Stasia's Place Of Grace

Friday, October 17, 2003

 

To Quote...

"If you look to others for fulfillment,
you will never truly be fulfilled.
If your happiness depends on money,
you will never be happy with yourself.
Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you."
~ Lao Tzu, as quoted in "Attitudes of Gratitude: How to Give and Receive Joy Every Day of Your Life" by M.J. Ryan

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On The Fibery Front

Jeff's Bea Ellis moose hat proceeds. The cotton lining is at the bottom. So far, so good...

Carved apple heads in the dehydrator. The apples are from our orchard.

"We can see!"

Applehead gets a body; completed squares for Sis' Christmas afghan
(Lion Brand Homespun Winter Night Afghan free pattern).

What else have I been up to? I finished a woven silk scarf (the warp for which has been on my loom for probably over a year!), and I finally added the "four later" shafts to my Ashford table loom, making it an eight-harness loom (only four of which can be controlled by direct-tie-up foot treadles, though). What a project that was - I'm glad it's over and that now I can focus on getting more comfortable with weaving.

Time to warp up both the Wolf and the Ashford to make some Christmas gifts... and I am going to be sewing a cover for Jeff's harpsichord. As I'm no seamstress, this ought to be very interesting... but something is needed as it is right next to our kitchen, and we can't let it get full of cooking grease.

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Tastes Of Fall

Fall is in full swing and I have gotten myself a BIG pumpkin. It must weigh 40 pounds! I picked it out at a local farm - they have their pumpkins all set up outside, along with an "honor box" into which you put your payment. Isn't it nice to know people still use honor boxes? Makes the world seem... better, and wholesome, somehow. This rotund squash cost just $4 - can't beat that. I hope it has a lot of seeds - I love toasted pumpkin seeds!

There is a man who used to work for Jeff's company who is undergoing his third round of chemotherapy (please keep him in your thoughts and join me in lighting a candle for him). Jeff's company had a bake sale for this man last week and raised a lot of money to help cover his living expenses. I sent in two pumpkin breads. Although it was just a small thing to do, it warmed my heart to be able to help a little. Small efforts are better than none at all... didn't Mother Theresa say something like that? Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy the recipe:

Pumpkin Bread
From "Old Pioneer Recipes", Bear Wallow Books

2 cups flour, sifted
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. cooked pumpkin (I used a 15 oz. can and doubled the other ingredients to make 2 breads)
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350�. In a small bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Set aside. In a larger bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except nuts. Stir dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture only until moistened. Fold in nuts. Pour batter into a 9x5" greased loaf pan. Bake in 350� oven 60-65 minutes. Cool before removing from pan.

There is a very neat cornstalk and pumpkins loaf pan at Rowe Pottery Works which would be perfect to use for such a bread. Isn't it neat?

I just ordered a personalized oak leaf and acorn mug from Rowe Pottery... I am a sucker for acorns. They seem to hold such promise of future possibilities, which is why I collect acorns as personal talismans. Someone please remind how the poem goes... out of little acorns the mighty oak doth grow...?

People are all like acorns - full of potential, if given the chance to grow. Able to become strong, even though they start out small. I try to remember that, whether dealing with difficult people, or when I'm frustrated at myself.

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Views Of Fall

These fall views are from my bedroom window. To the left are our beehives, garden, and shed. To the right is the orchard and grape fence. In the center (which you can't really see, as part is missing) is a big old Basswood tree, which is at the front of our little woods which extends in a "V" towards the horse farm behind us.

The leaves are making a carpet over the grass, and they keep blowing around in windswept mini-tornado spirals and falling gracefully back to earth.

Some Feeder Visitors

The birds have wasted no time in becoming familiar with the locations of the feeders, which I'll keep stocked throughout the winter (birds do become dependent on feeders; if you begin feeding them, please stick with it through the end of spring!)

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I hope your week will be full of the flavors and warmth of this season. I am grateful for hot tea, warm handknit sweaters and socks, flannel pajamas and sheets, cozy puppy dogs and kitties, gorgeous sunsets and foliage, and the abundance of the harvest. I hope you experience these same blessings.

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