Mountain Musings

Happy Mother's Day!

Winging their way from California, the Harry & David Mini-Roses that I won over at the Reluctant Entertainer blog arrived just in time for Granny for Mother's Day! 

This gift came with three lovely four-inch potted mini roses (white, pink, and yellow) in a unique crate made of antique replica yardsticks. Here's Granny right after Fed-Ex delivered them: You can also see the Harry & David roses pictured here--quite full of blooms and lovely! I'm sure our roses will be just as pretty once they are planted and start thriving here in Virginia soil!

Sitting on Granny's trunk in her living area, they are quite eye-catching. Thank you, Reluctant Entertainer, and thank you Harry & David for a delightful Mother's Day gift. After all Granny has been through recently with back surgery and recuperation, this roses delivery was especially timely!If you are an long-time reader of Mountain Musings, you'll remember that a couple of years ago I won ten Knock-Out Roses for Granny for Mother's Day from P. Allen Smith, the gardening guru. You can read that story here. That was exciting, too, and we both loved it!

Anyway, we had a great Mother's Day weekend around here and hope that your Mother's Day with your family was a good one, too! I'm so very thankful for my wonderful family.

~Deb

* Hannah honored me by writing a Mother's Day post over on her blog.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today, Thursday, April 18

Outside my window... there's a storm a'brewing. We can always see the black storm clouds headed our way from the Alleghenies over to the west. Today's temps are mid-70s and breezy.

I am thinking... about the garden and flower beds--so much work needs doing this spring, and I haven't drummed up the get-up-and-do-it attitude to get started!

I am thankful... for our five acres the Lord has given us at the top of this hill. I love where we live!

In the kitchen... today is bartering day so Hannah just baked rolls and loaves to exchange for fresh farm eggs.

I am wearing... black skirt, black tank, bright pink blouse...with Crocs.

I am creating... nothing at the moment. But now that the beehives are out of the living room, the sewing machine can be set up in there so I can start on the Saturday Sampler block.

I am going... with Granny to the radiology department of the local hospital tomorrow for another nuclear bone scan. She's still in much pain from the fractured vertebrae when she fell back in February at my sister's house. She then re-injured her back two weeks ago, so the spine specialist wants more x-rays and is considering surgery. Please pray for her healing.

I am wondering... how the girls will do at Farmers' Market on Saturday. It's Earth Day which brings more folks downtown. Fridays are Sarah's all-day baking days...the delicious aromas are wonderful, but the kitchen is totally off limits for anything else!

I am reading... a stack of my hometown newspapers dated from January through March. Do you like reading old news?  I like catching up on hometown news just in case it's about someone I went to school with, and Granny saved these for me when she was in SC.

I am hoping... to put up some new wind chimes this weekend along with my dinner bell that fell over last summer in the big windstorm and all the summer garden flags. Maybe those accomplishments will encourage me to get started on the flower beds.

I am looking forward to... Granny being up and about again, making baskets, and able to go with me to quilt class.

Around the house this week ... Jonathan installed 10,000 bees and their queen safely in their new hive; Hannah tried a new dessert--ice cream brulee--with the raw cow's milk she's now using; I'm waiting for a low-wind day to burn the garden pile of debris; Tom's still working on varnishing more parts of the queen-bed he's building; and Sarah's been taking care of her aging Pepper who's now wearing doggy diapers. :( 

A picture I'm sharing...Hannah's in the garden shed making notes of which tags we'll need for baskets at the show. Come meet us in Dayton, Virginia, next Saturday, April 27, for the Dayton Redbud Arts & Crafts Spring Festival--not sure Granny will be with us; however, Hannah will be selling her soaps, and I'll try my best to sell some baskets!You can find more Daybook entries here.

~Deb

After the Storm...

We finally have internet back!!

The snowstorm this week in our area of Virginia stole our power (thankfully only for most of one day and only for one meal cooked outside on the grill), but we also lost our internet reception for three days...no current news, weather forecast, recipe-checking, reading blogs, or ability to answer comments and emails.

These pictures are especially for Granny. She should be glad she's with my sister in South Carolina now! Our neighbor's house is somewhere behind those snow-laden trees: And below is our driveway that Jonathan and Sarah worked many long hours to snow-blow. In the distance it curves left and goes down a very steep hill which they cleared:It snowed a foot and a half before stopping! Sarah was pleased to finally see some real snow this season, to say the least! Some fun downhill sledding for her but also lots of shoveling--so why does she like this stuff with so much work attached to it??!

With no return of electricity in sight, here's Jonathan making a path to the grill so Sarah could grill some pizzas for us: The Elliott's Knob transmitter supplies our internet reception and was out of commission from the storm. That little snow path winding upwards, top left of the photo below, proceeds higher and higher up the mountain until you reach the transmitter.

Hannah took this zoomed photo out of her bedroom window. Anyway, all that to say...we're sure glad someone finally reached the peak and restored power up there:Today was our very first Saturday Sampler Block-of-the-Month class for this new season. Yes, if you hadn't spotted the 2013 Projects button on the right sidebar yet, I signed up for another year. You knew I would, right? Thankfully, there was no problem getting out of our subdivision and to class today.

