Thankful Thursdays: Gimme an S!

A few weeks ago, I started a weekly countdown of six things I am most thankful for, each of which begin with the letters of the word "THANKS".   So far, I've covered:

Today
Health
Abode
Necessities and niceties
Kith and kin

This week, I am thankful for one final thing I'm thankful for, and that is the...

season

I'm thankful for each of the four seasons that distinctively divide our lives each year, each one segueing gracefully to the next just like clockwork.  But I'm especially grateful for this season, when we can take time to reflect on the blessings we enjoy, and to be grateful for them.

The word itself is ancient, rooted in the idea of having a time of year for sowing, followed by the natural ripening and aging process, which creates sweetness and delicious and complex flavors in foods.  Which is probably why it is also intertwined with a second meaning in modern usage; to flavor food with seasonings.  The onset of the cool months are when we welcome the flavors and aromas of many delicious spices and herbs:  cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom play important roles in desserts and other sweet foods, while thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano and  peppers are indelibly linked to many savory foods we associate with this time of year.

Solomon was a truly wise man, and in Ecclesiastes he gave us timeless words of advice for putting everything in our lives into proper perspective:

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted"

This is the season of harvests and thankfulness and graciousness. I wish it lasted all year 'round, but maybe because it only comes once a year, it makes us appreciate it more.

nearby cotton field in late October

'Tis the season.  Not for giving gifts and decorating trees and cookies - not yet.  But it is the season for welcoming friends and family, and sharing with them the customs, traditions and foods that have been passed down from past generations to us, and from us to our children.

In this and every season, may we all enjoy the day while it is called today, our own measure of health, our abodes, our many material blessings, and the rich blessings of friends and families.

Happy and blessed thanks-giving,
 

Day of rest, week 9: A super-sized, souper day!

Yesterday was the annual day to roll back our clocks, and that extra hour makes for a super-sized day.

It couldn't have come at a better time - instead of getting back from Knoxville at 11:30 Saturday night, we could tell ourselves it was only 10:30.  Reverting to standard time comes with its own adjustments to psyche and Circadium rhythms, but early morning rising will be a little easier - at least until the newness of the time change wears off.

I was mentally patting myself on the back yesterday morning, since I knew I had all the ingredients for a "souper" Sunday with vegetarian chili for dinner.  Then I remembered that lunch comes before dinner.  Eeek!  Fortunately, we had enough tag-ends left over that we all enjoyed something: pasta e fagioli, homemade pizza and tuna fish were up for grabs, along with a gameday bowl of creamy refried bean dip scooped up with big corn chips.

With the mealtime dilemmas out of the way, my afternoon was clear to accomplish some tasks.  For starters, I won this soup tureen on eBay:

Less than $5.  Woot!

I've been scouting vintage tureens for years.  And this one was pretty AND dirt cheap - that's a tough combination to beat.

After I scored the tureen, I turned my focus on the kitchen:  middle son recently requested monster cookies.  A big batch of these oversized monstrosities was in order, before our family devoured the huge bag of M&M's I bought especially to make them.

And I wanted to try a batch of apple cider caramels (most of which are going with Mr. Official to work today.)  So it was a pleasantly busy, home-centered afternoon, which suited me to a "T."

I think we are settling into a habit with this weekly routine, and not only did I hit the grocery store just once last week, I managed to stretch out the time between visits to ten days.  Granted, we ran out of milk a few days before I went, but it's now an optional drink for us, not a necessity.  And our foodbill was well under $100 for the week, due in large part to the stockpile of meats and other more expensive items I already had on hand to incorporate into the week's menu.

It struck me recently that we have not eaten a dinner out in quite some time, which can be attributed to  a combination of eating in on Sundays and football season, which consumes our Friday and Saturday nights.  That might change when we are no longer chasing after high school and college football games on Friday and Saturday nights, but for now, our food budget is heaving a huge sigh of relief.

I don't know how many more Mondays I'll blog about our weekly day of rest, although with the upcoming holidays, I may find us wrestling with time constraints that test my resolve to avoid shopping on Sundays.  But for now, a few simple, deliberate choices have created a new, enjoyable weekly routine.  The next step will be to re-introduce some form of hospitality on Sundays, either hosting a midday or evening meal occasionally.  

