stands out, as the most targeted for what I
personally was taught and how I was brainwashed. I have so many more
books to read on this subject, and so much more work to do before I can
look in a mirror without feeling guilt. For anyone else who needs to
unlearn what they were taught in the 80's, 90's and early 2000's about
shame and their body, this is a great starting point. </p><p>Another lighthearted book here... all three of us love watching
Rom-Coms. My daughter and I actually ENJOY watching sappy, wholly
unrelatable, entirely predictable Hallmark movies. We picked up both the
everyday AND Christmas version of this choose-your-own-adventure style
book, and all three of us took turns choosing and chortling our way
through the silliness. If you've ever enjoyed, heckled, or rolled your
eyes through a Hallmark romance movie, this book is worth more than a
few giggles! </p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAEkuXB3nVxkkSxFQKQKPT8pVReJmmkzYS-FhgMGpGjOxjE0XpuHgHZ5BHzH2w6xsS_ePakpyWlW1xQdwXpuPQnWfeUfIfOtxhaQ03W034Vsz_rNnrgAF_LlFuS6ovLB8drLRGgs5A3rhXS4HFsZWiR9JUCISQH7Vwpy_UwRm1KGKTzl6iLFaPTzuutk/s500/199615989.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAEkuXB3nVxkkSxFQKQKPT8pVReJmmkzYS-FhgMGpGjOxjE0XpuHgHZ5BHzH2w6xsS_ePakpyWlW1xQdwXpuPQnWfeUfIfOtxhaQ03W034Vsz_rNnrgAF_LlFuS6ovLB8drLRGgs5A3rhXS4HFsZWiR9JUCISQH7Vwpy_UwRm1KGKTzl6iLFaPTzuutk/s320/199615989.jpg" width="200" /></a>And... my favorite read of the year. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sheepish-Beginnings-Letters-Counting-Sheep/dp/B0CKMLBBMM/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1704209615&sr=8-4" target="_blank">Kat has published a FOURTH book.... the first in a new series!</a> Sheepish Beginnings is the story of a young woman who inherits the family farm from her aging grandparents, and the marvelous misadventures that ensue as she learns the ropes of becoming a fiber farmer in smalltown, Minnesota. The sheep are obnoxious, Jack is a true blue hero, and I have been daydreaming about making lavender soap for months now. This is the perfect book for sick days, lazy summer days, or for tucking into your pocket for reading while waiting at the clinic. </p><p>Yes, I'm biased. It's also true. This is an AMAZING light-but-not-syrupy read, and I can't wait for the second installment! </p><p>2024 will be a read-what-you-have year. To save money towards our (FINALLY!!!) bathroom renovation, I will be reading my way through my mountains of freebie ebooks, audiobooks, the Heritage bookcase, and rereading my personal bookcases. </p><p>My goal is 156 books; three per week. Last year I ended up doubling my goal, and still exceeding it. Can't wait to see what I read THIS year! <br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><br /><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-44803098960737095832023-07-31T16:29:00.020-05:002023-07-31T16:49:12.831-05:00A Dream Come True<p></p> I have always loved the idea of a secret library. I also prefer smaller homes. These two felt mutually exclusive, until about 10 years ago. <p></p><p></p><p>One of the first things that caught my eye when I began perusing Pinterest a decade ago was a walk-in-closet turned mini-library. It was amazing, and different variations of the closet-library scrolled by my feed for years as I daydreamed. Finances and other issues prevented the dream from becoming reality, but it couldn't keep the dreams from whispering, "I'm still here!" </p><p>In 2008, my son's closet was turned into one large dressing room. In 2018, the master closet was transformed into a cloffice - which is perfect for my daughter's writing and audio-recording needs. When I moved into the "spare" room last year, my closet became a storage space for my tiny wardrobe, and the crafting shelves. It wasn't beautiful, but it worked.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8InYKLTVkzwX7pPehScojYYVFOo4jIKxtXlrFyl8aHwx56RoYLqHFInkxjCwwPkcILXrANIU-hnMqj0XCIYTpNGqUEIIzvYj1kvXkGEjB-RlpZTeEh0hk7bEptNnieM33ihfKal8M7UKLNZ5VtVfA5lvuSRmytghQi5ydPKE4HJdXJy0xIKsZJwh_Kk/s4160/1%20closet%20before.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8InYKLTVkzwX7pPehScojYYVFOo4jIKxtXlrFyl8aHwx56RoYLqHFInkxjCwwPkcILXrANIU-hnMqj0XCIYTpNGqUEIIzvYj1kvXkGEjB-RlpZTeEh0hk7bEptNnieM33ihfKal8M7UKLNZ5VtVfA5lvuSRmytghQi5ydPKE4HJdXJy0xIKsZJwh_Kk/s320/1%20closet%20before.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Last winter, knowing that I would soon be inheriting the family genealogy files, after actually seeing how much "stuff" there actually WAS, we began contemplating our options for storing everything. After a month or so of running about the house with a tape measure and scribbling countless options onto graph paper, it seemed as if the only viable option was to combine my dream of a closet-library and a family history space into one cohesive space. <p></p><p>Pinch me... I NEED to build my dream closet? Pinch me again!!! <br /></p><p>So this year, after dozens of careful measurements, impatiently awaiting tax refunds and then waiting for things to go on sale, my closet has been altered as well... and I am ever so happy! </p><p>We began by rehoming the wardrobe into my bedroom, and the crafting shelves into the dining room. This created a rather lengthy rearranging of five different rooms, but in the end every room was better for the change. To make sure things didn't become too hot or cold in the closet, we removed the door... a truly cathartic moment, because that door was literally cracked from past trauma. Throwing it to the ground outside and turning my back on that door was truly a healing moment.<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jDQGodUUQof2LQkKz2q_MiVmCcQJfLDiUrfRQoiXQV5t5RDZhaiie1alxwD-I40iYIapEJ5DlIx6jcjit2Fjdm5r32drdx39U0glA0VuXwdXoMgVN0ucAzLxdpNmKDW-0ZffKcUQTbqcNWBJG3lkWDeKbTw67DC-AftkHDASDrcvtlmmaxqUD1YYWEs/s4160/5%20shelves.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jDQGodUUQof2LQkKz2q_MiVmCcQJfLDiUrfRQoiXQV5t5RDZhaiie1alxwD-I40iYIapEJ5DlIx6jcjit2Fjdm5r32drdx39U0glA0VuXwdXoMgVN0ucAzLxdpNmKDW-0ZffKcUQTbqcNWBJG3lkWDeKbTw67DC-AftkHDASDrcvtlmmaxqUD1YYWEs/s320/5%20shelves.jpg" width="240" /></a>Then it time to assemble five bookcases within the closet. I had gone back and forth between these or taller/prettier shelves, but it came down to finances. We saved on the shelves, to be able to finish the project. I reasoned that once filled, it would not matter or show, that the shelves themselves were cheapies from IKEA. <br /></p><p>From there it was a matter of filling the closet up. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJ8PYzb68-OEKTTI-dOyeYyfZHngBuSd0--IwYWBhaqeysk-qFPujBbZk6L_tiGGxgSK7Sp46EMZjQokJAyjjjH5RXJdPaTyCT3fKM8f0Z2Ev1Sg4TSSNumrDRLJEa2570Y5tDX2OMEjWXQg7TUPpy26AtcuhYIa4bRm4vPTjC0evhkzSbxMzGuMBfAA/s3600/7%20first%20set%20of%20files.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="3600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJ8PYzb68-OEKTTI-dOyeYyfZHngBuSd0--IwYWBhaqeysk-qFPujBbZk6L_tiGGxgSK7Sp46EMZjQokJAyjjjH5RXJdPaTyCT3fKM8f0Z2Ev1Sg4TSSNumrDRLJEa2570Y5tDX2OMEjWXQg7TUPpy26AtcuhYIa4bRm4vPTjC0evhkzSbxMzGuMBfAA/s320/7%20first%20set%20of%20files.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> This is roughly HALF of the genealogy files I have added to the closet to date. Hence the need for so much space. All of this needed to be carefully sorted, and while I have completed an initial sort organizing things into 8 families, (the 8 branches of my "kids" great-grandparents lines) there is so much more to do. Some photos will need to be scanned to see if I can digitally restore them. With others, there are at least 20 copies of the same photo. And I want to create subcategories within each family box, to make things easier to find. It will take time. It is worth the effort. <p>While the family files were being sorted, the books and tiny family heirlooms were all arranged on the shelves. Because I am a bibliophile who rereads books AND reads through 2-300 books each year, finding an organization system for our books was important to me. I eventually settled on the BISAC system, and after ordering a few spare shelves to take full advantage of the space, the closet is finally finished. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaoKSh2tGQkkENzvjeXSnCGjjoq5LZ6vibvbwwgR3wQaSL4K-xjiJazN7ctR9N5hc0FUIHKeGR8EZN_SEtqHihKsB7PWGGKdV4MCO52zh2Njo6cbWtkX1sy5kWXOXrf3G_fDjCBpBy44tLZ1P5jMuW2qYM8s6egC9dgYJKVMvLY0sBBCRODGej7nxS7JY/s4160/July29-finished%20shelves.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaoKSh2tGQkkENzvjeXSnCGjjoq5LZ6vibvbwwgR3wQaSL4K-xjiJazN7ctR9N5hc0FUIHKeGR8EZN_SEtqHihKsB7PWGGKdV4MCO52zh2Njo6cbWtkX1sy5kWXOXrf3G_fDjCBpBy44tLZ1P5jMuW2qYM8s6egC9dgYJKVMvLY0sBBCRODGej7nxS7JY/w300-h400/July29-finished%20shelves.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>It took three months, but here is the finished closet. You can see the 8 family bins atop the shelves, and the family albums, photo boxes, and random pieces of memorabilia tucked randomly throughout the shelves. </p><p>To the right I have a storage bench (our gift wrap supplies are within the bench) to sit on - or lean on when reaching for those bottom shelves. On the wall behind the bench are the wall crosses from our living room, and there is room on NEARLY every shelf for more books/family memories as needed. </p><p>This was a tiny project, but it is literally a dream come true. I may not be physically able to sweep through here on a rolling ladder, but I love every inch of my tiny little secret library. <br /></p><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-1536645372082420212023-02-14T08:34:00.002-06:002023-02-14T08:34:59.056-06:00Jurassic Park themed dinner<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uRWLdALXI4IZiIivZ25tIllJgOvQMbv7qqL6Mm85vnLFgwvmHSiizM7DoUuck_rNuqDU0Dg881DzeA1pbkc8XUDlrVL6Od-baqHucKcA6JFkBnpQ2Y12azge6qQUc1Aod0LFVuscp7ftE51_x4mjfODeCglLWilvuZGkctDEMalPw-H6NEVXeHPi/s3024/Pearly%20Dinos%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uRWLdALXI4IZiIivZ25tIllJgOvQMbv7qqL6Mm85vnLFgwvmHSiizM7DoUuck_rNuqDU0Dg881DzeA1pbkc8XUDlrVL6Od-baqHucKcA6JFkBnpQ2Y12azge6qQUc1Aod0LFVuscp7ftE51_x4mjfODeCglLWilvuZGkctDEMalPw-H6NEVXeHPi/s320/Pearly%20Dinos%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Happy Valentine's Day! <p></p><p>The three of us decided to celebrate with a themed dinner; something we've done many times in the past, and loved. My daughter and I had no specific movie ideas, so I asked my son what he would like to watch. He chose Jurassic Park. We had a good laugh, but decided to run with it. </p><p> After scrolling on Pinterest it was obvious that the only challenge would be making our dinner look appropriate for adults, rather than a 6-year-old's birthday party. I can't say how many bowls of yogurt-coated pretzels labeled "dinosaur bones" I saw... and while they're perfect for kids, I wanted something a little fancier than that. <br /></p><p>Feeling as if I needed SOME dinosaurs on our table, I found each of our favorite dinosaurs at the dollar store, and painted them with pearly acrylics. I LOVE how they turned out! I pulled a leafy tray and aqua gravel from our Christmas in July bin,
and added a pair of candles for a fun $3 centerpiece. Gold leaf-shaped
placemats helped add to the sparkle. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyVgJ_9QymaQDS7YyJ_X6dZolBx3QGoneNStCb9ICHV1CF7x_5I48KXvps7Y6EJqFSwaZtHr5KRW4hiCjTD7I_qVP37zeKgUjkJE58wQI2Rd-yR3emPAVm59VOJXGWYovjoVaFd54jZhoiQULtRY9GZfWq0u4C5KxE6f8aBq7UaYZry4pOSJ2udt0/s4160/dinner%20table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyVgJ_9QymaQDS7YyJ_X6dZolBx3QGoneNStCb9ICHV1CF7x_5I48KXvps7Y6EJqFSwaZtHr5KRW4hiCjTD7I_qVP37zeKgUjkJE58wQI2Rd-yR3emPAVm59VOJXGWYovjoVaFd54jZhoiQULtRY9GZfWq0u4C5KxE6f8aBq7UaYZry4pOSJ2udt0/w400-h300/dinner%20table.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> For dinner, I made four-citrus marinated Quorn, (vegan "chicken") with gallo pinto; Costa Rican rice and beans. I had originally planned to make triple citrus, but at the last minute added grapefruit for even MORE flavor. A bed of greens was dressed simply, then topped with Chinese tea eggs nestled in Parmesan cups. There were glasses of mango margarita mocktails, and for dessert I made chocolate mousse dirt cups with almond-flour shortbread cookies, stamped with dinosaur footprints. </p><p>We celebrated a day early, because my son works today. It was fun, low-key, and low-stress. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWL4X2CAZZRYok8QEJVC-FTTGYbFmwp2PSeRt0Ne7q_rGeGhr2LcMveiV_LoAr8nDmO8aV3FZHFjK8S136FzImv_KbU4wXaCLFzvwoMKhMNNzutgavbA00UDyAF5I4pcEOm0v-dtJnuH6rugZdCXFHIzD20eDXqU0fekvlaxd3DGwENGM7zlBouInS/s2400/Valentines2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="2400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWL4X2CAZZRYok8QEJVC-FTTGYbFmwp2PSeRt0Ne7q_rGeGhr2LcMveiV_LoAr8nDmO8aV3FZHFjK8S136FzImv_KbU4wXaCLFzvwoMKhMNNzutgavbA00UDyAF5I4pcEOm0v-dtJnuH6rugZdCXFHIzD20eDXqU0fekvlaxd3DGwENGM7zlBouInS/w400-h400/Valentines2023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>In a word, perfect. <br /><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-29998333122326033242022-07-08T13:14:00.008-05:002022-07-08T22:23:50.313-05:00Reviving a Friend<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSpvM3y8fLdkIiB5RP7P_3-SyvvbMsEaPRjPguH-dgiqXqmLQ8W4wGIxNwfb1ygmVdW7-EwHPhGzSjRMBEfqgdKebiwPH23KmhJwJFuFAww_xh8BqzgHaNCM5m_p7T_jHeupRo70NNWx7HgXt7MuvOlw6QFY-7C83jQg1M06KZamVDOjH9jXbReZN/s4160/1before.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSpvM3y8fLdkIiB5RP7P_3-SyvvbMsEaPRjPguH-dgiqXqmLQ8W4wGIxNwfb1ygmVdW7-EwHPhGzSjRMBEfqgdKebiwPH23KmhJwJFuFAww_xh8BqzgHaNCM5m_p7T_jHeupRo70NNWx7HgXt7MuvOlw6QFY-7C83jQg1M06KZamVDOjH9jXbReZN/s320/1before.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Sunday is International Teddy Bear Picnic Day. I don't have a teddy
