Mountain Musings

Graceful Designs

Introducing...my new website! Graceful Designs is now the online presence for my few-years-old home business of making cards. Up until now, I have mainly sold cards through word-of-mouth to family, friends, and even the customers of our hairdresser from her basement shop.

Creating cards and trying my hand at many different art mediums have been something I've enjoyed for quite a few years. After I graduated from high school, Dad and Mom encouraged me to make a go of starting a small business from home. In 2005, both Sarah and I were able to participate in a home-based business class taught by Crystal Paine, as well as pick up some ideas from a class at the local community college. I also contacted several acquaintances asking them to share their expertise and advice in either art or business.

Because our Typepad blogging account gives us 3 different blogs to work with, I was able to use the 3rd to design my card website. It has been a fun yet slow process getting everything in order (especially with a dial-up connection). I have discovered a lot about using HTML, thanks to hints from Jonathan and some trial and error!

I know there is much more to learn as I continue to practice my photography, watercolor, and calligraphy and watch the business grow.

From my website's About the Artist page:

Hannah G. Girotti lives in Virginia with her family. She is a graduate of home education and has had an interest in art since childhood. She enjoys capturing scenic and nature images, her photographic subjects ranging from historic bridges to old barns or from sunsets to the diverse array of flowers in her own garden.

Shooting with a digital Canon Rebel Ti camera, she then uses the photographs as the basis for many of her watercolor paintings.

Graceful Designs was begun as an opportunity to use her God-given skills while learning to run a business and being productive in her home.

~Hannah

Sunday with the Saints

This past Lord's Day was another wonderful time of worshipping with families in our home church group. We hosted the meeting here at our house, which is always enjoyable for us and a good exercise in hospitality. Three families and a single young man are now meeting together in our fellowship, and this week we welcomed another new family from the area who had heard about us from the NCFIC website and were interested in visiting.

We had a very good meeting with singing, extended prayer time, Tom continuing teaching in Ephesians (this week on 3:7-13), followed by communion with each family gathered 'round the kitchen for the breaking of the loaf and partaking of the grape juice, then the main meal, and a time of getting better acquainted with each other.

When we host, we have learned that it's always best to have as much done as possible the night before. This week we served Chicken and Rice Soup prepared in our trusty, big-enough-for-crowds oval roaster, and Hannah baked some loaves of whole wheat bread. With the number of people attending, I calculated we would triple the soup recipe. But without knowing the recipe was already doubled as penciled in, I doubled the recipe again...three times! Lots of soup! Lots of leftovers! Certainly a better situation to have than not enough to feed our guests.

Usually the men gather to talk on Sunday afternoons, but this week after the meal some of them decided to play Risk! Although they didn't end up finishing the game, they seemed to have a good time strategizing while the ladies chatted, and the younger girls played together.

Here are some additional pictures from other Sunday meetings to give you an idea of our afternoon fellowship times.

Right: Tom chats with Jonathan and Erich, who arrived from Texas recently and is a pilot at the local airport where Jonathan works. It has been fun getting to know him.

Left: Sarah chats with one of the moms on one end of the table, while in the kitchen...

Right: Hannah washes up some dishes. We loved being in this log cabin and warming ourselves by the fire.

Left: At another family's home we enjoyed "Sundaes on Sunday"...Sarah served the ice cream and everyone heaped on plenty of toppings.

Right:  After finding out that Sarah had never had the wonderful experience of changing a diaper, little Ethan obliged so Sarah could have her first lesson! All the girls gathered for the instruction time! :)

Left: One Sunday there was time before leaving to go outside and check out the bunny cage and hold Buttercup.

We do look forward to each Lord's Day--not only hearing the Word proclaimed and worshipping together, but meeting in each family's home and enjoying the close relationships that are forming with our friends.

~Deb

My New Pet?

After being reminded of the zany little fact about me from the Z meme, my sis emailed me a link to this article this morning. Funny! Think I should?

~Deb

Getting Ready for a Party!

Well, we've been busy all week preparing for our Valentine's Luncheon, which was held yesterday--a week after Valentine's Day. But that's okay; our home has been festively decked out in PINK! and RED! in anticipation of a fun time of fellowship with friends!   

Hannah prepared and mailed the hand-made invitations and also worked on the creative name tags for the table. Here she sits at our trusty ping-pong table (which normally gets used for everything except ping-pong) with all her artistic paraphenalia, making sure all the tags are just perfect.

I made sure all the teacups were available for our tea and hot chocolate and was responsible for putting together all the take-home gift bags of goodies and arranging them at each place at the table.