I hope you're intrigued or inspired just a little and considering trying a Sunday of respite, away from the hustle and bustle of eateries and shopping.  It's nice to not feel pressured to go anywhere, or do anything in particular one day a week.  

Like the 1970s Life cereal commercials told Mikey, "try it - you'll like it!"

Happy Monday,

Recipe of the Week: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Okay, this week's recipe is technically not pumpkin-based.  However, you *could* make it from pumpkin.  Although if you've ever tried cutting a raw pumpkin into chunks, you know why sweet potatoes are a whole lot easier, and they are really very similar in taste and texture once they're cooked.  Close enough.

And I wanted to include at least one savory recipe in this little recipe series.  They're pretty scarce, so this may be the only one.


I spotted the original recipe in a Penzeys catalog.  It was for a filling (without tomatoes) to stuff into flour tortillas for enchiladas; it sounded pretty good but I was looking for a sweet potato chili recipe to try on my family, and the ingredients  attracted me because of the unusual way of cooking the sweet potato chunks.  You'll see.  And trust me when I say it's worth the extra step - the apple cider vinegar and soy make the sweet potatoes much more flavorful.  This is one way to get your pickiest eaters to eat some super-nutritious sweet potatoes on the sly.

I provide some either/or options below so you can adapt it to your family's preferences and what you have available.  For example, I have a bottle of dried shallots from World Market that I want to use up before they lose their flavor, so I tossed a generous handful in with the potatoes while they cooked.  If you don't have dried shallots, a small onion or a couple leeks (which is what the original recipe called for) browned with the sausage will be just as tasty.

It's not often I declare any recipe a "winner" the first time out of the chute. This one has that distinction, so without further ado, I'm happy to share it with you.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Ingredients:
2 or 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-size chunks (1/2 to 1 inch)
1/3 cup soy sauce (I used light/low sodium - regular would also be fine)
1 cup apple cider vinegar, divided
2 tablespoons dried shallots or two leeks or a small sweet onion, diced fine
1 pound chorizo sausage (Not ringing any bells?  See my notes below)
5 cloves garlic, minced or 5 teaspoons diced garlic-in-a-jar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne (more or less, to taste)
2 cans black beans, drained
2 cans Rotel or (1 can Rotel and one can plain diced tomatoes for tender palates)
1 cup beef broth (more or less to achieve the desired consistency)


Directions:
In a medium saucepan, place sweet potatoes, soy and dried shallots (if using) and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar.  Bring to boil and reduce heat and cover, simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.  (Keep a close eye on it - don't allow it to dry out and scorch.) Set aside.

In a Dutch oven (recommended) or other soup/chili pot, brown together the chorizo and garlic, and leeks or onions (if using instead of dried shallots.)  When browned, remaining apple cider vinegar, cumin and chili powders, beans, tomatoes and beef broth.  Gently mash the sweet potatoes, leaving some lumps.  Add to other ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly through.  You can add more beef broth if it gets too thick.  Serve with sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, and corn chips or saltines.

Makes 6 servings.

Footnote:  in case the word "chorizo" stopped you in your tracks, here's a picture of the brand I used (and would recommend). Unless your only option is chorizo links, look for bulk chorizo - it will be located near other sausage "chubs" in your grocery store.  If you have to use links, try to find a package labeled "fresh chorizo" and slice open the casing (yeah, that is as gross as it sounds) and scrape out the sausage into your skillet or pan, discarding the casings.  You don't want sliced chorizo links in this dish unless it's your only option. 

Happy cooking!

Recipe of the Week: Spicy Pumpkin Ooey-Gooey Cake

Yes, it's pumpkin time around here.  Last week was sour cream pumpkin bread.  

This week's recipe is a takeoff on Paula Deen's "Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake" (which is known in some parts as a "dump cake" or "ooey-gooey cake.")  I tried this recipe on for size last year around this time. I recommend using a spice cake instead of the yellow cake mix listed to give it a more authentic "pumpkin pie" flavor.