bear... I did, once upon a time, but he evaporated one day in the wash
and was no more. <p></p><p>My kids were into Webkinz when they were little,
and would decide that I needed my own stuffed critter every once in
awhile. One of my little stuffed buddies is Schnurgle. </p><p>Schnurgle
is a little koala with a huge attitude. He's visited with hundreds of preschoolers, been with me through multiple hospital visits, and is very much a tiny fluffy part of our family. And over the past dozen or so
years, he's become rather bedraggled. With a hole in his neck, his stuffing compacted to where he was only half-stuffed, and his fur beyond recognition he looked nothing at all like he did when he was new. I ran across a random video on
Pinterest claiming that a simple metal dog brush could reinvigorate
matted stuffed animal fur, and decided to give it a try. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuMHwkIU0Ef3BaY5B8I6V_hx9cbEr8ZnzmjOl3WewgDpfSsUkU6UeBocqfUko31PSS3iYl9IAAamr9ABCKyo0FvexdXe1t-3La6AruMwj9_hYPXRWhpZSMbzGIepcJfB-wcS9l_gEZZ6HoUN9XpERUInjhr37BarIZTnsSgQDuoGJ7Pgyn3OBBeHN/s3354/beforeafter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3354" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuMHwkIU0Ef3BaY5B8I6V_hx9cbEr8ZnzmjOl3WewgDpfSsUkU6UeBocqfUko31PSS3iYl9IAAamr9ABCKyo0FvexdXe1t-3La6AruMwj9_hYPXRWhpZSMbzGIepcJfB-wcS9l_gEZZ6HoUN9XpERUInjhr37BarIZTnsSgQDuoGJ7Pgyn3OBBeHN/w400-h258/beforeafter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It took me several hours of vigorous brushing, restuffing, and
stitching. With my arthritis this took three days, but sure enough my
little stuffed friend is now soft and huggable again. I feel as if I could probably brush him just a bit longer to make him even softer, but am happy with where he's at now. <br /><p></p><p>Now that I know it works, I plan to re-fluff the stuffed bunny my son has had since he was two. In the meantime, little Schnurgle is ever so pleased to be soft and fresh again! <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtaQqKyzjnYNg16_EfAc24doMGUzEzjWRovDs4gtpEPAbIImLVlHisePuAl6yK5dinqy7P7yg2pYklbx8ROegbJIt_60FHvP8COp2PufhUllV5e8fVsFnvtS9yFCdL7-MlVbjPTS9Kkzjq1KYcKaLd17qXE43-A1kkp2Kn9ica8EdMaEIzm4m8Cf0/s4160/5after.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtaQqKyzjnYNg16_EfAc24doMGUzEzjWRovDs4gtpEPAbIImLVlHisePuAl6yK5dinqy7P7yg2pYklbx8ROegbJIt_60FHvP8COp2PufhUllV5e8fVsFnvtS9yFCdL7-MlVbjPTS9Kkzjq1KYcKaLd17qXE43-A1kkp2Kn9ica8EdMaEIzm4m8Cf0/s320/5after.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>If you've an old stuffed animal in need of a little TLC, I can now wholeheartedly recommend this! </p><p>A cheap dog brush. Who knew? <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p> </p><p> <br /></p><p></p><p><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-81019156219973957962022-06-28T11:12:00.005-05:002022-06-28T11:12:56.035-05:00Summertime in a Jar<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUmjkcdVIz1XByqmKHYIAhzQnAIP6DOGgNwWcYzJF43YIDyxTAA_knf2Ttd6CVttLhR-1R9llCINEKWi0oTkh0QmU6oJlkLELRs-GRJKuGww0axpEt8_kdcrHYvOp-S2z2cKI-wsxV0WFW5O0s5Y8sCBkz8Gr9rtLYwmP6efqRiZgT3gVG7E4DNAq/s3114/DSCF0026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3114" data-original-width="2628" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUmjkcdVIz1XByqmKHYIAhzQnAIP6DOGgNwWcYzJF43YIDyxTAA_knf2Ttd6CVttLhR-1R9llCINEKWi0oTkh0QmU6oJlkLELRs-GRJKuGww0axpEt8_kdcrHYvOp-S2z2cKI-wsxV0WFW5O0s5Y8sCBkz8Gr9rtLYwmP6efqRiZgT3gVG7E4DNAq/s320/DSCF0026.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>I began canning in 1986, with my mummy. Her frenetic kitchen habits kept most people away, but I was her <span><span data-dobid="hdw">protégé and basked in the wildness, whether it was pounding her fists and shouting "BARNEY FITZGIBBON" while rolling pie crusts, hollering a dozen orders at once in the midst of getting everything on the table simultaneously for Easter, or simply bellowing, "Hot hot hot... OUTTA MY WAY" while shifting pasta from stovetop to the sink for draining. Everything in the kitchen was fast, furious, and frantic. </span></span><p></p><p><span><span data-dobid="hdw">Canning was no different. Stirring stockpots for hours on end, constantly watching for that miraculous "sheet" that would let us know the jelly was ready for jars was hot, exhausting... and we loved every second of it. We would laugh, cry, scream, or bellow at the top of our lungs, but in the end there were always endless rows of jellies, pickles, and relish lined up in neat rows, ready to be enjoyed all winter long. </span></span></p><p><span><span data-dobid="hdw"></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGSQz70tf19C4Z_3OADYyLHwsxrITUgidy5EmrtFnvkbJB6PkCUyCHhQfOAUxL9U_hQzudyf3ueRP4kJuZJDuldX3EXO-HtqHVbD1yJ4gK0FcvdJ0LL0RGaSCyoWSKPJtpBFeAWexBr49K25vd_lKe3N2GEw1QHYHg0BS7QJnRn5P7jYvAr73qccn/s4160/recipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGSQz70tf19C4Z_3OADYyLHwsxrITUgidy5EmrtFnvkbJB6PkCUyCHhQfOAUxL9U_hQzudyf3ueRP4kJuZJDuldX3EXO-HtqHVbD1yJ4gK0FcvdJ0LL0RGaSCyoWSKPJtpBFeAWexBr49K25vd_lKe3N2GEw1QHYHg0BS7QJnRn5P7jYvAr73qccn/s320/recipe.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span><span data-dobid="hdw">Eleven years ago, I also began canning on my own; wanting to try new flavors. Eight years ago, was my last canning-day with Mummy. This year, teach my daughter how to can, keeping the tradition - and recipes - alive. <br /></span></span><p></p><p><span><span data-dobid="hdw">It will be much, much quieter. </span></span></p><p><span><span data-dobid="hdw">Watermelon rind pickles. They seem to be a thing of the past... people will say, "Oh, I used to eat those!" or "My grandmother used to make those!" but they're always spoken of in the past tense. It's watermelon season, and in our house... watermelon pickles are very much on our mind! They were the first recipe my daughter requested, and the reason we hunted for something to do with the actual fruit from multiple melons... because while most people buy watermelon for the pink part, we were after the rinds! </span></span></p><p><span><span data-dobid="hdw">June is watermelon season here. Once they went on sale AND there were a few days of nicer weather, I picked up two perfect ripe melons, ready to can. My daughter has been recovering from a nasty cold, and wasn't quite ready for two days in the kitchen, so she will learn with the NEXT batch of canning. </span></span></p><p><span><span data-dobid="hdw"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpAttPNic4aMnbqw9chXeAoS1Njr7W7zyEVayDyvsFIpY_6thD6svj0FD1WrpJZvWT2wjjO_5TFsiiyTvV8-J8TS1RNp4tnQTFtNtwj1OEBjbPi0EkGJXdN7lyMdyzjfAq6CXgikPkDNSmKDhIR2pniqNTB5mtAP8lzkvsnudxv-_vS-NJseg6S2m/s3454/jam%20recipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2236" data-original-width="3454" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpAttPNic4aMnbqw9chXeAoS1Njr7W7zyEVayDyvsFIpY_6thD6svj0FD1WrpJZvWT2wjjO_5TFsiiyTvV8-J8TS1RNp4tnQTFtNtwj1OEBjbPi0EkGJXdN7lyMdyzjfAq6CXgikPkDNSmKDhIR2pniqNTB5mtAP8lzkvsnudxv-_vS-NJseg6S2m/s320/jam%20recipe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Before
making the pickles, something needed to be done with all of the fruit.
I altered a recipe from online, and decided to make watermelon jam. With only four ingredients it might be the simplest recipe I've canned
to date, but it tastes like summertime in a jar. <p></p><p><span>This is an amazing new recipe for us! It reminds me of Jolly
Rancher candies, and is just perfect on toast. Once it gets colder, I
can't wait to try it on my daughter's crepes. The texture was slightly
soft-set so I might increase the pectin to a full cup next year, but we
are absolutely going to make this again, and again, and again... </span><span><span data-dobid="hdw"></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6O2p2xpOFHsV5fWcz4d2Nxh_JezRTx7CHvQ1ztElLTubCKX9oXlE0gN1IjS1HjiHKJwjzN0ioSxQX73ENzPJxozRZ6xcZysM-MpuVK_TLTywhEtVVL2qIh5zWFSSTk8VxoOcxk7WOUz67xn5IMMIoLCYXsHJVfEDPrBSJcOVhmH3EyAiq6sL6Y8AR/s4160/watermelon%20jam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6O2p2xpOFHsV5fWcz4d2Nxh_JezRTx7CHvQ1ztElLTubCKX9oXlE0gN1IjS1HjiHKJwjzN0ioSxQX73ENzPJxozRZ6xcZysM-MpuVK_TLTywhEtVVL2qIh5zWFSSTk8VxoOcxk7WOUz67xn5IMMIoLCYXsHJVfEDPrBSJcOVhmH3EyAiq6sL6Y8AR/s320/watermelon%20jam.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span>Once the jam was made, it was time to process the pickles. While chopping rind for the brine, the first melon produced 17 cups, and since I wanted a small batch, (no more than 7 pints since that's what fits in my canner) I didn't bother cutting up the second one. By the time they were processed, those rinds had shrunk down by HALF! I only had 4 1/2 pints of pickles... barely enough to last us until Christmas! </span></p><p><span>I'd read the quantity on Mummy's recipe and doubled the amount to get 7 pints. But for kitchen science reasons beyond my understanding, it wasn't enough. So I quickly diced up the second melon, and popped it into the fridge to brine all day. <br /><span data-dobid="hdw"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8syj6q3O7CKQFaEDU-myQX37nUul4rQIgvF8dUQjMV0v83pat3lI6puRnt9NHHE2lvFsgGD11J0oD8VqvIPJiuxOoACMS7EMud4ZIOc4ziXzj7TlloAgkqI7-8-fBmjilwMWgaB1yqchtmE-4PRk7VpHgwIQE3_sRGa3Q3FPYo3mSxNJc0L5z3_H/s4160/watermelon%20pickles%20all.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8syj6q3O7CKQFaEDU-myQX37nUul4rQIgvF8dUQjMV0v83pat3lI6puRnt9NHHE2lvFsgGD11J0oD8VqvIPJiuxOoACMS7EMud4ZIOc4ziXzj7TlloAgkqI7-8-fBmjilwMWgaB1yqchtmE-4PRk7VpHgwIQE3_sRGa3Q3FPYo3mSxNJc0L5z3_H/s320/watermelon%20pickles%20all.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Just before bedtime last night, I finished the second batch of pickles. It took one watermelon to create 8 1/2 pints of watermelon jam, but I needed TWO watermelons to create the same amount of pickles. *shrugs* I'll leave the science part of that mystery to someone else, and simply enjoy the fruits of my labor. <br /><p></p><p><span></span></p><p><span><span data-dobid="hdw"></span></span></p><p><span><span data-dobid="hdw">Two days of canning. </span></span></p><p><span><span data-dobid="hdw">Two shelves of summertime, preserved for our long Minnesota winters. </span></span></p><p><span><span data-dobid="hdw">One very tired mama housemouse. </span></span><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBLNjsMhWJmoO1bigdq5zlW4q4r28GulwT0ODdJIUunz_yJV3rSh3_I3shNNGdQCWX6YUoIAGGZAms-dQbP1-ObmQvohXXFblKGhSHnqaD5NssWaDOtYKZzdjHUMArvqn91PA19UksTxkfUjkxgvXuvu2gZoOVa3dq07Q4i8hwyCQz0cqpQ1bOWo1/s4160/watermelon%20shelved.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBLNjsMhWJmoO1bigdq5zlW4q4r28GulwT0ODdJIUunz_yJV3rSh3_I3shNNGdQCWX6YUoIAGGZAms-dQbP1-ObmQvohXXFblKGhSHnqaD5NssWaDOtYKZzdjHUMArvqn91PA19UksTxkfUjkxgvXuvu2gZoOVa3dq07Q4i8hwyCQz0cqpQ1bOWo1/w480-h640/watermelon%20shelved.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span><br /><span data-dobid="hdw"><br /></span></span></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-47478463890857222892022-06-19T16:32:00.002-05:002022-06-19T16:37:36.725-05:00A Quiet Place for Me! <p>It's been a LOOONG time, but we have been busy with absolutely everything. Finally it's time to reveal a project I've been working on in one way or another for nine months now!</p><p>28 months ago I told my son and daughter I wanted the house to look different. It didn't matter WHAT it looked like, so long as it was different. They agreed on a vibrant <a href="https://mamahousemouse-rambles.blogspot.com/2020/11/christmas-2020.html" target="_blank">Atomic Age</a> look, with bright white and bold colors everywhere. Our house is so bright and happy now, it's amazing to see the transformation! I love it, truly I do. But... somehow I felt as if it wasn't... ME. <br /></p><p>One of the things I have been doing for the past few years is learning about ME. I have spent my entire lifetime being who everyone else insisted I should be to the point that I didn't even know what *I* liked! Do I like cottagecore or goblincore? Do I prefer classic clean lines or romantic ruffles? What about brown, or pink, or green? I had NO IDEA what actually appealed to ME! I started with clothing, but then decided to branch into room aesthetics. <br /></p><p>After spending a long Minnesota winter exploring every style imaginable via Pinterest, I now know that I like lavender and grey. I like floral prints, and Art Nouveau. And I like soft fabrics, and small spaces. </p><p>Okay, so I knew that I liked small spaces. But literally everything else was a complete shock to me!</p><p>This spring, after 13 years of sharing a room with my daughter, (11 in the living room and 2 in the master bedroom) we decided to dissolve the craftroom and separate into two bedrooms. My daughter kept the master bedroom, and I took the small room... by CHOICE! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH04-68wiPM6uvrFkJyMnwNdl0xbYKHjueIZBu8y1SL_yq-4OV0D1Rf_syPGM3_HYtNM5eE8xJbtUpdA0h6cz8so9POdgxsWvSibsbI-x8fBi6J9xFO-7Ze0vA8rbOftCB2N6JBtQms7RkTt0svcZnkd75VUZpDc4RGnnHUjtHX7KETvq1AkKWrgzB/s4160/doorway.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH04-68wiPM6uvrFkJyMnwNdl0xbYKHjueIZBu8y1SL_yq-4OV0D1Rf_syPGM3_HYtNM5eE8xJbtUpdA0h6cz8so9POdgxsWvSibsbI-x8fBi6J9xFO-7Ze0vA8rbOftCB2N6JBtQms7RkTt0svcZnkd75VUZpDc4RGnnHUjtHX7KETvq1AkKWrgzB/s320/doorway.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>It has taken all spring to put this together, and to be honest it's not QUITE finished yet. The chandelier is still waiting to be hung, and the closet still needs to be finished. But for the first time in 28 years, I have my own bedroom. And for the first time EVER, everything in here represents ME and MY preferences and style.<p></p><p>Beginning at the doorway, I painted my walls in "Guardian Angel"