Here's the first Show and Tell this month...a lovely purple and green quilt from a previous Saturday Sampler class a couple of years ago. I took that class and still have this quilt top to make! I think I'll hop right on it...after I finish this past year's Saturday Sampler.Anyway, we had an interesting class with lots of newbies participating this year. The red fabric packet we received for the first block was just gorgeous--but the instructions looked quite confusing actually, and I can't wait to tackle it this week. Yes, this week and not the night before next month's class!

That's been our snowy week and my Saturday in class. And, thankfully, Tom is finally home tonight from working the storm outages.

All is well.

~Deb

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today, Monday, January 21

Outside my window...the sun is just beginning to rise over the Blue Ridge Mountains this chilly morning in the Valley--a beautiful sight! The temperature tonight will be down to 12 degrees and tomorrow night even lower down to 7!
 
I am thinking...about what we'll do today with Tom home from work for the holiday. I absolutely love days that he's around the house!

I am thankful...for the new internet server we just installed--now I can watch sewing tutorials with no limits on band-width!! Last week was spent on the computer changing everything over...I'm sure you noticed it was quiet on the blog! It was a lot of work!

In the kitchen...the plan for tonight's dinner is leftover spaghetti with salad, homemade bread, and the remaining brownies for dessert from Sunday's potluck. Sarah experimented with two new brownie recipes for Market and brought them for the church families to sample.

I am wearing...navy skirt, purple turtleneck, light blue sweater, and knitted scarf of blues/purples/aquas, navy stockings...and navy crocs.

I am creating...next month's Block-of-the-Month for sewing class--this is the last block for this year's session, and it will be wonderful to get it finished!

I am going...out to lunch today with Tom. Where? No clue yet--doesn't matter--I'm looking forward to it.

I am reading...With Fabric and Thread by Joanna Figueroa that's listed under What We're Reading over on the left sidebar. There's a beautiful Blossom quilt pattern in the book, and I already have the fabric kit...maybe something to start after the BOM is all done.

I am looking forward to...The Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, VA, in February. It's possible I might be able to go--not sure yet.

I am learning..."in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Philippians 4:12

Around the house...at the moment, there's a bed in my living room! Tom brought his wood-working inside and laid out the headboard and footboard that he's building for Sarah. It's looking good!

A few plans for the rest of the week...it's Love Your Local Quilt Shop Day coming up on Thursday. I'll be visiting mine!

A picture to share..a cross-stitch Sarah recently finished for Hannah's birthday. It still needs to be stretched, matted, and framed which Hannah will do--in fact, she has a stack of past completed needleworks to frame this winter before the busyness of Farmers' Market resumes.

It's been awhile since I wrote a Simple Woman's Daybook post, so I hope this helped catch you up on what's happening in our neck of the woods. To see other Daybook entries, visit here.

~Deb

Deep in the Heart of Texas ~ Food Conference

Today begins a series of several Deep in the Heart of Texas posts to catch you up on what we experienced at The Reformation of Food and the Family conference sponsored recently by Vision Forum in San Antonio, Texas.

This was our first trip to San Antonio and for some of us our first trip to the state of Texas. Here we are pictured at the Henry Gonzalez Convention Center during one of the lunch breaks before workshops begin:

Below: Doug Phillips of Vision Forum introduced the speakers for the three-day event beginning with Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms located here in the Shenandoah Valley. Joel spoke in workshops and as the keynote speaker including the topics Redeeming the Earth; Local Food to the Rescue; and Holy Cows and Hog Heaven.

All of us Girotti ladies enjoyed the various ladies' forums which included hearing Michelle Dugger speak on Revitalizing and Reforming Hospitality; Practical Tips for Feeding a Large Family; and Frugality and Health: Feeding Your Family A High Quality Diet While Staying on a Tight Budget:

One of my favorite workshop speakers was Nancy Campbell (below) who spoke on A Glorious Vision for Femininity, Food, and Hospitality in the Christian Household; The Family Feast: How to Transform Meal Time into a Feast for Body, Soul, and Spirit; and The Power of the Family Table.

I loved her sessions because they all dealt with hospitality, and she was a unique and enjoyable speaker. I'll have to start putting into practice some of the things we learned!

Other sessions included learning about A Practical Approach to Addressing Environmental Toxins, Treating Chronic Illness, and Restoring Health; Lyme Disease and the Way to be Well; Nutrition in Fitness; Diet and Dementia: Care for Aging Parents Suffering from Alzheimer's Disease; and Food as Medicine: Eat Well and Be Well.

Here's Dr. Michael Bernui who spoke on Your Genes Are Not Your Destiny: Why Lifestyle and Diet May Trump Genetics in the Battle for Your Health and Understanding Seven Types of Toxins and the Proper Response to Them:

Guest speaker French Chef Francis Foucachon (below) spoke on The Joy of Food in the Christian Home; Starting Your Own Restaurant; and What We Can Learn From the French About Food.