On PD's website, a round cheesecake-looking dessert is shown as the final result of the recipe, but her directions (and dump cake protocol) call for a 9x13 pan.  However, it would make for a more sophisticated presentation to make it in the round.  If you have a large (10-inch or larger) springform pan, go ahead and give it a whirl. It's not like you were going to use that pan for anything else this week, right?

One word of caution:  this is a very rich and sweet dessert, so I strongly recommend cutting it into small slivers (if you use said springform pan) or petite 2-inch squares from a rectangle.  Your guests can always have seconds if they are so inclined.

(Note:  To pie purists, this is not in the same league as  traditional pumpkin pie, but if you're serving a crowd, it could do in a pinch, especially with good whipped cream on top.)

Spicy Pumpkin Ooey-Gooey Cake

Crust Ingredients:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow spice cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, melted (don't substitute margarine)

Filling Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To create the crust, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.  Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Happy eating,


P.S. Up next week is...you guessed it, another pumpkin recipe. Hope you like 'em.  If not, I am betting I'll give you so many ways to fix pumpkin, you'll have to like one of them.  We'll continue exploring this pumpkin patch as the countdown to Thanksgiving continues.

Recipe of the Week: Sour Cream Pumpkin Bread

There are so many delicious recipes with pumpkin these days, I thought I'd try to feature one (or two) a week through Thanksgiving.  Since I'm also trying to work off a few excess pounds before the holidays, I warned Mr. Official that he's going to be schlepping some seriously fattening foods to share with his staff.  It's one of the laws of physics:  high-calorie foods diluted among many eaters does no harm.

We'll start off with a quick bread.  My all-time favorite bread is banana nut bread, and recently a friend asked me if I had ever made it without the bananas (she's not a fan of the yellow fruit.)  I hadn't, but I scrounged around and came up with a few alternatives that were similar in other ingredients, including a strawberry jam and nut bread recipe that has been passed down from mother to daughter in our family, and this pumpkin-spice bread recipe.  I'll try to post the strawberry bread recipe closer to Christmas.

The pumpkin bread sounded deliciously similar to my beloved banana bread, so I had to try it for myself. (Friends don't give untested recipes to friends, right?)

I whipped this up yesterday, and tapped my toe until it was cool enough to slice.  It was met with two thumbs up from swimmer girl, although I think it would benefit from a little baking lagniappe (see my recommendations below.)

Sour Cream Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (or margarine) slightly softened to smear texture
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup (1/2 can) pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt   
 

Directions:  Heat oven to 350.  Generously grease a 9x5 loaf pan (or 2-3 mini loaf pans) with shortening.  Don't use spray or butter - trust me.

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Add pumpkin puree and sour cream or yogurt.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (don't overbake.)  Slide a thin blade around the edge to loosen from pan; invert onto cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.  Wrap loaf in a tea towel to store overnight, or let cool completely and freeze for no more than a month. 

Terry's recommendation:  This is a good, basic recipe, but I think it needs a little something to jazz it up a notch.  I'd recommend any one of these three options (and I'll be trying them myself soon - perhaps even some combination of these three):

1.  At a minimum, throw 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped nuts into the batter.  Preferably pecans, but walnuts would work, too.
2.  Add a streusel topping (1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup chopped nuts, 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons butter, crumbled together and sprinkled over the top of the batter before baking.)
3. Cream cheese glaze (1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice, beat together until smooth; drizzle over loaf after removing it from the pan.)  Garnish with chopped nuts if desired.

Happy baking,

One thing leads to another...

Last week, I found myself gravitating toward the Le Creuset store while swimmer girl and one of my "other daughters" (friends of swimmer girl that I happily adopt on a temporary basis now and then) were prowling through yet another boutique.

I love my Lodge Dutch oven. (Remember?) But even I know the gold standard of Dutch ovens is Le Creuset - unless you are a Staub fan. They're both made in France and both makers are extremely proud of their products, which is reflected in their hefty price tags. I had no plans to buy another Dutch oven, but it is fun to look. (I took a long gander at the Staubs while in Williams-Sonoma a few days later. Again, killing time while the girls bushwhacked their way through the labyrinth of shoe stores and other shops.)