which is either the purplest white, or the whitest purple. Depending on
the hour it can look pink, white, purple, pale grey, or blue. I absolutely love the way it changes color throughout the day, yet always looks subtle and comforting. </p><p>My <a href="https://mamahousemouse-rambles.blogspot.com/2021/09/my-hygge-day-cart.html" target="_blank">Hygge Day Cart</a>
is parked right by the door when not rolling about the house, and I
absolutely fell in love with this painting by Alphonse Mucha. It's from
his series The Times of the Day, and is called Night's Rest. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlnudyDePjqVH3gjfmCuEily_nFz2H1Yh4er5BaM5MxIaGpjMRPzPIJrXyImeKDhBgGf_TFyLMoVUv52jfswXc4784bx9w6pAfT0GpxkCLbm0Xp5ly3EoxwLxkHskmFhMEHmJO7tKfF8S3sbF2UUU1LVGUmAYYSIqWnMKKSxYamsYwIWC9mUVl8nO/s4052/sleepingcorner.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4052" data-original-width="3012" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlnudyDePjqVH3gjfmCuEily_nFz2H1Yh4er5BaM5MxIaGpjMRPzPIJrXyImeKDhBgGf_TFyLMoVUv52jfswXc4784bx9w6pAfT0GpxkCLbm0Xp5ly3EoxwLxkHskmFhMEHmJO7tKfF8S3sbF2UUU1LVGUmAYYSIqWnMKKSxYamsYwIWC9mUVl8nO/s320/sleepingcorner.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><p>Just
to the right of the doorway, is my cozy little bed. It is a slim-twin,
meaning it's only 30" wide. That's nine inches skinnier than a standard
twin but half again as wide as a sofa, and just right for a shortie who
doesn't like to feel lost at sea in an oversized bed. </p><p>Everything is
soft, the faux fur pillows double as a backrest when I'm watching birds out the window, and props for arthritis flares. The sweet little tree-branch side table is
just big enough to hold a candle, a night light with a tiny pocket to hold my contacts, and Alexa. </p><p>On the walls are a few of my favorite mementos, a pair of framed fiber-art cards from Scotland, and a full-wall mural that makes me think I've just stepped out from the libraries of Rivendell. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6rT8VzLzJPA5hvRcJDP9qYj3PQ3d70O83xLBZsQ8-HXnC-omb8DIeoqF4IusU-R1L0VIbTyYPKKgPMcwyGvAAVGGmTpFksE1Md2Kgr17kpvAOLqVj7Ygxnen84_YdK5i6593HdxMKyu_EAEIEYIeb_gfLt88ysfQvsAdSMFTHA8BrP6sjNNsfqQ5/s4160/readingcorner.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6rT8VzLzJPA5hvRcJDP9qYj3PQ3d70O83xLBZsQ8-HXnC-omb8DIeoqF4IusU-R1L0VIbTyYPKKgPMcwyGvAAVGGmTpFksE1Md2Kgr17kpvAOLqVj7Ygxnen84_YdK5i6593HdxMKyu_EAEIEYIeb_gfLt88ysfQvsAdSMFTHA8BrP6sjNNsfqQ5/s320/readingcorner.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Continuing to the right is my reading corner. The art nouveau planter smiles down on my comfy faux-fur chair, and the birch trees that decorate the living area for our <a href="https://mamahousemouse-rambles.blogspot.com/2021/01/a-narnian-new-year.html" rel="nofollow">Narnian New Years</a> add soft ambient light for bedtime reading. </p><p>Both the side-table and footstool are storage ottomans holding various toiletries that double (triple?) as the seating for <a href="https://mamahousemouse-rambles.blogspot.com/2021/10/my-itty-bitty-dressing-table.html" target="_blank">My Itty Bitty Dressing Table</a> which will be recreated inside my closet, and my desk... just to the right of the window. </p><p><span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body"><span>I
chose a murphy desk because of it's tiny footprint. I wanted something big enough for
journaling, planners and smaller craft projects, that wouldn't crowd the space when not in use. This is just big enough to hold all of my frequently-used crafting goodies, with room for my whistles and kalimbas on top. I can face out the window, or towards my indoor garden corner. <br /></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36PaJC4GLgHA-smC6gOuqqmNgVAStsReEn9JdNJ5kb9rnF7VD5a5lLyDuKAWueSl7bYDX9r0DDcEyyygW7Fl129-qEOiJxf17zvbpTds5O7bfYLeBkzohCy11AGjtEvpnE95cKK8IvPVuJTHIpeeNsxyJgD9wAbnxLIQGB5J3pAWfVuOuiBzJwCnf/s4160/deskwhole.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36PaJC4GLgHA-smC6gOuqqmNgVAStsReEn9JdNJ5kb9rnF7VD5a5lLyDuKAWueSl7bYDX9r0DDcEyyygW7Fl129-qEOiJxf17zvbpTds5O7bfYLeBkzohCy11AGjtEvpnE95cKK8IvPVuJTHIpeeNsxyJgD9wAbnxLIQGB5J3pAWfVuOuiBzJwCnf/s320/deskwhole.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>In the corner, my tiny indoor garden grows year-round under bright purple grow-lights that bathe the room in color until just before bedtime. And just within the closet door is <a href="https://mamahousemouse-rambles.blogspot.com/2020/09/my-faerie-tale-wardrobe.html" target="_blank">My Faerie Tale Wardrobe</a>, our crafting supplies, and space for my dressing table. </p><p> And in the space between my closet and bedroom door, are my bookshelves. At 15" each they don't take up much space, yet there's still enough space here for my favorite books and special treasures, with a place on top for tiny seasonal decorations. </p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" dir="auto">The dragonfly canvas is the same image you see as my blog header. I took this photo in 2012, and it's still one of my favorite photos EVER! <br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftZN9pyhBNu298JZFDn98ejmYcHCjT3Tr5nscwwGmQXdbLCsjLS3f0C3IdFTVeSERwX12GV41sJ7VOk_-dWPBFZByCIOBe7xjfB8GrI0w4MdpxpRkiP1La-ix3E3krJ4zg7QGD5gkJvh-5jNkBAl9MAxhrBjj8cfxeE2-obMLKWOIAmjsgq4rNTko/s4160/bookshelves.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftZN9pyhBNu298JZFDn98ejmYcHCjT3Tr5nscwwGmQXdbLCsjLS3f0C3IdFTVeSERwX12GV41sJ7VOk_-dWPBFZByCIOBe7xjfB8GrI0w4MdpxpRkiP1La-ix3E3krJ4zg7QGD5gkJvh-5jNkBAl9MAxhrBjj8cfxeE2-obMLKWOIAmjsgq4rNTko/s320/bookshelves.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I have learned so much about who I am, while discovering what I like. I have learned that it's okay to be soft and quiet. I have learned new art styles and discovered tiny multifunctional pieces that can change as my needs change. <p></p><p>And most importantly... I have learned that I LIKE who I am! <br /> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /><br /></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-83378184255685957902022-01-18T14:00:00.004-06:002022-01-18T14:00:26.510-06:002021 in Review<p>
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I know this is a few weeks late, but the trip to the zoo for a family photo... yeah, hasn't happened yet. Blame current COVID numbers. *sigh* </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Our past year was full of so many
ups and downs! I have plans for changing this from a lifestyle blog
to a more specific blog this next year, but in the meantime I wanted
to share the ups and downs from 2021.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio-Qj76Ie26Aq2fRUgFU3U8oo-tEy9Doe0qfhr71LwE74O7Bxl6ELBR1iBYPtmGINubXG97mQdkg7Iemvm2gOe4MFdqpXksTsBOm6yrjjVOs6jmzYB_PXpH3DXXfXxmaIFXsFF7aT1zDLYmDfCR_jSLw1QMIGuABz7dcKzOJXjM1i5GB8LuXBYY6w_=s4160" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio-Qj76Ie26Aq2fRUgFU3U8oo-tEy9Doe0qfhr71LwE74O7Bxl6ELBR1iBYPtmGINubXG97mQdkg7Iemvm2gOe4MFdqpXksTsBOm6yrjjVOs6jmzYB_PXpH3DXXfXxmaIFXsFF7aT1zDLYmDfCR_jSLw1QMIGuABz7dcKzOJXjM1i5GB8LuXBYY6w_=w150-h200" width="150" /></a> For the New Year we swapped our Christmas decor for an all-white Narnian theme, but postponed our annual gaming competition by a week to be able to care for Berlioz. Hyped on kitty-morphine and fresh from his neutering, he was VIOLENTLY resistant to the cone of shame, and we were literally afraid he might strangle himself. We spent the first week of the year sharing shifts watching to be an un-coned drugged kitty didn't lick his surgical site. A week of enforced insomnia might not have been what we had in mind, but our little guy is worth a few sacrifices. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSGSSV671ldoqWtIFgMGtwWmyW7PvUZVWk9bptAhTuirDDPcVxnZaoJlP8xH5M9SDSabdNxzEweyYJEt6DtyHsYfjivdfm0Y-XFsLMNPCGeJnlpPUDElJZiLFVwUNN-cnvgN95TkHmVpnXqKFoDWlZmAZeKbP_JpLrWGEUefRIQ1qYTvw82_-qwY9q=s4160" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSGSSV671ldoqWtIFgMGtwWmyW7PvUZVWk9bptAhTuirDDPcVxnZaoJlP8xH5M9SDSabdNxzEweyYJEt6DtyHsYfjivdfm0Y-XFsLMNPCGeJnlpPUDElJZiLFVwUNN-cnvgN95TkHmVpnXqKFoDWlZmAZeKbP_JpLrWGEUefRIQ1qYTvw82_-qwY9q=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></div>In March we had quite the scare. My son's lung spontaneously collapsed, and after an ambulance ride to the hospital and having an emergency tube inserted into his chest, he ended up having surgery and spending 10 days in the hospital, an additional 6 weeks recuperating at home, and then ANOTHER 6 weeks of part-time light work before being able to return to his regular work-schedule. He says the hardest part of it all was feeling better, and still not being able to do anything. *shakes head* I envy his ability to heal at superhuman speed, but am ever so grateful that he's completely healed now! <br /><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In May, my daughter's SECOND book was published! She is now the proud author of TWO (soon to be THREE) published books!!! Words cannot express how proud I am of her! They are truly amazing books, and I recommend them to absolutely everyone. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093QDL73D?searchxofy=true&binding=kindle_edition&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt_tkin&qid=1640039543&sr=8-3" target="_blank">They can be ordered HERE in both ebook AND print!!!</a><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw9CadyvvRgckgXVHaEhJV9TbS2pyz4yEUXibLG6C8ozZYGmd2GG9jU9BGZbd2z9DMZLDhNDwVFoiqBGqm5U-FrTKbLb3dHkHfGxgRBB3zUoJopzSpzt-gg5AxBowC7vwidLCSOYYYnXPqjahtitXNbRyhftigtp7_fvo_5vlor2SHEpbPgA3KpXcO=s1500" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw9CadyvvRgckgXVHaEhJV9TbS2pyz4yEUXibLG6C8ozZYGmd2GG9jU9BGZbd2z9DMZLDhNDwVFoiqBGqm5U-FrTKbLb3dHkHfGxgRBB3zUoJopzSpzt-gg5AxBowC7vwidLCSOYYYnXPqjahtitXNbRyhftigtp7_fvo_5vlor2SHEpbPgA3KpXcO=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4ZBanvgCrAxUr733AuDfcVzgkB5yvkm4YRn93kJFnGcWRJZ9iSO_x77SJzbSzyyc-oIvY4hrQ81LQ2dzezTFrKRGWJqW0waO9BrBX-XjyttDgL9gKTtFxKxu5yNT_Gt5VeyeVUwlU0x-Nm6uOI8oOh8UvOrtFGatm8s1v0yQDvkmQtXSbYGdWaLd7=s2015" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2015" data-original-width="1511" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4ZBanvgCrAxUr733AuDfcVzgkB5yvkm4YRn93kJFnGcWRJZ9iSO_x77SJzbSzyyc-oIvY4hrQ81LQ2dzezTFrKRGWJqW0waO9BrBX-XjyttDgL9gKTtFxKxu5yNT_Gt5VeyeVUwlU0x-Nm6uOI8oOh8UvOrtFGatm8s1v0yQDvkmQtXSbYGdWaLd7=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></div> In June we had a second medical scare... this time it was our dog. Spirit ended up spending three days in an oxygen kennel at the emergency pet hospital. She was in heart failure with the exact same heart condition that all three of us have. What are the odds? She recovered enough to come home again, with four different prescriptions that left her without appetite or energy, and a loss of bladder control. Poor pup didn't leave our sides for weeks after being cooped up with strangers poking her and prodding her constantly! She barely even touched sliced lunchmeat while she was there! <p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHlFb0kJEhj4URMrnSc6UDcpOXrf--JicRyqruCHBgXAWtBubAPy7Y62Fy4Uy-xgEjmV5vi-QmxIN3MJjSqXvZQCVBu6KX0rmLT21xzlUcDQJ10Apqcyemuyxumajyh59z1SU_kPt_XPF2DvgUnxJw31x3eCPiukjgVfFKcDM44AJ9_HVyapMRYDIK=s4160" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHlFb0kJEhj4URMrnSc6UDcpOXrf--JicRyqruCHBgXAWtBubAPy7Y62Fy4Uy-xgEjmV5vi-QmxIN3MJjSqXvZQCVBu6KX0rmLT21xzlUcDQJ10Apqcyemuyxumajyh59z1SU_kPt_XPF2DvgUnxJw31x3eCPiukjgVfFKcDM44AJ9_HVyapMRYDIK=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></div></div>In July, 531 days after I finally called a crisis center to ask for help, and 455 days after he moved out, my marriage of 26 years, 5 months, and 3 days was ended. <p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">On a much lighter note, we also celebrated a year of living with a kitty. He's grown so much from the 7 week old stray kitten we found abandoned under our house, into the sweet, snuggly, opinionated chatty house cat that he is today. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We never planned to have a cat, but this guy found and claimed us... and now we can't imagine life without him. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p>In August we began a tiny project that still isn't complete thanks to strange weather. We have been turning our dining room into a vintage arcade-style game space, for our weekly game days. We were able to enjoy ONE game day with our entire church before COVID numbers started rising again, but we are absolutely looking forward to making this a monthly occurrence in the near future! <p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">On October 19th, Spirit passed away. She never quite recovered from her hospital visit, and slipped quietly away in the arms of my daughter. She is missed fiercely. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAtXWAz0ac6iA_q8kk38KIE4utt6u7zmqXGxxrUHYL54Cm0CWpOOTOT5mJmt9St40UCaNeStjn0NsG2xnvXgaa2sT0fWbOD2kMD4BSP9WkeSlMIu-PyVk3GVkyV7FMz0zQnbw9C3MHAd6MgEjNSUkLWpSfsjSQJITMADb_PSC_T7OKDCs8jQcuKJSE=s3600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="3600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAtXWAz0ac6iA_q8kk38KIE4utt6u7zmqXGxxrUHYL54Cm0CWpOOTOT5mJmt9St40UCaNeStjn0NsG2xnvXgaa2sT0fWbOD2kMD4BSP9WkeSlMIu-PyVk3GVkyV7FMz0zQnbw9C3MHAd6MgEjNSUkLWpSfsjSQJITMADb_PSC_T7OKDCs8jQcuKJSE=w640-h640" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7aPPsE6s0alzuO7mhiU1RJAKIqeE-Vu-hZgXQPHvSTP61Mb85mGQ-EH1M7tFSD0Hdr3AYeVFUNkPcphpwwS54KnyGwKBUsUAWzxG2nA-BAjAhKOrphA1LHMF4MzrJZsJF3zOHCQD0plqzMwOc5j5qRF8a8bAcoAAue09oHOClH8RrguZ0kki12-l7=s3264" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7aPPsE6s0alzuO7mhiU1RJAKIqeE-Vu-hZgXQPHvSTP61Mb85mGQ-EH1M7tFSD0Hdr3AYeVFUNkPcphpwwS54KnyGwKBUsUAWzxG2nA-BAjAhKOrphA1LHMF4MzrJZsJF3zOHCQD0plqzMwOc5j5qRF8a8bAcoAAue09oHOClH8RrguZ0kki12-l7=w200-h150" width="200" /></a></div> November saw us celebrating Thanksgiving TWICE; once with our church small group, and again just the three of us.And in December, in lieu of putting the tree up, we turned our living
