winter weather

this evening, we are expecting (and in some parts of the county already experiencing) the first snowfall of the season! not much of it is going to hang around very long, but still the temperatures are dipping down, even if we don't get but a dusting.

i would like to remind any who read this post that not all are as fortunate or blessed as we are. there are, no doubt, families still cold in their houses/apartments right now. let us all pray for those who are struggling to keep warm this cold time of year as well as put our faith in action by doing what we can to help, whether that be make a donation to a charity providing heating assistance, donating quilts/blankets/sweaters/warm slippers, etc. or helping a neighbor directly to pay for heating fuel.

LORD, hear our prayer!

i hope everyone has had a blessed LORD's day and are looking forward to another week of blessings from His hands.

this past week at the cottage, i've been busy trying to do above and beyond normal cleaning and maintenance cleaning. i've found that if i do the bigger tasks in smaller chunks that i don't get as overwhelmed with them or discouraged at the list of them. so cleaning out the fridge for a good scrub turns into several sessions of cleaning and scrubbing the various levels. some tasks may not be suitable to being broken down into smaller ones to be done over a series of days, so reserving one day as a day to do thus-and-so is also more pleasant than fretting over the list of ones not tackled just yet. it was very refreshing to rest today and see how much i've accomplished.

another task i've been busy at is weaving. the next project i'll warp the loom for is a Harvest Home tablerunner for my sister, as she is hosting her first family Thanksgiving this year. she has recently expressed an interest in and discovered a talent for baking, so i think she's looking forward to cooking a meal for us all. i'm also trying to make as many Christmas gifts as possible this year and am trying to outdo my previous handmade gift tallies.

the garden is still giving veggies, mainly yellow squash. there are some pumpkins still growing and i discovered several cantalope as well. the dahlias are still blooming, as are the zinnias. the leaf color is deepening and spreading, making every day a pallete of brilliant golds, reds and greens. how blessed i truly am!

preparation day

it's saturday and that means it's preparation day in anticipation of the LORD's day tomorrow...i'm hoping to get a start on some deep-cleaning today in addition to my regularly scheduled cleaning tasks...Autumn always makes me want to clean and organize the cottage; i suppose that's in anticipation of the cold Winter days when i feel the urge to do less strenuous tasks...i hope all have a good LORD's day tomorrow!

the importance of family

it has been brought more and more to my attention during these times of uncertain finances how important family is! i am feeling more and more led by the LORD to 'circle the wagons' and gather my immediate and extended family about me. not solely for my own protection and support (although i assure you that has crossed my mind), but to ensure that no-one amongst my kith and kin is left wanting, either financially, physically, emotionally or spiritually. this, i believe, is how GOD designed families to truly be: a support and asset in times of trouble and to share joy and goodness in times of blessings (and i've been reflecting on how no time is purely a time of trouble; there are always blessings if we look for them, but that is another topic).

by the way, the cinnamon rolls of the previous entry turned out wonderfully! i look forward to making them a regular treat during the coming cooler months.

adventures in homemaking-cinnamon rolls from scratch

i got up early this morning, since i had been lying awake in bed for a bit, and decided to make homemade cinnamon rolls (something i've been thinking about for a few days). now that the mornings are so cool (it was below 50 degrees F this morning!), i thought perhaps fresh, warm cinnamon rolls and a nice cup of kona coffee would be nice.

my parents, several years ago, gave me a wonderful bread machine as a birthday gift. i've tried my best to take good care of it so that it will last, and it has. the little booklet of bread recipes and baking hints also has a section for desserts and jams. the cinnamon roll recipe is quite good; i've tried it before and was delighted with not only the results, but the ease of the process and the sense of accomplishment and provision for my family. so i decided to bake another batch this morning.

while waiting for the dough to mix and rise (what a lovely gift, that bread machine!), i noticed our neighbor's chickens were outside the kitchen door, pecking somewhate dolefully in the not-very-warm morning sun. so i went outside and threw them a few handfuls of the birdseed i keep on the back porch by the small, portable greenhouse. the hen who was laying an egg each day on the front porch between the grey rockingchair's slats, as stopped and i wonder if that signals the approach of contiuous cooler (and cold) weather. either that or her owners wised up and began keeping the chickens more up at their coop. either way, we enjoyed receiving 13 eggs from her over the span of a week or so; and it was so convenient to step out onto the porch in the morning and gather (if i can use that verb for just one egg) the egg.

the dogwood tree in the back pasture is in the middle of changing its leaves; because of the drought, the leaf color should be rather spectacular this Autumn! how i'm looking forward to that; i always enjoy gathering and pressing leaves to use for cards and other decorating / embellishing ideas. there is a gingko tree not far from the cottage that i want to visit to get some of its astonishing yellow leaves. and along with leaf changing, there is also the fall baking to look forward to, of which the cinnamon rolls are the forerunner! i'm thinking of the spices i need to restock-cinnamon, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cloves and of the hot beverages i want to begin serving-wassail (non-alcoholic), cider, hot chocolate, hot herbal teas (with sourwood honey)!