Anyhoo, back to Le Creuset. As soon as the clerk heard me utter the word "Lodge," she put on her best French-American accent and tsk-tsk-ed me for buying a cheap Chinese import. (Yes, Lodge cast iron is made in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, but their enamelware processing is in China, thanks in large part to the laws that make it impossible to manufacture them on American soil.) I gently rebuffed her overtures and promised that if/when my Lodge fails, I will be looking to upgrade to the real deal. In the meantime, I'll live with the chips in the rim of my Dutch oven.

I found two treasures while I was there. One was a marked-down jam/marmalade jar in "flame" (aka ORANGE) 

and a small cassoulet in the same screaming shade:

In generalities, I was familiar with cassoulets and the distinctive shape of the dish they are prepared in (and why), but I bought this cute little number as a small side bowl for vegetables or relish.  (Another terrible faux pas in the eyes of the Le Creuset store staff, I'm sure.)

After I left with my purchases tucked away, I started contemplating cassoulet.

And the fact I've never made one.

With weather starting to turn cooler, it's more conducive to heavy, rich dishes full of meat and beans. So I did a little research, satisfied myself there is no "right" way to make one (it's a regional food, much like gumbo or chili - everybody's got their opinion as to what ingredients are authentic and which are blasphemy.) I'm ready to take a stab at it for Sunday's big meal.  Lardons (salt pork), chicken (because you can't find ducks, let alone duck leg quarters in just any old grocery store), cannellini beans, chorizo and all the spices are on hand to give it a whirl.

And...I will cook it in my Lodge Dutch oven, which surely elicits a "Sacrebleu!" somewhere in the universe.


Happy cooking,

Where do you fall on fall?

Fall is a defining time of year, more so than the other seasons, I think.  In fact, I would even go so far as to say it may separate the glass-is-half-full crowd from the other half.  We can see it as the end of one season, or the prelude to the next.

Of course, how you view fall is influenced heavily by how you view summer and winter.

Growing up on the western plains and front range of the Colorado Rockies, I associated fall with the approaching onset (or rather, the onslaught) of an interminable period of cold weeks punctuated by snow storms, freezing temperatures and cloudy gray skies. A few snow-cancelled Halloweens in my childhood served to increase my disenchantment with the season. 

I was not a fan of winter in my childhood years, in case you couldn't tell.  (I never even attempted to ski on snow until I was married and returned to Colorado in the winter with my husband and then only twice.  If I'm going to get around on two sticks, I'd rather do it being pulled behind a boat on a warm lake in the summer.)  Because I dreaded winter, I viewed fall as the harbinger of cold. Instead of appreciating what it had to offer, I spent the autumn season bracing for what would come next.

The southeastern U.S. offers less extreme winter temperatures, and the cold season is relatively short (the big box stores put out seedracks and lawn and garden items as soon as they take down the Christmas displays.)   Years of short southern winters have softened my perspective somewhat.  I'm still not a card-carrying member of winter's fan club, but I don't loathe it.

Better still, I no longer view fall as merely the curtain call on summer, but I've learned to relax and savor it as a season in its own right, albeit as a period of paradoxes: warm but crisp days all rolled into one, sweaters and flipflops worn simultaneously, and piercing blue skies above a sea of blazing orange (on the trees and on game days.)

We have enjoyed our week of fall break, and the weather has been pitch-perfect for drinking up the last drop of summer's warmth.  Last night we enjoyed one final sunset.

Today we arose early to welcome the sunrise and prepare to head home.   It's time to turn the page and enjoy the pageantry of fall; the scenery will change daily until the last of the leaves are gone.  The daily temperatures are beginning to slowly drift downward, and as they do, our tastebuds begin warming up to the savory flavors of hearty foods once again.

I still can't say I look forward to winter, but I have come to accept and even welcome fall for what it is, instead of constantly peeking past it at what lies beyond. All things considered, I'd say my glass is more than half full; how about yours?