room into a candy land, baked mountains of cookies, and celebrated an
Icelandic holiday, Jolabokaflod, with homemade chocolates and a trip to the secondhand book store. My daughter also had her first book-signing! <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxlFAAsTKEswWFj3SHLcPhwJtFAbTwUR1IA6MAessrZVOOSIT6Vlfl0CuJ7NkkSSVZpSYEfJv-a9ejT0pqwP1M3At9B5NDanW-Myr0rxqYpayh78bAW9kOVWNKvu8eEqtoBaGHu4QNgi_5Vv91WxLxJpJSvVydD6H1O8a4F35dAxB_nDBvwUuadu0u=s4160" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxlFAAsTKEswWFj3SHLcPhwJtFAbTwUR1IA6MAessrZVOOSIT6Vlfl0CuJ7NkkSSVZpSYEfJv-a9ejT0pqwP1M3At9B5NDanW-Myr0rxqYpayh78bAW9kOVWNKvu8eEqtoBaGHu4QNgi_5Vv91WxLxJpJSvVydD6H1O8a4F35dAxB_nDBvwUuadu0u=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2021 was a mess, but we survived more or less intact, and are looking forward to whatever this year has in store for us. <br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><br /><br /> <br /></div><p><br /> </p><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio-Qj76Ie26Aq2fRUgFU3U8oo-tEy9Doe0qfhr71LwE74O7Bxl6ELBR1iBYPtmGINubXG97mQdkg7Iemvm2gOe4MFdqpXksTsBOm6yrjjVOs6jmzYB_PXpH3DXXfXxmaIFXsFF7aT1zDLYmDfCR_jSLw1QMIGuABz7dcKzOJXjM1i5GB8LuXBYY6w_=s4160" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><p></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-30016971619969181872021-10-10T09:57:00.000-05:002021-10-10T09:57:39.683-05:00My Itty Bitty Dressing Table<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K3ghAJvQGNY/YWLxjW4LTKI/AAAAAAAADtw/fmUrvUdh69ARBPqyO5l85dL2Ug1_WpwugCLcBGAsYHQ/s2508/vanity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2508" data-original-width="1254" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K3ghAJvQGNY/YWLxjW4LTKI/AAAAAAAADtw/fmUrvUdh69ARBPqyO5l85dL2Ug1_WpwugCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/vanity.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>Over the past fifteen years, I have tried to make the smaller spaces in our home more useful. One space I have recently claimed for myself, is a strip of wall between the closet and bathroom doors in the large bedroom. This space is only 27" wide, but has become a perfect little dressing table. <p></p><p>I fell in love with the most beautiful compact vanity table, but its $500 price tag was FAR too high to consider. And it would have stuck into the room by a full 18", which would have been a daily tripping hazard for clumsy little me. I must have hunted Pinterest for two full years, combing through ideas for everything from an upcycled vintage suitcase, to a bookcase. I knew what I needed, but couldn't find anything quite right. This space needed to house all of my makeup, a lighted magnifying mirror, my contact lens supplies, and everything from my hairbrush and perfume, to barrettes and jewelry. Everything needed to be close at hand, neatly organized... and of course, I wanted it to be pretty. </p><p>A chance find while hunting for tea storage was the perfect beginning. I found a pair of shelves, each one only 12.5" long, on sale for $18. They're tiny, but well made. And since they only come out 5" from the wall, they're not in the way at all! </p><p>My mirror tilts, and I hung the shelves just high enough so it can be used either sitting or standing... which comes in handy for quick contact fixes, as well as attempting to apply eye-shadow without stabbing myself. (I am NOT coordinated in the LEAST when it comes to makeup!) The top two drawers hold moisturizers, lip balms, and makeup, while the bottom three are for all of my jewelry and hair accessories. I chose a tree to keep my necklaces from tangling, and to add sparkle. The itty bitty stool opens to hold my finger splints, lotion, eye-care, detangling spray, and various other things that are needed, but don't quite fit within the tiny drawers. Once everything was in place, I I surrounded the shelves with tiny sparkly picture frames, for photos of the strong women from my family. </p><p>This tiny space is now one of my happy places. I may not spend long here, but it's used every day, and the photos make me smile every time I pass by. <br /></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-13518486409081425192021-09-19T17:07:00.004-05:002021-09-19T18:14:15.290-05:00My Hygge-Day Cart<p style="margin-bottom: 0.2in; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpYTA6pTKZU/YUfB3jSf_YI/AAAAAAAADsc/EduYsbCLpKowauFrzMIwM3kkPeOdkaD6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/fullcart.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1487" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpYTA6pTKZU/YUfB3jSf_YI/AAAAAAAADsc/EduYsbCLpKowauFrzMIwM3kkPeOdkaD6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/fullcart.jpg" width="232" /></a> One of the issues with EDS or any
chronic disease, is the finite energy we have in a day. Getting
dressed takes energy. Making meals takes energy. Getting in & out
of a bath takes energy. And unlike a normal person, my energy is
acutely limited. Some days I have a little more, and that's when
chores get done. Other days I stay in my PJs and do little more than
plan the next week's menus and make appointments. There is an amazing
article that describes this energy juggling perfectly, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">RIGHT
HERE.</a></div><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.2in;">Counting spoons is mentally
exhausting. After decades of counting I tend to have a good idea how
many spoons I have for the day by lunchtime, but things still happen.
Some days I just need to get things done and "steal" my
spoons from the next day, and as my body continues it's slow downward
spiral I am spending more days than I'd like to admit, confined to
the sofa.
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.2in;">These down days, when even getting
dressed takes more energy than I can manage, I try to think of as
hygge days. Hygge is described as <i><b>"a quality of coziness
and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment
or well-being."</b></i> So rather than feeling sorry for myself,
I enjoy quiet activities that give me something to look forward to,
rather than dreading my enforced days of rest.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0.2in;">To keep many of the things I'll want
on hygge days at hand, I have put together a pretty little rolling
cart that can travel from bedside, to sofa, to reading chair. As my
needs change I'll need to update what's on my cart, but for now it's
streamlined towards being able to get a few things done, and quiet
restful activities I can do when my
arthritis/pain/migraine/tummy/lack of energy is in full grumpiness.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0.2in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DE2N7gQ0ceY/YUe-kZEcnvI/AAAAAAAADrA/L0mkPbDW9pM7fRVs65uYDSvRZWdeMEGVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/top.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DE2N7gQ0ceY/YUe-kZEcnvI/AAAAAAAADrA/L0mkPbDW9pM7fRVs65uYDSvRZWdeMEGVQCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h150/top.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>On the top shelf is: my journal
Bible, my current devotional books, my current recreational reading,
and my journal.<p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0.2in;">I also have a small caddy for my
planner and planner stickers, various pens, pencils, and Crayola
Twistables, and sticky notes.<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EowOH6t3gNo/YUe-xGlL_eI/AAAAAAAADrI/vUpNN_5ryoQnKQCNtxDyeP_aBfB0Ic4jQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/topstuff.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="2048" height="175" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EowOH6t3gNo/YUe-xGlL_eI/AAAAAAAADrI/vUpNN_5ryoQnKQCNtxDyeP_aBfB0Ic4jQCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h175/topstuff.jpg" width="200" /></a></p><p>There are also my reading glasses, a microwaveable
lavender-stuffed heated owl stuffie, my tea "sippy cup,"
(unbreakable and spill-resistant) ginger mints, lemon drops, and a
pair of LED candles. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cvxIaTuc4CU/YUe-7jiiNOI/AAAAAAAADrQ/SR4QQNFgO-wXp7wixHcU3AZ40Fc1bbA2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/middle.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cvxIaTuc4CU/YUe-7jiiNOI/AAAAAAAADrQ/SR4QQNFgO-wXp7wixHcU3AZ40Fc1bbA2QCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h150/middle.jpg" width="200" /></a>The middle shelf holds my colored pencils and brush markers, and
hand lotion. I also have my new watercolor pencils, a set of coloring
books, and the family binder here.</div>
<p>The family binder is where I keep to-do lists, shopping lists,
weekly menus, cleaning schedules, holiday ideas... I like to think of
it as my portable brain, because if it needs to get done or is a
project in the works that requires more room than my tiny portable
planner, it's in the binder. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diEmkDqSOjI/YUe_EMZHITI/AAAAAAAADrY/hePk0t3ByJ0bhDMZQUNO1S2lG9VZaVDJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/middlestuff.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1519" data-original-width="2048" height="148" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diEmkDqSOjI/YUe_EMZHITI/AAAAAAAADrY/hePk0t3ByJ0bhDMZQUNO1S2lG9VZaVDJwCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h148/middlestuff.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />The middle shelf also holds three small canisters, and in these
are: my Gelatos, washi tape, pencil lead & sharpener, eraser &
scissors, lip balm, inhaler, and my tablet's charging cord.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KLTDlfJyFMI/YUe_MiubLZI/AAAAAAAADrg/iqei8RDL7hQkoPZ7RzmToCMvmz6uzZmOACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/bottom.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KLTDlfJyFMI/YUe_MiubLZI/AAAAAAAADrg/iqei8RDL7hQkoPZ7RzmToCMvmz6uzZmOACLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h150/bottom.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The bottom shelf holds a super soft throw blanket, my neck pillow,
two pair of fat fluffy socks, and an itty bitty pushpin board I can
use as a portable war room.<p></p>
<p>The war room still exists within the master bedroom closet, but
that is slowly becoming a sound studio for my daughter. I am also
finding that I do most of my praying first thing in the morning
before she's awake, and don't want to wake her up rustling about. So
this tiny pinboard now holds my current prayers wherever I am, rather
than stuck to the wall in the closet. I've even brought it out to
pray in the garden a few times!
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zgxvRsM66dg/YUe_U7gcPsI/AAAAAAAADro/kTE9rv6jc7cGjEP9SjdVD4TNfaCfRTR0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/bottomstuff.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zgxvRsM66dg/YUe_U7gcPsI/AAAAAAAADro/kTE9rv6jc7cGjEP9SjdVD4TNfaCfRTR0wCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/bottomstuff.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p></p>
<p>As my needs change, I will need to update what's on my cart. There
will likely come a day when it holds more medical supplies than
coloring utensils. But for now, this is everything I need to keep
from going stir-crazy, while learning not to resent spending the time
my body needs to rest and heal itself.