There were many more speakers and topics that made up the conference. Suffice it to say that it was a very full three days! Deciding which 10 of the 40 workshops to attend was quite difficult.

Our family enjoyed the food conference and feel that we learned some practical ways to improve our health. In a nutshell: eat less food, eat more often, and drink more water!

Next up: Deep in the Heart of Texas ~ Friends and Fellowship at the Food Conference

~Deb

The Place Where I Belong

I finally spent my Country Connections gift card from Christmas...there were so many country treasures in that store that I couldn't decide how to spend the money! Now the chore is finding a place to hang the plaque I picked out.

What I wonder is...where's #10 in the list about the South?

The South ~ the place where...

1) Tea is sweet and accents are sweeter.

2) Summer starts in April.

3) Macaroni and Cheese is a vegetable.

4) Front porches are wide and words are long.

5) Pecan pie is a staple.

6) Y'all is the only proper noun.

7) Chicken is fried and biscuits come with gravy.

8) Everything is Darlin'.

9) Someone's heart is always being blessed.

10) ?

What would your suggestion be to fill in the last spot?

I think I'd say...the place where I belong.

~Deb

Valentine Central

It's been correspondence crazy-time around here this week...stamps, stickers, addresses, oh, my!

I've always loved letterwriting...but now I do a lot of writing on the computer--making copies on brightly colored paper, stuffing long letters or cards into envelopes with lots of heart stickers, and hoping my friends will receive the snail mail in their mailbox with just as much excitement as I sent it!

Valentine's Day gives me a good excuse to write to friends far and near. But I would tell anyone they don't need an excuse to write to me--just write!

This antique cherry secretary desk belonged to my Aunt Bunny, and now it sits in the corner of my bedroom. I actually don't sit here to write letters although I should...it's a delightful spot to pen a note.

There are several antique milk bottles on the windowsill, a purple mug from my sister that says I {heart} Purple, and Vicki's wonderful knitted bird's nest on the corner of the desk.

Do you spy the antique wooden stamp holder in the center cubby of the desk? It holds rolls of stamps which I don't normally use because I love using colorful commemoratives.

Actually, I didn't purchase these newest LOVE stamps...yet. The last of the Christmas stamps were stuck on these Valentine envelopes...I hope my friends don't mind.

Tomorrow I'll be doing more of the same. Happy Valentine's weekend to you all!

~ Deb

For the Love of Pepper

Last fall when I drove down to visit my sister in South Carolina, we went out to eat at Fatz Cafe...great restaurant with delicious food...and only 5 minutes from her house!

As we were sitting there during the meal, Bet's friend, Sonia, remarked on the pungent, spicy, and great taste of the milled pepper. I'm a real black pepper lover and also noticed how the Fatz pepper added to the taste of our food.

After we returned home to Virginia, I kept wondering how I could find some of that same pepper. Having no idea of the brand, I googled Fatz Cafe to see if there was any mention on their website. No, nothing.

I admit...this was a little out of the ordinary, but I contacted the manager and not only raved over our meal and the delicious pepper but also asked how I could locate some of the same pepper the Fatz Cafe chain uses.

The manager returned my email and simply said that the chain used Monarch brand and that it was his personal favorite. At least now I had a name to google. But after searching, still no Monarch peppercorns.

Yes, I wrote back again and explained the predicament. The next email from the manager said he would Fed-Ex some Monarch peppercorns to me to enjoy as a Christmas present from Fatz to our family.

What great customer service! I love it! (Or else he just wanted to get rid of this crazy woman!)

The above container of black pepper arrived just as promised a couple of days before Christmas. Thank you, Fatz Cafe!

Now I just need to purchase a pepper mill. Any suggestions?

~Deb

Happy Thanksgiving...From Our Home to Yours

It's been busy in the ol' Mountain Musings' kitchen today...we three girls have been cooking up Marinated Carrots, Cranberry Relish, Apple Pie, Sweet Potato Casserole, and Cranberry Orange Bread...just to name a few delicious dishes that we'll contribute to the meal with friends.

We hope your holiday is filled with good family times and full of thanks for all the blessings the Lord has given us all to enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

~Deb

Oooh, Vera!

Isn't she gorgeous?

My generous blogging friend, Vicki, over at 2 Bags Full, is giving away yet another Vera bag! This one is in fall's newest and most popular colors - Suzani.

I love it because it's so colorful! I've not won any of the bags Vicki's given away on her blog in the past, but this one just might have my name on it! Head on over and sign up for it here.

Also because October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, Vicki is advertising Pinky on her blog.

Susan from the blog Days at Buttermilk Cottage is on a personal mission to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness.  She designed this adorable little lamb and is selling the knitted version, the PDF pattern, and also the kit containing the pattern and yarns to make your own Pinky.

More information here. 

And last, but not least, Vicki is giving away a Twirly Birds Pink Vera bag in the Breast Cancer Awareness pattern if you join her Facebook page. I'm not a facebooker so I can't win this one, but if you are, head over to Vicki's blog and find out what you do.

Winners will be picked on November 4th.

~Deb