Here's a picture of the table I set earlier this week. I enjoy doing things well in advance to avoid last-minute stress, which is inevitable the day of the event.

Before the guests were due to arrive, all the morning's food preparations went smoothly--well, almost everything. Sarah, of course, made the desserts--heart-shaped mini cheesecakes and heart-shaped M & M cookies.

She decided to place chocolate hearts on top of each cheesecake--what a fancy decoration it turned out to be! To make them, she piped chocolate squigglys on waxpaper to chill and harden. Then she carefully scraped them up, turning two to face each other, making a heart shape. She used a toothpick to first make a hole on top of the cheesecake before she tried inserting the chocolate pick. Break. Try another. Break. Another. Break. Oops, whose idea was this? Finally, she got the hang of it, and all the cheesecakes looked gorgeous.

Our Valentine's Luncheon Menu:

• Broccoli Ham Ring*
• Chicken Club Ring*
• Flaxseed Corn Chips
• Fruit Kabobs (strawberries, grapes, pineapple)
• Cheesecake* and M&M  heart cookies

Here's a picture showing the buffet counter as Hannah slices each of the rings and arranges the lettuce before placing the red pepper filled with honey mustard dressing in the center of the ring.

And here are our guests! We had a wonderful Valentine's Luncheon! Thank you friends for sharing the day with us!

~Deb

*recipes follow

Encyclopedia of Me ~ Z is for...

Updated to add correct answers! Thank you to all who played along and made this so much fun!  Congratulations to Dorothy and Bet who correctly identified all 5 zany characters!

Well, we've come to the conclusion that we are about the unzaniest family around! When we first came up with using the word "zany" for our last letter of the Encyclopedia Meme, we thought, "Oh, good, that's a different choice besides using "zoo!"  After putting our heads together, we're finding out the Mountain Musings crew is a pretty boring lot...and pretty unzany!

But here's our shot at the few zany things we could think up!

UnZany Character #1: must have all the eggs in a carton balanced; curls toes under feet when barefoot; comes up with obscure lines from videos or radio episodes to fit any situation; cracks toes, ankles, knuckles at bedtime. Who am I? SARAH

UnZany Character #2: likes to eat cold corn on the cob; starts whistling the tune whenever a song title is mentioned; exclaims "ching!" whenever something is dropped; curls toes under feet when barefoot. Who am I? HANNAH

UnZany Character #3: can juggle anything, curls toes under feet when barefoot; entertains the family with palindromes like, "Yo Banana Boy!" or "Madam I'm Adam!"  Who am I? JONATHAN

UnZany Character #4: able to imitate sound of water dripping with mouth; pretends to play imaginary musical instruments; curls toes under feet when barefoot. Who am I? TOM

  UnZany Character #5: spontaneously comes up with crazy sayings that everyone now quotes; loves the smell of skunks; writes things on a to-do list that are already done so they can be crossed off; does not curl toes. Who am I? DEB

Can you match us up correctly? Leave your guesses in the comments.

~ The UnZany MM Crew

Attracting Birds to Your Garden

This past Saturday I attended a seminar at Andre Viette's Farm and Nursery devoted to attracting birds to your home and garden. Since there were over 60 people signed up for this popular subject, we were seated inside one of the larger potting sheds on the property instead of in the garden center where I've attended other workshops. I enjoyed seeing this behind-the-scenes large workroom where they mix their soil. If you're interested in birding, my scribbled notes are below.

The guest speaker was the owner of the Wild Bird Center who talked about the many varieties of bird feeders and seeds available. In this picture she is showing us a bluebird mealworm feeder. (You can make your own by using a tuna can.) She told us how to train bluebirds to come and eat the mealworms once you place them in the container:  pick a time that's convenient for you, ring a bell or whistle once the mealworms are out, and if you are consistent, the birds will come eat the worms at that time every day. [I doubt I will ever have to worry about this method of feeding; no mealworms will be stored in my fridge.]

• Bluebirds like short grass and open areas (so they can see crickets and insects).
• You are less likely to see bluebirds if you live in a wooded area.
• If you will provide water in the winter, you will get lots of birds.
• Plastic bird baths are better than concrete ones because a concrete bath has a tendency to crack if water freezes in it.
• Tip: if you place a 2 - 3 inch rubber hose in the bottom of a bird bath, the water will not freeze.
• Bluebirds nest about 2 - 3x a year.
• Leaving the nests through the winter is a good idea because birds may use them in cold weather for protection. However, clean out bluebird boxes in February in anticipation of adults building new nests in the spring for their young. If you leave an old nest in the box, sometimes larva will be lurking underneath the nest and will suck blood from the baby birds when they are born.
• A copper guard around the 1 1/2" bluebird hole keeps the hole from getting bigger.