</p>
<br />Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-87771421779064980402021-04-29T09:53:00.017-05:002021-04-29T17:33:54.036-05:00One Year Ago Today<p> </p><div><div dir="auto"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc e5nlhep0 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_6h"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">One year ago today I slept in my bed, safe for the first time in over 25 years. One year ago today, my husband moved out of our home. <br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> <br /></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">I never wanted this anniversary. Christian women are supposed to be eternally forgiving. We are supposed to be ridding ourselves from the log in our own eye rather than pointing out the speck in our husband's eye. We vow for better AND WORSE, and we vow until death. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">The Bible doesn't say what to do if the person you vowed to spend your entire life with constantly uses you and your body for their wants while blatantly trampling on your own needs and health. It says to pray for those who persecute you. It says to forgive seventy-times-seven times. It says to love unconditionally. And to the best of my ability, that is what I did for decades, constantly re-forgiving and refusing to complain lest I become the quarrelsome wife so hideously described throughout Proverbs. <br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">When you've counted to 490 (that's 70x7, thanks VeggieTales!) literally thousands of times, when you've begged and pleaded for basic needs like clothing and medical care, when the only thing keeping you from being attacked in your bed is becoming a monster yourself and physically threatening another human being, and when you've hidden behind the closet door that is still broken from the first time you dared to say NO and were violently attacked while still healing from childbirth... when you've done all this, continually praying and self-searching for what you did to cause these things to happen, doing anything you can to prevent it from happening again, and begging simply for the abuse to stop... after decades of being abused while not saying a word to anyone for fear of slandering the one who is abusing you, something finally snaps. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">I married a narcissist. Out of survival and trauma-bonding, I learned codependency. For decades I stayed silent - and even lied about my happiness & safety - while praying that my husband would become who he vowed to be, and not wanting to damage his reputation. But <span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto">I am tired of trying to heal on my own, and cannot heal without sharing. So </span>this is the tiniest portion of my story. It is mine to share. <br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">For 25 years I poured my heart, soul, time, attention, and love into someone who only cared about their own wants. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">For 21 years I was not allowed access to finances while my name was on bills that went unpaid, and I was lied to whenever I asked about anything concerning money. <br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">For 20 years I begged, pleaded, nagged, and yelled for him to speak with his daughter - to form a basic relationship with the human being he helped to create. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">For 11 years I slept on the couch, to keep from being violated while I slept. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">For 10 years we lived without health insurance more often than we had it, incapable of being seen for our life-threatening health issues, because financial irresponsibility, secrecy, and lies were more important than basic decency. Not once or twice, but THREE TIMES while being told there was no money to clear our medical bills so we could be seen at the clinic, my husband purchased a vehicle for his sole use. <br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">For 5 years I sought help from multiple outside sources. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">After all this, I offered one final plea. Get help to stop hurting your wife, speak with your daughter, and stop lying. If these three basic human needs are not fulfilled, I would leave. I waited an entire year, still praying for change and to save my vows. Literally nothing happened. The day he moved out, he lied to me. He still has not had a single conversation with his 21 year old daughter, and only knows the most basic of details about his 25 year old son. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">On our 25th anniversary, I sought help from a crisis center. Two months later, he moved out. Fourteen months later our divorce is still not finalized, because COVID has slowed the court systems to a halt. But my healing has begun.<br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Thanks to COVID I have had a year to try and heal on my own, while counselors and therapists could not take on new patients. I can train myself to recognize what happened and how I missed the warning signs. I can unlearn codependency.... and some day, I may forgive myself for allowing a quarter-century of abuse rather than breaking a vow that had already been shattered. I am not there yet. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">This is my story. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">It is mine to share. It is not finished. But there will be a happy ending, someday. <br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-12485961787876971012021-01-01T15:08:00.030-06:002021-01-01T15:47:21.387-06:00A Narnian New Year<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zM0pzGCps6w/X--IaMN0f7I/AAAAAAAADaI/7wyUd7Xj_444ua8XU7E9XEAjZzvH9wy0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/tree.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zM0pzGCps6w/X--IaMN0f7I/AAAAAAAADaI/7wyUd7Xj_444ua8XU7E9XEAjZzvH9wy0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/tree.jpg" /></a></div>Something I have wanted to do for years now, is celebrate a Narnian New Year... where everything is snowy white, glistening with glitter and just a touch of childlike wonder. After the decade that was 2020, it seemed right to begin this adventure in 2021. <br /><p></p><p>Because of COVID scheduling issues, getting our kitten neutered happened JUST before Christmas. And because we tried two types of E-collars and he flopped about like an alligator in a death-roll with one, and was choking himself on the other... we felt it wisest to simply stay with him 24/7 and keep him from licking his surgical site ourselves. So the three of us have spent nearly two weeks now taking day and nighttime shifts closed off in a single bedroom, stripped of everything climbable or that could be hidden underneath/behind. </p><p>How bad can two weeks of shift-sleeping be, we asked ourselves? The answer is:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kRQL0_xumnA/X--JZttapHI/AAAAAAAADaU/N19OfdJVLQcuTfi4Ti5DQOOJSLTftIT_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/treeclose.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kRQL0_xumnA/X--JZttapHI/AAAAAAAADaU/N19OfdJVLQcuTfi4Ti5DQOOJSLTftIT_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/treeclose.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p></p>PRETTY<p></p><p>DARN</p><p>BAD!</p><p>We are all exhausted. We opened our Christmas gifts quickly while taking turns holding a wriggling kitten still doped on kitty-morphine, and as of today we still have three more nights of sleeplessness ahead of us... NOW spent with a kitty who has been fully awake and aware that he is incarcerated against his will in a room of nothing-fun-to-do, and is grumpily trying to escape whenever he gets the chance. Monday can NOT come soon enough for us! We're ALL ready to put our rooms and lives back together, and get a full night's sleep! </p><p>Between Berlioz needing constant supervision and the fact that my son worked both NYE and New Year's Day... we decided to postpone our annual game & movie all-nighter until next week. We have white foods and treats planned, and a small stack of games ready... but we're waiting until we can actually enjoy the evening all together. </p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xbnWagoBsEo/X--J2bE7E8I/AAAAAAAADac/h280psYZN1UoLsAGGbVibkIKxFys9YOZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ceiling.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xbnWagoBsEo/X--J2bE7E8I/AAAAAAAADac/h280psYZN1UoLsAGGbVibkIKxFys9YOZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ceiling.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For decorations, we started by putting all wintry-white ornaments on our Christmas tree with seven glittery lions, and bringing two LED-birch trees out from the girls' bedroom where they were being used as ambient lighting. <p></p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D7grugRAEt4/X--KVhFo31I/AAAAAAAADak/NG3dRSiS18g5xS4F3HKm5qqnmOHoX2xowCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/lantern.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D7grugRAEt4/X--KVhFo31I/AAAAAAAADak/NG3dRSiS18g5xS4F3HKm5qqnmOHoX2xowCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/lantern.jpg" /></a></p><p></p><p>We kept our Christmas wreath on the front door, and hung giant
sparkling snowflakes from a white garland along the ceiling between the
living room and kitchen/dining room. </p><p></p><p> An all-white bird from Target's seemingly endless supply of seasonal bird figurines and a pair of decorative window-frames stand in the alcove between the kitchen and dining room.<br /></p><p></p><p></p>For the dining room table, we took our white lantern and filled it with acrylic "ice" and two tiny Waldorf dolls my sister made for me nearly two decades ago. <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WilZjlMm4AE/X--KWcCb6GI/AAAAAAAADao/SmN_NdhtKtgVtwQEmIDdi1EutcGazLlSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/deer.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WilZjlMm4AE/X--KWcCb6GI/AAAAAAAADao/SmN_NdhtKtgVtwQEmIDdi1EutcGazLlSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/deer.jpg" width="320" /></a><p>And atop the console by the front door, we placed a family of white deer and a pair of white felt trees. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0YykLcqz6oI/X--LGhSLP9I/AAAAAAAADa0/yetipr1NLesZSdrdBGMbo3yUSMhexFYWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/lamppost.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0YykLcqz6oI/X--LGhSLP9I/AAAAAAAADa0/yetipr1NLesZSdrdBGMbo3yUSMhexFYWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/lamppost.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>The only complicated part, was deciding what to do about a lamp post. Purchasing one may happen in the future, but for this year to save money I decided to make one with what I had on hand. </p><p></p><p></p><p>With a leftover sheet of foamboard, plenty of glitter, a bit of parchment paper, and several hours with a ruler, craft blade, and hot glue I managed to create a lamp post lampshade for the turquoise table lamp near the front door. <br /></p><p></p><p></p><p>2020 was insane. Our New Year's celebration is on hold, and we are all in need of a proper night's sleep. But our house is glistening, and does look just a bit Narnian. </p><p></p><p>The winter of 2020 is ending. </p><p>Spring is coming. </p><p><br /><br /><br /> <br /></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-80174914530155737502020-11-27T09:38:00.020-06:002020-12-14T10:50:52.190-06:00Our Atomic Christmas Decorations<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F9_Qwk7pJcs/X9eW_56c_NI/AAAAAAAADWU/7Tx-rHxQ0xsJFv1IZNBlAh3-GSB67ix7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F9_Qwk7pJcs/X9eW_56c_NI/AAAAAAAADWU/7Tx-rHxQ0xsJFv1IZNBlAh3-GSB67ix7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/tree.jpg" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EfQbGc6sHAg/X8EUoGEBhoI/AAAAAAAADT0/iQNuEZecZOAPi25CKF1NAdkS5nUUi1vsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/tree.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><p><br />Last winter the kids and I began an adventure redecorating the house. Instead of the dark warm colors that my husband preferred, I told the kids I would go along with anything they could agree on... and they chose atomic midcentury. So this neutral-loving mama is now living in the brightest shades of turquoise, lime, and tangerine possible. It's bright and airy in here, and looks nothing like it did a year ago. </p><p>In keeping with our "new house" we have altered our holiday decorations to match. Which means that for Christmas we are steering clear of the traditional reds and greens, and going for ultra-bright teals and lime green instead. <br /></p><p>For our tree we went back and forth between a white or tinsel tree... but decided on white in the end. I love the way it's not so big as to take over the living room, but not so small that it disappears. The tree skirt was handmade from fleece and pompom trim, and really helps bring out the bright colors we were looking for. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-26EFs7eutBA/X9eXKGGUavI/AAAAAAAADWY/1xAusj2ULMo8KjcHZTviCtFjQ89YhVmsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/wreath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-26EFs7eutBA/X9eXKGGUavI/AAAAAAAADWY/1xAusj2ULMo8KjcHZTviCtFjQ89YhVmsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/wreath.jpg" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2qS-GH1M42Q/X8EVyXdRQ4I/AAAAAAAADUI/BcFX6yY8V-IjyPCqHPsKqupc6tKp7-NYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/wreath.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><p></p><p>At the front door we chose a simple white wreath. I haven't decided whether to add some bright color or not, so for now it will stay simple. A few bright ornaments MIGHT find their way onto this eventually, but I'm still undecided. </p><p>There's always next year! </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vGqWYdlChqc/X9eXRoKbSpI/AAAAAAAADWg/5G5usR8a6GcjYL-2vJgnafiKLQzMVslGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/yeti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vGqWYdlChqc/X9eXRoKbSpI/AAAAAAAADWg/5G5usR8a6GcjYL-2vJgnafiKLQzMVslGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/yeti.jpg" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HK4arjDPrfY/X8EWL-laDOI/AAAAAAAADUQ/yMNZat5nVDMnOfKl960beh-HrHYLHQb_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/yeti.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div> This sweet singing yeti has been a part of our Christmas decorations for a few years now... and the pail of smiling snowballs has been in our home since the kids were young. Indoor snowball fights are a frequent evening occurrence here, and Mr. Yeti looks quite cozy sitting atop the gossip bench I upcycled last year. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pZJ5za4Sb9c/X9eXZNHecGI/AAAAAAAADWk/VQ8hQXx-BR4z2qbEmJ0_qmXjR3fFoRRRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pZJ5za4Sb9c/X9eXZNHecGI/AAAAAAAADWk/VQ8hQXx-BR4z2qbEmJ0_qmXjR3fFoRRRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ski.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--_e05w1SGuo/X8E2fCmE52I/AAAAAAAADVQ/NsPbuk_MITEdvGonhmpv-GtgQu4nontUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ski.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ckwVMuB6xkY/X8EXE97_YvI/AAAAAAAADUc/wgs_ldExAbIVMCjqYhlomXuekP4oeOJUQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ski.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><p></p><p>Cryptids are pretty popular in our house, and I fell in love with these smaller yeti figurines LAST year, but by the time I went to buy them they were sold out. When they came back this year, I ordered them within the week... yep I was THAT girl, Christmas shopping in September. They look ever so sweet with the tiny sweet shops I found in the Target dollar spot last year, and add a fun playful display to the top of the tiny console we built from a pair of $20 desktop drawer units from IKEA. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-luU6rx7HeGk/X9eXi2qQ79I/AAAAAAAADWw/wIE39lU0ZL4wQ4RcP7TLd3r5n_3c6a5sACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/fireplace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-luU6rx7HeGk/X9eXi2qQ79I/AAAAAAAADWw/wIE39lU0ZL4wQ4RcP7TLd3r5n_3c6a5sACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/fireplace.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kuacOrUaqOk/X8EZcGg-KNI/AAAAAAAADUo/hizkSvfprf0t3UEUiLtba06rCl4Uy_lcACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/fireplace.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><p></p><p> </p><p>With a kitten tearing about the house swiping things from surfaces, we chose to keep our fireplace/tv-stand very simple with tiny stockings attached via Command hooks. Personally, I love the simple look here!<br /></p><p></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fIbIiJIuGBw/X9eXqO18GjI/AAAAAAAADW4/bjzXHTDjXzIXrVNXUAznyk6XRvkZKSHkACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/niche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fIbIiJIuGBw/X9eXqO18GjI/AAAAAAAADW4/bjzXHTDjXzIXrVNXUAznyk6XRvkZKSHkACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/niche.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3hDz8bglej0/X8EZ7mH2rRI/AAAAAAAADUw/nTYVV1l_HP4gg6sPXibZXmZbU9YVYHrvwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/niche.