Happy fall to one and all,

The fall dining room: proud as a peacock

It all started with a Pier 1 fall catalog that arrived in the mail a few days ago.  I should have known better than to open it (sometimes I do toss 'em sight unseen.)

They might as well dangle a pork chop in front of a starving dog (I would be the starving dog in the metaphor.)  I think I may have actually drooled on one of the pages.  Companies like Homer Laughlin, Crate & Barrel, World Market and Pier 1 know where my weak spot is:  brightly colored pottery and dishes.   Of every shape, size, texture and color imaginable.  I would need (yes, N.E.E.D!!!!) a dish pantry if I bought all the dishes I have seen and intensely coveted.  

But this time I stiffened my resolve and flipped past the dishes to find...this.

Peacock blue, arrayed so artistically I practically swooned.

Well, okay, it wasn't really a swoon.  More like a squeaky little squeal of delight.

Because I had been mentally struggling to see my blue drapes and cocoa brown walls of my dining room mixing it up with traditional fall colors - it just wasn't happening, at least in my mind's eye.

But this.

This was the answer to all those niggling questions and pesky doubts.

It was a sign. I could practically hear Handel's Messiah (you know, the "Hallelujah Chorus?") playing.


I showed great restraint and waited a whole week before I allowed myself to even start down this path. My heart was still going pitter-pat when I hit the circuit:  Stein Mart, Hobby Lobby, Old Time Pottery, revisit to Hobby Lobby.  By the time I got to Pier 1, I was steady and steeled...until I found out they no longer had the owl-shaped pumpkin I had my heart set on - he's in this photo to the right  Isn't he cute?

I'm still on the prowl for the owl, so if you spot one at your Pier 1, give me a hooty-hoot, please?

I can count on both hands (with some fingers left over) the items that transformed the dining room from its cool-as-a-cucumber summer look here:

view from the foyer

to this new look, just in time for fall:

Same doorway view.  And yes, those are new seat cushions.  Thanks for noticing!

In terms of cash outlay, it was a modest transformation:

1. Three glass candle holders on the table ($3.50 each - they were half-off at Hobby Lobby)
2. Two ceramic pumpkins (one white, one blue, also half-price from HobLob - $30 total)
3. Two peacock blue candles (on clearance for $3.50 each from Pier 1)
4. A new wood tray on the buffet (under $10 at Old Time Pottery)
5. A glass vase (well, two - the first one cracked, but Hobby Lobby graciously replaced it - $15)
6. A handful of foliage and peacock stems for about $12, also half-off at Hobby Lobby) and
7. One little woodland owl from Pier1 ($9 - he's my consolation stand-in for the one I wanted.  Sniff.)

Seriously, that's it.  If my math is correct, total damage was just under $100 with tax.  Everything else I pulled out of my attic tubs of autumn stuff or from other places in the house   Not bad, eh?

Oh wait...there is one more item; check out the new painting below.  Does it count?  It wasn't a deliberate acquisition, but the product of girls' night out last Saturday at Faithful Strokes.  (And here I was giving my friends a hard time that I didn't know where I would hang this painting if I painted it.  I'm glad they guilted me into going!)

See the little owl?  He's cute - just not as big as the one I had my eye and heart set on

I know we're barely one day into the official fall season, but I'm already envisioning these deeper blues paired with shimmery silver when it's time to decorate for the winter holidays.  For the next several weeks, the peacock blue and orange theme will reign--all the way through Thanksgiving.  It's always exciting to see the seasons unfold outdoors, and fall is definitely the season for colors to unfurl both indoors and out...much like a peacock proudly fanning out his iridescent plumage.

Happy fall!
 

Dismantling the mantel

I'm a little puzzled as to why dismantle is a fairly common verb, but mantle is only a noun in modern times; as a verb it is obscure - some might say arcane.   Or why remantling isn't a word at all. But setting aside the weird vagaries of the English language, it's time for some seasonal adjustments to our mantel.

When we moved into this house, it was early summer and so the mantel was mantled with summery objects: sepia prints from South Carolina, along with sand and seashells.