the cats have also been friskier-than-normal, which means i have to be extra vigilant about papers lying about (V enjoys running through any paper pile, scattering it and then chewing on selected ones). i'm also hoping that they will again keep catching mice through the colder months, as that is a great help in keeping the mice out of our cottage.

after the dough was done, i turned it out of the machine onto a lightly floured surface to begin rolling it out into a rectangle. once satisfied with its shape, i spread butter on the side facing up and sprinkled liberal amounts of cinnamon and sugar onto it. next, beginning at one of the long sides, i rolled the dough making certain to pinch the ends shut. next i cut it into (fairly) even pieces, placing these in a pre-greased baking dish. then i waited for the rolls to double in size and then popped them into the oven (375 for ~ 25 minutes). i also made the 'frosting', from combingin one cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp of vanilla and 2 tbsp of water. i'm hoping they'll be done baking soon, as i am excited to see how they turn out!

saturday-preparation day

it's been a while since i've posted here and there have been some changes. the garden has been having a tough time due to the lack of rain and water restrictions (and, to be honest, the lack of attention from the resident gardeners). however, we are still getting some eggplants, peppers, squash and okra; there are also some baby pumpkins! i've been trying to weed and water when i can, in between sorting through possessions to sell, take to the thrift store or throw away (a never-ending task, it seems).

the weaving is going much, much better than it was earlier in the summer. i think that's in part due to a shift in my attitude; as Autumn approaches, i can feel a quickening inside me. i think Autumn is my favorite time of year, with Winter a close second (then Spring and then Summer). i do have to say that i missed having at least one good, solid snow-fall this past Winter and i'm already hoping and praying for such for this one! but back to the weaving; i finished an order for the gallery where i have some of my things and took it over. they're a nonprofit organization and August plus the financial situation 'round the country wasn't too nice to them. so the director let me know that payment may be a bit later than normal. so that got me thinking...

i do enjoy having my handwovens in a local gallery and i'm committed to supporting this gallery as a nonprofit and its role in the regional arts community; so i'm not going to stop taking orders from them! however, another venue through which to sell would be wonderful. so i'm taking another look at using etsy. i still haven't made a decision, but if i do open up a store, i'll post a link to it from here (and vice-versa). i've got to take some decent pictures of my items, to start with. my camera isn't top-of-the-line, but it was free and i'm very thankful to have it and to be able to take digital images. i just need to figure out how to maximze its capabilities.

we are also being blessed with 'free' free-range eggs from our neighbor's chickens. they have decided to hang out in our yard and lay eggs on our front and back porches; never very many but still, free eggs! i think we've collected six in a week. they're funny animals and the cats enjoy watching them through the windows. yesterday i actually heard one of them sneeze; how many people can say they've heard a chicken sneeze?

today i've been busy with cleaning the house and then trying to plan an afternoon activity, or rather pick an activity from the many on my list that need to be done or started or advanced. an order of yarn came in the mail today for some placemats that one of my mom's coworkers ordered; so i need to dress the loom for them soon. i'm looking forward to tomorrow as a day of resting, relaxing, renewing and contemplation.

things have been busy here at the cottage, so i've not been online or posting very much at all lately. the garden is in full swing, with blooms on many of our plants (except for the tomatoes; they're having problems) and the herbs we've planted are thriving (although i'll have to stop picking leaves off the catnip for a bit, much to the disappointment of three kitties). weaving is coming along well, with a new warp in the process of being wound on and an order from the gallery in the wings as well.

the things i've been struggling with, though, are heavy. i've been at a loss lately in terms of faith and have really felt dry and parched in my committment to Christ. i should confess that i've not helped myself very much in this area; instead of praying more, being more vigilant about avoiding known temptations and calling on a few trusted friends for prayer/advice, i've been just moping and wallowing in despair and dallying with temptation wherever i've come across it (and, yes, sometimes i've actively sought it out). i would like to write that my faith, perseverence and pray are increasing and strengthening, but i don't know that they are. for today, however, i'm making a conscious effort to turn to the LORD, in confession, in petition, in praise...in faith.

it's a good thing that i'm not too terribly afraid of questioning beliefs and having doubts; i went through such an incredibly intense period of that during my late teens/entire twenties that i'm sure God got tired of me obsessing over the same issues for literally years. thankfully, He used that time to gently guide me into new ways of thinking based on His Word (renewing the mind, anyone?) that otherwise i would've laughed off as stupid (yes, i was young and arrogant even though i was confused. now the 'young' has disappeared and just left 'arrogant'!)

there are some blogs i've bookmarked specifically to help me through tough times, either from external persecution (from misunderstanding, well-meaning people) or from internal doubts; these fall into two different groups: gentle blogs and right blogs. the two categories are not mutually exclusive; the gentle blogs are homemaker blogs that address practical issues, as well as marriage ups-n-downs and spiritual ones, too. the right blogs give rebuttle to feminist arguments, with the theology and Scripture behind the answers clearly made plain. both sets of blogs are used by God in my life to encourage me to press on towards the goal.