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>Between the kitchen and dining room, our cabinets have a built-in display niche. This has always been a favorite place to display larger seasonal goodies. <p></p><p><span>I found these tinsel trees on clearance last year, and the blowmold penguin jumped into my cart this year as I was on my way to the dog food. Where we live, outdoor decorations don't work well between the extreme temperatures and thieves... but this was the perfect way to bring that midcentury feel to our house without worrying about it disappearing! </span></p><p><span>(and my daughter absolutely adores penguins!) </span></p><p><span> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-Xdgw3ztl4/X9eXwq-PY0I/AAAAAAAADW8/pY6nMOr2ruYErJMHNgjw2bum_Nb6u5pRACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/snowman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-Xdgw3ztl4/X9eXwq-PY0I/AAAAAAAADW8/pY6nMOr2ruYErJMHNgjw2bum_Nb6u5pRACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/snowman.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GUEp3ok9wvg/X8EbcS1YMkI/AAAAAAAADU8/6__7Nocv4PgIUQBN0brkYzgk_RV5ExYkACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/snowman.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>This sweet snowman is another favorite piece that's been in our house for quite awhile now. It is on the SUPER skinny table we built to go behind our sofa, as a coffee-table substitute. <p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><span></span><span></span><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_yn4zYWRdkk/X9eX3i1jtsI/AAAAAAAADXA/Ch291Tjd6o0CzzslVxsb5Zj1O8d9f36WwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/deer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_yn4zYWRdkk/X9eX3i1jtsI/AAAAAAAADXA/Ch291Tjd6o0CzzslVxsb5Zj1O8d9f36WwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/deer.jpg" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3LiB9O0d88/X8EcFgT3tuI/AAAAAAAADVE/AeFAjo_UIQM7v8La40NE1BS1DSX9mEfPACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/deer.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><p>I WOULD put this on the table as a centerpiece... but Berlioz has informed us he is the only table decoration we need. It's his afternoon napping-spot, and so far I have been unable to convince him that a soft rug in the sunspot on the floor would be a better option. So on the end of the kitchen counter these adorable deer sit in a snowy little lantern. I found them on clearance last winter, and the dollar-spot trees from THIS Christmas were the perfect finishing-touch. </p><p> It is SO bright and SO festive in here... and yes, the bright colors are starting to grow on me. </p><p>This is our happy home. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> <br /></p><p></p><br /><p><br /></p><br />Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-53904814135787771302020-11-26T09:30:00.018-06:002020-11-26T10:37:27.475-06:00Thankful for 2020<p>I am thankful for 2020. </p><p>It sounds crazy because this year has been SO hard in SO many ways, but I am... I'm thankful for this year. Not for the pandemic that's beyond terrifying. Not for the racial issues that fester like an ugly cancer on our country. And not for the ongoing political migraine that defies logical comprehension. But I am thankful for this year. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hmFTgNctrfQ/X7Ww3Zbm-7I/AAAAAAAADRQ/phtexEMEu4ofO1zj2pRtUWhlSzSh61BPACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/coloring.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hmFTgNctrfQ/X7Ww3Zbm-7I/AAAAAAAADRQ/phtexEMEu4ofO1zj2pRtUWhlSzSh61BPACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/coloring.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I am thankful for the time with my kids. This year we have played more board games and Mario Cart than ever before. We've listened to radio dramas and watched chick flicks. We've walked around lakes, picnicked in the living room away from the mosquitoes, <a href="https://mamahousemouse-rambles.blogspot.com/2020/04/family-date-day-quarantine-arcade.html" target="_blank">created an in-home arcade</a> to celebrate absolutely nothing, and laughed for no reason at all. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0X8kr4vA9Nw/X7_Zrp2811I/AAAAAAAADTc/JsRBIdEz7-0vdnPIEKndHGu7vidMNqeZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/stockings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0X8kr4vA9Nw/X7_Zrp2811I/AAAAAAAADTc/JsRBIdEz7-0vdnPIEKndHGu7vidMNqeZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/stockings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Christmas happened in July, and Halloween was spent in our bathrobes. Our weekly movie and game nights have become the high-points in our lives and taken on a life of their own. We've stayed home because it was necessary, but we were never "stuck" here... we've made the best of things, spending the time enjoying just being together, and I wouldn't take that back for anything. <p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEnhl48fcfY/X7W9f_XkgnI/AAAAAAAADRo/73qyFJJkxy0QMxvIfdffuNC-59-d7GW8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/Berlioz1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEnhl48fcfY/X7W9f_XkgnI/AAAAAAAADRo/73qyFJJkxy0QMxvIfdffuNC-59-d7GW8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Berlioz1.jpg" /></a></div><p>I am thankful for Berlioz. Discovered under our house on July 9th, was an abandoned 7-week old underweight mite-infested kitten. After a week of trying to find him a home, we realized WE were the home he had chosen... and we needed him as much as he needed us. </p><p>This tiny frightened baby is now a sleek 6 month old adolescent who naps on the dining room table, shreds boxes for our recycling bin, and absolutely lives for chin-rubs and napping on our feet. He has turned our world upside-down, showing us that we don't need decorations below shoulder-height, computer keyboards are for standing on rather than typing, and that if we walk past the chaise our ankles are forfeit.<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jj_XyuZ_E1o/X7_FqNYZ41I/AAAAAAAADS4/q-ILrGB2ku8efrrkwK5bHL7AiXIiVuaxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/6months.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jj_XyuZ_E1o/X7_FqNYZ41I/AAAAAAAADS4/q-ILrGB2ku8efrrkwK5bHL7AiXIiVuaxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/6months.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p>The dog still growls at him and will rush him any time they are together, but at nearly 13 years old - we are letting her be grouchy. She sleeps most of the day now anyway, so we have given her space away from him where she can snooze in silence. We continue supervised introductions, and whenever he gets the chance Berlioz will boop her nose with a clawless-paw or nibble at her ear... we honestly don't know if he's trying to be friendly or simply enjoys making her growl, but either way he hasn't tried to hurt her and is clearly curious about the fluffy white growly-thing. <br /></p><p>He arrived in our life filling a hole we didn't know we had, just when we needed him most... and has become an integral part of our little family. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdF5XXNJTzo/X7_WF7V5jEI/AAAAAAAADTQ/dqkEeRZ57iwbFIU5Way2XJqYgNvfDbKWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1800/shaw.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdF5XXNJTzo/X7_WF7V5jEI/AAAAAAAADTQ/dqkEeRZ57iwbFIU5Way2XJqYgNvfDbKWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/shaw.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IgJL57FMCIQ/X7_NclL9k4I/AAAAAAAADTE/2kC7KCgAtvwT0Ti62Fm2u3xoT6Bfb1qagCLcBGAsYHQ/s1800/shaw.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><p>And... I am thankful for safety. For our silver anniversary, I gave myself a gift: the gift of freedom from an abusive husband. For 7 months now I have slept in my bed feeling safe, we are free to see the doctor when we need to, and our bills have been paid before their due-date so we no longer live with constant bill-collectors threatening to take away our home. </p><p>I am taking my mother's maiden name. It is also the name of my Scottish clan, and seemed the most fitting as I am not returning to my childhood, but am now someone else; someone with deep roots, who is stronger because of her past. </p><p>For 25 years I stayed silent, praying he would become the man he promised to be. For 25 years, I lived with multiple forms of abuse and a husband unwilling to stop hurting his family. The story is long and complicated, but this year I am thankful for the crisis center who helped us break free, for the pro-bono lawyer who is helping with my divorce, and most of all - the feeling of security I have knowing that when I lock the front door each night, I have not locked us in with what made us unsafe. <br /></p><p></p><p>2020 has been hard. I miss seeing people. I miss visiting the zoo every week. I miss being able to browse the dollar spot at Target in a leisurely manner. But I am thankful for 2020... because it gave us time to be a family together, it gave us our sweet little Berlioz, and it gave us freedom & safety. </p><p>Yes, I am thankful for 2020. <br /></p><p><br /></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-69587097455782138672020-11-18T17:23:00.001-06:002020-11-18T17:23:23.204-06:00It's the Great 25th Birthday, Charlie Brown<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eOSzUVMIIa0/X7WptgFw4TI/AAAAAAAADQk/_A7w9yUCTy4G32bfw94AI72VCFFA6ZoVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1440/diorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1438" data-original-width="1440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eOSzUVMIIa0/X7WptgFw4TI/AAAAAAAADQk/_A7w9yUCTy4G32bfw94AI72VCFFA6ZoVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/diorama.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Most people probably imagine a sophisticated 25th birthday. <p></p><p>My son is not most people. </p><p>He kicks autism's butt on a daily basis, and most people don't even know he struggles. Sure, he will always need help with random things, and yes we've had our share of struggles of frustrations. Every once in awhile however, it shows up in the oddest of hilariously unexpected ways, and THIS is what we choose to focus on.</p><p>One way that it manifests, is in truly not caring about his own birthday. He loves celebrating his sister's birthday, and goes absolutely CRAZY as self-appointed point-man for Christmas decorations, but couldn't care less about his own birthday. Asking him how he would like to celebrate tends to result in shoulder-shrugs, eyerolls, and a mumbled, "meh... whatever..." Two years ago, all he said was "mangoes." So he had a mango birthday, with mango-themed meals and desserts, mango paper-lanterns, a mango tee-shirt... since he rarely requests anything EVEN for his birthday, when he gives me even a single word I'll run with it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fMzW_r_ZqrQ/X7WrRexnbSI/AAAAAAAADQ0/EI8u8mBpkbIBOUxjWj6cTbqXaool2_tLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fMzW_r_ZqrQ/X7WrRexnbSI/AAAAAAAADQ0/EI8u8mBpkbIBOUxjWj6cTbqXaool2_tLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/movie.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>This year when I asked him what he wanted to do for his 25th birthday, keeping in mind that we're still keeping distant... he said he wanted to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. </p><p>Challenge accepted, Little Man... challenge accepted. </p><p>I started by finishing a project that has been on my to-do list for two years; creating a pumpkin diorama. I purchased the pumpkin two years ago, and the Linus figurine a year ago. A little moss, a few miniature dollhouse goodies and some x-acto work with foamboard & gilitter, and we had a cute pumpkin that will come out every year now. </p><p>I found a Snoopy wall decoration to go over our television, and some paper plates & napkins that were perfect. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wAQ22QFMkYQ/X7WrQRnKUsI/AAAAAAAADQw/3DXt-lvvH28ZYAVkA3UZeUIVOKmqW2kmgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20201023_182152%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wAQ22QFMkYQ/X7WrQRnKUsI/AAAAAAAADQw/3DXt-lvvH28ZYAVkA3UZeUIVOKmqW2kmgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20201023_182152%257E2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For dinner, we picked up a pair of cheese pizzas from our favorite gluten-free take-and-bake shop, and added black olives to mimic Charlie Brown's zig-zag shirt before baking them. <p></p><p>With our furnace not working properly, we all curled up under "Linus Blankets" and watched the movie while noshing on pizza, and his requested apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. </p><p> It was a small birthday, but that's the way my guy rolls. He loved it, which is what counts. </p><p>Happy Birthday, Little Man! <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dHaHY0ZMkp4/X7WsWi0nl3I/AAAAAAAADRE/4EC2KoIYQrAwjQTfF8PqCvO2WtJgFpuNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/pizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dHaHY0ZMkp4/X7WsWi0nl3I/AAAAAAAADRE/4EC2KoIYQrAwjQTfF8PqCvO2WtJgFpuNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/pizza.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> <br /></p><br /><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-5661798933900533812020-09-29T19:02:00.004-05:002020-09-29T20:13:33.230-05:00My Faerie Tale Wardrobe<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WuEnFaFJszU/X1fvlhsvH0I/AAAAAAAADMc/qIsOWJY5ZA0rTQg-rjTixbtKpJ1QvjlAwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/before.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WuEnFaFJszU/X1fvlhsvH0I/AAAAAAAADMc/qIsOWJY5ZA0rTQg-rjTixbtKpJ1QvjlAwCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/before.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span> </span></i>first read the Narnia chronicles in the early 1980s, and have read them every winter since. I have peeked in hundreds of wardrobes, and daydreamed about having tea with Reepicheep for decades. I have always said that if I was ever lucky enough to own a wardrobe, I would paint the interior to look like Narnia. <p></p><p>About a year ago I picked up a secondhand IKEA children's wardrobe. It's small, but deep enough for standard adult hangers. It holds my clothes, my outerwear, my shoes and purses, my makeup and jewelry... absolutely everything I wear fits in here, and I love how easy it is to get to my things when a drawer would be too much for my arthritic fingers to maneuver. It was more functional than "fun," but it suited my needs perfectly. But that pea-soup green? Oh my, YUCK! <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ciaF8Plt8QM/X1fznGbfX5I/AAAAAAAADMw/RVIFJ1ETZjIXPJYmYTzSzXzjNavfJ9mOwCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/step1close.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ciaF8Plt8QM/X1fznGbfX5I/AAAAAAAADMw/RVIFJ1ETZjIXPJYmYTzSzXzjNavfJ9mOwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/step1close.jpg" /></a></p><p> Knowing that I planned to remove the back anyway it was easy to decide to paint the exterior, but a simple coat of paint would never do for the doors to Narnia. I wanted something special. After months of contemplating, Pinterest surfing, window-shopping online stores, and waiting for sale prices I finally had everything I needed to transform my "blah" little wardrobe into a fulfilled childhood fantasy. I would paint the outside to be a meadow before the distant Misty Mountains of Middle Earth from my other favorite childhood books; also in tatters from being read every autumn since my girlhood days. </p><p>I began by emptying the wardrobe and removing the back, the hanging bar, the shelves, and all shelf-supports. By the end of the first day I had a single coat of paint on the wardrobe frame. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KBuoX8NvLEA/X3O-3l5T6QI/AAAAAAAADNk/1bJXN8XzBr0ajlELlUBXXTHNLidfGIckwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/6%2Bstep2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KBuoX8NvLEA/X3O-3l5T6QI/AAAAAAAADNk/1bJXN8XzBr0ajlELlUBXXTHNLidfGIckwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/6%2Bstep2.jpg" /></a> It took
"FOREVER" to finish the painting with all five colors, but after a week I
had finally finished adding ombre cubbyhole and shoe shelves, and 7
layers of the Misty Mountains of Middle Earth to the doors. FINALLY it
was time to add my stickers. <p>On the doors, I added a set of
flower wall stickers found on Amazon to simulate the meadows of Middle
Earth. I love how they turned out, and how peaceful the closet now
looked. </p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aUHIWCaD0dk/X3PEPnWQvyI/AAAAAAAADNw/_rBFjxO2jNUFCl7pWkuvRv-PxYODJBxvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20200926_171426%257E2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aUHIWCaD0dk/X3PEPnWQvyI/AAAAAAAADNw/_rBFjxO2jNUFCl7pWkuvRv-PxYODJBxvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200926_171426%257E2.jpg" /></a>The flower stickers came with a few extras, which I put
on the right-hand side since that side of the wardrobe doubles as my