Now it is late summer (almost fall y'all!) and time to gently transition us into autumn hues without making it look like Hobby Lobby has taken over my house.

Speaking of which.

Oh. my. goodness.  Have you been lately?  They have a giant Thanksgiving-bedecked Christmas tree to greet you when you walk in the door. Swimmer girl calls it a Thristmas Tree.  And every shade of orange can be found in the waves and waves of pumpkins, turkeys and pilgrims, along with Halloween black cats and scarecrows. And of course, the Christmas stuff is oozing out all over the place - every time I walk in, it's taken over a few more aisles with ornaments and stocking hangers and decorations.  It's like "The Blob" and almost as scary.

Okay, so here was the mantel before I dis-mantled it; crisp black-and-white:

And here it is now, with some yellows and a hint of orange:

Before I plunged in, I considered my options.  I have a tub (or two) of fall stuff in the attic.  And Mr. Official will be happy to know the floral stuff was recycled, and the candles and candlesticks are also re-used.

But I wasn't quite ready for ALL the fall stuff, so I went through our old photos until I found some of our children's fall pics I liked, then had them blown up and tucked them in frames.

It's definitely a departure from the mantles we've sported over the last few seasons.  The other pictures will undoubtedly reappear at some point, either back on the mantel or elsewhere.  And like Hobby Lobby with a delayed reaction, I'm sure the mantel will slowly taken on more and more orange, then red. And green.

Happy decorating!

It's time

The Fantasticks musical debuted in 1960, three years before I made my own debut into this world. But the opening song, "Try to Remember" was a piece of music I had to learn for something in my childhood and the song has always stuck with me.

"Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh, so mellow..."

It seemed fitting this plaintive, sentimental song came to mind as I looked through our old photos for some fall images to decorate the mantel last week.  It's hard to believe these photos were taken so many Septembers ago but they were.  Eleven years ago, swimmer girl was a cute kindergartener and middle son was just a boy and his dogs, aptly named Duke and Daisy.  Just a few years before that, oldest son was a proud middle school football player back in Oklahoma.

Whether it's just the inevitable progression of the season, or Hurricane Irene pushing around the pressure systems, the first hint of cool breezes hovers just under the radiating heat of July and August.  It's time.

It is time to do a few things.

Things like...

• Change the flag to show the world our orange on September 12 (just not before 9/11.)
• Update the mantel (watch for photos this week...)
• Plan our fall break getaway (I am SO looking forward to heading somewhere warm and southern and sunny for a week with swimmer girl and a group of friends!)
• Purchase some spring bulbs to plant in the next few weeks.
• Finish up the canning and preserving season (figs and tomatoes are almost done; pears and roasting peppers are next.)

Yes, it's still plenty warm -- downright hot most days. Indian summer will not put in appearance for a while, but it's time to do these things. Because as sure as I breathe, autumn is on its way. The days are getting shorter and everywhere I turn, there's a whisper on the wind, letting me know that fall is not afar off.
We've now experienced a full season - the entire summer - in our new home. I have loved every minute of it, even the heat.  And now when I stand at my kitchen sink in the evenings, the western sky hints at what is to come. If I close my eyes, I can envision the cool rainy days that so often follow the tropical storms and hurricanes. Mornings will soon be wrapped in a cool fog.  Impossibly blue fall skies will be punctuated by days of gray and the cold rains of late fall and early winter. If our summer is any indication of Mother Nature's temperament, winter is already isn't likely to wait demurely in the wings this year.

For once, instead of dreading the approaching colder weather, I can hardly wait. I look at our home and I already see it bedecked with the trappings of the holidays. It is a house meant for gathering family and friends, and it's been heartwarming to see family and friends gathering together frequently here.  Baking bread, bubbling soups and stews and hearty meals and fellowship await. They will buoy and sustain us through the gray months of winter.

But for now, it is time to feel the warmth of summer tamed by the faintest hint of fall breeze, and all that comes with it. Welcome, fall and all it holds in store for family, friends and football.