She also gave us some food for thought on how to create a wildlife habitat. [Enlarge picture to read the poster on Components of Wildlife Habitats.]

• Set your objectives:  wildlife watching, nature photography, fishing, gardening, sharing nature experiences
• Study your property: food, water, cover, shelter - strive for diversity
• Measure your property:  sketch a map showing existing structures, compass directions, and prevailing winds - also indicate what/where you see wildlife
• Action Plan: time line, budget, evaluate

The speaker focused quite a bit on selecting seed. She advised reading the label on bird seed and avoiding ones with lots of filler. Milo and wheat are considered filler seeds and are added to give weight to the bag. If the main ingredient you see on the label says milo, likely it means you're spending money for seed that doesn't give birds the nutrients they need and for seed which they will flick out of the feeder.

• Black oil sunflower seeds attract many birds and is a good all-around seed to use. Make sure your seeds are the freshest available, and try to use what you have within 4 to 5 months. The general rule is not to buy more than you can feed in a month. [Seed moths hatch from older seed and are a problem to eliminate.]
• White proso millet is the second most popular seed. Indigo buntings love millet, but don't go overboard because millet also attracts sparrows and starlings--although starlings like Japanese beetle larva.
• If you're trying to discourage squirrels, grackles, and crows in your feeders, try safflower seed because they won't eat it. You will have to feed safflower exclusively and give birds 2 - 3 weeks to get used to it in the feeder.
• Plant shrubs close to your feeding stations for song birds to have a niche closeby after feeding. 

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things I LOVE about God's LOVE.

1. God's love never changes--it's always the same.  Malachi 3:6

2. Nothing can separate me from the love of God. Romans 8:37-39

3. God loved me so much that He gave His only Son to die for me. John 3:16

4. While I was yet a sinner, He loved me. Romans 5:8

5. His banner over me is love. Song of Solomon 2:4

6. The Bible tells me He loves me. I John 4:10

7. God's love is eternal. Psalm 90:2, Psalm 93:2

8. Because He loves me, if I delight myself in Him, He will give me the desires of my heart.  Psalms 37:4

9. He loves me with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3

10. His spirit bears witness with my spirit that I am His child. Romans 8:16

11. God's love helps me love others.  I John 4:11

12. He loved me first. I John 4:19

13. He laid down His life for me. I John 3:16

The Love of God

"Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Tho' stretched from sky to sky.

Oh love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure, The saints' and angels' song."  ~ Frederick Lehman

How could I not love Him?

~Deb

Free Pancakes at IHOP--on Tuesday

Thank you to Crystal at Money-Saving Mom for the reminder that tomorrow, Tuesday, February 12, is Free Pancake Day at IHOP.

You can get a free short stack of pancakes from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m at all locations. Check here for more details.

~Deb

The Knitting That Must Be Finished Today!

The laundry will have to wait and so must the cleaning from yesterday's home church gathering. No supper on the table until this dishcloth is done!

Tomorrow my alarm will go off at 3:20 a.m., and I will report to the Fort Defiance voting precinct by 5 early-o'clock to begin my stint of volunteering all day at the polls for Virginia's dual primary. I promised a lady I worked with during last November's local election that I would knit her a washcloth and bring it to the February primary. She probably doesn't even remember, but how can I show up without it after promising?

Her kitchen is burgandy and black, and since I'm hooked on these washcloths with the stripe down the middle [#4 on the link], I'm knitting this two-toned cloth to match her color scheme. The burgandy Peaches and Cream was mailed to me by my sister in South Carolina after I couldn't locate any of that color around here.

I have to say that I received the yarn in plenty of time to have this knitting finished, but what fun is it if you can't frantically put in the last stitches just before you need to give it away? If I survive tomorrow's 16-hour day at the polls, I'll write later about the bird seminar I attended on Saturday afternoon--which is another reason this dishcloth isn't finished...

~Deb

Did Someone Say Giveaway??

If you know me even a little bit, you know I love samples, giveaways, and anything that remotely says 'free, take one'. Thanks to Carmon over at Buried Treasure for alerting me to the 100th post over at The Homemakers Journal. This is a new-to-me blog, but I recognize some familiar links over at Tanisha's place.

Take a look at all the wonderful goodies she's giving away! Deadline is tonight, Saturday the 9th, at midnight.

~Deb