headboard. It's a small touch, but it looks oh so sweet.</div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aUHIWCaD0dk/X3PEPnWQvyI/AAAAAAAADNw/_rBFjxO2jNUFCl7pWkuvRv-PxYODJBxvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20200926_171426%257E2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><p>When I removed the back for painting, it evaporated. I discovered later that the original finishing-nails had been replaced by 1" ring-shank nails, but had planned from the beginning on replacing it with panelboard for strength and durability. Once the doors and shelves were reattached, I picked up a panel of Eucaboard from Home Depot, then cut a <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/671398280/home-mural-door-self-adhesive-removable?ref=yr_purchases" target="_blank">door-mural found on Etsy</a> down to size, and added still more paint to finish the back.<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1rpLdH6_RaA/X3PGu_on3fI/AAAAAAAADOA/By7fjMuXTMIXfVI5hXik--ktRloGtml4ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/7%2BDoorsDone.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1rpLdH6_RaA/X3PGu_on3fI/AAAAAAAADOA/By7fjMuXTMIXfVI5hXik--ktRloGtml4ACLcBGAsYHQ/w240-h320/7%2BDoorsDone.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0q5q5PwD3OU/X3PGuNKK1aI/AAAAAAAADN8/S1HwSQ-CTJgFnXQJDDVP9jiILROscnc5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/9%2BBackDone.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0q5q5PwD3OU/X3PGuNKK1aI/AAAAAAAADN8/S1HwSQ-CTJgFnXQJDDVP9jiILROscnc5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/9%2BBackDone.jpg" /></a></p><p>It took me two weeks from start to finish since I worked on this as a side-project. But the finished wardrobe is absolutely everything I could have possibly imagined. The soft purples, the mountains, the flowers, the forest... absolutely everything was exactly like I'd pictured it. </p><p>Now that everything is put back, my tiny corner is officially my cozy little happy place. From my tiny comfy slipper chair with the birch tree ambient light and my little art nouveau wall planter full of wildflowers, to the soft delicate colors, baskets, and spinning organizer for my jewelry and makeup... everything here is perfect for my needs, and looks like I stepped into my two favorite faerie tales. </p><p></p><p>It was absolutely worth 37 years of waiting for this dream to come true. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="353" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8SQlGjOwdwY" width="425" youtube-src-id="8SQlGjOwdwY"></iframe></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /> <br /></p><p><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-4580796961632719092020-08-21T10:20:00.000-05:002020-08-21T10:20:26.384-05:00Garden 2020: Harvest Begins<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O8J7DBckrEE/Xz_l1_ooVMI/AAAAAAAADK8/zk_jYL88V7oSBrFPViHC3_NuQLzAbZQhwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1440/118229379_3958627400819608_5096433297254399700_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O8J7DBckrEE/Xz_l1_ooVMI/AAAAAAAADK8/zk_jYL88V7oSBrFPViHC3_NuQLzAbZQhwCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h240/118229379_3958627400819608_5096433297254399700_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The nights are getting longer, the evening air is beginning to chill, and it's time to begin contemplating whether we have enough fat fluffy socks for winter. I's harvest season in our itty bitty garden. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have had more salad greens and herbs than we've needed all season long, but now it is tomato time. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Earlier this week we harvested and ate a pint of fresh tomatoes and the three biggest purple carrots. We now know that purple carrots will stain your mouth DARK purple for over an hour and are waiting to harvest the rest for a spectacular purple-carrot cake for my son's birthday. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This morning I picked a second pint. of tomatoes, and found a softball-size melon in our melon patch. The peppers are full-size and ready to begin changing color, and the bees are happily pollinating the tomato blossoms that are still emerging every day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is my favorite time of year... when the garden begins to show the fruits of our labor, when the summer heat begins to dissolves into sweater-weather, and when the air starts to smell of changing leaves and bonfires. It's time for the crockpot to begin simmering bedtime cider, and pumpkin waffles on lazy day-off mornings. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxKHXaOCyvSOIi12IVxu-KImaoA7abJjbMJTr20kk5Xxn38EvvqXbJWIBkwqr2n0ymSgJQYVT3s8fh_3FbGkw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;">Every spring we plant hope.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Every fall we harvest blessings.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">It's time to enjoy the fruits of our labor,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">as we enter a season of change.<br /></span></div> <p></p>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-45625412728845889482020-05-04T13:51:00.001-05:002020-05-04T14:05:03.117-05:00Garden 2020: Waiting for Memorial Day<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kjSSVp1AD0A/XrBfCFWEONI/AAAAAAAAC6A/TNu1UsM5WOU5g2Tr0kvq2POrzz6ERlYbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/tomato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1585" data-original-width="1600" height="197" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kjSSVp1AD0A/XrBfCFWEONI/AAAAAAAAC6A/TNu1UsM5WOU5g2Tr0kvq2POrzz6ERlYbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/tomato.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomatoes</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peppers</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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This is the point in our gardening when we begin the transition from indoor to outdoor with the seedlings. There are still 3 weeks until our last frost-day so the garden itself is still fairly empty, but our seedlings are enjoying hardening-off and catching breezes during the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fdMHm31YbWU/XrBe_h9qcGI/AAAAAAAAC54/7v7fDfRtXyMTQA6e4gWCUstTmiWi0PKfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/peas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="649" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fdMHm31YbWU/XrBe_h9qcGI/AAAAAAAAC54/7v7fDfRtXyMTQA6e4gWCUstTmiWi0PKfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/peas.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peas</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The tomatoes will be moved to larger pots for the second time this week, and the peppers are finally starting to look promising. Our peas are up and about 6" tall, and the few herbs that we have are looking great. <br />
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This week, we will be planting our frost-hardy carrots and Tom Thumb lettuce. Our beans, cucumbers, purslane, spinach, and melons will be <br />
waiting until Memorial Day.<br />
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The beautiful, insanely fragrant stars of our garden right now are the
lemon trees. Lem dropped all his leaves in shipping and has been making
his comeback all winter long. There are no blooms yet, but he looks so
much healthier than he did 8 months ago! Ada, on the other hand, has been flowering prolifically for 3 weeks now. She is perfuming the entire
dining room, and just now when I was taking photographs there was a fat bumblebee loitering sleepily as he pollinated her for me. I tried to
catch him, but apparently, he's camera-shy. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FIWOStvixxo/XrBezZqVbEI/AAAAAAAAC6E/koWkM2UY7qYJglnb33czhj7J0F8fHACfQCEwYBhgL/s1600/2lemon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1486" data-original-width="1600" height="297" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FIWOStvixxo/XrBezZqVbEI/AAAAAAAAC6E/koWkM2UY7qYJglnb33czhj7J0F8fHACfQCEwYBhgL/s320/2lemon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
There is plenty to do in the garden already; daily bringing the
seedlings in and out, watering, pinching, feeding the worms... What we
love most however is the fact that it never takes more than 20 minutes
to "putter" everything into perfect order in our tiny oasis. Would you
like to take a peek? <br />
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<br />Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-35940217918937649472020-04-08T13:13:00.000-05:002020-05-01T07:25:17.628-05:00Family Date Day: Quarantine Arcade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rxRlFcwgL8o/Xo48MGDeogI/AAAAAAAAC3o/UbXTVDpi5vAI13XLySvyF4c2b3Q9ktZzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/games.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rxRlFcwgL8o/Xo48MGDeogI/AAAAAAAAC3o/UbXTVDpi5vAI13XLySvyF4c2b3Q9ktZzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/games.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
With a pandemic outside our doors, our monthly family date days have become a challenge. This is inarguably the LEAST of our concerns right now. BUT with a son who is working long, physically demanding hours and a daughter who works even longer, mentally draining hours - we take our downtime very seriously. When the shelter-in-place order went through, the SECOND thing I asked my kids was, "What would you like to do about date-days?" And the answer after a few minutes of blank stares and shoulder shrugs was, "What about having an over-the-top game day?"<br />
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Family Game Day is a weekly event in our house. It's the first thing that gets added to the calendar each week, once we know what my son's work schedule will be. Every other week we flip-flop between "unplugged" when we play board and card games, and "plugged" when we compete in PS4 and Wii games. How do we change that into an event? The only thing I could think of was turning the living room into an arcade. <br />
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I was 4-14 during the '80s. Arcades and arcade games were absolutely everywhere. But I didn't set foot in an arcade until I was 22, and I was in a Chuck E Cheese ONCE during the whole of the 1980s. Likewise,
we never owned a gaming system when I was growing up. The closest I
got to arcade games was the occasional game of Frogger on my cousin's
Atari, and watching my Mummy play Mission Impossible on the Commodore 64 and purposefully running the agent down the shafts just to hear him scream again... and again... and again... So when my son developed a passion for vintage arcade games, I had extremely little experience with these blip-blip 8-bit noisemakers.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUOwpGuX8es/Xo4LanBeP8I/AAAAAAAAC3A/pd6hAjDLaDsaVPjPSVlUZJWOZlrD_U_RQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/coloring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUOwpGuX8es/Xo4LanBeP8I/AAAAAAAAC3A/pd6hAjDLaDsaVPjPSVlUZJWOZlrD_U_RQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/coloring.jpg" width="320" /></a>In my quest to transform the living room, I began with a pair of gift cards from MyPoints I'd been saving "for a rainy day." With these, I hunted about on Amazon and purchased teeny tiny tabletop versions of Skee Ball and Whack-A-Mole. These were for a new surprise and to help set the proper mood. A PS4 retro game (since I was informed that the one I THOUGHT we owned was for a console we got rid of years ago) and a new book of Mad Libs (for when mama's decrepit eyeballs can't stare at screens any longer) were added to the cart as well, along with some popcorn seasoning and a box each of movie-theater candies. All that needs to be purchased now is a pair of pizzas from our favorite pizza take-and-bake that happens to still be open and offers online ordering and contact-free pickup... AND just sent me a coupon!<br />
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Because I am a strong believer in ambiance when setting up these family fun events, I then pulled out the printer and got to work creating decorations... cheesy homemade 80's style. With the help of three vintage arcade-y free fonts from <a href="https://www.fontspace.com/category/arcade" target="_blank">FontSpace</a> I soon had enough printed goodies to color and cut, to fill an entire wall in the living room. Several hours and more than a little bit of cramped-hand later I was able to transform this...<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UvAt_-S6hwE/XqwUilORkOI/AAAAAAAAC4o/YmrSbAbifGYeSat-BNmP0RtXNozz9DZDACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UvAt_-S6hwE/XqwUilORkOI/AAAAAAAAC4o/YmrSbAbifGYeSat-BNmP0RtXNozz9DZDACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/before.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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into THIS!!!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hUPSoZHZMTM/XqwUiKpMGeI/AAAAAAAAC4k/UgxGg-Pgsdg3NNq_HKKfS9wyom9bWVzQgCEwYBhgL/s1600/after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hUPSoZHZMTM/XqwUiKpMGeI/AAAAAAAAC4k/UgxGg-Pgsdg3NNq_HKKfS9wyom9bWVzQgCEwYBhgL/s400/after.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My son already owned a few things that made perfect decorations next to the TV, and I set up scoreboards for four different games along with a few movie suggestions that are theme and period-appropriate.<br />
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So this weekend, while we stay safe inside our home, we will be "at
the arcade" - playing games, snacking on all sorts of goodies, laughing
'til our sides hurt at how terribly BAD mama truly is at arcade games,
and watching retro movies.<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ew8ZZ9YXmKk/XqwU7fcLbUI/AAAAAAAAC44/7liVwnbwkCYsXddu9rrL4hvKNIBfWmRsACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/games.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ew8ZZ9YXmKk/XqwU7fcLbUI/AAAAAAAAC44/7liVwnbwkCYsXddu9rrL4hvKNIBfWmRsACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/games.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L9JuueWAkik/XqwU6Gj9CYI/AAAAAAAAC40/KVaYCleE2NsYl6DQkRuwcIojxr91jJmvACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/fp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L9JuueWAkik/XqwU6Gj9CYI/AAAAAAAAC40/KVaYCleE2NsYl6DQkRuwcIojxr91jJmvACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/fp.jpg" width="320" /></a>It's not a trip to the zoo... but it's something to look forward to. Which is all we need for right now. <br />
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<br />Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-24365597098276838042020-04-07T08:16:00.000-05:002020-04-07T08:59:42.075-05:00Scottish Fare: Irn Bru Recipe #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rYtweNjvu78/Xox2dxx6HuI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/ka2G5_vx0OMc1EE0OgL1JIxnXis8u7n_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200407_073232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1463" data-original-width="1600" height="292" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rYtweNjvu78/Xox2dxx6HuI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/ka2G5_vx0OMc1EE0OgL1JIxnXis8u7n_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200407_073232.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Today I thought I'd try something naturally sweet with another bottle of our Scottish Irn Bru. I wanted to try cupcakes.<br />
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Due to pandemic-shortages at the store, it ended up being more prudent to make a poundcake. So Irn Bru poundcake, with Irn Bru icing it was.<br />
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Now to be fair, I have to admit that while I LOVE cake... I don't tend to prefer poundcake. It's a bit too sweet and far too rich for my everyday tastes. But in working with what I had on hand, I figured that cake was cake... and if I didn't end up liking it, there's a 24-year-old starveling in the house that will happily gobble up any baked goodie he sees lying around.<br />
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To keep things simple, I used a very simple recipe:<br />
1 1/2 c gluten-free all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 c raw sugar<br />
3/4 c softened butter<br />
3 eggs<br />
and 1/4 cup Irn Bru<br />
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Preheat oven to 310F and grease a bread pan (in hindsight, I should have also floured it!) then set aside. <br />
Cream the butter and sugar, then slowly add the flour in thirds. <br />
Add the eggs one a time, then pour in the Irn Bru and mix just until combined.<br />
Pour into pan, and bake for 80 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.<br />
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For the glaze, I mixed 2 Tbsp Irn Bru with 1 cup powdered sugar. (and only used half of it)<br />
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The cake did not rise quite as much as I wanted, but with gluten-free baking that's always a possibility. It had a beautiful buttery crispy crust on the top, but the minute I went to release it from the pan... the crust evaporated. (I did try a crumb, and yes it tastes positively divine!) And I didn't need nearly as much glaze as I'd made, but I am a frosting girl so that may be personal preference.<br />
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How did it taste? The cake itself was far more buttery than I wanted, and honestly, I couldn't taste the Irn Bru - it just tasted of sugar and butter. The texture was lovely, however; with a delicate melt-in-your-mouth crumb. The glaze itself DID taste of Irn Bru and was quite good - but when you mix a too-sweet drink with straight sugar, you get something that's painfully sweet. I paired the tiniest of slices with an extra-strong cup of Edinburgh tea and enjoyed it as a sugary sweet, rich buttery treat. <br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9cUI6pKibUQ/Xox7w9eluAI/AAAAAAAAC2o/Ti5qoU0wRqIxXvH6ssDIw6sovE04pZTzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200407_080352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9cUI6pKibUQ/Xox7w9eluAI/AAAAAAAAC2o/Ti5qoU0wRqIxXvH6ssDIw6sovE04pZTzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200407_080352.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Would someone else like this? Absolutely! If you like rich, buttery sweet cake and soda-flavored glaze, this would be amazing. For me, I will stick to the occasional cupcake.<br />