Happy Monday,

Thankful Thursdays: The Second Seven

During the countdown to the holidays, I'm taking time each week to take stock of some of the blessings in my life. Last week kicked off with the first five.  There are too many to count them all, so I'll just offer a weekly summary of one per day as we head into Thanksgiving.  Here's the second seven, but above all, today is Veterans Day - a day to honor all our vets.  I pray for God's blessing on all our combat veterans and their families - past and present, along with those actively serving today; may they become the veterans of a peaceful future time.

So what else am I thinkful for this week?

1. My faithful pooch.  That may sound like a trivial thing to include on this list, but there are days when the dog may well be my best friend - she's certainly among the most loyal and patient of those who know me.  We've had several wonderful canine companions over the years; Spice (aka Big Dog) is my nearly always at my feet - all 80 pounds of her.  Statistically, her remaining years are numbered, and so I treasure the time I have with her while she's still in good health.  If you've never seen the "GoD and DoG video by Wendy J. Francisco, it's well worth the 1.59 minutes to watch it.
2. Farmers and ranchers.  What would we eat if it weren't for the men and women who keep us in food?  I love having a summer garden, but heaven help us if we had to depend on my gardening skills to feed us all year 'round.  I am grateful to those who raise and grow the food we take for granted.
3. The innovators.  We'd be a sorry lot if no one had ever conjured up innovations like corrective eyeglasses, utensils to eat with, clocks to keep track of our time, a microscope to see germs (and antibiotics to kill them), and countless other products and devices that we use every day, and barely notice.  But we would surely notice if we had to do without them!
4. The poets, artists and philosophers.  Their contributions have added richness and depth to the human experience, giving us phrases to express our rough thoughts, beautiful objects to behold, and challenging us to think deeply about our existence and relationship to one another, and to our creator.
5. The United States Postal Service.  Seriously - is there anything better than opening your mailbox and finding a handwritten card or a package, delivered promptly and cheaply by the good ol' USPS? They do an amazing job, day in and day out, of getting everything to its destination, interpreting terrible handwriting and correcting transposed addresses and ZIP codes.
6. Friendliness.  A stranger holds the door open for you, a fellow driver lets you ease into their lane of traffic, or someone simply smiles a friendly hello.  Those small acts of kindness are game-changers for our moods, sometimes making turning a miserable day into a tolerably good one.  Paying it forward not only feels good, it is good.
7. Changing seasons.  I'm not a big fan of winter, in fact I grumble most years when the days get shorter and colder.  But having four seasons is truly a blessing.  There is beauty in each season, and as they change, it's a perfect reminder that we don't have to orchestrate everything in this life for ourselves.  There is a creator who is in control.  The beautiful blaze of fall leaves can leave us speechless, if we stop long enough to take it in.

Happy counting,

Chihuly at Cheekwood - Bravo!

Sometimes it pays to procrastinate.  I have wanted to see the Chihuly exhibit at Cheekwood Botanical Garden ever since I heard it was coming.  But the summer slipped away and I never found made the time to visit.  

But I recently discovered that it was being held over an extra week AND Cheekwood was offering a free day on November 2.  It doesn't get any better than that!  (Okay, so it was a little crowded.  But it was a beautiful day; not hot, not cold, a little overcast, which helps with photo quality, and the gardens are still beautiful even though they are winding down for the season.)

I convinced two friends and one adorable little girl to go with me.  Unfortunately, we were in a bit of a hurry, trying to squeeze this visit into an open space on all three busy mom's schedules.  But even though we clipped through the garden at a good pace, it was beautiful - well worth the trip. (And I owe a huge thank-you to our driver who patiently eased her way through some snarly - and snarky - traffic in Belle Meade. Not sure if money can buy happiness, but I'm convinced it does not buy niceness.)

Dale Chihuly is most definitely deserving of his worldwide reputation as a master artisan of glass art, and Cheekwood's gardens were a terrific backdrop and foil for these beautiful pieces.  Thank you Mr. Chihuly and Cheekwood (and the patrons who provided the financial support) for bringing this exhibit to Tennessee!

Before we left, we heard Cheekwood is doing their annual Festival of Trees in December.  Hmmm, we might just have to find time to go back for a more leisurely visit in a few weeks!



Happy strolling,