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But it was a fun adventure. The color is a beautiful pale orange and the texture is divine... and while I personally would not choose to eat this, I am sure that my son will love it once he gets home from work. Because just between you and me... I made this for him. Unlike my daughter and me, HE likes poundcake... and his waistline will not suffer from eating an entire cake! <br />
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<br />Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-72438744674866148812020-04-06T08:51:00.000-05:002020-04-09T12:39:43.428-05:00Garden 2020: When crisis inspires gardeningIn times of crisis, people return to gardening. It happened in WWI and WWII with Victory Gardens, and it's happening this year with the current pandemic. Seed stores are selling out, and potting soil can't be found anywhere. The uncertainty of not knowing if the grocery store
will have what we need when we visit, coupled with an urge to do
SOMETHING when we feel as if the whole world is falling apart, seems to whisper to us the memories of our grandparents' yards -
with their raspberry hedge bursting with juicy treasure, and neat
rows of squash just waiting for the Thanksgiving table.<br />
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Gardening
is known to be therapeutic. It has been proven to help reduce anxiety and depression, reduces stress, and can lower blood pressure. When
special tools and care is taken, it can help keep fingers and wrists
limber to slow the progression of arthritis, and it counts as low-impact
exercise. Even if you yielded nothing else... wouldn't that be enough incentive to start a garden this year? <br />
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This is our 14th year of urban container gardening. Because I'm being asked a LOT of questions right now from people on multiple continents about our garden and how we do what we do... I wanted to start this year's gardening posts by sharing where we began. Because yes, our garden may look like we know what we're doing NOW... but it took us a LOOOONG time, and years of trials and errors to get here. Please, ask away. If I can help even one person avoid some of the mistakes we learned the hard way... that would absolutely make my day!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zhoRDoGfF1E/XoshM7KOMNI/AAAAAAAAC2A/OeqXdgg4Er4iQLUUpEOuC2QxRvo8vCteACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/100_3073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zhoRDoGfF1E/XoshM7KOMNI/AAAAAAAAC2A/OeqXdgg4Er4iQLUUpEOuC2QxRvo8vCteACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/100_3073.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
This is what our garden looked like near the end of the season, in 2007. The first photo is the "south half" and you can see: tomatoes that aren't planted deep enough and barely produced, pumpkins that never fruited, (though they did make a beautiful arbor!) and carrots that were tinier than a baby's pinkie and bitter when we finally picked them.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ckmnx5TalaQ/XoshNDLbOoI/AAAAAAAAC2E/D3LJp7LiZeYz9FQar49C6BEGm1A_C0snACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/100_3075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ckmnx5TalaQ/XoshNDLbOoI/AAAAAAAAC2E/D3LJp7LiZeYz9FQar49C6BEGm1A_C0snACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/100_3075.JPG" width="320" /></a>The second photo is the "north half" and here are: pumpkins that didn't get enough light and never grew, herbs that produced too MUCH and bolted before we could use them, and - honestly I've forgotten what we tried in the orange and black pots... it might have been peppers, or possibly salad greens. *shrugs* Whatever it was, however, you can clearly see that by August they had barely done a thing.<br />
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I want to share this because I've heard a few friends say that they lost interest in gardening when their first year didn't look like our 10th... 12th... 13th...<br />
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Please, don't compare and DON'T give up! This is where we started. This is what our first year looked like, and it has taken us 14 years of learning, failure, and slowly saving up to acquire some of the more pricey tools that we now have in our little oasis. Small space gardening IS worth it... but it takes time and patience. Two tomato plants in 5-gallon buckets and a pair of favorite herbs would be better than where we began. Start small. Learn slowly. And add one or two things each year. <br />
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For our garden this year, we are needing to make allowances as we may not be able to purchase our precious herbs. Life will go on, and we will plant what we can. We might have extra salad greens where the herbs would normally grow. Adaptations will be made, or we'll do without. But our 2020 oasis has begun.<br />
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Here is a quick sneak-peek at our 8'x16" deck garden as it sits mostly dormant, awaiting our Memorial Day planting this morning. <br />
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<br />Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-5880073122425298222020-03-31T07:00:00.000-05:002020-03-31T07:00:00.207-05:00Scottish Fare: Imported Tea and Marmalade<br />
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This week we are continuing our adventure with imported goodies. Because we like tea so much, we chose Edinburgh looseleaf tea to try. And to go with the tea, some marmalade.<br />
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Why marmalade when I make my own? Because while marmalade has been made with quince fruit since Ancient Roman times... ORANGE marmalade, as it turns out, is <a href="https://www.theocelot.co.uk/a-brief-history-of-marmalade/" target="_blank">legendarily Scottish!</a><br />
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This week I prepared breakfast for dinner. We love breakfast foods, but when your son works retail and a pandemic forces him to work overtime - breakfast looks like whatever I can bake with my eyes half-opened at 5am. So every few weeks or so, we have a full breakfast... at dinnertime.<br />
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For dinner, I made a broccoli and Dubliner cheese crustless quiche and our favorite oatmeal scones.<br />
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The scones are my own recipe. Years ago, when gluten-free foods were still more of a novelty and recipes were few and far between, I wanted a hearty breakfast scone rather than a cakelike dessert scone. But I couldn't find a single recipe! It took several tries, but here is our recipe:<br />
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1 1/2 c gluten-free oat flour<br />
1 1/2 c gluten-free rolled oats<br />
1/2 c potato starch<br />
1 Tbsp baking powder<br />
1/2 c applesauce (for extra protein, substitute 2 eggs)<br />
2/3 c almond milk soured with<br />
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice (for extra protein and probiotics, substitute 2/3 c buttermilk) <br />
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Preheat oven to 400F<br />
Mix together dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients and mix just until blended.<br />
Turn out onto a silpat or parchment-paper covered baking sheet and with greased hands, pat into a circle 3/4" thick. It WILL be wet!!!<br />
Using a greased knife or pastry cutter, slice into 8 wedges - separating slightly.<br />
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until edges just begin to brown.<br />
Serve hot or cold... but we think hot is best!<br />
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We found the tea to be much milder than we expected. Being used to Irish Breakfast tea we were expecting a powerfully bold tea and instead, this was a very nice "basic" tea that would go with anything.<br />
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The marmalade was wonderful! I make my own jellies, jams, and preserves because American condiments tend to be too sweet for my liking. This was NOT too sweet; it was nice and tangy, with a good dose of the bitterness left intact from the orange peel. If I had made it myself, this is what I would have made... and now I'm inspired to try adding honey to my own marmalade recipes!<br />
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These were foods that we eat all the time, and we really only tried the imported versions out of curiosity. While I might not buy them again simply because of their higher prices, they were both quite delicious and we enjoyed them very much! <br />
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<br />Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-33475351087638093122020-03-24T08:29:00.000-05:002020-03-24T08:29:15.371-05:00Scottish Fare: Irn Bru Recipe #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I started looking into Scottish recipes and traditional foods, one that showed up, again and again, was Irn Bru. Apparently, it's the OTHER Scottish drink for those who aren't in the mood for whiskey. While I was planning on sticking mainly to homemade recipes, we did want to try just a few imported goodies as well - and Amazon just happens to have a supplier on this side of "the pond." We placed an order for three authentic Scottish goodies, and they arrived JUST before the coronavirus quarantines started shutting things down. We will be trying them over the next few weeks.</div>
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Our first imported goodie was Irn Bru. <br />
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What is Irn Bru? It's a BRIGHT orange carbonated drink. (For those that know about my allergies - this has Yellow #6 in it, NOT Yellow #5 - I checked SIX TIMES - so it's safe for those with a tartrazine/salicylate allergy!) I've seen it described as tasting like bubble gum, citrus, and my favorite "<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body"> a combination of rust, battery acid and pure magic." When our 6-pack arrived, in trying to cut the bottles from their blister wrapping I accidentally dropped a bottle and broke the seal, so we shared a bottle last week to see what we thought for ourselves. WE think we tasted: a nondescript citrus flavor, a medicinal/energy drink flavor, and possibly something floral - which sounds ghastly, but worked, in a strange way. It was, however, MUCH sweeter than we'd expected so rather than simply drinking all 6 bottles we are experimenting with Irn Bru as a recipe ingredient. </span></span><br />
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<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">Our first attempt is based on - but heavily modified from - <a href="https://www.foodforfitness.co.uk/recipes/slow-cooker-irn-bru-chicken/" target="_blank">THIS RECIPE</a> for slow cooker Irn Bru chicken. I had PLANNED on simply using a vegan substitute for the chicken, but in the interest of not visiting the store for what I didn't have on hand while self-quarantining, I ended up needing to substitute roughly half the ingredients. So if you'd like to know how this dish tastes in the UK, PLEASE follow the link and try their version. I based all my substitutions on the fact that the original recipe is described as a sweet-and-sour dish, and simply used what I had on hand. So for my make-do or do-without vegan-version, here's what went into my slow-cooker: </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V3BNwEThq-M/Xnk6rSt5OzI/AAAAAAAAC0E/lcKHTTZ_UP0vOeBRLC941fszr3xdd2rlQCEwYBhgL/s1600/pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V3BNwEThq-M/Xnk6rSt5OzI/AAAAAAAAC0E/lcKHTTZ_UP0vOeBRLC941fszr3xdd2rlQCEwYBhgL/s320/pot.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">2 12oz packages Quorn meatless pieces</span></span><br />
<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">1 onion, finely chopped</span></span><br />
<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">2 tsp roasted garlic</span></span><br />
<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">20ml balsamic vinegar</span></span><br />
<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">60ml V8</span></span><br />
<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">30g cornstarch</span></span><br />
<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">1 bottle Irn Bru</span></span><br />
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<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">I dumped everything into the slow cooker, gave it a few good stirs, and let it run on medium-high for 3 hours. Every hour I gave it a good stir because my little pot is prone to sticking. Otherwise, I left it alone.</span></span><br />
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<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">Because this was supposed to be a sweet and sour dish, I served it over rice. </span></span>
<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">And... we liked it! It had an American-Chinese flavor, not unlike a mild sweet-and-sour chicken. Were I to make this again, I would add a nice heaping tablespoon of ginger, and some broccoli. It's not at all what we expected, but it's good.</span></span><br />
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<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">Will we be making this again? I'm not convinced that it's worth the splurge-y price of an imported soda. I WOULD try this again with a properly strong ginger beer, however! But for cooking a savory dish with a funky new soda? Yes, it was definitely worth the attempt, and for someone who can get their hands on Irn Bru - I would definitely recommend this as a fun recipe to try. </span></span>
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<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body"> </span></span>Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774704591996396335.post-49056685438844569892020-03-17T07:00:00.000-05:002020-03-17T07:00:04.799-05:00Scottish Fare: Cock a Leekie Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For Saint Patrick's Day each year, we enjoy our favorite must-have Irish recipes:<br />
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* Irish apple-cake with Irish breakfast tea<br />
* Irish cheese with homemade soda-bread rolls and apple wedges<br />
* beautiful bowls of colcannon<br />
* shepherd's pie or a lovely pot of 'tattie stew...<br />
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Every year looks pretty similar, and since these are all family favorites we don't mind at all. But this year I wanted to change up just one meal - and with our carb-heavy potato obsession during the month of March, I thought I'd try for a soup.<br />
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Cock a Leekie Soup... another Scottish dish with a funny name. This one actually makes sense when you think about it - it's chicken and leeks. Yep, it really is that simple.<br />
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After comparing over a dozen recipes, it became quite obvious that I'd had this soup. Thousands of times, in dozens of variations. It's soup, so there are as many recipes as there are cooks in the kitchen but here are the basics: <br />
Chicken - I used a 12oz package of Quorn for a vegan version.<br />
Chicken stock - since our chicken was vegan, I used enough vegan bouillon for 6 cups of water.<br />
Leeks - come in packages of 3, so that's what I used.<br />
Carrots - 2 medium-large carrots.<br />
Potato - the recipes call for EITHER potato OR barley... with our gluten allergy, potato it was! I used 2 medium.<br />
Other random ingredients - seriously, it's soup... I think I saw everything imaginable including FRESH PLUMS as optional extras! I kept things simple this time and opted for nothing but the basics. <br />
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Everything went onto the back burner, to simmer for 2 hours. And what we ended up with was... MY basic soup recipe! When the fridge is running empty, or the sky is gloomy, or someone has the sniffles... this is the soup that I make! Sure, sometimes leeks are hard to find so I'll substitute onion. Sometimes I'll add celery and thyme. Sometimes I'll add paprika, and sometimes we're out of Quorn, so I'll add an extra potato to the pot instead. But this is MY soup!!!<br />
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I have heard the theories of ancestral memories before. But I had no idea that the soup I make when I'm in the kitchen without a recipe and without a solid plan for a meal... is an old Scottish standby! And the truly ironic thing is that I suffer from GERD - but while onions make my tummy rebel, leeks have never bothered me. So in its proper form, this soup becomes happy-tummy food! <br />
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Heh... my tummy knew I was Scottish, before my head! This isn't a matter of planning to add a new recipe to our book, this is a recipe I've unknowingly carried in my head all along! <br />
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<br />Mama Housemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045351625805531190noreply@blogger.com0